Many of the people who go through the process of recruitment at their universities have only a vague idea of what being a Greek man or woman actually means. Some are just there because they want to have a college experience like one straight out of the show Blue Mountain State and they figure that being part of a fraternity or sorority will help them get there. No matter what motivates someone to go Greek, they should know a couple cardinal facts about the tradition that they are becoming a part of. Because it is a lot more than Hollywood and the media makes it out to be.
So, in honor of the start of Recruitment Week, here is a list of five facts that might change your perspective about Greek Life.
1. Greek Life is as old as the United States itself.
Next time you see one of the recruitment shirts that has an American flag arranged on it somewhere, wait before you roll your eyes. According to Appalachian State University’s Greek Life page, the first official Greek fraternity ever founded within the United States was Phi Beta Kappa at the College of William and Mary in Virginia in 1776. That’s right. As long as we have had an independent country, we have also had Greek organizations. This original fraternity would meet in secret to discuss current events because faculty had clamped down on such discussions at school, wary of students developing radical opinions. So next time you hear people around your university talking candidly about the upcoming elections, remember that the first such discussions were facilitated by the Greeks.
2. Sorority vs. Fraternity
The governing board for all Greek women’s organizations, the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), still uses the terminology “fraternity” versus the word “sorority” to refer to female organizations. It was only in 1882 when the Latin Professor who advised the sisters of Gamma Phi Beta to change the prefix of the word to “soror” (Latin for sister) that the commonly accepted title for a Greek women’s group actually caught on. The NPC has standardized their verbiage and only refers to sororities as “women fraternities” now. So all the girls that you see walking around in their Chapter clothes are actually nationally thought of as being in a fraternity.
3. Origins of the word “Rush”
In the past fifteen years, there have been a number of hazing tragedies that have led the Inter-fraternity Council (IFC), the NPC, and even state and federal governments to enact rules regulating hazing activities. Especially in Florida, any type of hazing is illegal and is punishable by jail time. To further distance Greek organizations from individual chapter mistakes and from stereotypes perpetuated by the media (see the upcoming Nick Jonas movie “Goat”), Greek life is in the process of phasing out words with hazing connotations, such as “rush” or “pledge.” But where did they even come from? The word “rush” actually is a throwback to when fraternities were physically competing with other fraternities to recruit freshmen and would literally rush to get to them before the other groups could get there.
4. A++
Despite the reputation that Greeks have for being delinquent class-skippers who survive solely off of the devil’s nectar, there is actually a higher average GPA among Greeks than there is in the general student body (at least here at ERAU). This is probably because of the mandatory study hours. It could be the support that brothers and sisters give each other. Or maybe it’s just because they’re awesome.
5. The Key to More Success
In the end, it all comes down to connections. With any fraternity or sorority, there are hundreds if not thousands of brothers and sisters across the country, both collegiate and alumni, that are all there for you. As soon as you are initiated, you enter into a fraternity that has endured, often spanning generations and occasionally centuries. People who were initiated years before you- who could be old enough to be a grandparent- are still your peer in the bonds of sisterhood or brotherhood. When you get on a plane wearing your letters, you will get stopped by people who are a part of or know of your fraternity. You may gain an internship during your college years from your alumni brethren. You may even have brothers and sisters in other countries. You become part of a breathing, growing organism, living out your organization's values and making the world a better place.
It’s not for everyone. It’s not perfect. Your brothers and sisters aren’t perfect either. But if you find your home you are in for one hell of a ride.
PhpWebSite. "Fraternity and Sorority Life." Frequently Asked Questions. Appalachian State University, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2016.
"History of Fraternity & Sorority Life in the United States." History of Greek Life in the United States. Elon University, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2016.
Division Of Student Affairs. "Student Involvement." General History of Fraternities and Sororities in the United States. San Jose State University, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2016.
