The “greek stereotype” has haunted greek organizations since fraternities and sororities lost sight of their true foundations and values, and hazing became commonplace on the majority of American college campuses.
At the University of West Florida, it has been an uphill battle for greeks to fight that stereotype.
Hollywood movies like “Animal House” and “American Pie Presents: Beta House” have only added to the belief that all greeks do is binge drink and party hard.
And there is some truth to that. Like the vast majority of college students, greeks enjoy going out on the weekend and throwing parties.
The fraternal system has made significant strides in improving itself to become more like its admirable roots. At UWF, greeks are determined to prove that there is more than what meets the eye.
It’s only fair at this point to mention that I am greek, and preaching going greek from someone that is greek can be like listening to a presidential candidate talk about how perfect they are for an office. No one wants to hear it.
I’ll be the first to admit, we are not perfect, but we do strive to be. We strive to be by trying to make ourselves better people, our campus and community a better place, and our society, which desperately needs it, a more moral place.
The Sigma Chi Fraternity, with the help of four sororities — Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Gamma Delta, and Phi Sigma Sigma — raised over $10,000 in philanthropy money last week.
The greek lettered names might not mean much to someone who doesn’t know much about greek life, but the $10,000 should. See the article on Page 1 for more details. Ten thousand dollars for causes such as fighting cancer is exceptional.
For an example closer to home, last year Alpha Chi Omega was able to build a storage closet for the Favor House domestic violence shelter in Pensacola.
In another example, Sigma Alpha Mu and Alpha Gamma Delta will be working with the Habitat for Humanity on Oct. 15 to give back to the community.
The sisters of Zeta Phi Beta and brothers of Kappa Alpha Order volunteer with the Breast Cancer Walk.
The list goes on and on.
So greeks like to have fun on the weekend, but during the week they give back to the community and raise money for great causes.
Yet some people still roll their eyes and think the community service is a front.
Why is there so much hatred?
Maybe it was a bad experience with someone greek. Maybe it’s the belief that greeks pay for our friends. Or maybe it’s that greeks often associate with each other and thus it makes them seem like they disassociate with non-greeks.
Well, not everyone is perfect. Unfortunately, one bad apple can spoil the entire bunch.
I challenge you to look past that one bad experience, and I can guarantee you that for every one “bad” greek you find, you’ll find 100 more that are as congenial as anyone you’ll ever meet.
If you look at greek budgets, you’ll see that the money they pay goes to leadership programs, materials for community service events, risk management procedures, and then after all is said and done, spent on social events.
Of course it’s only natural for people to associate with their peers. That doesn’t mean greeks think they’re better than you or want to seclude themselves.
In fact, you’ve probably had more greeks in your classes or organizations that you thought were good people and never knew were greek.
Greeks also strive for academic excellence and most organizations mandate study hours or provide tutors to help their fraternal brothers and sisters do better in the classroom.
Still think the main goal is to party?
Well, for some that may be true. But, unlike the vast majority of college parties, national headquarters mandate that greek parties incorporate risk management procedures that include sober monitors and sober drivers that actually make the parties more safe than the average college party.
If you take nothing else from this article, take this: Give greeks a chance. Look past the stereotype. Make an opinion for yourself.
Chris Elkins
Contributing Writer
