Why should we care about every move we make? We should.

If there is something Greeks need get real about, it is our reputation with people who are not Greek. FACT: The public will make generalizations and assumptions about Greeks based on the few experiences they will have. If those few experiences are bad, it hurts the Greek community as a whole.

Example: The other day my non-Greek friend posted the following tweet, "A young woman leaving @HotBoxPizza just got harassed by two frat guys. 'Hey, girl!' She keeps walking. 'Don't ignore us you stupid *****!'" He then followed the tweet with another, "So let the record show that some of the men of Purdue's @InsertNameHere are ignorant, misogynistic ********. Not really a surprise, sadly." 

First, I was mortified that that is the impression that was left on my friend. Second, I was mortified for the house THAT HE TAGGED IN HIS TWEET. As a community, we need to be aware of the reputation we create for ourselves. Building good relationships with non-Greeks should be just as important as the relationships you build with Greeks. Obviously being Greek comes with a lot of networking, but there will always be situations when your boss wasn't Greek, and in that case it will be important to leave them with the impression that Greeks are good people. Can you imagine walking in to a job interview and being turned away because of the company owner has a problem with your house and its reputation? Maybe to you it sounds far-fetched, but to my twitter friend, it is reality. This applies to EVERY. SINGLE. HOUSE.   

Now that we have confronted the problem, here are some ways you can contribute to your reputation in a positive way.  Be accountable for yourself. Be careful of what you do and say ESPECIALLY WHEN WEARING YOUR LETTERS. Be accountable for the people in your house. There is nothing wrong with telling your brother or sister that they are not representing your house in a good way.  Look out for your friends in other houses, because their reputation affects you just as much as the reputation of your house. 

Please go out into the world and make the public love you. Be kind. Be awesome. Be excellent. Be Greek. Give yourself, and your house, a reason to wear your letters proudly.