Greek Life at Christian Brothers University
Interculturalism
When it comes to Greek life, I believe it is very important to be intercultural because accepting others and understanding different cultures is very important. When you are in college, you meet a lot of different people. In Greek life, these different people become you brothers or sisters. It is important to be patient and understanding with cultural differences. College is all about learning and experiencing new things. One way to achieve this is through meeting new people and learning about their culture. There are also cultural Greek organizations. Greek life is not limited to just groups for social aspects. There are academic Greek organizations, as well as cultural Greek organizations. Greek life gives you so many opportunities to expand your horizons through meeting different people and learning about new cultures. In my sorority, there is a group of girls who consider themselves to be “Brown Town.” The girls who make up this group are girls who considers themselves to “Brown” in relation to their skin color. This title was coined by a very good friend of mine, Venkatasushma Kalava. Which if you cannot tell by her name, she considers herself to be “Brown.”
This sorority sister of mine, from India, Venkatasushma Kalava (or Sushma for short), has taught me so much about the Indian culture. When she came to college, she did not understand sarcasm in the American culture. When we would be jokingly mean, she thought we were serious. It took adjustment for us and her to understand that these jokes that are common among friends in the United States are not seen as a joke to Sushma. We had to let her know when we were being sarcastic by using a symbol like scratching our nose. It seems silly but it helped her to pick up on the joking tones we used when talking sarcastically.
This is a photo of Sushma at a philanthropy event. She came straight from temple to the event. It is a great example of her two worlds coming together.
Space
Body language can help you understand a lot in communication. If someone is turning away from you in a conversation, they apparently do not want to talk to you. If someone is upset, they may stay relatively quiet but you can pick up on their mood by reading their body language. If their arms are crossed and their body is closed off, they obviously do not want to talk to you. Personal space in Greek life can be confusing. When I am hanging out with my sorority sisters, personal space almost doesn’t exist because we are so comfortable with each other. However, if you are around a Fraternity you do not normally spend time with, you may be more distant in your space because you feel uncomfortable. This rule can be overruled when at an apartment party because there are so many people in such a small space that it does not matter if you are particularly friendly with that person or not you will be physically close to them.
Space in Greek life can be different for every organization and every individual person. For example, I feel sororities are more likely to be close to one another. In a sorority, you typically spend a lot of time together in apartments. We often watch movies or just hang out talking about school or the new gossip. With apartments on campus having little sitting options, you often will fit three or four people on a couch so that no one is having to sit on the floor. You may also want to stretch out or relax a little more. Suddenly, the person sitting next to you is now a foot rest because you wanted to stretch out more.
However, space in fraternities can be different. While sorority sisters do not mind to be close together (and some still do), fraternities still like their space. Men in the United States especially like their personal space. I believe this is derived from the fear of being thought of as homosexual. Some men in Greek life do not mind the stereotype however and embrace their “bromance” with their fraternity brothers.
Family in Greek Life
One common misunderstanding in Greek life comes from the structure and idea of Greek families. Before Initiation, new members in a sorority are given a Big sister, or a big, who becomes their mentor to help them become an initiated member of their sorority. Your big sister is more than just a person who brings you gifts every day for a week; she becomes your role model and gives you a family that at times becomes as tight knit as your biological family. This Greek family becomes your support system and home away from home. In Greek life, you can also get a little sister, or a little. You are now a role model to a new member and your family grows. There is a hierarchy of your family and you are very proud of your lineage.
With this new family comes new vocabulary, which is often the cause of the misunderstanding. The picture to the left is very complex, but is a Greek family tree. To explain this the best I can, let’s imagine we are Kelsi, the little on this family tree. Kelsi’s big sister is Vivian. Vivian has another little who is also Kelsi’s twin, Elle. Kelsi and Elle’s grandbig, or big sister’s big sister, is Courtney. Courtney’s big sister is Coco. This makes Coco Kelsi’s great grandbig. Coco has another little who is Courtney’s twin, Paige. Paige is Kelsi’s great Aunt. I have probably lost you at this point so I will stop there. If I have not lost you, you are probably Greek yourself and completely understand the photo.
Communication
I n Greek life, the most common oral communication is weekly meetings. We meet every Sunday to schedule and discuss the upcoming events. Meetings are typically very formal. The Executive Committee (EC) sits in the front of the room and they are the ones speaking the majority of the time. The rest of the chapter sits typically taking notes in their planners. In meetings, it is oral communication with the EC members telling the rest of the chapter the plans for the semester. There is a secretary that takes minutes of the meetings and sends them out to everyone. When it comes to written communication, such as bid invitations and alumni and parents newsletters, it is typically very formal, as well. The communication between actives, alumni, and parents has been difficult to maintain but with a monthly newsletter it is easier to keep them involved. I think communication between so many people can be difficult, but we have the benefit of group messages, email list serves, and Facebook messages to send out information to everyone at once.
With technology at our fingertips, the number of active group messages a person is a part of is nearly infinite. I am apart of four group messages specifically for my sorority. The first group message is for important messages and reminders to the chapter as a whole. The second group message is a very informal group message to discuss who is at lunch or who wants Starbucks. It is helpful to have upwards of 60 sisters at your fingertips if you need help studying as well. The third group message is another informal message of the girls who joined at the same time as I did, also known as pledge class. These girls have been with me through the start and it is great to be able to stay in touch with each other when we want to go on a pledge class lunch date to spend time together because we are all so much busier than we were freshman year. The fourth group message is a family group message. This is also very informal and is used to spend time together as a family. For example, “fam” dates and movie nights are the primary points of discussion.
Misunderstanding in Greek Life
I n Greek life, misunderstanding is very common. Because Greek life has had such a negative light shined on it recently, it is very important for Greek organizations to prove the good that they do. One very large misconception about Greek life is the parties and use of alcohol and other drugs. While some people in Greek life due use alcohol or drugs, it is not limited to only Greeks and there are definitely exceptions. Most of the people I know in Greek life either do no drink or drink very infrequently. In fact, according to Elite Daily, “Greeks are not more likely to abuse alcohol later in life.” Greek life can also teach leadership skills that you cannot learn in a classroom. Elite Daily states, “An impressive 85% of executives at Fortune 500 companies called fraternities home during college.” When you are a member of a Greek organization, you are helping to run an organization that is completely run by undergraduate students and looked on by advisers.
Students involved in Greek life are also more likely to graduate from college. According to Elite Daily, “Belonging to a fraternity or sorority increases one’s chances of completing a degree, with 70% of Greeks graduating versus 50% of non-Greeks.” Greek organizations have a GPA requirement that is enforced with study hour requirements if it is not met. This may sound harsh, but our prime goal is education. Greek life is about the betterment of oneself through education, service, sisterhood/brotherhood, and leadership.
