The REAL Secret Behind Greek Life
Think Greeks are all about parties and paying for friends?? Have the idea that all sorority women are easy and fraternity men are stupid? Imagine goats being sacrificed when you think of ritual? Call Greeks followers and conformists?? If so, you may want to rethink everything because in reality you're the one following the stereotypes of Greek Life given by the media and gossip.
The REAL secret behind Greek Life is simple but first lets look at some facts!
*Nationally, 71% of all Greeks graduate, while only 50% of non-Greeks graduate.
*The All Greek GPA is higher than the overall collegiate GPA.
*Since 1910, 85% of the Supreme Court Justices have been Greek.
*85% of the Fortune 500 key executives are Greek.
*Of the nation's 50 largest corporations, 43 are headed by Greeks.
*76% of Who's Who in America are Greek.
*All but two Presidents since 1825 have been Greek.
*70% of the U.S. Presidents' cabinet members since 1900 have been Greek.
*76% of U.S. Senators are Greek.
*Both women appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court were sorority members.
*Over 85% of the student leaders on 730 campuses are members of Greek-letter organizations.
*Less then 2% of an average college students expenses go towards Greek membership dues.
*A study by the University of Missouri found that Greeks throughout the US and Canada are more involved on their campuses and rate their overall university experience better.
*The same study found that Greeks are more involved in their communities; and give more generously to their alma maters.
*Greeks form the largest network of volunteers in the U.S.-Nationally, Greeks volunteer approximately 10 million hours of community service annually.
*Greek Life strongly encourages within its community to uphold the ideals that they were founded on: sisterhood and brotherhood, scholarship, leadership, philanthropy, and becoming better citizens of society.
*Hazing is against National Greek Headquarters policies.
*Nationally, Greek organizations are the largest and most visible value-based student organizations.
Now that you have read some facts concerning Greek Life, here are *some* familiar names who are Greek who might help you see how Greek Life helps people succeed!
Martin Luther King Jr, Adam Sandler, Admiral James J. Carey, Al Michaels, Ali Landry, Alice Sheets Marriot, Allen Bean, Alonzo Mourning, Amy Grant, Andy Griffith, Andy Rooney, Ann Margaret, Aretha Franklin, Ashley Judd, Aston Kutcher, Ben Savage, Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Bob Barker, Bobby Jones, Brad Pitt, Burt Reynolds, Cedric the Entertainer, Colonel Sanders, Coretta Scott King, Cybil Shepard, Danny Thomas, Dave Thomas, David Duchovny, David Letterman, David Spade, David Stern, Dick Clark, Dionne Warwick, Dr. Alyce Gullantee, Dr. Collette Kohler, Dr. Seuss, Drew Carey, Dwight Eisenhower, Elvis Presley, Faye Dunaway, Fred Savage, Gladys Knight, Goldie Hawn, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Garner, John Wayne, Johnny Carson, Kate Spade, Katie Couric, Kurt Vonnegut, Lucy Lui, Matthew McConaughey, Michael Jordan, Molly Sims, Neil Armstrong, Nick Lachey, Roger Ebert, Rosa Parks, Shaquille O'Neal, Sheryl Crow, Stephen Spielberg, Will Ferrel, Woody Harrelson, just to name a few...
Quotes Regarding Greek Life:
*Letters today, Leaders tomorrow
*No matter the Letters, we're all Greek together
*Not four years, but for life
*Fraternities and Sororities symbolize all that we wish to accomplish in our lives. They represent the struggles we all face as we grow. Why we cling to them no one can explain, but in the end, we are all stronger for it
*People ask why I am in a sorority and I try to explain all the things a sorority is that they cannot see. A sorority is more than letters on a sweatshirt, I say. More than traditional songs, a gold pin, rituals, and obligation, or a way of life. A sorority is learning about people, a sorority is giving without expecting a return. A sorority is earning respect from others, as well as for yourself. A sorority will not solve all your problems. But I have made good friends and found confidence there to help me take life one step at a time.
*Even though the dues I pay for are like any other club fees (though more expensive because my organization is much more than a club) go toward housing, if I WERE paying for my friends, I wouldn't be paying enough!!!
