Analyzing The Positive Outcomes Of Fraternities And Sororities

Everything broadcasted by news corporations about fraternities seems to be the same: negative light that shows a horrible incident, conviction, or shutdown of a college fraternal chapter. Sometimes, however, the news seems to focus too much on the negative and not enough on the positive.

If every time a Greek organization is mentioned in the news, it’s related to a death, the general U.S. population will instinctively garner a negative perception of fraternities. And yes, while there still may be some horrific events of hazing in the news, let us take a moment to reflect on the positives that Greek Life brings to college campuses around the world.

Unity
Greek Organizations help people find their place on college campuses. They bring together unlikely groups of people from differing backgrounds and promotes them as brothers and sisters under the same name. Personally, I would have never imagined myself joining a fraternity in my life, but it changed my college career for the better.

Individual Growth
Greek Organizations allow for so much leadership and growth opportunities throughout one’s college career. I went from being initiated into my school’s chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon in Spring of 2017 to becoming its president for the upcoming Fall 2018 semester. This shy, timid, New-England boy is now leading a pack of “true gentleman” to becoming their best selves possible, and I would have never been able to get there without the help of my fraternity.

Philanthropy & Community Service
Every fraternity has a national philanthropic organization its proceeds go to. Additionally, there are minimum requirements of community service to be completed in order to stay a member. The focus the news, media, and pop culture puts on our organizations is that we are all wild party animals with no respect for others. But the truth is, we dedicate a lot of time and effort into national causes. We wish to bring awareness and speak out against injustices, not contribute to them.

While not every fraternity, sorority, or chapter is the same, each one has the power to make a difference. So it’s time to stop painting a negative light on Greek organizations, and start empowering them to continue aiding those in need.