Stereotypes develop about Greek life as soon as you enter a university as a freshman in college. We have assumptions already created in our minds from television shows and movies that we have seen previously. These influences place the ideas in our heads that Greek organizations are supposed to have rivalries. In these rivalries, the organizations are brutal to each other and do not even take the time to get to know one another. Though, at the end of the day, we are all people. We are all college students figuring out our lives in the same institution.

I am proud to see that on the Florida Gulf Coast University campus this is not the case. It is such an important part of our organizations to support each other. Greek life is more than just chapter meeting on Sundays, socials, and paying for t-shirts to wear the letters. All of Greek life raises money for various charities and promote individual values that help make a better you. We look beyond the letters and make some of our best friends in other organizations. We support each other within our philanthropies to help a good cause. Tri Delta alone pledges to raise $60 million dollars in 10 years towards St. Judes Children Research Hospital and are currently standing at $27 million with seven more years to go! This could not have happened without the contribution of all the fraternities and sororities participation in our philanthropy events. Sigma Chi Fraternity raises millions for cancer research at The Huntsman Cancer Institute. This is with the support of the other sororities on campus competing to raise money during their Derby Days philanthropy event.

We all help each other out and have some of the greatest memories with members that are in another sorority or fraternity. The letters do not make one inferior to another, which is proven by some of the friendships that are made. Being in an organization does not diminish the quality of a person. What we, in South West Florida, call “Pan Love,” is not as popular in the larger Universities that have eleven or more sororities and fraternities involved on their campus. Panhellenic love is not taught nor acknowledged.

We are blessed on this campus of FGCU to be able to confide in another sorority or fraternity for events rather than be against it. We are all the same people before and after we are initiated into our chapters. There are no letters that make you any better than everyone else you go to school with. Don’t fill your head with the college stereotypes, but I encourage you to get to know one another and support one another. We are all human, and we are all changing and growing every day!