For many, Greek Life is an essential aspect of the college experience. However, for many others, it is not. This creates an invisible divide which leads to the establishment of misconceptions and stereotypes on both sides. I joined a sorority the first semester of my freshman year, so I have not really known much else.

I know that there are a lot of misunderstood aspects of Greek life and non-Greek life, and I feel that it would be beneficial to everyone involved if a few things got cleared up. Although I cannot offer a complete perspective of someone on the outside, I can offer my point of view from the Greek side.

Buying friends

It’s no secret that in order to be in Greek Life you have to pay dues. Over the years, this fact has taken on the idea that dues are a payment in turn for social connections and friends. While both of those things are benefits from joining a Greek chapter, dues actually serve a much more practical purpose.

Like any club, sororities and fraternities have a number of costs that they need to cover. Most of this includes paying for the house that we live in, our food and budgets for officers to help them fulfill their duties and better the chapter overall. Many times, officer costs go into planning sisterhood or philanthropy events, along with others like Mom's and Dad's Weekend.

All of these funds are essential to creating a functional and welcoming chapter and are not just thrown around carelessly. I am a part of other clubs on campus as well, which each had some form of dues of their own. It is not a foreign concept and is necessary in order for a chapter to function.

Cliques

Another common perception of Greek life is that it’s very exclusive and has a lot of cliques. I can see where this idea comes from, going through rush and joining a house can seem pretty exclusive at times. However, just because you’re a part of one chapter, that doesn’t mean that you can’t associate with anyone else.

In my experience, there are plenty of sorority sisters and fraternity brothers who have friends in other houses, as well as friends who aren’t a part of Greek life at all. I do admit that the easy route is to just stick with your chapter, but most of us really enjoy expanding our boundaries and having varied friend groups.

Recruitment is crazy

The third and final topic that I would like to address is the idea that rush is a crazy and vain process. For those of you who have never gone through any sort of recruitment, it can be quite grueling at times. The purpose of such an intense process is to match everyone with a place where they can feel like they belong. It should never be based on vanity alone and is really about finding people who you truly connect with.

Joining a sorority or fraternity is a big deal. It’s a massive commitment of your time and energy, and should not be taken lightly. The end result makes everything worth it, and if you just maintain an open mind about it all, you can really reap loads of benefits. It takes more than just signing up at an org fair. Once a part of it, Greek life becomes a major aspect of college that continues to make a lasting impact on all of its members even years after graduation.