So now that you have seen a glimpse of what Greek Life is all about, I hope that you will gain a better understanding about Greeks and not give in to believing the stereotypes. True, there are definitely some members who don't quite get what we're about yet and yes they need to learn but STOP THE JUDGING on all of us. Get to know an indivudual before you make an assumption based on their personal choice. After all, the REAL secret behind Greek Life isn't that we hold some magical powers in our rituals or that we only get to high places through networking. We are regular people wanting to do great things and we accomplish all of this with the skills we acquire through our time spent in our Greek organizations!
Most importantly...we all stand together in both good and bad times. The Greek system is a huge support unit to say the least. My school, The University of Memphis, was recently hit by tragedy and we lost two of our Greek members. The amount of support shown within our family can't be described in words. There is a difference between friendships and brother/sisterhood. I'm not saying one isn't more valuable than the other but the bonds of sisterhood and brotherhood are bonds that can never be touched.
FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN, YOU CAN NEVER UNDERSTAND IT. FROM THE INSIDE LOOKING OUT, YOU CAN NEVER EXPLAIN IT!
Now for my thoughts:
I knew that I wanted to pledge somewhere in college. That is why I took the time out to research these national and international organizations on my campus. I did rush events as a freshman and I visited all nine fraternity houses to get a feel for if I wanted to live there. Some of the houses were nice and the members were welcoming while others were more remote and selective in having random men viewing their houses. Nonetheless, I found a home in Phi Delta Theta. I had my reservations about certain things when I was pledging in the spring. One of those reservations was about "How will I balance the pledge process with the overwhelming amount of classes and other responsibilities I had on my plate. Unlike the rest of my pledge class, my responsibilities did not end after basketball season or the end of a theatre production. I needed some time to develop so I could be devoted to the pledge process. Another one of my reservations was that even if I did cross in the spring, will I be able to help out enough for the class next in line? With my responsibilities in other organizations going for another academic year, would I be able to commit to all of the activities I have to help out with for rush events and pledging. I didn't want the other guys to think that the other organizations I am a part of would render me useless to the next set of guys coming in. All of these thoughts rushed into my head and gave me doubts in the middle of pledging.
Realizing all of this, I took the spring days one day at a time and eventually, I crossed into my first year of being a Greek. The first semester was not bad for me; it is the second semester I am worried about. The one thing I did have to worry about was trying to make people understand that going Greek is not supposed to take your manhood away or to give people a picture of movies such as "Animal House." I found myself educating freshmen and unaffiliated persons about the advantages of Greek life at Ohio Wesleyan and how it can benefit you throughout your time here and outside of Ohio Wesleyan. I have made some believers out of people and others are still skeptical about how the Greek system works. I want to be the person (or one of the people) who rid stereotypes of the Greek system so that the Greek system can become more efficient in recruitment and its presence on the Ohio Wesleyan campus. 35% of the student body is Greek. This is a far cry compared to the percentage of the student body in the 1970's and 1980's. Incoming freshmen are not exposed enough to the positives. Sometimes, the only times that many people on campus are exposed to Greek life is during parties advertised on Facebook or as ads on campus. Most of these parties have alcohol in them and many students just want to have fun without the alcohol or rude people, i.e. from my experience.
I feel that it doesn't matter if you are international or domestic, Greek life should be presented on equal terms. I represented Greek life as soon as I started my Orientation leader schedule in August; this was my first introduction to the new student body of 2011. Whether I was aware of being the representative, I knew of one thing, I AM OWU. Let's face it, Greek Life is OWU. There are many teachers and administrators on campus that are Greek and are proud of their experiences as Greek men and women. They would not take it back and either would I. Despite the differences that some of the fraternities have with each other, I am not going to discriminate against another fraternity just because of their history or the people who have pledged there. Just like Facebook stated, we are all Greek so whether people at OWU like it or not, we all share a common bond in joining that we all hold dearly to our hearts forever. In conclusion, I am doing all that I can to invite people who have little or no clue about fraternity as well as people who are interesting in joining a fraternity like Phi Delta Theta AND even people who are already in another fraternity on campus to events and on regular days to chill, study, or whatever they want. For me, this is the best and the only way to create awareness of a fraternity on campus.
