Nobody Puts Greek Life in the Corner

Caitlin Dean
Kappa Kappa Gamma

We all know that being in Greek life comes with the burden of several stereotypes. While some of them may be true, I would say that most of us at Wisconsin would like to dispel those stereotypes and open the eyes of the non-Greek population to why we love our Greek lifestyle so much. Here are five of the most common stereotypes, and what could be done to help give Greek life a better reputation:

1. 

Promiscuity - Saturday and Sunday mornings can be quite busy on Langdon, riddled with girls in last night’s outfits or guys trying to sneak home after the previous night. To the untrained eye, it may seem like the Greek community is filled with overtly sexual beings. But in reality, many of these people could have simply spent the night at a friend’s or dressed a bit questionably that morning. In the future, try bringing a change of clothes with you the night before if you’re spending the night, or take an extra five minutes to make sure you don’t look like the walking dead that morning. Taking a cab home is always a nice substitute as well.

2. 

Excessive drinking/partying – Sure, we like to party, but so does everyone in college. Society may have a skewed view of Greek parties because they tend to happen on a larger scale due to the accessibility of fraternity houses. If everyone had large, empty basements with kegs flowing, I’m sure that they would be having a very similar experience. But in order to have fun and still be taken seriously, one must be responsible about their partying. Know your limits, and go out with good friends so you can help keep each other in check.

3. 

Little focus on academics – I have heard this said many times, yet I find this stereotype to be the most untrue. Many of the people I have met in Greek life are extremely motivated in terms of schoolwork, and I am often impressed to discover how well my friends can seem to juggle academics with sorority and fraternity life. Not only do most houses have academic programs with incentives to keep your grades high, but many people join Greek life as a means to make connections and find better opportunities to boost their academic experience. Set a few hours apart each day to get some work done and take advantage of the opportunities your sorority or fraternity offers.

4. 

Spoiled – Some Greeks come from affluent suburbs and have decent amounts of money, and some don’t. Greeks have the horrible reputation of being “trust fund babies” who spend their parents’ money and have snobbish attitudes. But in reality, sororities and fraternities are open to people of any income level, and many scholarship opportunities are available to ensure that. Tell your friends about these great opportunities and be humble if you have a heavy wallet.

5. 

Too much pride – We love our sororities and fraternities, and we aren’t afraid to show it. We have songs, dances, questionable “gang” signs, and closets filled with Greek gear. But sometimes it can get a little extreme. Outsiders can find all of this Greek pride overwhelming, uncomfortable and downright obnoxious. So feel free to show your pride with your Greek sisters and brothers, but try to tone it down when you are out socializing with the non-Greek crowd.

With these in mind, I hope there can be some changes made to clean up the name of Greek life at Wisconsin or any other school. Joining Greek life is about meeting new people, having fun, and getting involved on campus, and that’s the image we want to portray to others. By being a part of a sorority or fraternity we hold the responsibility of representing that organization wherever we go. 

Caitlin is a sophomore studying marketing and English. You may contact her at cdean2@wisc.edu.