Growing up, the only exposure I had with Greek life was what was portrayed in movies/television shows or on various media outlets, hyperbolizing the institution as reckless--whether it be for heinous actions against individuals or for impressing upon college students a certain "reckless" behavior. So, when I became a freshman at Washington & Jefferson College (from now on referred to as W&J), I surmised that Greek life here would perpetuate the stigma closely associated with the institution as a whole.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

In fact, W&J boasts a nationally-recognized Greek program. In an article published on Best College Reviews, W&J was listed as the fifth-best college campus nationwide for Greek life, citing such things as our involvement on our campus as well as our contributions to the community around us both monetarily and in hours.

The point I'm trying to make here is this: formulating an opinion on the whole of Greek life based on the actions of the minority within the institution wrongly punishes the majority, comprised of exemplary individuals striving for common ideals.

Take my fraternity, the Alpha Pi chapter of Alpha Tau Omega, for example. Recently, my brothers and I invited the family of a young girl who was dealt a very unfortunate hand in life to attend a reception at our house, at which we presented her and her family with funds raised over the past year for them to use as they please. A photo from the reception is what is featured in this article as the cover photo.

A little background information: Jayme was told in June of 2015 that she had Ewing Sarcoma, "a very rare type of cancerous tumor that grows in your bones or the soft tissue around your bones." Only about 200 children and young adults are affected by Ewing Sarcoma annually.

But, she didn't let that deter her from fighting. After receiving extensive treatment in order to beat her cancer and--in fact--beating her cancer, she has since been in remission for approximately six months.

We--meaning my fraternity brothers and I--banded together for the common goal of organizing a year-full of fundraising efforts in order to help someone in our extended community. We didn't do it for the recognition; we did it for Jayme and her family.

But, these aren't the types of stories that are shown on the news or plastered on the front pages of magazines/newspapers. What is shown is precisely what I saw growing up--media outlets selling stories of reckless behavior within Greek life.

Don't fault the whole of Greek life for what you see or read in the news. Fault the individuals or the individual chapters for their own heinous acts because most of us are doing good and will continue to do good until there's nothing left to do.