This year, I decided to do something I never thought I would do. I rushed a sorority. I had negative stereotypes in my head about Greek Life last year, which is why I didn’t consider it then. This year, I thought I would give it a try, considering I wanted to meet new people and try something new. I also read all the Viewpoints about Greek Life a while ago in the Voice, which made it seem like such a great, unique opportunity to be part of a sorority or fraternity. It turned out that I was rejected, but now, looking back, that was probably for the best.
Greek Life can definitely have positive aspects, such as doing community service, hosting events on campus and providing its members with a sense of unity and belonging. However, there are also some downsides that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Sororities and fraternities are formed by deliberately accepting some people and rejecting others. You can rephrase it in any way to make it sound nicer, but the actives of a Greek group are put in a position to evaluate and judge anyone that wants to be part of the group. “What is this person like? Should she be part of our group? Let’s take a vote.” Some people I’ve talked to in Greek life argue that the bidding process is important in forming a cohesive group of people. But how well can you get to know a person within two months or so, especially if half of the encounters aren’t sober, considering that partying is a significant part of most Greek groups? Some people may feel pressure to behave a certain way in order to be accepted by the group, building friendships on a weak foundation, while others who aren’t as outgoing might be overlooked by the actives.
There are other parts of Greek Life that seem problematic to me, such as the pledging process, hazing, and paying expensive dues, but I don’t feel like I should criticize these parts because there is plenty of stuff I don’t know as a student not involved in Greek Life.
I don’t mean to dissuade anyone from rushing, and most people I’ve talked to in Greek Life really enjoy it. I also want to emphasize that it’s the structure of Greek Life I find problematic, not the people. Thinking back to all the positive articles in the Voice about Greek Life a while ago, I’m sure that many people have great experiences being in a sorority or fraternity, and I’m glad they have that opportunity. Nevertheless, there are negative aspects that we should be able to acknowledge and discuss.
Eliza Cotton, a Contributing Writer for the Voice, can be reached for comment at ECotton21@wooster.edu.