Fraternities and sororities are, for some, an integral part of the college experience.
Late nights, fun times with friends, five-hour cram sessions are par for the course at any university; students everywhere feel the need to further their experience by joining a Greek organization.
Members of Greek organizations will argue that the camaraderie and the networking possibilities make the effort to join worth it. They contend that their group is forever, a lifelong bond that nothing could hope to break.
This is not to argue whether it is right or wrong to join Greek letter organizations. It is meant to ask if they really are worth it?
At the end of the day, people travel through fire to join what is essentially a human Facebook.
All groups can argue that hazing within their organization does not exist. Hazing, regardless of what is done to the individual, leaves people completely wiped out during a time when school should be the main priority.
Teachers notice when normally vibrant students are half dead in class.
So schoolwork takes a hit. The next hit comes to other relationships.
Joining just about any social group requires a time commitment that most cannot sustain while maintaining their regular friendships. They do not completely lose their friends, but it is hard to balance what little schoolwork they can maintain while entertaining a group of people whose affection they are desperately trying to win.
Which raises another point: People in Greek organizations do not all get along. It is obvious. It is common knowledge. Step together all you like, but it is not humanly possible to like everyone on the team you are playing for.
These groups typically split themselves and arguments are common. Fights can and will break out; feelings are hurt and rumors are spread.
We are now left looking at the big picture. Greek organizations cut into school and personal relationships, haze and do not have the all inclusive camaraderie “Stomp the Yard” spouts out.
They are not all bad, and obviously they do have some semblance of the togetherness they are famous for.
They have the capacity to form lifelong friendships.
But seriously, so does Facebook. The downside is no one gets a jacket for joining Facebook Phi Gamma.
Greek organizations are not bad. They just seem to be unnecessary sometimes. There are easier ways to build a network or form lifelong memories they may or may not involve an alleged paddle.
Someday soon, fraternities and sororities may be obsolete.Proving their necessity to someone other than themselves will prove integral to preventing that fate.