Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Greek Machine
The Greek Machine
Madison Schowalter
Dean Leonard
ENG 1201.509
18 July 2019
A Greek Machine
In just a few short weeks students across the country will pack up their cars and start a
new chapter of their lives. Some will move hours away from their secure home, while others will
go just around the block. College is the best four years of your life, they say. But what they don’t
say is how difficult it can be to put yourself out there, to find your group, to find your passion
and to make a difference. I found my friends and have started to make a difference on my
and donations, lifelong relationships, and opportunities to build character and become a leader of
the future.
Greek letter organizations have been around for hundreds of years, dating back to the
1700’s. Predecessors to Greek organizations included such secret societies as the Skull and Cross
Bone society and the Freemasons. These organizations develop leaders much in the same way
that today’s Greek organizations do. Strictly academic, these organizations were home to many
leaders of our country, ranging from secretaries of State to senators, representatives to supreme
court justices. In the beginning, fraternity and sororities weren’t the social scenes they are now,
but neither were the colleges. Universities were for the elite, and those who attended most
definitely were not there to party and make friends. With all the financial aid and loan
possibilities today, students from every economic background are now able to attend universities.
Nearly seventy percent of students who graduate from high school attend some form of higher
education. Most of these students attend college to start a new chapter of their life, to
experiment, and to get an education. There are many different ways that students can make this
experience their own. Some students choose to participate in sports or clubs, others connect in
academic dormitories, or religious groups. More than 400,000 students nationwide choose rush
into a Greek letter organization (The Riddle of Greek Life). Among the millions of students
attending universities, these thousands of students are a part of something bigger than their
campus and their organizations. Each year they are working together to make a difference in the
lives around.
friends, faculty and staff that will allow one to connect beyond the walls of the campus. Because
there are so many people across the world attending prestigious universities, it can be hard to
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find a job directly after school, leaving some students in major debt with no real form of income
to pay it off. Lily Martis, Writer for Monster.com, speaks about the different ways that joining a
fraternity or sorority turns Potential New Members of Greek letter organizations to Potential
New Employees of the real world. She says the Greek system creates a vast networking system
beyond the chapter and university. Members of these organizations have a sense of loyalty to
brothers or sisters alike. In some cases, the mere affiliation with two or three letters from the
Greek alphabet have landed many people fine jobs because of the bond between brothers or
sisters. Not only do Greek Letter Organizations create a network, they also create a foundation
for students to become educated in the proper interview etiquette and further beyond the
interviews. “Greek life recruitment season primes you for social skills and emotional intelligence
that employers covet. Simply stated, you’ll figure out how to work a room” (Martis). From
learning to dress appropriately for different types of events and applying time management skills
needed in the work field, to allotting oneself a financial budget, Martis believes that these skills
College can be a very tough change for many students. Being far away from family and
hometown friends can really take a toll on students both physically and emotionally. Being alone
in a new place with academic challenges provides even more stress on incoming students. For
some it may be a walk in the park to socialize and find a group of quality, caring friends, while
also maintaining great grades. But for others it may be a dreadful task. Fraternity and sororities
open’s up many doorways to find your group of people. They are built on the backbone of family
and loyalty. With lifelong friendship in mind, members spend up to four years with their brothers
and sisters. Jillian Dara, author of “10 Ways Greek Life Prepares You for Real Life” speaks on
behalf of USA Today, saying that these students are exposed to different people of different
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cultures, social backgrounds, and religions in individual chapter house and their related brother
and sister chapters. Because of this exposure, Dara says, students have the opportunity to find a
home away from home, a family that is there through the highs and lows. Students need the
support of others while they navigate their college years and move into the working world. Being
part of an organization such as a fraternity or sorority help to facilitate these friendships and
create strong supports for students involved. Most fraternities and sororities have study sessions
and tutors available to help students with their academics as well. The connections do not stay
within the walls of the chapter house, many students from different organizations all come
philanthropy event, a chemistry test, or just a bad day. It is important that young adults have the
support and strong foundation to flourish in their years of college. And what better way to do that
Philanthropy is a very important aspect in many people’s lives. Fraternities and sororities
have a foundation of serving. Every year each chapter house logs thousands of community
service hours. Lesley Brumfield, writer of “Do Good: Greek Letter Organizations and
Community Service” conducted a research survey on the number of hours completed by three
National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), North American Interfraternity Council (IFC), and
National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC). Brumfield found that “four percent [of NPHC members]
reported as having completed 6 to 10 hours per semester, eight percent completed 17 to 19 hours,
and eighty-eight percent reported as completing 20 hours or more.” “Twenty-six percent [of NPC
members] reported that they completed 1 to 5 hours of community service per semester. Thirty
percent reported as having completed 6 to 10 hours per semester, eight percent reported
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two percent completed 17 to 19 hours, and twenty percent reported as completing 20 hours or
more.” And “Fifteen percent [of IFC members] reported that they completed 1 to 5 hours of
community service per semester. Ten percent reported as having completed 6 to 10 hours per
semester, fifteen percent reported completing 11 to 13 hours per semester, two percent
completed 17 to 19 hours, and forty nine percent reported as completing 20 hours or more” (9-
11). These numbers only account for one university among the numerous that have Greek letter
organizations. “The Greek system is the largest network of volunteers in the US, with members
donating over 10 million hours of volunteer service each year” (Swoboda). If fraternities and
sororities were banned from universities, like many people believe should happen, what would
happen to the communities that need to be served? Would these hours still be completed?
