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In my last post I talked about ways to get involved on campus.  Within the different clubs and organizations I discussed, something to perhaps consider getting involved in would be Greek life!

One cannot deny the huge role the Greek Community plays at Penn State.  Although only around 17% of students are involved in Greek life, its impact on campus is huge.  From the Greek letters you see on student’s shirts to raging frat parties I’m sure you’ve all heard about – no one can deny the presence of the Greeks.

I never considered becoming a part of Greek life until this semester, when my roommate told me she was going to “rush”.  “Rush” is the process of joining a fraternity or sorority.  You go to different events and meet brothers and/or sisters from different organizations.  Through these events, the brothers and/or sisters determine if you’re qualified to join their organization.  And if they deem you qualified, you are given a bid, which you can accept or decline.  Rush is held both in the fall and spring semester, although not every Greek organization participates in Spring rush.

So I rushed with my roommate, and now we are both pledges at Phi Mu.  A pledge is a new member in a Greek organization. Usually one is considered a pledge for about a semester before they are inducted as an official brother/sister.

People have varying opinions on Greek life.  They vary from love, to indifference, to even contempt.  It is true that being at a part of Greek life, or even just Greek life in general, has its pros and cons.

Some pros are that joining a fraternity and sorority is a great way to make new friends with people on campus.  It allows you to form this sense of community within your organization, which makes a large campus such as University Park feel small.  Also, most Greek organizations are involved in philanthropy and hold many different funs events for charity.  Another pro is that being a part of a Greek organization can help you with job connections in the future.

There are also come cons that go along with Greek life.  Students involved in the Greek community are known to be heavy partiers.  They are known to promote underage drinking and similar reckless behavior.  There are also dues.  Being a part of Greek life is not cheap, each semester a student has to pay usually over $100 in dues to be considered an active member.

So are you considering joining Greek life? Here are some tips!

Do your research: Each Greek organization is different.  They promote different values, philanthropies, etc.  Make sure you know what each organization is about before you go through the process of rushing.

Attend Rush! As I mentioned, I never considered joining a sorority until my roommate convinced me to check it out.  And I’m glad I did.  Going through rush doesn’t mean you have to join any Greek organization.  You should go to check it out and see if you like the members in each organization.  You can always decline any bid you are given.

Here are some articles further explaining Greek life:

• ·      http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/hub/greeks/
• ·      http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/twice-the-college-advice/2011/09/20/7-considerations-when-thinking-about-greek-life
• ·      http://www.thebestschools.org/features/joining-a-fraternity-or-sorority-real-pros-and-cons-of-greek-life/?utm_referrer=https://www.google.com/