If anyone wants to comment about their experience in Greek Life or about my blog about Greek Life whether it is my feelings or the Facebook feelings, feel free. I am welcoming any and all comments and constructive criticism.
Greek Life Forever,
Hasani Wheat
Phi Delta Theta
Class of '10
The REAL secret behind Greek Life is simple but first lets look at some facts!
*Nationally, 71% of all Greeks graduate, while only 50% of non-Greeks graduate.
*The All Greek GPA is higher than the overall collegiate GPA.
*Since 1910, 85% of the Supreme Court Justices have been Greek.
*85% of the Fortune 500 key executives are Greek.
*Of the nation's 50 largest corporations, 43 are headed by Greeks.
*76% of Who's Who in America are Greek.
*All but two Presidents since 1825 have been Greek.
*70% of the U.S. Presidents' cabinet members since 1900 have been Greek.
*76% of U.S. Senators are Greek.
*Both women appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court were sorority members.
*Over 85% of the student leaders on 730 campuses are members of Greek-letter organizations.
*Less then 2% of an average college students expenses go towards Greek membership dues.
*A study by the University of Missouri found that Greeks throughout the US and Canada are more involved on their campuses and rate their overall university experience better.
*The same study found that Greeks are more involved in their communities; and give more generously to their alma maters.
*Greeks form the largest network of volunteers in the U.S.-Nationally, Greeks volunteer approximately 10 million hours of community service annually.
*Greek Life strongly encourages within its community to uphold the ideals that they were founded on: sisterhood and brotherhood, scholarship, leadership, philanthropy, and becoming better citizens of society.
*Hazing is against National Greek Headquarters policies.
*Nationally, Greek organizations are the largest and most visible value-based student organizations.
Now that you have read some facts concerning Greek Life, here are *some* familiar names who are Greek who might help you see how Greek Life helps people succeed!
Martin Luther King Jr, Adam Sandler, Admiral James J. Carey, Al Michaels, Ali Landry, Alice Sheets Marriot, Allen Bean, Alonzo Mourning, Amy Grant, Andy Griffith, Andy Rooney, Ann Margaret, Aretha Franklin, Ashley Judd, Aston Kutcher, Ben Savage, Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Bob Barker, Bobby Jones, Brad Pitt, Burt Reynolds, Cedric the Entertainer, Colonel Sanders, Coretta Scott King, Cybil Shepard, Danny Thomas, Dave Thomas, David Duchovny, David Letterman, David Spade, David Stern, Dick Clark, Dionne Warwick, Dr. Alyce Gullantee, Dr. Collette Kohler, Dr. Seuss, Drew Carey, Dwight Eisenhower, Elvis Presley, Faye Dunaway, Fred Savage, Gladys Knight, Goldie Hawn, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Garner, John Wayne, Johnny Carson, Kate Spade, Katie Couric, Kurt Vonnegut, Lucy Lui, Matthew McConaughey, Michael Jordan, Molly Sims, Neil Armstrong, Nick Lachey, Roger Ebert, Rosa Parks, Shaquille O'Neal, Sheryl Crow, Stephen Spielberg, Will Ferrel, Woody Harrelson, just to name a few...
Quotes Regarding Greek Life:
*Letters today, Leaders tomorrow
*No matter the Letters, we're all Greek together
*Not four years, but for life
*Fraternities and Sororities symbolize all that we wish to accomplish in our lives. They represent the struggles we all face as we grow. Why we cling to them no one can explain, but in the end, we are all stronger for it
*People ask why I am in a sorority and I try to explain all the things a sorority is that they cannot see. A sorority is more than letters on a sweatshirt, I say. More than traditional songs, a gold pin, rituals, and obligation, or a way of life. A sorority is learning about people, a sorority is giving without expecting a return. A sorority is earning respect from others, as well as for yourself. A sorority will not solve all your problems. But I have made good friends and found confidence there to help me take life one step at a time.
*Even though the dues I pay for are like any other club fees (though more expensive because my organization is much more than a club) go toward housing, if I WERE paying for my friends, I wouldn't be paying enough!!!
