Fraternities And Sororities

Social fraternities and sororities frequently appear in popular culture, but they are not always fairly depicted. Television shows and movies portray Greek letter organizations (GLOs) as a place of constant drinking, partying, and bad decisions. Beyond the standard, party-heavy culture representations of GLOs are news reports of deaths that have occurred at colleges, most often due to a hazing ritual gone-too-far with the consumption of extreme amounts of alcohol. According to Texas State University President of Greek Life Dr. Vincent Morton, the news only reports stories that will grab your attention and make you stop in your tracks, such as a tragic tale of a fraternity death. Admittedly, the differences among colleges in the United States
A 2014 survey of 30,000 students at Purdue found that members of the Greek System have higher levels of emotional well-being, a sense of purpose and community, and stronger relationships with their friends and family (Hechinger 7). Fraternities and sororities pride themselves on their “brotherhood” or “sisterhood,” and through interviews with college students Julia Lauer and Josh Douglas, I discovered having close friendships is essential to maintaining a healthy mental state and can help ease the stress of transitioning to college. A key aspect of sororities and fraternities is their self-government that provides opportunities for students to be in positions of authority and results in improved leadership skills (Hevel). As college can be overwhelming, the University of Michigan and other universities offer wellness coaching as a confidential way to talk about problems and develop solutions to improve students’ mental health (Cohen Interview). Our society is quick to label Greek letter organizations as an environment that cultivates mental distress, but many people are drawn to the Greek System because of the favorable effect it has on its members’ mental
Sororities and fraternities, regardless of the college or council they belong to, partner with a national organization and/or a local organization. Each sorority and fraternity is required by their national organization to host at least one event benefiting a local charity and their national charity every year (Douglas Interview). Support for these charities is normally accumulated through fundraisers and food drives; colleges such as the University of Michigan see hundreds of thousands of dollars raised for causes each year (Cohen Interview). Greek letter organizations stress the importance of giving back to the community, making their philanthropy work one of the strongest aspects of their organization (Cohen Interview). For instance, sororities in the National Panhellenic Council spend an entire round of rush educating Potential New Members about their philanthropy (Lauer Interview). Consequently, PNMS can use the information of a sorority or fraternity’s philanthropy to help them decide if they want to join that Greek letter organization. Unfortunately, in speaking to the University of Michigan’s Assistant Director of Greek Life Shannon Cohen, I discovered that the philanthropic component of sorority and fraternity life does have a disadvantage. In her interview, Cohen informed me that “when a tragedy happens or when somebody is harmed, one of the first things people will say