Greek life seems to be a big part of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, whether its walking down frat row, attending philanthropy events, going to the popular fraternity parties, or being a part of Greek life yourselves. With this, there are many stereotypes and different feelings, and also many pros and cons of being in a sorority.
At the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Greek life began in 1874 with the first fraternity, Chi Psi. The first sorority to develop at the U of M was Kappa Kappa Gamma in 1880. My very own, Kappa Alpha Theta, was the third to develop at the University of Minnesota in 1889. However, Kappa Alpha Theta was the first known Greek letter sorority and was founded in 1870. Each year, more sororities and chapters joined and have formed the Greek life we know today, with almost 60 different fraternities and sororities (Office). Each chapter is different, but also share many similarities.
One stereotype of being in a sorority is that it is only for dumb, pretty girls. Throughout my process of recruitment and getting to know other sororities, I have personally seen that this is mostly not true. Each chapter is looking for girls that would best fit in with their style. They are not looking at a person’s beauty, size, or appearance, but they are trying to quickly get to known hundreds of girls and find the ones with personalities that match that chapter’s. These sororities are made up of girls that are all different in size, race, appearance, religious beliefs, ethnicity, and many other things. Each girl brings something to the table, but all have the same goals and love for their chapter. When I did a survey, I asked the members of my sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, how open and accepting they felt Theta was. On a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 not at all and 10 extremely accepting, there was an average of 8.57 and no numbers under 6 (Listerud). Being in a sorority means having a second family here at college, and having a support system that you know will have your back through anything. I am proud to say that I am a part of such an accepting, and mature group of girls.
Another stereotype about being in a sorority is that it is all about partying and having fun. Although these may be parts of being in a sorority, these things could be a part of any college student’s time. There are many commitments and events with being in a sorority. The major pillars of Kappa Alpha Theta are scholarship, service, sisterhood, and personal growth. To be in Theta, one must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.8 and a minimum of 3.0 to have an executive position. Theta also hosts many mandatory study nights, and provides an academic mentor. Kappa Alpha Theta hopes that all members will graduate with honors. Being in a sorority helps one stay on track with their academics and also opens many doors for internships, service work, and job opportunities.
To fulfill the requirement of service, each year each sorority has their ownphilanthropy event. Kappa Alpha Theta’s philanthropy is CASA, which is service that is given to children in foster homes. Volunteers work with these children and help guide them to the best possible care and life. This year, Theta held their first annual Kicks for CASA event. We held a kickball tournament and had nine participating teams. Through this event, the Upsilon chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta raised over $1,000 for the CASA program. The winner of this event was Alpha Gamma Rho. The members of Kappa Alpha Theta also participate in other service projects and help support other sorority and fraternity chapters’ philanthropy events.
At UTC in Chattanooga, the Phi chapter of Sigma Kappa raised a lot of money for their philanthropy organizations. One event that they did was their Memory Walk to support the Alzheimer’s Association. With this event they raised over $1,200. Later in the semester, Sigma Kappa held their annual philanthropy event, the Ultra Violet Campaign. This included a softball tournament, and a “Doves in Disguise” men’s beauty pageant. The Ultra Violet Campaign was a great way to get the community and students at UTC together, and also a great way to help with Alzheimer’s disease/Gerontology. Not only was this a fun event, but the Phi chapter of Sigma Kappa raised over $5,600 for a wonderful cause. Although Alzheimer’s disease is their main philanthropy focus, Sigma Kappa also participates in many other service events. An example of this is in late October, the women of Sigma Kappa participated in the “Week of Giving”, where they handmade over 150 cards and delivered them to local nursing homes, and also worked at a local preschools trick-or-treat event, handing out candy. During one year, members of Sigma Kappa have done around 3,000 community hours (Chattanooga.com).
It is true that Fraternities and sororities are also far more than just parties and having a good time at most colleges and universities. Like the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, they are involved in many service works and organizations. One example of this is the Greek chapters at the University of Texas, Dallas. Assistant director of Fraternity and Sorority life, Julie Murphy, said, “Being part of Greek life connects students to the University. It gives you a built in group of friends (Greeks).” Along with brotherhood and sisterhood, academics and service are the top pillars for sororities and fraternities at UT Dallas. One major perk of being in Greek life at UT Dallas is the peer mentoring and tutoring throughout each Chapter. These chapters have academic tutors for new members to help them adjust to the high demands of studying in college. Also, like most chapters, they also have a minimum GPA requirement that each member must meet to keep the students on track. Service also shows to be very important because last year, the 19 sororities and fraternities of UT Dallas put in 9,890 hours and raised around $14,379 for each chapter’s philanthropy (University).
In my survey, I also asked what opportunities members have gained while being in Kappa Alpha Theta. 86% of the people who took the survey said that one opportunity was being able to meet a lot of new people inside and outside the Greek community. Some said that they felt more confident being able to have conversations with other people that they just met. Of the surveyors, 42% also said that they felt more accountable for their grades, and that being in Theta has helped them with motivation and help to get good grades. 29% said having a support system and making campus smaller, and 29% said more confidence in themselves and better leadership skills (Listerud). These findings also match the opportunities that people in other sororities have reported in a different survey. Opportunities mentioned were friendship, scholarships, academic support, and opportunities for future jobs and internships.
With the pros of Greek life, there are also many cons that go with being in Theta and other sororities. In my survey given only to the members of Kappa Alpha Theta, 57% of the results showed that time commitment is a downside to being in Theta. Being in a sorority has strict rules on mandatory events, and when these events are missed, there are fees. These events include Monday night meetings, philanthropy and service events, study nights and chapter retreats. There is also a lot of time put into getting close with your sisters, and fun non-mandatory Theta events. According to 29%, a downside of Kappa Alpha Theta is drama between members. 29% of surveyors said the stereotypes and criticism that come with being in Theta were a downside, and about 71% said cost was an issue. Fortunately, there are many scholarships on BeGreek.org and through each chapter, that can help members who are struggling to pay sorority dues. When I surveyed members of other sororities, the responses telling the downsides of sorority and fraternity life were costs, time commitment, and members feeling judged.
Bibliography
Chattanoogan.com — Chattanooga’s source for breaking local news. (2012, November 2). Retrieved November 6, 2015, from http://www.chattanoogan.com/2012/11/2/237726/Local-Sorority-Works-To-Make-A.aspx
Home. Retrieved October 11, 2015, from http://www.begreek.org/
Listerud. Amber. Pros and Cons of Kappa Alpha Theta. 2015, November 6th. Survey.
Listerud. Amber. Pros and Cons of Greek Life. 2015, December 2nd. Survey
Office for Fraternity & Sorority Life. Retrieved December 12, 2015, from http://www.fsl.umn.edu/index.html
The University of Texas at Dallas. (2013, April 12). Retrieved November 6, 2015, from http://www.utdallas.edu/news/2013/4/12-23111_Greeks-Find-Friendships-Leadership-and-Service-Opp_article-wide.html