So now that you have seen a glimpse of what Greek Life is all about, I hope that you will gain a better understanding about Greeks and not give in to believing the stereotypes. True, there are definitely some members who don't quite get what we're about yet and yes they need to learn but STOP THE JUDGING on all of us. Get to know an indivudual before you make an assumption based on their personal choice. After all, the REAL secret behind Greek Life isn't that we hold some magical powers in our rituals or that we only get to high places through networking. We are regular people wanting to do great things and we accomplish all of this with the skills we acquire through our time spent in our Greek organizations!
Most importantly...we all stand together in both good and bad times. The Greek system is a huge support unit to say the least. My school, The University of Memphis, was recently hit by tragedy and we lost two of our Greek members. The amount of support shown within our family can't be described in words. There is a difference between friendships and brother/sisterhood. I'm not saying one isn't more valuable than the other but the bonds of sisterhood and brotherhood are bonds that can never be touched.
FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN, YOU CAN NEVER UNDERSTAND IT. FROM THE INSIDE LOOKING OUT, YOU CAN NEVER EXPLAIN IT!
Now for my thoughts:
I knew that I wanted to pledge somewhere in college. That is why I took the time out to research these national and international organizations on my campus. I did rush events as a freshman and I visited all nine fraternity houses to get a feel for if I wanted to live there. Some of the houses were nice and the members were welcoming while others were more remote and selective in having random men viewing their houses. Nonetheless, I found a home in Phi Delta Theta. I had my reservations about certain things when I was pledging in the spring. One of those reservations was about "How will I balance the pledge process with the overwhelming amount of classes and other responsibilities I had on my plate. Unlike the rest of my pledge class, my responsibilities did not end after basketball season or the end of a theatre production. I needed some time to develop so I could be devoted to the pledge process. Another one of my reservations was that even if I did cross in the spring, will I be able to help out enough for the class next in line? With my responsibilities in other organizations going for another academic year, would I be able to commit to all of the activities I have to help out with for rush events and pledging. I didn't want the other guys to think that the other organizations I am a part of would render me useless to the next set of guys coming in. All of these thoughts rushed into my head and gave me doubts in the middle of pledging.
Realizing all of this, I took the spring days one day at a time and eventually, I crossed into my first year of being a Greek. The first semester was not bad for me; it is the second semester I am worried about. The one thing I did have to worry about was trying to make people understand that going Greek is not supposed to take your manhood away or to give people a picture of movies such as "Animal House." I found myself educating freshmen and unaffiliated persons about the advantages of Greek life at Ohio Wesleyan and how it can benefit you throughout your time here and outside of Ohio Wesleyan. I have made some believers out of people and others are still skeptical about how the Greek system works. I want to be the person (or one of the people) who rid stereotypes of the Greek system so that the Greek system can become more efficient in recruitment and its presence on the Ohio Wesleyan campus. 35% of the student body is Greek. This is a far cry compared to the percentage of the student body in the 1970's and 1980's. Incoming freshmen are not exposed enough to the positives. Sometimes, the only times that many people on campus are exposed to Greek life is during parties advertised on Facebook or as ads on campus. Most of these parties have alcohol in them and many students just want to have fun without the alcohol or rude people, i.e. from my experience.
I feel that it doesn't matter if you are international or domestic, Greek life should be presented on equal terms. I represented Greek life as soon as I started my Orientation leader schedule in August; this was my first introduction to the new student body of 2011. Whether I was aware of being the representative, I knew of one thing, I AM OWU. Let's face it, Greek Life is OWU. There are many teachers and administrators on campus that are Greek and are proud of their experiences as Greek men and women. They would not take it back and either would I. Despite the differences that some of the fraternities have with each other, I am not going to discriminate against another fraternity just because of their history or the people who have pledged there. Just like Facebook stated, we are all Greek so whether people at OWU like it or not, we all share a common bond in joining that we all hold dearly to our hearts forever. In conclusion, I am doing all that I can to invite people who have little or no clue about fraternity as well as people who are interesting in joining a fraternity like Phi Delta Theta AND even people who are already in another fraternity on campus to events and on regular days to chill, study, or whatever they want. For me, this is the best and the only way to create awareness of a fraternity on campus.
If anyone wants to comment about their experience in Greek Life or about my blog about Greek Life whether it is my feelings or the Facebook feelings, feel free. I am welcoming any and all comments and constructive criticism.
