Before arriving at Mississippi State, I decided never to join a fraternity. I believed in all the stereotypes that follow fraternities. I believed they were full of alcoholics with low grades and no cares in the world. However, my views quickly changed upon meeting the guys in the fraternity of which I am now a part.
The stereotypes attached to fraternities are unjustified.
The Greek system has an “Animal House” stigma.
Fraternity members are not academic underachievers. The fraternities at MSU have a higher average GPA than the rest of the student body.
The people in these fraternities are heavily involved in campus events. For example, every guy in my fraternity is required to participate in at least two extracurricular activities.
Every fraternity partakes in the aid of a philanthropic organization. Alpha Tau Omega, for instance, participates in Habitat for Humanity. Phi Delta Theta raises money for the Lou Gehrig Foundation.
Fraternity chapters combined throughout the nation can have a large impact on these philanthropies. This work not only aids charities, but it builds character in fraternity members by helping them understand the magnitude of what can happen when people work together.
Fraternity organizations help teach leadership by allowing their members to hold positions that require responsibility.
A member who serves as accountant is in charge of dealing with thousands of dollars. The social director has to schedule activities, work with a budget and plan social events.
A Greek organization also provides an atmosphere in which fraternity brothers can develop bonds that rival those of real brothers. My brother, a Kappa Sigma alumnus from Southern Miss, moved to Atlanta where one of his fraternity brothers lived. They ended up buying part of a mortgage company and ran a successful business together.
Fraternity brothers are always there for each other. They will help each other with schoolwork. They will wake up at 3 a.m. to give someone a safe ride home. They help each other in a time of need.
They are brothers in every sense of the word.
College is the best time in many people’s lives. It is a time where we get to be free from parents for the first time and free from our high school lives. College provides the opportunity to get the education we want while having a good time. Being in a fraternity adds to this experience.
Fraternity organizations allow education to remain the top goal while giving its members many opportunities to have fun and meet people in a safe environment.
Charlie Swanson is a freshman business administration major. He can be reached at [email protected]u.