The Benefits Of Greek Life

Viral videos of fraternity and sorority members partying and getting drunk off of beer might be the first images of Greek Life that pop into your mind, but that’s only a stereotype. There are nine historically black Greek letter organizations across the country that present an entirely different image of Greek life. Focusing on their multiple involvement on campus, National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) members are proactive in the community and on USCA’s campus.

Fraternities and sororities are at the center of binge drinking on college campuses. It is proven that in fraternity houses, approximately 80% of students binge, and over 50% binge frequently. Fraternities attract people beyond their members, including high-school seniors, which are future college freshmen that are already being introduced to binge drinking as being a social norm. The majority of alcohol-related deaths of college students involve fraternity parties. College administrators are afraid of acting out against fraternities because they do not want to anger the generous alumni donors who themselves, too, were partying during their college years. Colleges should not wait until a tragic event happens to realize that something must be done about fraternities and the alcohol-related problems that they cause. Also, it is morally wrong to treat alumni better than students, giving them the privilege to drink at events such as homecoming activities and sports. Banning alcohol for just students is not an effective way to gain students’ support for any new alcohol-control policies. It is quite obvious that colleges base their decisions on

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.

This is also with life, to help the stereotype of greek turn to a good one each the fraternities will have to hold each other accountable. This means competing to be the best fraternity on campus. Instead of competing on who throws the best parties compete to see who can raise the most money, or who can have the most new members. One big competition now on campus is GPA and you can see that it has a positive affect because one of the big selling points when new students come and they are being educated on greek life it is the higher GPA. To make greek life have a good reputation it would have to start small. If every fraternity challenged their members to not be the guy that does one thing and messes it up, and if it does happen to give consequences and make it known that we are better than the decisions one guy

HBCU Greek organizations are one of the most prospective and student sanctioned organizations. They have the representation to either be a great organization where the concept of charity and family is govern. Or they can be the source of reckless activities and worse of it all hazing. Throughout the articles, I gathered that these organizations can either be a source of inspiration or the student’s downfall.

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.

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

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.

Sororities and fraternities are becoming more influential on college campuses and among the professional world. Over 730 schools across the United States have the Greek life system and there are several different fraternities and sororities on each college campus. Many Americans have extremely different opinions about Greek life as a whole. Although many say it is all about partying, there are many pros and cons to joining Greek life. Greek life can be a very good experience in college, it is whatever people make it.

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,

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

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.

While deciding where one is going to attend college, one may decide to look into extracurricular activities to get involved on campus. Sometimes one may ask an adult they look up to about what they think one should get involved in, many would agree that one should go Greek. After listing to other adults, one may decide to go through the recruitment experience and find their home in Greek life. Since joining a Greek organization one can see how people see it as a way to gain many leadership skills along with a great way to network. However one understands that everything one is involved in has something negative, like Greek life have so many opportunities to party which is the only thing that many people see when they think of Greek life. While exploring how Greek life is a good thing and that the bad that comes with it is nothing compared to the good. For many people including myself Greek life is a place where someone can be oneself and learn many things about who one is along with the sisters around you that push you to be the best person you

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.

Malcom X once said,” I imagine that one of the biggest troubles with colleges is there are too many distractions, too much panty-raiding, fraternities, and boola-boola and all of that.” College is a place where people discover who they are, and what they are interested in. Many students become involved on campus by joining organizations and clubs. This allows them to meet other people with similar interests and allows them to be involved. Many of these students join fraternities and sororities. Although many of these students make the decision to be a part of Greek life. It involves hazing the pledge class, which comes with a price. Hazing is a problem because it is illegal and continues to happen, hazing has led to many students being injured, hospitalized, and in worst cases suffering a fatality. These cases do not only hurt the to the reputation of Greek Life, it hurts the members of sororities and fraternities, and the families of the students affected. Ultimately, Greek life consists of too many negative effects that cannot continue to occur. The best solution for this problem is to completely ban fraternities and sororities because hazing leads to students being harmed or killed and put through alcohol and substance abuse. By banning Greek life, we ensure that no more students are put through this abuse.