You hear all this Civil War talk going on between Greek life in the North vs. the South. 

It’s like, as soon as you cross the Mason Dixon Line, the whole culture makes a dramatic shift towards ultra-conservative. Well, I’m not here to defend any other northern school besides my own, and it’s clearly because Penn State’s Greek system is uniquely the best in the world. We don’t discriminate based on where you’re from or how wealthy your family is, or whether or not you wear your letters with pastel shorts or Timberland boots. Our culture exists to make guys and girls have the time of their lives in college, and to network with all the different fraternities and sororities. While y'all are busy day-drinking in your lawn chairs and reminiscing on how you’re third generation legacies, we’re hosting tailgates and daylongs that unite Greeks all over campus. If I offend anyone - which I probably will - I give my sincerest apologies, but know that I’m just saying what everyone else is thinking. 

The Greek System

Greek Life at Penn State is unreal. With almost 50 fraternities and 19 sororities, there’s a chance for everyone to gain a sense of belonging somewhere. And unlike in the South, which can have close to 200 guys in a fraternity and 300 girls in a sorority, our Greek organizations keep relatively small numbers in each pledge class. This way, you’ll get to know the majority of the people in your own brotherhood or sisterhood.  But it’s much, much more than that. Believe it or not, fraternities up here actually hang out together, giving each other "away bars" for socials and parties. You’re not isolated from the rest of Greek life just because you chose to accept a bid elsewhere. Instead, it’s encouraged that you make the decision to pledge where you feel the most comfortable, while still maintaining strong relationships with kids in other houses. Whatever fraternity or sorority you join isn’t going to define who you are. The actions you take and the friendships you form will determine how far you go.

The Dress Code

Whether we’re sporting navy blazers with pastel trousers, or flower-printed shirts with muddy Timberlands, Greeks at Penn State will wear whatever they feel like. It keeps things interesting when everyone isn’t rocking the same Polo, khaki shorts and pair of Sperries combo every day. You want to wear sweatpants with your letters? So be it. Throughout pledging, you earned the right to dress however you please. Now when it comes to female attire, would you honestly rather see girls in oversized white t-shirts and athletic shorts, or yoga pants and tank tops? And if they’re not feeling the yogas that day, the women of Penn State dress in a very classy and sophisticated way. Some of the most beautiful ladies you’ll ever see in your life are at the HUB waiting in line to get their morning iced coffees.  And don’t get me started on football game attire: visors and bowties? Sundresses and sunbonnets? It’s cool that people down south dress up for games and try to show off their prim and proper manners, but Penn State has that element of edginess that adds to the game’s excitement. Nothing beats girls sporting jerseys, jean shorts and knee-high socks as they’re being thrown up in the air 30 times for the last touchdown scored. But in reality, who cares what combination of blue and white you decide to wear? The passionate enthusiasm and student body unity, Greek and non-Greek, are what make Penn State Football games one of the greatest experiences in college.

The Party Scene

You can’t beat it. Natty Light isn’t just a cheap alcoholic beverage - it’s a lifestyle that we maintain on a weekly basis. Our Greek life gets to schedule three socials a week, and hosts parties with multiple fraternities and sororities many nights as well. And as much as I love a good country song, it isn’t too conducive for raging. We prefer to hire a DJ who can provide a quality mix of House and Electric with some Hip-Hop thrown in. We’ll dance on couches, tables, benches, literally whatever elevated surface we can find, as long as it doesn’t collapse under our weight. When winter comes, everybody puts on their quarter-zips and gets ready for hayride and snow-tubing events. I haven’t even gotten to daylongs yet. In the spring, fraternities are able to fence up their yard and host parties in the middle of the day. Ray-bans, Throwback NBA jerseys and, of course, the muddy Timbs are all trademark clothing for these outdoor events. With the the protection of the Interfraternity Council, daylongs won’t be broken up by the police, either, unless something serious happens. And on top of all of this, we still get better grades and better jobs once we graduate. 

The World’s Greatest Philanthropy

Greek Life started THON back in 1973 as a way to give back to the Penn State community and help in the fight against pediatric cancer. Now, over 40 years later, it’s become the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, raising over 13.3 million dollars just last year. We are all united in the fight against pediatric cancer, to help these kids win battles that most adults cannot even overcome. Greeks at Penn State like to drink and have crazy parties every weekend, just like everybody else. But when we aren’t busy with our social lives, reality sets in quickly. We understand that there’s a broader scope to be looking at - that not everybody is fortunate enough to be in our shoes. It’s why we give back as much as we can. Nobody should undergo what these brave children are facing every day. As we make headway along the journey each year to the 46-hour celebration of life, we gain in return a priceless commodity: humility. There’s a deep-rooted passion in each fraternity/sorority pairing for why they THON so hard. The enthusiasm keeps growing, the bar gets set higher and the Penn State Greeks will continue to dance until we one day find a cure. 

Our Rush Process

The way we run rush at Penn State gives all guys and girls a chance to join an organization that best suits them. It’s not about where you’re from, how much your family’s worth or who you know. We don’t have biases towards kids who seem to be cut from the same cloth. Who you are and how you interact with people are the most prevalent factors in figuring out where you belong. For girls, you don’t have to come to school ahead of time just to go through recruitment. It’s annoying and unnecessary to give up your last week summer for the sake of joining Greek life. And if you still don’t see yourself fitting in with the variety of fraternities and sororities here, it’s ok to not go Greek. It’s been the best decision most of us have made in college, but we respect that it’s different for everybody, and won’t make you any more or less of a person if you decide it’s not for you. Through your classes and organizations you’re a part of outside the Greek system, you’re still going to have a lot of cool unaffiliated friends who will end up coming with you to parties. It’s because Penn State is one big family of 40,000+, and we welcome everybody from all different backgrounds with open arms. 

This is one of the greatest schools in the country, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to come here and be a part of the Greek system. From the best parties, to world’s most successful philanthropy, to giving all kids a fair chance to go Greek, We Are - and always will be - Penn State.