When friends become family: why students go Greek
By Danielle Marcus
Joining a Greek organization is one of the most nerve-racking decisions that a college student can make, and thousands across the country prepare for this type of commitment every spring.
Whether it was an impulse choice or a lifelong dream, hopeful, anxious students will be affected by the organization they become members of for the rest of their life.
As these students are welcomed back to their second semester of the year, recruitment week marks the start of the process.
Hoping to get accepted into the fraternity or sorority of their choice, recruitment week is an opportunity for prospective Greeks to find out which fraternity or sorority they feel the most connected to and to embark on their journey with new friends they will soon call their brothers or sisters.
Many students decide to join Greek Life because they feel a deep, family-like connection.
Women, mostly freshmen, meet up at the sorority houses to be interviewed, participate in activities and then select the top three sororities they are interested in. As the days progress, their lists narrow as they receive their responses. Excited and nervous, the women fill the houses, hoping to be accepted by their top choice.
The male students meet up with various fraternity brothers to pursue the best mutual fit. This past weekend, they found out which fraternities accepted them.
Junior accounting major Rahquan King-Stubbs described the feeling before the big reveal as “electrifying.”
“It felt like hitting a game-winning shot but instead of celebrating, my mind went blank as my new brothers welcomed me with open arms and noogies,” he said. “Having brothers jump around me, shake me, congratulate me and get really hyped for me was really the most memorable. For that little time you’re standing in the midst of all that commotion, you truly feel loved.”
Many students in college plan ahead of time which fraternity or sorority they wish to join. For others, like King-Stubbs, it’s more of a spontaneous decision.
Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, King-Stubbs said the only organization he was expected to be socialized with were gangs.
“I realized two days before Bid Day that joining any Greek fraternity would give me the opportunity to break that stereotype, but joining Theta Chi would give me a chance to forever bury that expectation of me,” he said.
Beyond social connections, Greek Life also focuses on social responsibility. Each sorority and fraternity has their own philanthropy, or moral, seeking to improve their members by encouraging them to improve their communities.
Freshman elementary education major Erica Moreno, who recently joined Phi Sigma Sigma said, “Our philanthropy is college readiness and education, so we do a lot with helping children around the area who need help with classroom environment and getting school supplies.” This is a common example of a student aligning her major with a socially compatible sorority.
The value of Greek Life can extend beyond college and help build a business network in the future. This early preparation for the workforce can become a major difference in advancing careers.
As a result, the new inductees will be moving into sorority and fraternity houses in the fall to, as several freshman said, “live in their forever home.”
While there are many virtues one can gain from being a part of a sorority or fraternity, King-Stubbs is looking forward to the relationships he will build within Theta Chi.
“I want to inspire and uplift others while I continue to climb the ladder of success,” he said. “I hope to build lifelong bonds with not only my brothers but the other fraternities’ brothers as we all look to grow together.”
Additional reporting by Megan Lupo
Published in the 2/7/18 edition
