It’s no secret that Greek life across the nation is heavily scrutinized. It seems that every few months, a new scandal emerges (whether on a local or national news level) and another chapter is thrown under the bus or even shut down. Most recently, Alabama’s Alpha Phi recruitment video made national headlines when a journalist claimed it to be oppressive of diversity and individuality.
Although the video has opened many positive discussions, there are worse issues with which we should be concerned — rather than the outward appearance of southern sorority women. The real problem lies between chapters at each school and how we perceive our own friends and peers.
As a member of Greek life at my own university, I’ve witnessed firsthand the heavy divide between members of sorority/fraternity A and sorority/fraternity B. I cannot ascertain that this is true for every university, but the way Greek life operates as of late reminds me all too much of high school: pitting one person against another, secretly ranking people based on looks and creating somewhat of a hierarchy by saying that one chapter is better than another.
For example, last weekend a friend and I were standing outside, trying to decide where to walk to the next party. One frat guy screamed at us as we strolled by, “Don’t even bother coming in — you’re not hot anyway!” It was at this moment that I realized why Greek life gets such a bad reputation; comments like those speak louder than any number of philanthropy or academic achievement, unfortunately.
Conversely, last weekend I was also fortunate enough to meet with a group of other Greeks where we discussed ways to build leadership and strengthen our Greek community as a whole. The discussion between members of each chapter was honest, progressive and hopeful. It was clear to me that everyone else seemed to be in agreement: the perpetuation of stereotypes and unfriendliness between groups needs to end.
My first thought was, if we are all on the same page, why isn’t anyone doing anything about it?
Change is difficult. Change is terrifying. It means doing hard work, going against what everyone knows and causing a stir within a very large community on campus. Is taking the first step towards change an incredibly difficult task? Yes. But is it impossible? No. We each spend roughly four years in our undergraduate institutions. From the time we first set foot on campus until we take the final steps towards our diplomas on stage, we have the opportunity to change our schools as they have changed us.
In my time as a member of the Greek community, I’ve grown to love it. The support from my chapter and others who choose to look beyond the superficiality that can occur have been incredibly encouraging parts of my college experience. A group this large has so much potential to become a powerful voice on campus, but are we saying positive things and conveying the right messages? The same voice that can empower change could also bring us to our downfall.
With the way Greeks are often perceived on national news, Greek life as we know it could subside permanently. Greek organizations are heavily rooted in traditions, but it’s time we began to pave the way for our own. We are all one community within our chapters, schools and across the country. Isn’t it time we all started to support each other and act like the leaders that we are?