Brumfield’s research suggests that many students plan to continue serving after they graduate,
but her research also said that many students didn’t find the passion of serving until they joined a
Philanthropy has its own special meaning to each individual chapter. Most organizations
Alpha Chi Omega, for example, supports Domestic Violence Awareness both nationally and
locally. Delta Delta Delta helps raise money for St. Jude hospitals across the country. Sigma Chi
raises awareness for Huntsman Cancer. These listed here are just a few of the Greek chapters that
work beside these charity organization to make a change across the globe. Philanthropy events
and many more. Each spring at Alpha Chi Omega’s across the country (my sorority) an event
called “Walk A Mile” takes place. In the day-long event, many men from different fraternities
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hosted by different organizations to do just the same- have fun but make a difference.
These massive organizations do not run themselves. Countless students take part in
leadership roles in these organization. The experiences provided by these roles builds character
and develops a hard work ethic. I spoke to Kay Stoettner, former New Member Educator and
President of Alpha Chi Omega, at the University of Alabama. Coming from a small town outside
of Chicago, she had no idea what rushing a sorority meant for her. She knew she wanted to make
a change but didn’t know how to on a campus as large as University of Alabama’s. Stoettner got
her first executive leader position as a New Member Educator for Alpha Chi in 2016. “I spent the
first few months with the new members, trying to help them acclimate to the change they were
going through. I felt like a mom to 117 wonderful women. It wasn’t easy, but it challenged me. It
brought me joy to know I was making such a difference in their lives,” (Stoettner). Kay spoke
about how this leadership role got her foot in the door with many alumni who were still active in
the sorority and well as the new members who she mentored, “they had my back just as much as
When Stoettner was elected president in 2017 she spent countless hours working with
faculty, community members and alumni to make her chapter a better place, and to help make a
difference in her community. She worked alongside other Greek affiliated students to create what
is now called the “Xanax Task Force.” In creating this, Stoettner imagined a board of students
who have been affected by the use and abuse of prescriptions drugs, specifically Xanax, to speak
out about it and try to fight this rising epidemic with knowledge and awareness, instead of blame
and bitterness. Stoettner says that without her community of sisters pushing her to make a
difference, she wouldn’t have become the leader she is today. Stoettner also spoke about how her
chapter had be awarded top grade among the sororities and fraternities for 28 semesters in a row,
maintaining a 3.68 GPA in the fall semester and a 3.69 in the spring semester of the 2018-2019
school year. She spoke on her opportunities as the president to work with different advisors with
the university and other executive leaders in the chapter to encourage members to use the
resources available in order to maintain excellent grades. Lastly, Stoettner told me about how her
involvement on campus and in the sorority house lead her to many opportunities off campus.
Because of her many leadership positions and connections, Stoettner was able to create a
network of faculty, staff, advisors, and alumni of Alpha Chi Omega. These connections landed
Greek organizations also seek to promote the well-being of its members. These programs
also impact fellow students they associate with on campus and the communities in general.
Numerous programs have been developed to address social issues and help student avoid
dangerous situations all too common on college campuses. These programs include drug and
alcohol education programs and sexual assault prevention programs. “Greek life is always
aiming to become more safe,” said Stein [president of the Interfraternity Council at IU]. “Over
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the years, we have installed multiple programming sessions for sober monitoring training,
alcohol/drug usage and sexual assault prevention that have greatly benefited the community”
(Swoboda). Many people see that fraternities and sororities are the reason for such epidemics,
but what most people don’t realize is that the students starting the prevention and awareness
Due to the tight knit nature of these organizations, sorority and fraternity members
develop a strong sense of commitment and loyalty to their chapters and to their institutions.
According to John Hechinger, Author of True Gentleman, alumni of Greek organizations “are
the most loyal donors to the universities, they made up 20% of students but account for 60% of
alumni donors” (The Riddle of Greek Life). This is very important because many universities
count on donations to keep the universities modern and running smoothly. Not only do these
donations affect the campuses but also in the lives of the people of the nearby communities.
These behaviors of generosity and loyalty are often carry forward into the personal and
professional lives of the Greek letter alumni beyond graduation and are traits employers actively
seek.
