It's All Greek To Me: The Allure and Apprehension that Entails Greek Life
Graphic by Lauryn Alejo
There’s something about the ideology of Greek Life on college campuses that garners a genuine interest – whether it be the scandalous fraternity parties, or the random string of Greek letters that bedazzle Insta bios.
While I’m personally not a part of a sorority, I come from a family that is well-acquainted with Panhellenic Greek Life. Many of my father’s fraternity brothers helped me learn how to drive, sent me birthday cards every year, and genuinely became part of my family. Several of the friends I’ve made over the course of the past year are affiliated with Tri-Delta, and many campus events were sponsored in part by frats and sororities alike (of course, pre-COVID).
However, my fascination with Greek Life is rooted in stereotypical depictions and the enchanting air of camaraderie that exists between its members. I scroll through my feed to see a bunch of women my age in color-coordinated outfits, or they’re watching the sunset that looks like it came straight out of a coming-of-age movie. I’m charmed by the idea that somewhere in a pristine, plant-filled house there are a bunch of women who are forging bonds that will last a lifetime. It goes without saying that Greek Life boasts an intriguing allure that often sparks everyone’s attention — that is, until the darker, occultic parts unearth themselves like shadows before our daylit eyes.
Greek Life with its “insider-only” culture, while fascinating, does not always sit well with the outsiders looking in. Many feel a sense of contempt for the way sororities are filled with the white, the wealthy, and the elite; therefore, leaving out a considerable amount of people who could benefit from and equally contribute to rushing and recruiting. In addition to the exclusionary nature of Greek Life, many also explain their thoughts on how sororities and fraternities are just another avenue for the rich to “pay for friendships” that are inauthentic and unnatural.
In my opinion, COVID-19, the #The MeToo movement, and the accumulation of events relating to systemic racism exacerbated some of the negative perceptions that swirl around Panhellenic organizations.
If you googled “Sororities/Fraternities are racist,” “irresponsible partying in Greek Life,” or “Greek Life sexual assault,” there would be pages of results that confirm the apprehension and unease that many feel towards Greek Life. You scroll through some of their social media profiles only to see a lack of diversity and inclusion. Certain narratives and principles are put on pedestals in the traditional, Panhellenic system — leaving an imbalanced power struggle to ensue between morals and hedonism.
Are fraternities and sororities themselves inherently this way? Yes, I would argue so solely based on their history of exclusivity and classism. Do I believe that fraternities and sororities can make efforts in retaining their charming qualities and reinventing themselves to be more accessible? I do, and I think that part of this reinvention includes the expansion of multicultural sororities and fraternities.
I wasn’t familiar with multicultural, Panhellenic organizations (which speaks for something), so I decided to do my own digging. That’s when I found out that one of our film writers, Maria Erives, is a part of her university’s multicultural Greek council (MGC). Not only was she incredibly passionate about explaining what it was, but she was also focused on differentiating the MGC’s process from the traditional “rushing” process. Here are just some of the things she had to say:
“MGC orgs are Latinx, multicultural, or Asian-based but not exclusive. For a lot of people, mgc orgs have allowed poc and individuals to find their place on campus in white majority institutions.”
“Community service and inter-organizational collaboration is super important for an MGC – especially in comparison to traditional greek orgs.”
“I can definitely say that I know every single one of my sorority sisters on a personal level. We don’t do houses or focus on parties. Our focus is to make ourselves seen in spaces that traditionally don’t belong to us.”
While Maria’s answers gave me a lot of insight and built onto my opinion on what Greek Life is evolving into, I felt that their impact would be accentuated by answers from someone who could remove the veil that society has from the controversial, traditional sorority. I talked with another Unpublished writer, Kelsey Hayes, about her experience as a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta chapter at Auburn University. Here are a couple of notes (and quotes) I took from our text messages about her experience as a sorority member:
Positive Experiences
“The ability to make friends from the social events… especially early on in the first two years”
“Being able to participate in events that made me...get to know the girls around me”
“This past year the rule towards legacies (girls who are sisters, daughters, or granddaughters of alumnae sorority members) was overlooked in my sorority. This allowed room for a lot more girls to be looked at closer...I was lucky to be a part of a sorority that was inclusive.”
Negative Experiences
The recruitment process
The executive board during sophomore year, in which the health and well-being of many of the girls was “totally disregarded,” and many girls had “to worry about getting fined” when they weren’t feeling well to participate in a certain event.
The Sorority Stereotypes
“I’ve never felt that a sorority was a way to ‘pay for friends’ because making friends in college is so hard already.”
No matter what the organization is, a sorority is just one of the many different ways in which students have a “nice way to make meeting people a little easier.”
Despite the fact that Hayes confirmed some of the alluring attributes that sororities have, she feels that there “is still a lot of room to grow for all chapters,” especially considering that there will always be a “painful past” tied to the inception and proliferation of Panhellenic organizations. In other words, her experience of seeing recent developments towards progress does not negate the fact that for most of Greek Life’s history it has been the girls with the “certain look” or the “connections” that got the sororities they wanted.
Ultimately, what becomes of the traditional sorority and fraternity largely depends on the people who decide to rush, who are recruited, and who will make executive decisions for the chapter they’re representing. Maybe the leading officers in fraternities and sororities will create avenues for recruitment that champion more positivity, or include more policies and events that cater to the principles maintained by multicultural Panhellenic organizations. Perhaps, as Kelsey Hayes suggests, all sororities will at one point or another become multicultural in the way they operate — if they already haven’t.
For all the potential rushers that are interested in the conventional, Panhellenic route – understand the history of these organizations and seek to make your potentially future sorority a place that is charismatic, friendly, and open to all. Or perhaps you decided that going the multicultural Greek organization route matches your idyllic, sorority experience. Either way, I firmly believe 2020 is the year in which the Greek system will retain its charming aspects while still reshaping a future that looks different than its questionable past.