When many people hear the word college, they often think about Greek Life. Movies and television shows, like ABC Family’s Greek, often depict what it’s like to be involved in these organizations, and may leave one wondering what it is really like in real life.
Many students begin college completely on their own for the first time, which may be a difficult transition to make. Joining a sorority or fraternity provides them with the opportunity to meet new people, who are in the same position as themselves, and to create new, everlasting friendships.
Joseph Brown, a senior business administration student and brother of Phi Kappa Psi said, “By joining an organization that you feel you fit best in, you will develop friendships that last a life time and also become friendlier with people in other organizations through Greek events. My fraternity gave me the feeling that I fit in and that I was with a group of people that was similar to the people I hung out with from my hometown.”
While it may be a common belief that Greek Life is strictly just about partying, it is so much more than that. “Greek life is more than just partying it’s about having a group of people you know you can always turn to and giving back to the philanthropies you’re involved in.,” said Lauren Alexander, senior business marketing student and sister of Delta Phi Epsilon.
Boys and Girls Club of America, Active Minds, and ANAD are just a few of the many organizations Monmouth’s sororities and fraternities are affiliated with.
Michele Kaplan, Assistant Director of Student Activities for Fraternity and Sorority Life, said, “Greek organizations are values based and give students an opportunity to get involved with something outside of the campus which aligns with their values.”
Speaking about Phi Kappa Psi’s work and involvement with Boys and Girls Club of America, Brown said, “I find it very rewarding.
The experience I have in the work field doesn’t usually allow me to work with children and to be able to make their lives happier for the time we spend with them makes it worth my time.”
Another benefit of being involved in Greek Life is the connection you can make with people involved in your organization who have already established themselves. Being able to say that they are part of the same organization provides brothers and sisters with an immediate connection and can open doors for career opportunities.
Senior communication student and member of Tau Delta Phi, Richard Todd believes that the opportunities one receives from joining an organization are endless. “I think the thing that you get out of being in a fraternity that you may not get anywhere else are the lessons that can help you in life. I’ve become more driven and more dedicated to contributing to something that is bigger than myself individually,” said Todd.
When asked what being in his fraternity meant to him, Todd continued, “Being a part of the fraternity that I’m in means the world to me. The support and loyalty that I have received from my friends in my fraternity is what makes me know that not one penny I’ve spent to be in this fraternity was wasted.”
So, what do brothers and sisters involved in Greek Life get out of being involved? “I think I get a mutual bond with a group of girls through the various different activities were involved in together,” said Alexander.
Along with lasting relationships, members also get to give back to the community in various ways, make connections for their future, learn lessons about themselves, as well as life itself, and create memories that will last a lifetime.
IMAGE TAKEN from MU Greek Senate Facebook
