Across the country, Greek life gets a bad reputation. Whether it is a national group or a local group, the term "Greek life" leaves a bad taste in people's mouths. What some fail to recognize is that there is more to Greek life than all of those negative news articles that get published. I'm glad to be a part of my local Greek community and here are just five (seriously, I could have written a hundred) reasons why.
1. It's just like any other club or organization
Seriously. You join a group of people with similar interests. Maybe it's knitting club. Maybe it's a team sport like basketball. Maybe it's debate club. It doesn't matter what it is. It's a group of people who come together based on similar interests. Sometimes you have to pay to do things as you would a club. It may seem clique-y, but isn't every sport and club? You spend so much time with these people that you just form this bond that people who see it from the outside of the group do not understand it. It's not an exclusive thing, it's just the result of a deep bond. When it comes down to it, it's just a group of people, hanging out, doing their thing.
2. Have you heard of volunteer work?
Greek life does a lot of it. And like, real volunteer work too. Not volunteering to drink and party. On a not-so-national Greek scale, everyone works with different organizations. Maybe it's socializing abused animals at the humane society. Maybe it's reading to underprivileged kids after school. Maybe it's helping at the nearby church to pass out meals to the homeless. There is more to Greeks than just partying and drinking. We have hearts.
3. It is actually full of nice people
Normally, all of Greek life is judged as a group based on negative interactions of a few members. People don't take the time to get to know the individuals in the group. The girls in my sorority are the sweetest, kindest human beings I have ever met. As a freshman who had yet to enter the world of Greek life, I ended up alone in a room with some guys in a fraternity. They started the most casual conversation with me about what classes I was taking and what my interests were. And from that day on, whenever they saw me around campus, they would say hi to me. Yeah there are not-so-nice people, but that is the way the world works. There are not-so-nice people everywhere. A few bad seeds doesn't make the whole fruit rotten.
4. The friendships are REAL
Maybe you are one of those people who can just become friends with anyone and everyone. I unfortunately, am not one of those people. When I made the decision that I wanted to join Greek life, I made a commitment. It is a journey, and you do not take that journey alone. Not only have I become BEST friends with the girls that joined with, but I have made so many other genuine friendships. Being in Greek life is kind of a conversation starter. Maybe someone is interested in why you are wearing Greek letters. Maybe it's someone in another group that you now have something in common with. These small interactions can lead to much deeper friendships. Yeah, most of my friends are in Greek groups, but that doesn't take away from the authenticity of those friendships.
5. It changes you (for the better)
When I came to college, I was so scared. I was an only child who didn't really go out of my way to make friends. I was pretty shy. But by bonding with girls that had similar interests, I quickly opened up. Being in a sorority, I am constantly being challenged and encouraged by my sisters to go outside of my comfort zone. Not only that, but by joining a group with so many other individuals, you are exposed to so much more. Some of my best friends are international students, and I've gained knowledge on their culture. Everyone has their own way of growing as a person. Mine just came from the love and support of the Greek community.
