Nora Zadi

Professor Michael Berns

Engl 114B
10 May 2016
The Greek Life in College
The transition from high school to college is an important stage in the life of an
individual because it holds the potential for growth and behavioral change. The
individual will be confronted to the interaction of alcohol, sex, and drugs in higher
proportion, and would have to make responsible choice or undergo the
consequences if not. They would also be introduced to the universe of sororities
and fraternities and would have to choose either between joining those
organizations or not. The foundation of fraternities and sororities according to
Appalachian State University started in the mid-nineteenth century. Those
organizations centered on intellectualness were formed by the students in reaction
to the strict curriculum set forth by colleges at this time period. The students
adopted meaningful Greek letters in order to represent their organizations and are
often referred as Greek organizations or Greek letters societies. The goal of the
establishment of these organizations was to further the social, scholastic and
professional interests of its members (Appalachian State University). Inevitably,
the students in these groups developed deeper bonds and started depending on each

other more than just on an intellectual level. At the end of the nineteenth century,
time was also advocated to organize parties, sports events, dances and so on
(Appalachian State University). The reputation of these Greek organizations
deviated and lost their educational aspect from the outside perspective. However,
there are many types of Greek organizations, and from the inside, all benefits the
individual and help them grow on various level which are professional, social and
personal. Joining a Greek organization nowadays has both advantages and
inconveniences. As much as it can help the individual grow in a positive way, bad
outcomes are still present due to the traditions and lifestyle of the members of
these organizations.

As a freshman, before joining any organizations on your freshly new campus,

you must be aware of the challenges and adversities you will face. The universe of
the Greek society is a world with both disadvantages and advantages. One of the
disadvantages of joining an organization in college is the hazing culture. According
to the National Collaborative for Hazing Research and Prevention, hazing is
defined as any activity expected of someone joining or participating in a group
that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers them regardless of a persons
willingness to participate. (University of North Carolina Wilmington, What is
hazing). Hazing is real and can result to the death of the person hazed. According

to the University of North Carolina Wilmington, as of February 12, 2010, the

number of recorded hazing/pledging/rushing-related deaths in fraternities and
sororities stands at 96 90 males and 6 females. Also, alcohol consumption,
humiliation, isolation, sleep-deprivation, and sexual acts are hazing practices
common across all types of students groups and 55% of colleges students
involved in clubs, teams and organizations experience hazing. (University of
North Carolina Wilmington, What is hazing).
Another disadvantage of joining a fraternity or sorority is the bonding with alcohol
and drugs. According to the article Greek life and substance abuse written by
Kayla Smith who is the editorial director for the addiction center, member of
fraternities and sororities are at higher risk for binge drinking and drug use than the
rest of the college population due to the social pressure, the lack of supervision, the
hazing or initial rituals and the group living. Up to 62 percent of sorority members
admit to drinking heavily compared to only about 41 percent of college women not
in the Greek system and a disproportionate amount of alcohol-related deaths
within fraternities happen to freshman (Smith, Greek life and substance abuse).
According to a Harvard University 4 out of 5 fraternity and sorority members are
binge drinkers. In comparison, other research suggests 2 out of 5 college students
overall are regular binge drinkers (Smith, Greek life and substance abuse). Binge

drinking is the consumption of an excessive amount of alcohol in a short period of

time.
Last, being a member of a fraternity or sorority increase the risk of academic
dishonesty. Finding of a study of Eric A. Storch and Jason B. Storch revealed that
members of the Greek life reported higher rates of academic dishonesty as
compared to non-members and also that there is a correlation between the degree
of involvement in fraternities and sororities sponsored activities and academic
dishonesty. Julia Glum wrote the article UNC cheating scandal: Hundreds of
fraternity brothers took paper classes to boost GPAs published by the International
Business Times. In her article, Glum explained the scandal at the University of
North Carolina on the cheating scandal in which members of fraternities and
sororities played a major role by being the source of referral to bogus classes
resulting in automatic As and Bs, a loophole in Chapel Hills demanding
curriculum. This cheating at the heart of the Greek society at the University of
North Carolina lasted nearly two decades encompassing about 3,100 students
(Glum, UNC cheating scandal: Hundreds of fraternity brothers took paper classes
to boost GPAs).

