I know, I know, here is another article about how you should 'Go Greek!' and how great it is and how much you should join! Here's an article that promises all the girls you'll get in a fraternity and all of your life long "not just friends, but sisters." All of the crazy parties you'll never remember, but no, actually, that's not what this is. This is an article debunking all of the myths that surround Greek Life. The Good, the Bad and the horribly Ugly.
Here is my one piece of information I must disclose: Yes. I am Greek. (Not like the island, if you're looking for an article on actual Greek Mediterranean culture you've come to the wrong place.) I am an initiated Brother and I strongly believe in going Greek. That aside, I want to disprove all of the myths that float around the Greek system that wreak havoc on our standing as brothers and sisters.
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Rushing is a special experience. Rushing definition: Rush is a series of social events and gatherings that allow prospective and current fraternity or sororitymembers to get to know each other. (thanks Google.) So basically Rush is just a bunch of PNM's (Potential New Members, and everyone is basically a PNM from a Fraternity or Sorority view point) getting to know their *potential* new sisters and brothers and seeing what house they want to join. Rush is such an important and crucial part of Greek life that someone is head of Recruitment and all things rush (Shoutout Ricardo, keep up the hard work man!) and they are in charge of keeping everything going smoothly.
To be honest, Rush for me was horrifying. Here I am this little skinny white gay boy with no friends rushing into this big house of straight guys who all know each other and I just feel like a fly drowning in milk. In my rush class there were only 5 of us and honestly if it would have been any bigger I don't think we would have gotten as close as we did. We all banded together after about 3 weeks realizing it was basically 'us' against 'them', the active initiated brothers. After many embarrassing moments, (very very very embarrassing moments like I'm still scarred) with my rush class I felt like I finally had made the cut and belonged.
So back to the process of Rushing. After you Rush you get a call and get told who accepted you and that they are extending to you a bid. A bid is the basic invitation of "We want you. Sign this paper and you're ours for 8 semesters. If you get initiated, IF." Then basically you become a pledge of that fraternity or sorority. (Or an Associate Member, because who needs pledges.) You now have 3 months until your initiation to learn all you can about your house and meet all of your new hopeful brothers and sisters.
Here's where things change. You've officially been invited into Greek Life and you are on your way to becoming an active brother or sister. This is where those rose tinted glasses come off and you face what you've really been looking at for the month of Rush, but also here is where things get real. I want to make this part extremely clear. Greek life is not all roses and perfection and everything for any house guy or girl. It gets messy. Sometimes really messy. But honestly, that is what makes us all so close. Some of the best times that have drawn me closer to my brothers have been when they were at their lowest or needed someone just anyone to listen. A lot of dirt gets thrown in the Greek arena and it really shows you who is who, but no matter what you'll always be there to defend your brothers and sisters. THAT is what makes Greek Life, Greek Life.
It's not just the parties, the serenades, the formals and the booze, but it's actually coming together to create that 'sibling' bond. This is where people don't see the good in Greek life. They see a bunch of drunk college students doing a bunch of stupid stuff and not getting good grades, but is that the case? (Maybe some times?) Absolutely not. I have grown so much since becoming a brother both in my social and professional life. No one sees truly how much Greek life improves you not only on a professional level by helping you network and speak in front of people etc, but it gave me almost all of my friends I have now in college and a big brother I basically tell every little thing to.
Speaking of Big Brother, I think that is one of the biggest ceremonies in all of greek life that is over looked. These are the people that are going to guide you through everything and our going to be your life long partners in crime. Your big brother and sister will always be a phone call away and that just makes them such a crucial part of your life. Honestly, I talk to my big brother every day and usually see him 6 days out of the week and it's just something regular. We don't make plans we just end up hanging out. My big brother is my best friend and I would trade him for anything and it's so freaky to think that if I wouldn't have decided to rush I would have no idea who he is and he's have some other Little. We've gotten into our fair share of trouble (Ah yes, Formal, my count down and many many other events) but at the end of the day he's someone in the Greek World that has changed me completely as a person and much for the better.
This is why I try to always get people to not judge a whole group of people before they've experienced it themselves. Form your opinion while you go through it not just because of some bullshit rumors you heard from your friend who just didn't like the girls she ran into. Greek Life is a place where you create a family of best friends to not only help you professionally, but end up being apart of your life for the rest of it, just because you decided to walk into that door way and say "Hi, My name is Christopher and I want to rush Lambda Chi." All it takes is that little sentence and that smile and hand shake and you're life is changed for forever.
