Media is the central place where the news is determined. Unfortunately, it is also the place where negative events are showcased. Greek Life is a subject that has been all over social media and the news for the past few years. However, as the years go on, I have noticed more and more negative comments regarding anyone who chooses to associate themselves with it. Quite frankly, I’m tired of the negativity. Greek Life is SO much more than the media likes to report on.

Going into college, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Although I wasn’t far from home, for the first time in my life, I was all by myself. For the longest time I had debated joining a sorority in college and that’s only because of the negative stereotypes that I was subjected to while growing up. It first started in the movies. Certain films displayed sorority girls as uneducated, carefree, stuck up snobs who care about nothing more than their social status and appearance. While the same movies also depicted fraternities with only having concerns regarding partying, drugs/alcohol, and being irresponsible. Let me tell you, I am DONE with this negativity.

When I eventually made my decision to give Greek Life a try, it turned out to be the exact opposite of what I had been lead to believe for the longest time. I knew I wanted to be a part of something much bigger than myself and that’s exactly what I found.

It all started freshman move-in weekend. Each day was jam packed with different activities to give the new students a chance to settle in, get equipped to college, and make some new friends. On move-in day, I attended a Meet the Greeks event where I was able to get to know the different sororities on campus. I learned about the sororities names, philanthropies, and what their values. Eventually, I found the place I would later call home. Much to my surprise, right after joining, I was surrounded with constant support and unconditional love. Never in a million years did I think joining a sorority would change my life, but it did.

Here’s the thing, in today’s day and age the media always focuses on negative events because unfortunately, in the world we live in, negativity brings in a larger audience. But what the media doesn’t tell you about Greek Life is how it changes people's lives, much like mine. From the moment I joined my sorority, my life changed drastically, and for the better.

Being a part of something bigger than yourself means that you have to learn to put the good of the group in front of yourself and you have to learn to work as a team to accomplish goals. For example, all fraternities and sororities have specific philanthropies, which we hold near and dear to our heart. Over the course of each school year, the sisters and brothers of these organizations bust their butts to raise as much money as they can to go towards a worthy cause. An alarming $7 million is raised each year by Greeks nationally. In addition to holding events in order to raise money, participants in Greek Life also thrive in the area of volunteering.

Members spend hours upon hours of their time devoted to the less fortunate, cleaning up the environment, as well as educating others about endless topics. Another alarming statistic for the uneducated is that the Greek system is the largest network of volunteers in the US, with members donating over 10 million hours of volunteer service each year.

On top of volunteering, Greek Life also provides its members with countless leadership opportunities. The skills that members are given within these positions are skills that they can take with them onto the next step in their lives. Each organization has an Executive Board that consists of all of their specific chapters leaders. Each position on the board is unlike another and members have multiple opportunities to hold different positions. A direct example of leadership positions that have blossomed in the real world is displayed by a statistic. A whopping 85 percent of the Fortune 500 key executives are fraternity or sorority members. Top top it all off, being in a fraternity and sorority also holds you to higher academic standards. Each organization and chapter is different, however, they all have set GPA's that you have to hold in order to maintain membership. Do you see anything negative about that? Me either.

If that wasn't enough to convince you yet, there's more proof of the wonderful impact that Greek Life has on its members. Whether you're in a fraternity or a sorority, your organization becomes your second home. From personal experience, my organization changed me. Going to college away from home and no siblings by my side, I honestly wasn't sure what to do. After joining a sorority, I gained over 70+ sisters who were there for me at the drop of a hat, no matter what time of night. That is something I had never had the pleasure of experiencing before, especially with me being an only child. But it was such an incredible feeling to have people there for you, no matter the circumstance. Whether it be to get you through a heartbreak, to help you ace a test, to help you grieve the loss of a loved one, to encourage you, to celebrate your successes, or just to be there to pick you up after a hard day, I can honestly say it enriched my life beyond my wildest dreams.

I think the most beautiful part for me is that even though I transferred universities and my new college doesn't have my sorority here, my sisters still contact me weekly to make sure that I'm doing okay. They encouraged me to follow my dreams from the start and they have been there every step of the way. I encourage everyone to start to focus on the positive, life changing stories, instead of the negative ones that give every Greek Organization a negative stereotype. We are not that stereotype.

Be More, Be Greek.