Greek life carries a lot of connotations. But whatever you picture when you think about it probably doesn't come close to what I feel as a Greek woman.
The bond between sorority sisters and fraternity brothers go far beyond a normal friendship, and that's what people don't seem to get.
Greek life gives people a way to love and serve selflessly and wholeheartedly in a society that is known, first and foremost, for being selfish and enabled.
Each Greek organization requires members to get a certain number of service hours per semester, and what constitutes service is pretty strict. Each organization has a national philanthropy, and each chapter of that organization is required to volunteer and donate to that philanthropy. Breast cancer awareness and education, domestic violence awareness, Ronald McDonald House Charities, St. Jude's Miracle Network, Huntsman Cancer Institute, the Red Cross, Service for Sight, CASA for Children and countless other worthy organizations and causes have received millions of dollars from Greeks across the country. College campuses have relied on Greeks to volunteer at pretty much everything, and the community has enjoyed our big philanthropy events, for years. Getting so many young, determined people together to help a common cause is more powerful than people realize.
Greek life gives people a need for responsibility, loyalty, and respect.
We're not called "secret societies" for nothing, and it's up to us to respect and protect rituals that have been around, unknown by people who aren't members, for hundreds of years. New members learn thoroughly about their organization's founders, the values it was founded on, symbols, ideals and everything it stands for before being initiated.
Carrying on a legacy that has thrived since the 1800s and early 1900s is intimidating, and it can't be done without a loyalty that is hard to find in a lot of college students.
Greek life gives people a higher standard to uphold.
New members learn from the start that standards are high, and they must be met to stay in a sorority or fraternity. In light of recent attacks on Greek life, standards are stricter than ever. A whisper of the word "hazing" will yield a yanked charter in no time.
"You're always wearing your letters" is drilled into our heads from the beginning, and we know we are the face of our organization and, as such, should carry ourselves with nothing but dignity. You can't be a Greek and talk openly about partying or dating around, cuss or gossip without your Standards chairperson hearing about it and calling you out. People are kicked out for major Standards violations.
We represent more than ourselves, and we have to do that carefully.
Finally, Greek life gives people friendships that go far beyond the norm, friendships that truly mean something.
There's a reason we call it a sisterhood or brotherhood. We share everything with our brothers/sisters. We spend the bulk of our time with them, we take part in our ritual with them, we serve with them, we have social events with them and we love them no matter what. If there's a problem with another member, you address it and get it out of the way.
A sorority or fraternity is a family. We are each other's home away from home. We are each other's chosen family. We are each other's support system during the most confusing time of our whole lives. Nothing can prepare you for college, but nothing will help you more than a hundred people that you call your brothers or sisters and can lean on and go to with anything.
A Greek from Lamar passed away over spring Break. I witnessed more love and support between his brothers and from the whole Greek community to his brothers than I have ever seen. Everyone who knew him flooded his brothers' phones with messages of love and promises to be there for them. His brothers all made the long drive to his funeral, and so did several Greeks who weren't in his fraternity. People dropped their Spring Break plans to go support each other and honor him. The funeral home and the bank next door both ran out of parking, and the whole building was full of people, standing room only. The sheer number of people affected by the loss of one person wouldn't have occurred just anywhere. When one person in a sorority or fraternity is hurting, everyone hurts for them. When one organization needs support, all organizations give their support.
I've never been part of something more special than Greek life, and I will stand up for it as long as I live because I know that the Greek system isn't for everyone; it's for selfless, strong, loving, loyal leaders.
