Greek Life in American Campuses Essay

wherefore is it that the state handst, no man is an island, is so astoundingly true accustomed level off the benefit of the doubt? Why is it that men and women alike take on this incomprehensible need to be in a company of slew? Theoretically, it all boils mass to human nature. But somehow, it seems that we all extremity to cast off people around us.The statements that Hellenic Life in American colleges and universities yet consists of drinking sessions and parties and a factor that pulls pull coldcock the prescribes of scholarly persons argon nonhing but an gaga assertion. And although there atomic number 18 countless c erstwhileptualize misconceptions ab out the Grecian Life in American colleges and universities, the unprecedented reality is that fraternities and sororities stick out been fostering the growth and development of from each one of their members not just as a student but more importantly, as a person.There argon a fortune of negative assumption people get with regard to fraternities and sororities. These misconceptions claim agonistic some lodge and sorority members all invariablyyplace the soil to go up in arms against what they consider to be a case of discrimination being hurled against them. The or so common assumption is that the Hellenic spiritedness is nothing more than an excuse to company and drink. Moreover, there is overly the assertion that the fraternities and sororities are the reasons for the declining GPAs of students.In addition, even parents are frightened of the thought of their children get together any brotherhood or sorority because they choose the notion that these groups are bad influences to their children. plainly of these are somehow valid concerns. However, these statements truly make any member of a trade union or sorority laugh than be angry. This is simply because they are somehow irrational. A student of Rutgers College, Andrea Cortland (2005) has acknowledged in her memb er entitled, Paying for friends which has been published in February 9, 2005 love of the Daily Targrum that classics in her school then drink and party.However, she has pointed out that non- Hellenic students as substantially as plunder in the same activities, explaining that drinking and partying are common modes of relaxation among college students not solely at Rutgers but elsewhere in the country. She has even lamented the fact that people ladder to be biased against fraternity and sorority members because of their greater visibility, produceing that its easier to identify members of a group than isolated individuals (Cortland, 2005). Furthermore, there is no proof that get together a fraternity or a sorority will pull down a students GPA. The grades of students go up and down regardless of whether or not they are members of a fraternity or a sorority.Lastly, the fear of some parents that fraternities and sororities are bad influences to students is mere conjecture. Kelly Jo Karnes, interrelate Director of the Division of Student personal business at the Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, Virginia, have written a earn addressed to the parents of new students explaining the advantages of their childrens joining fraternities and sororities composition at the university. According to her, excursus from friendship, pedantic support, opportunities of contact in non- faculty member activities, the Greek club can volunteer their children a home away from home.As she has urged parents to include their children to join fraternities and sororities, she has explained that the student leaders of the university, their spark advance athletes and scholars and the closely successful alumni of ODU belong to Greek garner organizations (Karnes, 2006)There are so many ways in which the Greek animation may change a person. The fraternities and sororities are viable means in which a person can genuinely be inspired. It can overly be a chance f or a student to reach out to those in need. by means of this, those who have been helped are not the exactly ones who benefit but also the students as well. The truth of the matter is that while members of fraternities and sororities have their fair share of drinking and partying, they also quest for in more baronial activities like doing charitable work, performing community services, and looking after the faculty member eudaimonia of students in their respective schools.In an run to plead the case of the Greeks at Rutgers, Cortland in her article has pointed out that all fraternities and sororities recognize by the college are charged to engage in community service and kindly work as a particularise for legitimacy. For instance, Sigma qi fraternity has been raising currency for The Childrens Miracle Network by memory an annual event dubbed the Derby Days. For this determine, Sigma Chi has enlisted the help of six other sororities and in 2003 alone, managed to donate $ 30,000 to the network. Another collaborative project organized by Greek organizations at Rutgers is the annual Dance Marathon, considered to be the biggest freehearted event run by students in the state of New Jersey, the beneficiaries of which are barren families in the area (Cortland, 2005).On precede of their commitment to kindly activities, the fraternities and sororities are also involved in improving the academic performance of students. For example, it has been their practice in Rutgers College to read study hours for their incoming members e very(prenominal) pledging limit a tradition which has been observed to terminus to higher grades for their pledges. Aside from offering encyclopedisms and academic performance awards to qualified students, many Greeks have, as a matter of fact, high step Point Averages (GPAs). The misconception approximately Greek lifespan being a cause for poor GPAs is therefore repudiated by these evidences (Cortland, 2005).Aside from thei r large-hearted work, their have a ironlike involvement in community services, and a hot commitment and interest in the academic well-being of students. In Rutgers, Greek letter organizations also serve as raising grounds for future leaders of the country. Opportunities for leading positions are available to members of fraternities and sororities at bottom their topical anesthetic chapters, the Interfraternity Council at Rutgers or the National Panhellenic Council. In addition, the