Everything said in this article is my opinion and does not apply to the entirety of Greek life throughout the country. I understand the actions of some do not apply to the whole

I’m a senior at one of the biggest schools in the nation with the biggest Greek life system in the United States. I know a numerous amount of individuals who are in fraternities or sororities that have both positive and negative opinions about the system.

So let's weigh the pros and cons:

Fraternities and sororities contribute a lot of money, time, and effort to a plethora of charities and organizations. I know the most prominent organization on my campus is Dance Marathon in which sororities raise money and hold a giant dance/rally to support kids in hospitals. Not only do the students on my campus raise a ton of money for this, but so do the students on other campuses.

To say that a student joins a fraternity or sorority solely for the philanthropy is something you won’t hear often. There are a select few who truly want to join a sorority because the philanthropy hits them right at home, however, this isn’t the case for many.

The main reason people join a sorority or fraternity is for the connections, both professional and friendly. As someone who went through sorority recruitment that knows many people who are in Greek life, I can attest to this.

This, however, raises an issue. Does Greek life create an environment in which exclusion is the main component? Yes, I realize that in order to be affiliated with some of these organizations one must pay hefty yearly dues, thus creating a sense of exclusion to those who are not affiliated with Greek life.

But does Greek life take it a step further?

I know many individuals on my campus who refuse to associate themselves with individuals who aren’t in Greek life. Some, not all, even walk around with their head held high as if they are better than those who are not in a sorority/fraternity. Some of the Greek life organizations even take it a step further and refuse to accept individuals who don’t fit the “look” of the organization. I know many students who were excluded from Greek life because they were too fat even though they held an “A” average GPA. I personally believe this shouldn’t be the environment students should encounter on a college campus. Everyone is at their respective school in order to benefit themselves and we should all be viewed equally as a collective student body.

Another issue I’ve found with Greek life is that some students tend to lose their respective identity when they join a sorority/fraternity. Yes, joining this organization is a big part of who you are and it is a part of your identity. However, I’ve noticed that some individuals, not all, tend to take it a step further and become completely submerged within their organization to the point where it becomes obnoxious. Going to college is all about discovering who you are. I know that for myself I’ve become a better person in every aspect of my life and I’ve discovered things about myself that I would have never imagined. College is about growing and learning new things, so are students able to do this in Greek life? I’ll let you decide.

Another stereotype people associate with Greek life is the copious amounts of drinking and partying. I, personally, think this stereotype is well deserved. It’s not a secret to anyone, whether you’re in one of these organizations or not, that drinking, drugs, and partying are a massive part of being in Greek life. Yes, I understand that individuals who are not affiliated with Greek life also partake in these activities. But when you go to a bar with some of your friends you’re usually not pressured into drinking yourself dead in order to fit in. Greek life is all about conformity and fitting in. It’s not a secret that there have been a lot of deaths associated with Greek life. Tim Piazza from Penn State, Maxwell Gruver from LSU, and Andrew Coffey from FSU are only a few tragic incidents.

Although sororities and fraternities are forced to partake in alcohol awareness and anti-hazing courses, these are still huge issues facing Greek life today. No matter how many courses a university forces an organization to take, many of those individuals will not take it seriously because “we’re in college, drinking and drugs are normal.” Although students who are not in Greek life can still gain access to drugs and alcohol, fraternities and sororities are organizations in which these “recreational objects” are more easily accessible.

With all of this being said, I understand that the actions of some do not reflect the actions of the whole. Some of the points mentioned above do not apply to every fraternity and sorority everywhere, nor do they apply to every student affiliated with one. However, these are some of the concerns/issues raised by many individuals in the media as well as other students. The purpose of this article was not to bash Greek life, rather it was to lay out both sides of a major current issue in order to raise awareness. Should organizations like fraternities and sorority continue to exist and promote this kind of environment? How many more horrible incidents need to happen in order for things to change?