The Panther

So everyone has settled in and become used to the daily hustle and grind of college life. However, between the stress, exams, and frustrating bureaucracy of the financial aid department, every student should find a little time to party. The Panther wanted to take this opportunity to turn a light on the 'playtime' aspects of campus life, and we immediately thought of the Greeks.

Greek life is an integral part of college life, but the stigma that comes with being a part of a Greek organization is ever-present. Average students often feel that the status that comes with pledging to a Greek organization gives people an undeserved sense of entitlement. We've all had that one friend who becomes a Greek and then turns their nose up at you when you see them again. Of course, it is not necessarily the fault of the fraternity or sorority member. When you become a member of an organization like that, you're immediately made aware of how fragile and fake friendships could be. In one way, right after someone becomes a part of an organization, they must reassess what all their friendships mean to them.

There is a certain air that people find themselves caught up in. At parties, for instance, if a frat or sorority is strutting, the members of the line usually expect everyone on the dance floor to move out of the way. The rules of 'common courtesy' don't seem to apply to Greek-letter organizations at parties, and some think that it is rude for a line to ask a group of people to step aside so they can strut when there is so much other space around. Still others argue that it was simply a privilege that comes with Greek life, and often the people who complain about having to move out of the way forget that the party itself is most likely being held by a Greek organization. Besides, the atmosphere of a college party calls for Greeks to strut around the dance floor; asking for it to stop, is like going to a basketball game and asking people not to scream for their teams: it is a part of the culture, and we all have to deal with it.

The perception of the way a "Greek" is supposed to behave is also an issue on campus. Often, students place Greek organizations on pedestals and then expect people who have pledged to act according to every aspect of their fraternity or sorority. Asking someone to be perfect is absurd, and most people fail to realize that Greeks are human just like everyone else. On the reverse, Greeks often go out of their way to promote negativity even when it directly involves the organization. A mixtape which features the name of a certain organization and refers to women as "hoes" and other derogatory terms is not the kind of product students want to see come from organizations that are meant to represent the 'crème of the campus crop.'

So what is it that gives Greeks this air of superiority and blamelessness? Some say that it is the selection process itself; if only one fourth of a large group of people make it into an organization, students expect that organization to behave a certain way, like good representatives of campus life. At the same time, students cannot expect every member of a Greek organization to turn into Jesus Christ himself. People are still people, and just in the same way that you may embarrass your family by acting a way your folks wouldn't approve of, certain members of Greek organizations act in ways that are not in line with their basic philosophy.

What do you think? Post your comments online at www.pvpanther.com.

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