Belongingness

Affiliation.Theneedtobelongtosomethinglargerthanyourself.Itissomething
weashumanbeingsstrivefor.Whetheritsbelongingtoagroupoffriends,afamily,ora
Greeksystem,weareconstantlylookingforconnectionstopeople,andthingstoaffiliate
with.GreeklifeattheUniversityofRhodeIslandhasnotonlyimpactedme,butmany
others,duetoitssenseofcommunity,philanthropiceventsandcharacterbuilding.Ask
anybodyoncampuswhathe/shethinksaboutGreeklife.Imsuremanyofyouinthe
audiencecouldgeneratealistofresponsesaboutyourviewofGreekLife.Responses
wouldrangefrom,partyanimals,tophilanthropy,tofriendship.TheGreekCommunity
hereattheUniversityofRhodeIslanddoesmanythingsforthiscampusanddeservesto
receivepositiveattention.Itiseasytogetcaughtupinthenegativityandstigmathatis
oftenlinkedtoGreekLife,butitisjustaseasytobecomeastrongsupporterforagreat
organization.
Tobeginwith,beingapartofaGreekCommunitybuildscharacteranddrive.
Accordingtonationalstatistics,onaverage,71%ofallGreekorganizationmembers
graduatefromtheiruniversity,whileonly50%ofnonGreeksdo.JoiningGreeklife
encouragesitsmemberstobeingoodacademicstanding.HereattheUniversityof
RhodeIsland,eachchapterholdsitsmemberstoacertainGPArequirement.These
requirementsusuallyrangefroma2.7toa3.0.Personally,beingpartofGreekLifehas
causedmetostrengthenmyinnerdriveandtackleachallengingworkload.Ithasforced
metostrivetobethebestIcanbeandaimforagoodGPA.WithoutthisGPA

requirement,moststudentswhoareapartofGreekLifewouldfallbehind,andreally
becomewhatsocietydeemsastypicalinGreekLife.
Additionally,GreekLifeallowsitsparticipantstobecomepresidentsand
communityleadersfortheirspecificchapters.TheGreekSystempermitsitsmembersto
governtheirpeers,whichisarareopportunitythatcantalwaysbetaughtorlearnedin
theclassroom.ManyGreekOrganizationswereestablishedyearsago,someevendate
backtocenturies.JoiningaGreekorganizationcreatestiesandnetworkingopportunities
tomembersofyourchapter,andallowsyoutoconnectwithpeoplewhoaremucholder
thanyourareallduetothefactthatyouareinthesamefraternity/sororityasthem.Being
amemberofGreekLifedoesmoregoodthanbadforourcommunityhereatURI.We
arenotjustagroupofpeoplewholiketohaveagoodtimeandparty,ratherwearea
groupofpeoplewhomotivateothers,andworkhardtokeepourselvesinacademicgood
standing.
GreekorganizationsattheUniversityofRhodeIslandholdaround120170
members.Withthatbeingsaid,GreekLifehastheabilitytoteachtoleranceamongsta
largegroupofpeople.Inthereal,workingworld,therearegoingtobemultiplepeople
onecomesacrossthattheydonotgetalongwith.BeingapartofaGreekSystemteaches
patienceandresiliencebecausetheyareforcedtocometogetherasacohesivegroupand
worktowardstheirPhilanthropicandsisterly/brotherlygoals.Itshowsstudentsearlyon
intheirprofessionalcareerhowtodevelopinterpersonalskills,andtoleratepeoplethey
arenotfondof.

HelpingandsupportingothersisacorevaluethatGreekLifesupports.Atthe
UniversityofRhodeIsland,eachGreekAssociationispairedwithanational
philanthropicorganizationthattheyraisemoneyandawarenessforeachyear.Thispast
year,theGreekCommunityteamedupwithoneanotherduringPhilanthropyWeekto
raisemoneyfortheHarryAmaralScholarshipFund.Thisfundprovidesscholarship
moneyforthosestudentswhomeetthenecessaryrequirements.HarryAmaralworkedin
theFinancialAidOfficeatURIandpassedawayin2010.TohonorMr.Amaral,Greek
Lifeparticipatedinthisfundraisertoshowoursupport.Together,theGreeks
successfullyraised$20,250.00todonatetothefund.Frompersonalexperience,Ihave
dedicatedmanyhourstosupportmyGreekorganizationthroughphilanthropicevents.
ThisisoneofthethingsthatGreeksaremostproudof;helpingthoseinneed.GreekLife
showsitsmembershowimportantPhilanthropyisuponrecruitment.Statisticsshowthat
fraternityandsororitymembersvolunteeraround10millionhoursperyear(Chris
Blake).Greeksdeserverecognitionforthegreatthingstheydofortheircommunity,and
fortheamountoftimeandefforttheydedicatetotheirdesignatedphilanthropies.The
negativeopinionsassociatedwithGreekLifeonourcampusshouldbereconsidereddue
tolevelofdevotion,cohesiveness,andgenerositythatisrepresentativeofGreek
activitiesandPhilanthropy.
Belongingness.Ashumans,itisourfirstinstincttowanttobelikedbyothers,
andfeelincludinginsomething;theneedtobelong.Greeklifeprovidesstudentswith
somethingthatisbiggerthanthem.Itisinevitablethatnegativeoutlooksgracethe
presenceofaGreekLifeattheUniversityOfRhodeIsland.However,Iurgeyoutolook

pastthepartying,andtherowdiness;toriseabovethenegativestigmasandrecognizeall
oftheimmaculateimprovementsthathaveoccurredduetoGreeks.JoiningaGreek
Organizationnotonlybenefitsyouasanindividual,butthecommunityinwhichwegoto
schoolandlearnin.Withitsclosetiestocommunityservice,outstandingscholarships,
andsenseofcommunity,GreekLifespositivecontributionsoutweighthenegative
stigmathatcomesalongwithit.FIXTHIS

WorksCited
"PositiveandNegativeEffectsofGreekLifeinCollege."EverydayLife.N.p.,n.d.Web.03Mar.
2016.
"GreekLife."GreekLife.N.p.,n.d.Web.03Mar.2016.
"RIASFAA."Scholarship.N.p.,n.d.Web.03Mar.2016.