Have you ever seen the television series Greek? It suggests drugs, alcohol and sex are the three most important elements that make up a typical sorority girl or frat boy’s life. Students involved in Greek life are always throwing wild parties and drinking until they pass out, getting involved in relationship drama, sending their pledges on crazy tasks in the middle of the night, and never seeming to take any responsibility. However, there is one thing missing from this hit reality series: the truth. In their late works about Greek life, Evan Wright, Caitlin Flanagan’s and Whipple and Sullivan’s articles argued that Greek life has its pros, but merely more cons. Whipple and Sullivan believed that the Greek communities face a number of high challenges. …show more content…
If you’re shy, it’s an easy way to make friends and divide from your high school group. You’ll make friends – even more so than just your particular house. You’ll meet people during the recruitment and rush process and at Greek activities, such as socials and philanthropic events both in sororities and fraternities. If you’re attending or planning to attend a larger school, it makes campus seem a lot smaller because you’re included in the Greek community. Feeling like a small fish in the ocean can be pretty daunting, so making campus feel smaller can be quite comforting at times. In other words, modern Greek life is a little more different from Wright’s and Whipple and Sullivan’s times; the 19th century. The Modern Greek life has change quite tremendously; from the hazing policies, to the amount of alcohol intakes and partying. The Greek system on Stetson University is quite a Greek system alright. Getting the chance to speak with one of the Public Safety officers on campus, they have concluded that they made approximately five trips to the Greek houses for partying; being very low for a University frat party. Comparing the Greek life at Stetson to one of a HBCU’s (Historically Black Colleges and University), Greek life will be extremely different. From the partying, to amount of alcohol intake, to the assaults and lastly the expulsion of a fraternity or sorority for hazing. Stetson University defined
A person’s worth and identity in modern culture is not determined solely by the principles of either of the two Greek cultures; rather, both have contributed aspects to the system we have. The
When entering college, it can be an exciting yet stressful time for many. A majority of college freshman come into their first year with few, if any, friends from high school and it can be a difficult adjustment when beginning this new chapter in their life. A solution that a lot of first year students discover, is joining a Greek organization. Based on an article written by Peter Jacobs, “I Joined a Fraternity and it was one of the best decisions I Ever Made”, by joining a sorority or fraternity, students are able to find their place and meet people who value the same beliefs that they do. Unfortunately, with the many stereotypes Greek life has, many people are unsure on whether or not it is the right decision for them. To reach the reader
In the 1960s, there was a considerable decrease in the number of students joining fraternities and sororities on campus. The movie implemented a rejuvenation of the Greek college, party life on campus. Sperber writes “Nationwide membership in fraternities doubled from about one hundred thousand in 1970 to two hundred thousand in 1980, and doubled again to almost four hundred thousand in 1990” (16) Due to the rise of party and prank behavior attributed to membership, colleges put regulations in place to stop student drinking. These regulations do not work. The regulations also contradict the advertised Greek life used while recruiting students to pledge. My impression of this is that it still occurs today. I agree with Sperber, there are many students entering college just to be part of this
Walking around a university’s campus any day of the week, one sees an array of Greek letters worn proudly by young men and women in the Greek system. Fraternities and sororities play a big part in a university. The Greek system can also be an easy target to direct criticism. There are those who oppose the Greek system and those who embrace it. Evan Wright opposes the Greek system in his article “Sister Act” that was featured in Rolling Stone Magazine. He uses examples from students at Ohio State University in Columbus to show his disapproval of the way sororities are now days. He portrays sorority girls as catty conformists who are obsessed with partying with fraternity
The Greek communities that have risen across the country have created huge impacts on every university that they have established themselves on. Historically, fraternities were designed for students to discreetly meet to discuss issues and host debates that their members believed would be deemed inappropriate by their collegiate faculties. Since their founding, fraternities and sororities have completely revamped their focuses. They are used as social, professional, and honorary organizations that promote many different combinations of community service, leadership, and academic success. The ideas of brotherhood and sisterhood have also transcended the college experience,
When someone thinks about a Greek Community they normally associate it with what they have learned through stereotypes such as the movie Animal House. The members of the fraternity depicted in this film were not the definition of the ideal college student. They would have parties almost every day along with copious amounts of drinking. Their grades reflected on this when the main members of the movie were kicked out for not maintaining a high enough grade point average. This movie is completely fictional. The members of Kappa Alpha are held to an extremely high standard when it comes to academics and behavior. Robi Rini, the Corresponding Secretary of Kappa
One of the biggest stereotypes about being in a fraternity or sorority is that you party and drink a lot. Drinking alcohol is not a focal point of Greek life, although alcohol is at almost every social occasion in Greek life. In Blake’s article it is said that no matter what Greek organization you are a part of underage
When one first thinks of Greek life or a sorority the only thing that comes to mind is the social aspect. Most people don’t think of sororities as social institutions that envelop their own culture, with mannerisms, languages and customs that are unique to each individual organization. However, these institutions promote a common set of values that enable members to become connected in a way that has a more profound meaning than just social interaction. Greek organizations are good examples of how institutions can affect and be affected by social status and roles within the collegiate community. They are also a prime example of how race, class and gender can affect a social setting in both positive and negative manners.
