Greek Life In College

Greek life is one of the most iconic aspects of the college students experience. If you go to a college that has a Greek Life presence on campus, it will inevitably be an influential aspect of your college experience, regardless of personal membership. Greek Life is made up of both fraternities and sororities that get involved with the community by participating in philanthropic events. These organizations’ members become brothers and sisters through their involvement with his/her respective organization. Greek life directly forms lifelong friendships and during college one’s fraternity/sorority can become their “home away from home”. Movies and Television shows often portray Greek Organizations in a negative light. However, in reality, there …show more content…
However, Greek life has been a part of college society since 1825, when five students at Union College formed a private society with the purpose of having discussions and debates. This was later named the Kappa Alpha Society, where the members of the organization gathered to prepare themselves for life after college in lessons that were not taught in class, and talk about topics and issues that were not presented in class as well. This first dubbed “fraternity” was the first of many created “secret” or exclusive societies that evolved into what Greek Life is today, starting the tradition that spread to colleges and universities across the United States over the years. From there, the first sorority was created in 1831, and Greek organizations soon earned the reputation of exclusivity, networking and support. As society and college life evolved, so did Greek life alongside it- though its core purposes still remain in many chapters today. Its longstanding history and prevalence on campuses today opens doors in several aspects to its members across the country. Curtis Burrill, American University’s Greek life coordinator states that, “If you’re in the chess club, you don’t really have that two-hundred-year history and the ritual and four million alumni”. (USA Today) This longstanding tradition of encouraging academic success, career success, and beyond, gives members an overwhelming amount of …show more content…
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