The culture of Greek life is something that has received an increasing amount of national attention in recent years. As social media now controls the world, increased exposure has led to increased scrutiny. To some, it seems that the traditional fraternity has met the end of its life cycle and that regulations are being put in place to rid campuses of their shenanigans.

This raises the question: Why have these institutions been so important for centuries, and why are they now being forced away from colleges and universities? An easy answer is that times are changing, and that the entrenched rituals and traditions are no longer accepted. But the American fraternity has grown out of its fair share of traditions and still survives today.

Where is this increased scrutiny rooted? I’d like to bring another possible reason to light. Whether in the Deep South or the mountains in Vermont the ideals of a fraternity are similar. A group of men united by a core set of values seek to advance community, internal leadership, scholarship, and connection. The reason a chapter is able to survive on the same core values for hundreds of years is because of that unity. Every single individual is invested and connected to the common good embraced by their chapter because they believe that far greater things can be achieved together, rather than by a lone individual. If you have had the benefit of undergoing a valuable pledging process, you understand that you do not exist to help yourself, but to help others. You know that the mentorship and support received by your peers are some of the most invaluable experiences a young man can undergo.

Unfortunately, this is sometimes forgotten, and at some point the focus shifts back to the individual. It is the self-focused individual that puts his fraternity at risk and that contradicts the letters he stands for. The gentleman who truly owns his chapter’s values is not the aggressor, the one with disregard for authority, or the one who fails to respect the men and women in his community. It is the one who fails to remain unified with his chapter, who forgets what it means to wear his letters who makes the mistakes that generate the negative bias of modern fraternities.

Let’s zoom out. There’s no doubt that both fraternities and sororities focus a lot on social life, and for a while there hasn’t been any significant problem with that. There hasn’t been a problem because in a fraternity, each individual truly believes that his fellow brothers will uphold the values they share no matter what situation they are presented with. Brothers act as one and for each other because they understand that a strong moral compass will stand strong to any test.

So where does the solution lie? It’s a simple concept, but putting it to use can be difficult at times. Put those around you before yourself. Ask every day why you became a part of the Greek community, and what you can do for your fellow brothers. This will be equally important upon graduation when you move into the much larger community beyond your school. With this simple thought and action you will make your chapter a more united institution and inspire those around you to act the same way. Without it, you divide yourself from the good your chapter was founded upon and without that, you have nothing to stand on.

United we stand, divided we fall. This is a phrase that dates back to Ancient Greece, that can be found throughout the Old Testament, and that echoed repeatedly as American soldiers fought for independence in the Revolutionary War. Founding Father Patrick Henry once said, “Let us trust God, and our better judgment to set us right hereafter. United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs.” While it is tempting to focus on yourself in today’s culture, such division from your brothers is ultimately what destroys hundreds of years of history and tradition.