Greeks are on Top Carra Scott >Final Portfolio>

Greeks are on Top

          Society labels Greeks on campus as beer drinking, jello shot taking, dancing on elevated surfaces students. They make it seem as if ones who are members of a fraternity or sorority have doomed the campus to hell. As I am a member of a sorority here at The University of Louisville I cannot deny that we aren't guilty for partying, but what college student isn't? It is only easiest for society to blame specific groups of people for something a large percentage of all the students do as well. 

          What most don't realize is all the good that comes from the Greeks on campus and how being involved with Greek life benefits students. Greek Life presents you with many amazing opportunities that will help better yourself while here on campus and throughout the rest of your life. As for campus, the campus will reap all of the positive aspects of the Greek organization as long as Greek Life is present.

          How does Greek Life benefit campus? It has been shown in numerous studies that students who are members of the Greek organization tend to have higher GPAs than students who are not. This holds true because of the standards that you are held to, depending on the chapter you join. It is a requirement, for all of the different sorority and fraternity chapters,to have a certain GPA in order to keep their membership. This pushes the student to do better in school in fear of getting kicked out of the chapter that they love so much, some students need that extra motivation to keep them on track in their studies. With being involved in Greek Life you are expected to thrive in your studies. Therefore students of Greek Life help the university to look better statistically once the GPA average is factored.

          As a college student we all come here looking for a new start, new friends, and new experiences. During your short time here on campus Greek Life allows you to do all of these things as well as make your time here more meaningful. The Greek organization will present many opportunities through philanthropy events, community service projects, and chances to test your leadership abilities. Being apart of a sorority or fraternity means you will be required/expected to attend all of your philanthropy events, each fraternity and sorority has a specific organization that they help by raising and donating money. As a Chi Omega, the philanthropy we support is The Make a Wish Foundation, our biggest event that we host is the Chili Cook Off. Here we have people who pay to enter their chili, we action off different baskets filled with goods, and also can pay to "Pie a Chi O". There are also a required number of community service hours that you must complete in order to be a member. This is the reason why you see so many members of the Greek community at so many of the events around campus. Not only does being in Greek Life allow you to give back to your campus but also your community.

          Greek Life positively effects students as they are enrolled in school as well as strength and improve paths that lead well into their future. Once you have committed to a fraternity or sorority you are then a member for the rest of your life, connecting you to thousands of brothers/sisters you have through alumni. Greek Life introduces you to a great network, you never know when you could run into one of your fellow sisters/brothers who owns the company you are applying to work for. After doing some research I found just how successful many members of the Greek organization actually are. Out of the nation's 50 largest corporations, 43 are headed by fraternity men, which I found on http://thefraternityadvisor.com/greek-life-statistics/, where you can also find other fascinating statistics on all the things members of the Greek organization do for our country.

          So if Greeks heighten the university's overall GPA, dominates participation in community service, raises the most money for a variety of organizations all around the country, and then precedes to excel in the real world with successful job, how exactly is Greek Life bad? The days of false assumption and negative stereotypes of Greek Life is over. Greek Life is good. Greek Life is beneficial. Greek Life builds successful and thriving citizens.