Because Greek life isn’t as interesting as the presidential debate, or who is being drafted
to the NBA, the positive influence of Greek life is often underreported. The headlines instead
focus on misleading stories that portray fraternities and sororities in a negative light. When
asking people who were not part of the Greek system in university what they think about the
Greeks, they will often talk about the binge drinking or hazing reports and allegations. They talk
about of the big parties and the ridiculously expensive houses. Zackary Swoboda, author of
“Greek Life Is Not the Typical Stereotypical Story You’ve Heard” talks about how Greek letter
organizations are only reported on when something bad happens. He says because of this, there
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is no time for the positive impacts to reach the surface of the media. Swoboda believes that,
although there are chapters that go to extremes with binge drinking and hazing, there are many
more chapters that do not fit under the umbrella of a “stereotypical fraternity/sorority.”
It is unfair to make the system as a whole pay the consequences for the actions of the
few chapters that partake in deadly hazing. Abolishing the system is not the answer. According
to Dr. Eric Brown, President of Penn State University, abolishing Greek letter organization will
lead to underground, secret organizations that the university will have no say over (The Riddle of
Greek Life). In The Riddle of Greek Life, he says if we don’t take enough precautions in
regulating the subject of matter it could lead to even bigger problems. “Underground societies,
that aren’t affiliated with the University, will make it harder to regulate and contain the problems
we are already having” says Dr. Brown (The Riddle of Greek Life). Putting an end to these
organization is not the right solution. It takes a team of educated, patient and stern leaders to
make the modifications needed to keep the Greek letter organizations in check and on the right
track to success.
There are many stories of the tragedies that have occurred. But what is often not shared
are the success stories, the hundreds of leaders around the world who once were in the same
shoes as their brothers and sisters today and have benefited greatly by being part of the Greek
system. Universities are doing their best to try and turn around the stigma of the Greek systems
in their schools. Dr. Barron believes pushing rush back to spring semester allows the students to
get a hold of their academics and find friends outside of their Greek chapter. He believes that
doing so helps students stand up for themselves and not tolerate the hazing because they no
longer rely on these organizations as much to find a place to fit in (The Riddle of Greek Life).
“Instead of trying to take down Greek life, consider the positives and focus on reforming the
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issues” (Swoboda). Dr. Barron is one of many who are taking small steps to reform, rather than
College is a time full of experiments and experiences. Each year the rates of underage
drinking increase from years past. With fake ID’s becoming widespread, it is getting easier for
young adults to get alcohol and go to clubs and bars. Often, people talk about the fraternity
parties that go on in college campuses as wild and untamed. It is not secret that many universities
have been taken over by the party culture. Many people often look to place the blame on the
fraternity and sorority members for this increase, but it is not only them who partake in the
underage drinking. Teenagers often start experimenting with alcohol and drinking as early as
high school. College is a place where the party culture is naturally accepted by peers from every
Anna Fairle, William DeJong, John Stevenson, Andrea Lavigne, and Mark Wood
conducted an experiment to compare the drinking habits of the members within the Greek
community. They compared the leaders in the Greek community with the members not in
found that (Greek) leaders consumed substantially less alcohol than other members. Focus
groups conducted to supplement the quantitative analysis suggested that leaders saw themselves
as positive role models who should behave responsibly” (Fairle et al. 1). It is clear that there is an
issue with binge drinking on college campuses, and there is no denying that most members of
Greek organizations are a part of the problem. But certain members are starting to rise together
Greek life has been around for many years. It has changed the course of many students
lives, some for the worst, but most for the better. The impact that is has on the community, both
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locally and nationally is immeasurable. Yes, there are changes that need to be made, and they
need to be made soon, but bringing the system as a whole to an end would be disadvantageous.
Because of the Greek community, millions of dollars are donated to help fund cancer research
and support other important causes. Hundreds of students come together as one in times of need.
Students are learning leadership skills and work ethics and solving problems as a team.
Friendships are built and students get the support they need to thrive at the universities. This
system is more than the binge drinking. This system is more than the hazing. This system can be
made to change the world. Like a machine, each part of the Greek community works together to
create something exceptional. But when there is a fault in the parts, it takes a team to fix it. Yes,
this old machine needs some fixing. But this machine needs to stay active in the community so it
can continue to serve the people in their communities and around the world, create lasting
Works Cited
Brumfield, Lesley. "Do Good: Greek Letter Organizations and Community Service." Honors
https://aquila.usm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=
Dara, Jillian. “10 Ways Greek Life Prepares You for Real Life.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite
Fairlie, Anne M., DeJong, William, Stevenson, John F., Lavigne, Andrea M., Wood, Mark D.
“Fraternity and Sorority Leaders and Members: A Comparison of Alcohol Use, Attitudes,
and Policy Awareness.” American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Taylor & Francis,
ebscohost.com.sinclair.ohionet.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=29&sid=9f5af51c-
Martis, Lily. “5 Ways Rushing a Fraternity or Sorority Will Help You Land a Job.” Monster
“The Riddle of Greek Life.” Youtube, The New York Times Conference, 31 May 2018,
Swoboda, Zackary. “Greek Life Is Not the Typical Stereotypical Story You’ve Heard.” Indiana