Concerning the media feeding frenzy around Greek life:

On many campuses around the United States, Greek life is known to hold a precedence. Recently though, there has been a trend in the media which blames Greek life for any mishap happens on campus. The media ridicules entire chapters for the actions of one or two people.

What bothers me most about the Greek life media feeding frenzy is the inaccuracies of many of their stories. For example, many of you may have read a recent article published by Rolling Stone magazine titled "A Rape on Campus: A Brutal Assault and Struggle for Justice at UVA." The lack of collective journalism here was utterly embarrassing and disturbing. The writer and editors at Rolling Stone made deliberate efforts to paint the image of Phi Kappa Psi, and Greek men in general, as degenerates who only think about partying and "gettin' some," and could care less about the feelings of others.

Now, as a member of Phi Kappa Psi, I can tell you that this is the furthest thing from the truth. We were founded on the principle of "The Great Joy of Serving Others," and many other fraternities were founded on similar principles. We have held, and continue to hold, members to a very high standard. The actions of the few men who decide not to abide by their creed and the high moral standards set by the chapter, should be punished separately from the chapter. But making wild accusations that Greek life as a whole is solely responsible for the horrible things that go on on college campuses today is preposterous. That would be the equivalent of blaming every single driver on the road because one got into an accident. As a matter of fact, I got into an accident when I was 16, and two of my closest friends were in the car with me. This obviously means they were accomplices and should have their license's suspended right? (Sarcasm.)

Greek life has not only been a positive influence in my life, but also in many others' lives. For example, USA Today reported that not only do Greeks maintain a higher overall GPA than non-Greek students, but also 85 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs were members of a Greek organization, as well as the first female astronaut and first female senator.

Let me tell you why the inaccurate news stories are not only irresponsible to report, but morally wrong. When you report false news with the sole purpose of creating a negative image of a person or organization, it hurts their reputation, whether it's true or not. For example, Oklahoma SAEs recent racial scandal has lead many to believe that the whole chapter and national organization was brought up to think in this blatantly racist way. To think such a thing is foolish because, whether you want to accept it or not, there were members of that chapter who were not singing that chant and did not accept its message. Now, the members of Oklahoma's SAE chapter must remove their involvement in the chapter from their social media, personal lives, and most importantly, their resumes. If an employer were to hear about the racial scandal that occurred at the chapter and a former member walked into his office looking for a job, I can guarantee he has a smaller chance of getting the job as opposed to someone from a chapter with a clean slate and positive news.

As a member of a Greek organization, I accept the fact that we are not all perfect. There are members in every chapter who may not be the best role models. But as a whole, Greek life has changed the lives of so many people for the better. From our involvement within our chapter to our involvement in the community, it is the goal of every fraternity and sorority member to reach out and extend a hand to help someone who falls. I challenge the media to find the positives that come with joining a Greek organization and overlook the actions of the select few who misuse this privilege.

I can guarantee once you see what it's truly like, your attitude towards us “troubled youth" will change, and you will see brotherhood and sisterhood that you never imagined was possible.