Positive Perspective
Michael Grumney
Going Greek certainly has its advantages. Whether it’s the fun social events, the opportunities accessible only by the Greek community, or the lifelong memories, relationships and bonds made in the name of brotherhood or sisterhood, the rewards are truly worth
joining.
Many people enter college with a negative outlook on Greek life due to movies and media that either portray a biased or skewed aspect, or focus only on the stereotypes. While we have our fun, being Greek is more than that.
A major anti-Greek idea is that by joining, you are paying for friends. While chapters often collect membership dues, it’s a matter of perspective. Like any other organization that has expenses, the funds must come from either a treasury or upfront.
However, with Greek life you are not paying for friends, but rather experiences. The experiences that create unity and pride that many others do not get to enjoy, such as building homecoming floats or putting on special events like retreats, formals or the much anticipated, annual Greek Week competition.
Chapters at Otterbein not only show their passion through competing in Greek Week, but also through community service. Each chapter has a philanthropy and raises funds and awareness for their cause.
Chapters also volunteer many hours of their time to various service projects here on campus and elsewhere, such as gathering and donating food to the Westerville Area Resource Ministry.
Altogether, Otterbein’s Greeks exemplify their desire to give back. Pledges, or new members, see immediately upon joining how much our chapters do that may go unnoticed by the non-Greek student body.
For the non-Greeks, pledging or new member education, is sometimes thought of as a dark cloud that hovers over Greek life, but I can tell you that’s certainly not so.
Otterbein enforces a strict, no tolerance anti-hazing policy when it comes to new member education. Greeks also realize that in order to be Greek, one must be a student first and foremost.
Often times, study tables are held to ensure the importance of academics. According to Mike Stumpf, assistant director of the Center for Student Involvement, this past fall semester all but two chapters’ new member classes exceeded the Otterbein all-freshman male and all-freshman female GPAs in their respective gender categories.
New member education also focuses on internal education within Greek Life and their individual chapters. From that process, new members may then embark on a few college years worth a lifetime of memories.
Negative Perspective
Jon Bozeka
On the Otterbein website there is a page made solely for hazing awareness. It states the following: “Hazing is not a tradition — it is an act of demonstrating power over someone else.”
Otterbein University has existed since 1847, and in that time, 13 official houses have found their way into the cardinal community.
These are Greek life houses, or places of brotherhood and sisterhood, for college students trying to find their path in life.
Inside these houses, there are sacred traditions and ethics that those inducted must follow for inclusion.
Greek life may offer traditions, ethics, rules and fun, yet where does school or a career come in? Greek life may help an individual feel included, but what happened to hard work and earning your place in a group of people?
Currently there are 520 students involved in Greek Life on campus.
There are 2,984 total students on campus, therefore, Greek life makes up 17 percent.
For a small campus such as Otterbein, that is a large amount of students.
The students in fraternities and sororities are from every possible major that campus has to offer. Greek life prides itself on being very diverse. Greek life, to me, seems as though it takes individuals away from their goals and aspirations.
There are Greek life students who remain involved in campus, yet once in Greek Life, there are obligations that the students must meet in order to feel included in the organization.
Often times as part of course requirements for particular majors, students might spend a large amount of time at the Art and Communication Building. Broadcasting students that end up in Greek life spend more time involved with their brothers and sisters than they do trying to pursue their career.
The way to get a job in the broadcast or journalism world is to get as many internships as you can and spend time learning as much as you can.
Using Greek life to gain friends may seem good, but once you are inducted, there are dues to be paid. Are you gaining friends, or paying for them?
Why pay to spend time with someone that may not actually be your friend? Life is about making true friends. It shouldn’t take an organization that you pay, to bring together a group of people.
The association may launch the friendship, but once you realize the circumstances, what was it that really brought you together?
Was it the initiations? Maybe it was your parents being involved in the group when they went to college or the peer pressure from campus.
Or maybe it’s the money you pay to gain the status. Unless you become a part of Greek life, you will never know. I’m not saying that I hate Greek life at all. I suppose this is just a call to action.
Don’t let the word of others guilt you into the Greek life society. If you want to do it and it feels right, do so. Don’t let Greek life determine your future.
So, next time you enter that house of sisterhood or brotherhood, ask yourself: what brought me into this, and what will all of this mean to me in ten years?
We need more productive political discussions
