Personal Narrative: Going Through Rush Week

Most people are all grown up when they finally figure out what they want to do with their life. I was 4. I realized what I wanted to be when I attended my very first Rodeo. Even though it was so long ago I can remember that day like it was yesturday. That day got me on the path to my future.

At the start of the new school year, Millicent Arnold, a typical teenage girl, receives an invitation to join the elite and exclusive girls’ sorority at Lansing High School. Before she becomes an official member however, Millicent must demonstrate she is fit to join the sorority by finishing the initiation process: a series of ridiculous and rigorous tasks that pushes her to her limits. During a mission, Millicent discovers the nasty truth and reality of the “prefect” sorority at her high school, and ultimately decides that being herself is most important and rejects entering the sorority altogether.

Animal house, Sydney White, and The Revenge of the Nerds. These are movies about Fraternities and Sororities that everyday people associate with Greek life; alcohol, drugs, hazing,Togo parties, manipulation, and debauchery in forms of the imagination. Although these things do happen on many levels, as the war cry of the title “Admit Nothing, Deny Everything”, there are many positives. I have personally been positively influenced by a sorority that has permanently changed my life forever. My freshman year of college, I went through recruitment and was chosen to be a pledge sister for Delta Zeta Sorority. I was immediately surrounded by older DZ sisters who became my friends and mentors. I was also made to jump out of my comfort zone with the many projects, and fundraisers the sorority did. I worked with hearing impaired children, I created the homecoming float, and I organized formals and mixers. Thoughthese activities I as able to break out of my shell and have no fear of raising my hand and saying “I’ll do it”. Although Greek life might not be for everybody, there are positives factors to being a part of it.Fraternities and Sororities have made a tremendous turn from where they first began in 1776. From being kept secret, because of social status, to now being heard of in every home. Not many people understand the full meaning of Fraternity and Sorority, being in a sorority or fraternity is always having a group of people to look out of them, too always stick up for

Between family legacies, traditions, and an abundance of college themed movies, books, and television shows, it would be difficult to find a prospective college student who is not familiar with the idea of “Greek life.” For the purpose of this essay, “Greek life” refers to the system employed by many colleges and universities to establish and maintain fraternities and sororities (primarily dominated by caucasian and economically advantages students). It is important to note the existence of fraternities and organizations outside of this stereotypical “Greek” realm, such as coeducational honor and service based fraternities, though even these are not fully exempt from detrimental practices. Fraternities and sororities are often looked down upon with a negative light for a number of reasons, some of which include dangerous hazing habits and unsavory social scenes. While there certainly are undeniable benefits and negatives within these systems, the biggest effect they have is on gender. “Greek life” in college is unhealthy due to its impact on post-college gender expectations by promoting party culture, encouraging misogyny through ingrained tradition, and indoctrinating women into subservience at an impressionable age.

The first Greek organization to assemble was in 1776 at the College of William and Mary. Fraternities were built to provide friendship and recreation. It has been 239 years since the first fraternity was established and now in 2015, there are 123 fraternities and sororities. There are nine million college students involved in Greek organizations (Glass, Nicole). These members are looking to make friends, to build their resumes, to go to social events, or to learn leadership skills. Each member when joining has the incentive to change some aspect of his or her life (Glass, Nicole). If one has the opportunity to join a Greek life organization he or she should for the reasons of giving back to the community, the higher academic standards, the

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.

All around the world sororities are a subculture or “a segment of society’s population” on most college campuses (Macionis 64). These sororities have their own language, norms, beliefs, and values. Most college campuses have many charters or different sororities to choose from when a student wants to pledge a sorority. On the Saint Francis University campus, there are seven sororities that a female student can belong to. Each sorority has a different philanthropy which is a foundation that the sorority stands behind. For example Delta Phi Epsilon stands behind the Educational Foundation, this foundation helps women get the education that they deserve. Sororities are known for creating a bond between girls that last a life time.

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

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,

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

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

I have been reflecting this week what being a part of a sorority means to me, which got me interested in find sources based on the negative aspects of greek life. The first source comes from the political cartoon genre that was written by a student and published in their university’s newspaper. The cartoon has the caption “Deciphering Rush Week Slogans” and depicts a young female student walking through a lawn filled with recruitment signs. The other source is a blog post from HerCampus titled “7 Things Sorority Girls Won’t Tell You About Being in a Sorority”. This article goes through a list of things that members will not discuss with the younger girls during recruitment which includes things such as you wont be best friends with everyone

Greek Life Portrayal: Sororities are constantly competing against each other for the most pledges. In order to get new girls and have a successful chapter, you have to look hot and have boys interested in you.

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.

That August day I set out into Collegetown to assert my independence from my parents by experiencing for the first time the so-called magic and wonder of fraternity parties without my parents’ consent. The ostentatiousness, elation, and novelty that define college parties in movies as a place where college students blow off steam allured me; college parties are depicted in pop culture as the quintessential Friday night.