The decision of joining a Greek organization in College is not only being

subjected to academic distractions but is also about the growth of the individual

and make his or her entourage benefits from this growth. As a freshman student in
college, joining a Greek organization is an act that will also benefit you, not only
during your college years, but beyond your graduation as well. According to
Carnegie Mellon University, one of the core pillars of Greek life is leadership.
Consequently, joining a fraternity or sorority will help the individual developing
his or her leadership skills by holding a leadership position in the chapter, council,
or community at large. In fact, there is countless leadership opportunity in the
Greek world. These leadership opportunities help the individual to grow. For
instance, one of the leadership programming in the Greek life at Carnegie Mellon
University is the Greek Peer Mentor Program. Greek Peer Mentors are successful
individual fraternity or sorority members who serve as exemplary role model and
resource for all the Greek community. They further leadership and communication
skills through a series of workshops. (Carnegie Mellon University, Greek life).
Also, 85% of the executive of Fortune 500 companies and 80% of the United states
Presidents since 1900 have in common their affiliation with Greek organizations
according to the article Joining a fraternity or sorority: The real pros and cons
published by The Best Schools. This is an example that those organizations
cultivate young leaders by giving them substantial growing opportunities.
In addition to the leadership development, the Greek society provides a strong
social support to whoever decides to pledge and be a member. Kelci Lynn Lucier, a

college life expert wrote the article 10 Benefits of going Greek in College and the
first benefit stated is the high level of camaraderie with fellow member that is for
life. This level of friendship built is around the shared values or the common goal
of the Greek organization and provide to the individual a social support, but at the
same time an academic support network. For instance, with the large network of
the Greek society, the member will have access to all kinds of knowledge about
which professors, class, and department are the best (Lucier, 10 Benefits of going
Greek in College). Moreover, your fellow members called brothers and sister are a
great resource for tutoring and other academic advice as academic excellence is
also one of the core values of the Greek society. (Lucier, 10 Benefits of going
Greek in College)
Last but not least, being a member of the Greek society is giving back and
contributing to the welfare of the community. According to Lucier, many Greek
organizations are heavily involved in community service and all Greek houses
require a certain amount of volunteering each semester. They also may have an
annual event that raises funds for a community non-profit to their philanthropy.
Furthermore, some Greek organization rewards the individual by giving away
scholarships. Delta Sigma Pi for example is a professional Business Fraternity.
According to Delta Sigma Pis website, Delta Sigma Pis leadership foundation
awards annually a scholarship key to the graduating senior with the highest

cumulative academic average in business administration or economics, regardless

of affiliation with the organization at each school where they maintain a chapter,
and this since 1912.

Taking the decision of being a member of the Greek life is not a trivial
choice. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration such as safety, which
can be seriously compromised by the hazing and drinking culture. Also, the
academic dishonesty present in the Greek world is a factor someone who wants to
join these organizations must be aware of. However, all these inconveniences are
sometimes just stereotypes of what have been witnessed and does not reflect the
reality of some of these organizations. As a freshman, you have to keep in mind
that there are many Greek organizations with different goals and tradition. On the
other side, being a member of a fraternity or sorority bring some benefit to the
individual thanks to the leaderships opportunity, the brotherhood and profit to the
welfare of the community. Being a member of a fraternity or sorority differentiate
you by a faster personal, professional and social growth. Choosing to be affiliated
with the Greek society is a crucial decision that can shape the individual in a good
or bad way. Consequently, as a freshman, you need to be informed and carefully
process the information before making a choice of which organization to join.

Work-cited
Delta Sigma Pi Scholarships Awards. Delta Sigma Pi, 2000. Web. May
2016.
Glum, Julia UNC Cheating scandal: hundreds of fraternity brothers took
paper classes to boost GPAs. International Business Times, Nov. 2014.
Web. May 2016
History of Greek life Fraternity and Sorority life. Appalachian
University. Web. May 2016
Joining a fraternity or sorority: the real pros and cons of Greek life. The
Best Schools
Leadership-Fraternity and sorority life. Carnegie Mellon University. Web.
May 2016
Lucier, Kelci L 10 benefits of going Greek in college. College life, Dec.
2014. Web. May 2016
Smith, Kayla Drinking and drugs abuse in Greek Life. Addiction Center, Nov.
2015. Web. May 2016
Storch, Eric A, and Jason B Storch. "Fraternities, Sororities, and Academic
Dishonesty." College Student Journal, 36.2 (2002): 247.
What is hazing? University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Web. May 2016