Greek Life Forever,
Hasani Wheat
Phi Delta Theta
Class of '10
8 comments:
It is amusing to read your post regarding Greek Life just like it was when some were commenting on your Campus Crusade of Christ ones. I am concerned that you only have a psuedo understanding of statistics and knows just enough to spew intrafraternity-council-rhetorical dribble. I mean, really, are you going to suggest that some of these differences in numbers between greeks and non-greeks are due to people joining fraternities? If you want to argue rigorously, you should go a step further and look at rigorous research analyses using regressions that show people joining fraternities actually do worse than non-greeks after controlling for all other factors.
On the social side, yes, there are a lot of benefits, but you can get those if you join an SLU, a club. Why do you think the top colleges are moving away from fraternities/sorrorities? Think about it! If they are so beneficial for schools, for individuals after college, shouldn't all schools promote them more aggressively?
I will tackle your last comment first. Many people join a fraternity or sorority because they know some of their friends have joined. Many people join a small living unit because their friends stay there and feel that the environment may be more conducive to their personality, studies, etc. I don't necessarily agree that the top colleges are moving away from fraternities and sororities. Sure, they may not be as popular as they once was but the system is still there if people want to utilize them. If you go down to the southern states and look at HBCU's, do you see a strong movement away from fraternities? As for whether fraternities and sororities being beneficial for schools, I do not believe that all schools should promote them more aggressively. Some regions are not strong in that area; some schools do not have that system. Joining a fraternity or sorority is up to each individual who is interested; the same for any SLU. Some of the benefits are the same for a SLU and other benefits are not.
As for your first comment, I don't believe the statistics are wrong given the source of the information. In some regions, the statistics are below or above what was given in the source. I know that what I am saying may not carry a lot of weight since I am not actually proving my findings, but I am just going off what people have told me and my own experiences and feelings toward the given numbers and facts.
You are correct in noting that many people join a fraternity because "they know some of their friends have joined." In this sense, you did nothing but confirmed that it is a popularity contest. Tell me this, what benefit can you obtain that you can not necessarily obtain from joining a program house or a club? What is specific about the camaraderie experience at a fraternity that you can not experience at a program house or a club?
Also, do me another favor. Browse issues from the past 3 years of the Transcript and note all diversity incidents on campus, either against blacks, gay groups or other minorities. Now, pay attention were they committed by greek members or non-greeks? I am not going to argue that joining a fraternity comes with a benefit (the ability to form meaningful bonds and lifetime experiences) but I think joining a group/club can also sometimes serve as a way to propagate negative socially unacceptable attitudes: the Transcript article examples might illustrate just one type of such problems with lack of diversity or just pure hatred emanating from fraternity members.
You say "I don't necessarily agree that the top colleges are moving away from fraternities and sororities." Really? Here is the list of colleges and the percent of members in greek life: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/webex/frat_brief.php
Apart from MIT (whose fraternities by the way are quite different than those at OWU), how many top schools (say top 50 schools) do you see on the list? All recent cases of colleges disbanding fraternites come from well-regarded schools: Bowdoin, Williams, Wesleyan, Pomona, etc, etc. No top school has gone in the opposite direction. Why do you think that is? Do you honestly think that if fraternities come with such huge benefit to members (and ultimately to the schools themselves) the smart officials at top schools will fail to notice that?
Finally, you completely misconstrued my comment about the statistics that you provided. It is not that they are wrong. They are correct, but there was an implicit causal assumption reading "You join a fraternity, you have a higher probability of getting a higher GPA than if you don't join a fraternity" The source of my concern was your pseudo understanding of how these differences were to be interpreted. If you have a difference, you need to adjust by other confounders that might affect your GPA performance and then attempt a causal interpretation linking Greek participation with variables of interest. Most properly done econometric studies show a negative effect of greek membership on GPA and academic performance and many of the variables that you cited.
Okay, obviously I am going to be biased towards how a fraternity has different benefits from a program house or a club since I am in a fraternity. I will not try to comment about program houses since I do not live in one, however, I am in many other organizations on campus. In my fraternity, I feel a strong sense of responsibility towards the other members. If they slip up, I feel that I may have not been there for them when they are in need. In most of the clubs that I am in, I do not feel the same way. I feel a sense of self-obligation towards a goal that I want to reach. This is not to say that I do not want a close relationship with the members of the club I am in but I feel that this is not my main purpose as to why I joined. There are a couple people that I know that can explain this better since they have the best of both worlds, the fraternity side and the program house side. I can only explain how I feel from the fraternity side. Maybe one day in the future, I might be able to explain from both sides and give you a more clear explanation on how I feel about the camaraderie experience.
