It's common knowledge that if you aren't in Greek life, you more than likely have a negative view of it. Thankfully, people have been stepping up a great deal lately and defending these Greek organizations that do so much more good than some people realize. If you aren't directly involved, you don't see the countless hours put toward philanthropy or the constant effort we make to build each other up and support each other. But one thing nobody seems to be talking about is the importance of positivity within the chapters themselves.

I've heard several stories lately of members talking down about their chapters or certain aspects of their chapters, and it breaks my heart. I won't lie, before I joined my sorority I was critical and more than a little wary of the whole Greek community, but once I joined and saw where the heart of it truly lies, I realized I was wrong. I know now that if I am ever in trouble or need anything, I have 80+ sisters who would be there for me in a heartbeat, and I know several fraternity gentlemen who would do the same thing.

Overall there is still this great sense of community that I'm proud to be a part of, but every now and then a person will pop up with a negative attitude. Here is my plea to these people: Please Stop. Negative energy from within an organization can start its downfall, and if you would rather see it fall than thrive, why are you even a part of it?

If you have a problem with something or someone in your organization, there is a proper way to handle it, but bad mouthing it is not one of them. You have advisers and directors for a reason; they are here to help. Often times the problem has an easy fix, but if you're just being a Negative Nancy (or Nathan), then you need to take a step back and evaluate why you are in the organization you chose. Everyone joins for their own reasons, but if you joined just to party and drink, you're in the wrong place. Greek life is so much more than that. We give back to the community more in just four years of college than some people do their whole lives. We hold ourselves to a higher standard academically, philanthropically, and personally.

People are fighting left and right to battle the ugly stereotypes that have been placed on fraternities and sororities, and if you're not going to be part of the solution, you're most definitely part of the problem. Your negative energy will spread and the non-Greek population will latch on to that, especially the media.

"You can't live a positive life with a negative mindset."