The environment and atmosphere of a college is very important for me to decide which college I want to attend. I have always wanted to go to a college that is within driving distance and that has a large number of students. UGA is suburban and is located in Athens, Georgia (“Compare Colleges”), about a two hour drive, and Vanderbilt is urban and is located in Nashville, Tennessee (“Compare Colleges”), about a three and a half hour drive. UGA is much larger than Vanderbilt, with 28,000 students compared to only 7,000 (“Compare Colleges”). In college I can see myself joining a fraternity. Both UGA and Vanderbilt have Greek life that I would probably be a part of. Joining a fraternity
Often partying, drinking, and hazing are key words that come to mine when talking about fraternities and sororities. “Since 1975, there has been at least one hazing-induced death per year across college campuses—and 82% of these have come as a result of binge drinking” (Glass, Nicole). Greek life leads to a culture of alcohol and drug abuse. Young, inexperienced drinkers find themselves running into trouble when trying to fit in around alcohol. Also there are some organizations that partake in “forcing new members to drink as much as possible” as part of a right of passage (“Joining”). The drinking habits being learned due to Greek life cause a serious threat to a student’s life in the present and in the future. Statistically, “75% of fraternity members engaging in heavy drinking compared with 49%” of non-fraternity members (“15”). Also like fraternity men, “62% of sorority members engage in binge drinking compared with 41%” of non-sorority women (“15”). The likelihood that members in Greek life are more likely to suffer from substance abuse after graduation scare away the timid potential new
The chances of you knowing someone in college are very high. Colleges are made up of people from all around the world, there are so many people, but when most students get to college they find they are surrounded by people they do not know. Around 8.2 millions students enrolled into college in 2007. In college students are encourage to be active and participate in clubs and organizations. Greek life is apart of a lot of colleges around the world and many people choose to go greek. When I joined a fraternity, I didn't join for the philanthropy or the good things they do for the community. I joined for the same reason almost everyone does, for the friends.
Over several decades, Greek life has been an integral part of colleges and universities throughout the United States. There is a high demand of “fitting in” in today’s society and a question that students, parents, and teachers alike often ask themselves is, “Does Greek life provide a more safe or harmful environment?” With strong evidence, it is absolutely absurd to believe that fraternities and sororities do more good than they do harm. Various statistics provide factual evidence as to why Greek life is a toxic and dangerous environment for many young adults. Between the rape culture, hazing, and delinquency linked to the students associated with Greek life, it is time that it comes to an end for good so that students may have a more safe and enjoyable college experience. Fraternities and Sororities should be banned off of college and university campuses due to the danger and drama associated with them.
Greek life plays a major role in colleges and universities all across the United States. Greek life allows men and women to join an organization and create a long lasting bond, as brothers or sisters, which they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. College campuses explore and boast about the positive impacts that Greek life has on students as well as the community around them. However, even with fraternities and sororities being on college campuses for decades, few people outside the Greek life community have discovered the real, enduring process that it takes to become a "brother" or "sister". Throughout my research, I will be focusing on the negative effects that fraternities and sororities pose upon pledges. This includes hazing
Greek life, made up of sororities and fraternities, is prominent in many universities and colleges throughout the United States. Greek life is on all types of campuses ranging from public to private, and especially Ivy League schools. Those who choose to participate in Greek life have the opportunity to become members of sororities and fraternities specific to gender, religions, races, and even majors. Colleges and universities in the South have strong Greek life with many undergraduate students participating, and at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, twenty percent of undergraduates participate in Greek life. For many, Greek life is an important facet of their college experience. Getting involved in Greek life provides students with many opportunities, such as an expansion of their social circle, involvement in community service, and leadership opportunities. In addition, the students who participate in Greek life are less likely to drop out. While participating in Greek life provides students with benefits, downsides also occur on college campuses. Serious dangers range from hazing to drug and alcohol or abuse, or even sexual assault.
Recently, the idea of partaking in a fraternity has become more prevalent. Young adults are captivated with wanting to live the Greek life. The clothes and parties seem to drawn in teens like a magnet. However what these teens do not realize is the terrible things associated with fraternities. Many fraternities have a reputation for turning college students into drunks, treating women vulgarly, enacting violent hazing against other fraternity members and disrupting the true reason why students go to college. For these reasons fraternities should be banned altogether on college campuses.