ON COLLEGE CAMPUS

WHAT ABOUT GREEK LIFE?

By Tate Bennett

Greek life describes a community of fraternities and sororities on a college or university’s campus. Potential members in a fraternity and sorority join because they have similar interests. Formal recruitment refers to a time period where potential members visit campus chapters and engage in weeklong activities. Potential members receive invitations to return to specific chapters. This process is repeated on a daily basis. Eventually, chapters list their preferred potential members and vice versa in some order of preference. Students going through recruitment receive bid cards on what is typically known as “Bid Day.” These cards declare the fraternity or sorority the potential member is invited to join as a new member. After accepting the “bid,” there is a period of time before pledging, which serves as a sort of a trial period before accepting full membership into the Greek organization.

There are many pros about becoming Greek. One usually finds themselves with a new security network of friends they can go to for help with homework or advice after a lousy day. There is always something going on in Greek life, whether it’s a formal event or charity work. Participation in Greek life may provide several opportunities to fill up a résumé, while meeting new people and joining a new community improves communication and personal skills as well.

However, Greek Life may not be for everyone. Some chapters might be too close-knit and exclusive for some. They might enjoy their current friendships with more than one chapter and with groups outside of the Greek system. Greek organizations can be very time-consuming and expensive, and many decide to join several campus organizations as opposed to investing a large portion of their time in one.

HERE'S SOME GREEK JARGON

• Active: A member of a Greek organization who is a current student and has been successfully initiated.

• Informal recruit: A shorter recruitment period that accepts a limited amount of new members during the academic calendar.

• Philanthropy: Fund-raising projects that Greek organizations engage in to support their national and/or local charity.

• Legacy: A potential member who has a family member in a sorority or fraternity.