As a "GDI", I'll be the first to admit that greeks get a bad rap. Fraternity men get typecast as classless jocks who care more about the theme of their next party than whether they passed their accounting exam, and sorority women are seen as stuck-up, stiletto-wearing, cocaine-snorting "sorostitutes."
It also seems as if the entire greek community has been held personally responsible for the drinking culture at Penn State by the rest of the university. The question is, is this reputation deserved? Or is it all part of the social stigma associated with going greek?
Sororities and fraternities do a lot of great things that often get overlooked by the rest of us students. For one, they're the driving force behind the Interfraternity/Panhellenic Dance Marathon.
While thousands of non-greek students are also involved, there's no denying that fraternities and sororities play a crucial role in raising millions for THON -- nevermind the fact that they're the philanthropy's namesake.
When you take into account all the other philanthropies and community service events fraternities and sororities participate in each year, it's clear that greeks aren't necessarily the terrible people we make them out to be.
That being said, the greek community has some work to do. For starters, greeks are constantly blamed for alcohol-related incidents around campus. It's an unfair generalization, but let's face it: Most fraternities are centered around a culture of drinking and partying. But isn't that also the case with thousands of non-greek students? We would be wrong to accuse the greek community of reckless partying without first considering our own behavior. The difference, though, is fraternities and sororities hold a prominent place at Penn State, and because they have influence over such a huge amount of students, we look to them for a certain amount of leadership.
If the greek community wants to avoid being associated with drinking, both the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and the Panhellenic Council (PHC) need to make a few changes -- and I mean concrete changes, not the superficial policies the IFC implemented following Joe Dado's death (just as a sidenote, I don't place blame on the IFC for this tragedy).
The other day, I saw a girl wearing a sorority shirt bearing the phrase "State Patty's Day: Black out or get out." I found myself questioning the message and the hypocrisy behind it. I won't pretend to know this particular sorority's rules regarding social conduct, but I know some Penn State sororities forbid their members from drinking while wearing their letters. When you consider how much greeks protest their association with binge drinking, it's hard to imagine who thought making these shirts was a good idea. It was especially shocking given the IFC's recent announcement about partying safely on State Patty's day. I realize the IFC and the PHC are two different organizations, but shouldn't all of greek life be on the same page when it comes to defending their reputations?
As for the cattiness associated with sororities, I have to ask: why perpetuate the stereotype by going on sites like CollegeACB.com and the now-defunct JuicyCampus.com and gossiping about each other? I have a hard time believing that the majority of sorority girls are as nasty as some of the comments I've seen on that site. Here's an example from last week, which told members of one sorority to "prepare to get hazed and hated by the entire greek community." This posting is tame in comparison to some of the others.
And fraternities aren't without fault either. Another example of a post calls one fraternity the "biggest joke frat at penn state" and tells members to "get the f-- off of collegeacb and spend some time getting some girls over your house." The greek community works hard to present a united front, and then some members push it 10 steps backward by attacking each other on anonymous gossip sites. Why?
I don't want you to think I'm biased against greek life. Both of my brothers were members of fraternities, one of which was right here at Penn State. One of my best friends is a sorority sister, and I admire how much joining greek life has enriched her life. Greek life can definitely be a fulfilling part of college, and I respect the amount of effort the greek community puts into its philanthropies. Do I think greeks deserve to be blamed for everything bad that happens at Penn State? Absolutely not.
But I implore every member of a sorority or fraternity to step up and recognize the important role you play at Penn State.
I know it's not your job to lead by example, but I'm asking you to do it anyway.