I am an avid Transcript reader and yes, I know some of the people who have published those articles. I know a lot of the stories and the incidents that happened on campus from a first hand account. Remember that to many people, I am considered a minority. Yes, joining a group may propagate negative socially unacceptable attitudes, but I don't think that is any groups initial purpose despite the history indicating it is that way. I know a particular incident where certain fraternity members assaulted a couple of African-American students. This was well-documented to people on the campus. Some people do this because of a dare or hatred but this is not to include just the fraternities on the hill. People who are not in fraternities do the same thing. The situation may not be documented like that near fraternities but the incidents occur. If you take a closer look, the fraternities on the OWU campus is not alike- at all. I know- one fraternities actions can give a black eye to the entire system- but then the fraternities need to look into themselves and say "Are we pledging the right kind of guys?"
Next issue: the list you provided me. The top colleges are moving away from the Greek system but I don't feel that the Greek system is completely dying. I am not really worried about the top colleges; they have their own movement. Fraternities are still here; the schools on the list is still fairly lengthy. I do that officials at other schools notice the benefits of the Greek system but that might not be the school's number one focus in 2007. The school may have other variables that are better for them than their Greek system if they have one. Each school is different and have different strong and weak points.
I didn't exactly understand your first point in your first comment. I can say this: in terms of Greek life, OWU is not your average school from what your last comment you recently post stated. The brochure on Greek life in the Admissions life will show will that OWU is not your average school with the statistics on Greek life.
I am sorry but your response is just very weak.
1) I asked how joining a fraternity can not be pursued through a club or SLU. You only answered about a club. Furthermore, if you feel you can not/do not care about club members, that is more of a reflection of yourself than the functions that a club can fulfill.
2) "I don't think that is any groups initial purpose despite the history indicating it is that way." Who cares if that's not the intent, if it is the effect. It is the result that matters not the intention. You claim that the diversity incidents happen at the same rate for non-Greek. I dare you to give me two recent examples if you know of them.
3) "they have their own movement"...what the hell is that supposed to mean? This is hilarious. Yes, it shows that going to a college with smarter people is associated with lower percent of students in Greek life. Of course, you completely ignored my questions about the difference between correlations and causality here because it was just easier to copy and paste Greek Life propaganda than actually think about it.
I am sorry if my message seems harsh...but I am really disappointed by the quality of your response.
If you are so offended about the quality of my answers, simply don't waste your time commenting. If you have a problem with me or my posts, take it to the Admissions office. They will surely handle your concerns.
Hi,
When ever I surf on web I come to this website[url=http://www.weightrapidloss.com/lose-10-pounds-in-2-weeks-quick-weight-loss-tips].[/url]Lots of good information here hasaniowu.blogspot.com. I am sure due to busy scedules we really do not get time to care about our health. Let me present you with one fact here. Recent Research points that almost 70% of all U.S. adults are either obese or weighty[url=http://www.weightrapidloss.com/lose-10-pounds-in-2-weeks-quick-weight-loss-tips].[/url] Therefore if you're one of these citizens, you're not alone. In fact, most of us need to lose a few pounds once in a while to get sexy and perfect six pack abs. Now the question is how you are planning to have quick weight loss? Quick weight loss can be achived with little effort. Some improvement in of daily activity can help us in losing weight quickly.
About me: I am writer of [url=http://www.weightrapidloss.com/lose-10-pounds-in-2-weeks-quick-weight-loss-tips]Quick weight loss tips[/url]. I am also mentor who can help you lose weight quickly. If you do not want to go under hard training program than you may also try [url=http://www.weightrapidloss.com/acai-berry-for-quick-weight-loss]Acai Berry[/url] or [url=http://www.weightrapidloss.com/colon-cleanse-for-weight-loss]Colon Cleansing[/url] for effective weight loss.
I need to know exactly what Rafael has to say with this?!?
Post a Comment