More than pong and miniskirts—Greek students contribute volumes to community

By Ashley Flower
Collegian Reporter
April 5, 2006

I am a sorority girl, but I am not the stereotypical sorority girl a la Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde. I am, however, your typical college student—I spend more hours in the library doing homework than I do at the trendiest bar in town. My “class attire” consists of jeans and a hoodie. I will have to wear adult clothes soon enough.

My biggest fear is that I will never get a job, not whether or not my shoes and purse match. I always seem to be asking my parents for money and never ever get enough sleep (and I think these may be problems I will still deal with for a few years).

The depiction of sorority girls and our male counterparts—fraternity boys—in today’s movies and television programs is inaccurate, to put it mildly. If you are a guy, you’re an out-of-control student, a binge drinker who parties far too hard and finds joy in skipping class to play flag football. According to this stereotype, you’re successful if you can crush more beer cans on your head than your brothers.

If you’re a girl, you are more concerned with shopping and makeup than the stock market. The only time you put forth extra effort is when you flirt with that smart kid in class in hopes he’ll write your next paper. In your mind, your non-fat, non-protein, low-carb diet is helping to extinguish world hunger.

I will be the first one to say I don’t mind having a good time on the weekends. There’s nothing wrong with that. We’re all guilty of such criminal behavior at one time or another, regardless of our social affiliations. I’m sure athletes, theater members, singers and musicians alike would agree. Yet, time and time again, it is members of Greek organizations that are criticized and held accountable for slip-ups.

I’m not saying that these portrayals are always baseless, but more often than not, the groups reprimanded by the University consist primarily of Greeks. I can count numerous occasions where destruction, damage and violence were attributed to Greeks, whether it was true or untrue. There is something wrong with that.

The good that Greeks do often goes unnoticed because of this reputation. It may surprise many that each and every organization on our campus has both national and local causes and charities that its members work for all year. In fact, hardly a week has gone by this year (or any of my years at La Salle) when I haven’t gotten a notice about a cause that requires my presence, donation or support.

You might not recall seeing any, but announcements on Greek events are all over campus, on the portal, in the Collegian and on classroom chalkboards. And who doesn’t notice the bright colored T-shirts that many proudly don to promote a cause? Our commitment to serving and helping others, not our initiation ceremonies, is the best-kept secret of Greek life.

Each year, Greeks participate in events to better our community. We were right there beside the football players, helping new students move in. We move in early each year to run the Explorer Games for incoming freshmen. We host a student barbecue in the fall semester. Fraternity and sorority members are active participants in RSA and SGA. We participate in countless walks, bake sales, food drives, blood drives and many other events to improve the lives of others, although I think we benefit just as much, if not more.

What’s most surprising is that the end results of our hard work, whether it be a donation to a cause or a carload of non-perishable goods, are visible. And yet, this image isn’t the one non-Greek people conjure up. Almost immediately, a negative perception is formed.

Up until recently, our campus had nine recognized organizations. Currently, La Salle has 11 Greek organizations on campus, a mix of both local and national chapters. It is an ongoing struggle for new chapters to charter here at La Salle. For some reason, Greek life is frowned upon. I am still puzzled as to why this is, even after four years here.

Many of the missions of the fraternities and sororities coincide with La Salle’s; they are just delivered differently. The positives outweigh the negatives. It’s almost as if La Salle should be begging other Greek organizations to set up camp here at La Salle.

People should take the time to see Greeks for who they truly are. Greeks are an integral part of our community, and without their presence, La Salle would not be what it is today. I urge you to get to know your fellow classmates that are involved in fraternities and sororities.

Take advantage of the opportunity that this week—Greek Week—provides. Look beyond the letters on the shirts. Although we are proud of them, they’re just letters. The people wearing them are real people, with a real commitment to service. You may be pleasantly surprised. You may want to even go Greek—heaven forbid.

flowera1@lasalle.edu