prospect of attending conferences on the study level is always present for enkindle Greeks, thereby enhancing their leadership qualities as well as their public relations skills (Cortland, 2005).To tho prove her point, Cortland (2005) has make it imperative to constitute the fact that out of the 47 justices who made it to the Supreme between 1910 and 2005, 40 were fraternity men. She has also declared that since Greek letter fraternities made their first appearance in American campuses, yet tw o select American Presidents and two Vice-Presidents have not been fraternity men and that famous personalities much(prenominal) as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Generals George C. Marshall and George S. Patton, Nelson Mandela, and Toni Morrison, to mention only a few, are all Greeks. all(a) these are in fact only some of the benefits of being Greek. According to her, the about rewarding feature of Greek life is the brotherhood or sisterhood accorded to the members which they appreciate as long as they live. later on having said all these, Andrea took exception to the claim of some people at Rutgers that to be a Greek is to pay for friends. She pointed out that members of student fraternities and sororities spend only about 2% of their personal budgets for their monthly dues. If ever they make voluntary contributions, these are for the invention of improving their organizations and enhance their capabilities to engage in community service and provide for academic schol arships (Cortland, 2005).There are a lot of good that fraternities and sororities can do to a student. At the University of Western Ontario (UWO) in Canada, Lindsay Satterthwaite, compose for the UWO Gazette, listed down the following advantages of joining fraternities and sororities benevolence projects are events in which the Greek community, as a whole or as individual chapters, donate their time and efforts to plagiarise funds for a worthwhile cause. few events include Derby Days, Mr. Greek and Greek Games.The Greek community is dedicated to providing leadership opportunities to its members. Members have the opportunity to assume a wide spectrum of leadership roles including president, VP-finance and rush chairperson. This environs offers unique opportunities for individuals to achieve their leadership potential. donnish achievement is the first and fore to the highest degree antecedence of Greek members. Each fraternity and sorority places strong emphasis on creating an at mosphere contributing(prenominal) to high academic performance. A scholarship plaque is awarded to the chapter with the highest total on campus annually. The smart set of Omega is also a recognized scholarship class implemented to abide by high achieving Greek members.Fraternities and sororities also provide balanced social programs for members including formals, date nights, grab-a-date, Greek Week and various parties with other fraternities and sororities. The most important goal of every chapter is to submit together a group of men or women and teach them values, traditions and honour while building close friendships (Satterthwaite, 2001).In reality, the fraternities and sororities have continued to grow and evolve redefining the very definition of what a fraternity or sorority is. This change has consciously and unconsciously influenced the lives of students, the get wind of colleges and universities and the society as a whole. flavor at the issue on a broader perspectiv e, the claims which have been made by Cortland appears to be corroborated by events in other colleges and universities elsewhere in the country. Over in Iowa, the Greek community of Iowa State University (ISU) have also been emphasizing on academic performance. well-nigh fraternity houses even have educational programs which are aimed at assisting new students as they go through their period of conversion into college life. For instance, the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity has been conducting The Collegiate mastery Program which is aimed at teaching students to blow up smart study habits.Greek students are also trying their best to produce study hours and attain good grade point averages. Philanthropic work in any case occupies much of their time. During the fall of 1998 for instance, fraternities and sororities at ISU have contributed 19,080 hours to philanthropic events and have donated $15,790 to charity. The Pi Kappa Phi fraternity also takes time to make its members aware(predic ate) of the evils of alcohol through a program of the Prevention Research Institute called acme (Pike, n.d.). In Adrian, Michigan, fraternities and sororities are enjoying good social status at Adrian College where approximately 25 per centum of students belong to Greek letter organizations. rank in these organizations is widely perceived as enhancing the college experience of students at the college. The Greek chapters at the college, which are all affiliated with theme organizations, are giving priority to philanthropic activities and community service, aside from the emphasis that they exhibit to scholarship. The fraternities and sororities at Adrian College require their members and would-be members to control certain grade point average (Adrian College, 2005).In 2003, a new issuing has been inaugurated solely for the purpose of dealing with these misconceptions concerning fraternities and sororities. aptly named Greek Life, its main objective is to houseclean the Greek c ommunities all over the country of the negative impressions that other people have of them. Greg Woodman, Chief Executive Officer of Pennsylvania-based phylogenetic relation Connection which publishes Greek Life, has said that The beliefs most people have about fraternities and sororities are highly inaccurate. Our publication paints a more legitimate picture of what really goes on within these organizations and focuses on the outstanding benefits of belonging to such a group.Woodman has explained that Greek-lettered organizations have been doing their members and the communities where they rent tremendous amount of service by teaching leadership, responsibility, integrity, honesty, and dedication to academics. He has explained that with Greek Life, which will be published once every year, an honest effort aimed at correcting the prevailing misconceptions about fraternities and sororities shall be act (Greek Life, 2003).