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Greek life at CSU

woeber
Allie Woeber

We all know the negative stereotypes associated with fraternities and sororities. I myself used to believe these stereotypes; when I came to CSU I wanted nothing at all to do with Greek Life. But a couple months into the school year, I stumbled across a sorority that caught my attention. And through a crazy twist of fate, I became a member of Alpha Delta Chi, which has changed my perspective on Greek Life completely.

As some of you may know, Alpha Delta Chi is a Christian sorority, which tends to get us labeled as “Jesus freaks.” Obviously we love Jesus and that’s the main focus of our sisterhood, but I promise that if you get to know us, we aren’t as strange as you might think. It’s not like we sit in a circle and sing Kumbaya and try to shove our religion down everyone’s throat. We do all of the same things as other sororities (philanthropies, formals, sisterhoods, etc.), we just do them with a Christian mindset.

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One of the common negative connotations associated with the Greek system is that you are “paying for your friends.” I have come to find that this is absolutely not true. Think about all the ways you have made friends— maybe you met them on a soccer team, or in a dance class, or at tennis lessons. Almost all of the places you meet friends cost money in one way or another. Whether it’s the $50 fee you paid to join the team, or the money you spent on uniforms, you’re technically “paying for your friends” no matter what you do. So how is joining a fraternity or sorority any different? And all of the money is going towards reasonable things like T-shirts, formals, or philanthropies. They don’t take our money and introduce us to the new best friend we just paid for.

Also, going Greek is a great way to make connections once you get out of college and start looking for jobs. As the saying goes, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” They also help you on your academic journey through college, because those connections wouldn’t be much help to you if you flunked out of school. Most fraternities and sororities hold their members accountable for maintaining a certain GPA every semester, and some even offer study groups and tutoring sessions to help each other stay on top of school work. Our Greek system recognizes that even though we like to have fun, we are ultimately in college for one reason, which is to do well in school.

Another thing that I’ve noticed about Greek Life is that everyone is actually really nice. My sisters are so encouraging and kind. They motivate me to be a better person. I know I could go to them for anything and they would help me in a heartbeat with no judgment, and I’m sure other girls could say the same about their sororities. I’ve met so many girls in other sororities around campus that have been so nice, and I’m ashamed to say that I was shocked. Like I said, I thought all sorority girls were stuck-up, rich snobs. The same goes for the guys— I always assumed frat boys had two things on their minds: beer and sex. But most of the frat guys I’ve met here have actually been very nice and gentlemanly.

One of the aspects of our Greek system that I most respect is our anti-hazing policy. CSU has a strict no hazing rule, and if they even so much as suspect that someone is being hazed, there could be serious consequences. I’ve read some stories about hazing that goes on at other universities that would blow your mind, some so severe that they resulted in death. I just don’t understand how anyone could be so degrading and hurtful to someone they call “brother” or “sister.” New members shouldn’t be knocked down and made to feel worthless, they should be encouraged and built up. And that is exactly the kind of treatment Greek Life students at CSU receive, which is wonderful! By taking a stand against hazing, we’re one step closer to putting a stop to it altogether.

Allie Woeber is a freshman Greek life convert. Get in touch with her at letters@collegian.com.

In Brief:

Don’t be so quick to believe the rumors and stereotypes you hear

Greek Life is a great organization that offers a lot of opportunities

The CSU Greek system is especially awesome, so the next time you’re about to judge someone in a fraternity or sorority, reconsider, because chances are they’re actually a really cool person

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