“So what house are you in?” Ah, yes. The most common conversation starter in every Greek community. It doesn’t matter where I am — at a party or in class — this is one of the very first questions I am asked. I get it, it’s just something to talk about, and I’m a guilty offender myself. But I always wonder, is this question something that makes or breaks a conversation and where it goes? If I say a certain house, will the person immediately judge me in a good or bad way? Probably. It’s a sobering truth and everyone in the Greek community does it. We judge people or assume what their personalities are like based on which house they’re in, even if it’s in an innocent way.
On any campus, the Greek system is very prominent and influential. We hold ourselves to a higher standard when it comes to grades, philanthropy and involvement on campus. That said, we also (should) take great pride in the organization we are a part of. Our letters are our sacred symbol and they are a part of our identity and how we carry ourselves.
In recent years, Greek life has been under a lot of scrutiny. People are quick to look at the negative things that are happening rather than positive things we do. The positivity from Greek life greatly outweighs the tiny negative things that happen. Let’s face it, we never really hear a news station report the millions of dollars we raise each year and our good grades, but as soon as one chapter has a hazing scandal, engages in illegal behavior or raised eyebrows with one member’s lack of judgment, it’s everywhere and viewers won’t look away. Sign-ups for recruitment start dropping and members feel ashamed to wear their letters in fear that non-Greeks will think they are a reflection of what’s happening on CNN.
It’s not fair, and there’s nothing that one member or chapter president can do about other chapters' actions, but if you think about it, we are a part of one of the biggest organizations at many universities. If we channeled all the positive energy into setting examples and reversing the growing negative opinions of Greek life, we would get positive attention. The easiest way to start doing this is to band together and become equals, not enemies.
My letters don’t make me better than anyone else.
Yes, houses are ranked based on grades and how well they do during recruitment. There are certain houses that have a clean record and aren’t in trouble with nationals, some have a few struggles here and there. Some houses have certain reputations or stereotypes, good or bad, and yes, some members live up to them. Who cares if you’re in a “top-, middle- or bottom-” tier house? These rankings don’t make the members any more or less human. It honestly sucks when I see or hear people hesitate to be friends with or date someone who is in a house that isn’t “an equal.” It hurts to be at a listed party and hear people say that there is a certain house that isn’t on the list just because they are considered “bottom tier.” Do you ever wonder how many awesome people you could meet just by being friends with at least one person in every house? Who cares if a house doesn’t do well in recruitment or with grades, we are still a part of a beautiful community that is a tradition on almost every university campus in the United States. Your founders didn’t sign that charter so you could judge others based on what letters they wear. No one should feel ashamed when they are walking around on campus wearing their spirit jerseys or rush t-shirts.
Putting my house down doesn't make your house (or you) any better.
“Oh, I would have never expected you to be in that house.” This has been said to me multiple times. I can’t figure out if this is a compliment or an insult. Are you saying I am better than the house I am a part of? Or I just can’t seem to fit in? We are a part of these organizations because, when we went through recruitment, there was a sense of belonging or connection with the house that ultimately chose us. When it comes to putting down other houses, I find women to be the worst offenders. It’s a harsh reality, but obviously we all want to make our house look like the best on campus! It’s completely valid, but often done the wrong way. Everyone is guilty of it. Sadly, it’s somewhat normal. But I’ve noticed that a lot of my friends have a substantial amount of homies in other houses. We need to remember that if all the houses weren’t a team, there wouldn’t be a Greek community.
We all joined Greek life for the same reason.
I remember when I had my first official visit to my campus. I was with my friends, and they wanted to tour a sorority. I wasn’t really into it, but I decided to tag along. Meeting a handful of women in the house showed me that sorority women definitely are nothing like the women depicted in movies. When I heard about how much fun they have and their philanthropy events, I got more hooked. Twenty minutes later, I left that sorority knowing that I was, without a doubt, signing up for recruitment the moment I got Wi-Fi. Some of your stories might sound like mine, or maybe you knew throughout high school that you were going to go Greek. Chances are, we all joined for the same reason, to be a part of an awesome organization that is bigger than ourselves, to get great grades, to give to charity, make awesome lifelong friends and to have the greatest college experience available. We are all doing these things no matter what house we are in. So why do we still feel the need to judge and discriminate?
In the end, everyone that's in a house always says that going Greek is one of the best decisions they've made regardless of the letters across their back window. Chapters try so hard to make their house thrive and grow, so it's nobody's place to tear them down based on petty rumors and drama. That's why we all need to band together to show the haters that we are one of the most kickass communities that could ever exist.
