POV: Importance of Greek Life at High Point University
Q news
By Spencer Desmarais
Would you choose to join the 10% of all students in Greek life at your university based on the stereotypes that have formed around it? What are the stereotypes at your school?
Greek life is viewed differently at every university or college, small or large. At some schools, Greek life means “royalty” in the eyes of other students, at other schools Greek life is just another club.
At High Point University, Greek life is a way to get involved on campus and a way to be a part of the 33% of students who are actively participating in their chapters. Many students said that being part of their organization was a positive experience when asked about it, but say that it is not for everyone and that is okay.
Break Down
High Point has three different parts of their Greek organization. These include: CPC, College Panhellenic Council, NPHC, National Pan-hellenic Council, and IFC, Interfraternity Council. Each of these councils groups different organizations based on the type of sorority or fraternity the group falls under.
CPC includes the organizations Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Gamma Delta, Kappa Delta, Phi Mu, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Zeta Tau Alpha. These are the sororities that currently have houses on campus in what the school calls it Greek Village.
NPHC includes the organizations Alpha Kappa Alpha; Alpha Phi Alpha; Delta Sigma Theta; Lambda Pi Chi; Kappa Alpha Psi; Zeta Phi Beta. These organizations are based around 4 of the 9 Divine Sorority and Fraternity and one NALFO (National Association of Latino Fraternal Organization.
Lastly, IFC includes the organizations Beta Theta Pi; Kappa Alpha Order; Kappa Sigma; Pi Kappa Alpha; Pi Kappa Phi; Sigma Nu, Delta Chi. These are the fraternities that currently have houses on campus. Delta Chi is the only exception to the houses, but are in the process of adopting one of the open houses in Greek Village in the next few years.
Connecting with the IFC President and Panhellenic President
“I have been beyond busy as the Interfraternity Council President, overseeing the operations of 7 fraternities can be overwhelming, but it has been some of the most rewarding experiences. I can say that my fraternity brothers will be friends for life.”
Boyle’s brotherhood in Beta Theta Pi is extremely important to him and being in an organization where they are all constantly supported by one another was worth a try for him, so he said it was worth a try for anyone who may be on the fence about it.
Sydney Sizemore, Panhellenic President, has similar feelings when speaking about her Greek experience. Sizemore is part of the chapter Phi Mu Gamma Zeta on campus and stated “Typically, sororities are thought of in only social aspects, but I love how much my chapter emphasizes philanthropy and how that is the one major thing that brings us all together.”
Philanthropy is one of the biggest parts of joining Greek life. When people are looking from the outside-in they sometimes forget about this part. Raising money and hosting events for a special cause is a major reason that many of the members joined day one.
How are Those Involved Impacted?
What is the importance of joining a sorority or fraternity? Why do so many people dedicate all of their time to these groups each and every day? Many members have different reasons behind their dedication and loyalty to the chapters.
Chris Price, Recruitment Chair of Delta Chi had a different reaction to why he joined his organization in comparison to Boyle who stated he “had the strongest bond with the men of Beta Theta Pi during recruitment”.
Price stated that he originally joined because “it was a brand new organization at the time so I wanted to help build something up rather than just joining something that was already established.”
Once he was in the fraternity and helped with the building of it from the ground up, he stayed because the importance of “brotherhood, secrecy, and friends” was something he could not find in any other form of his life and were things we never wanted to give up.
Is Greek Life Still Attractive?
Greek life has had a very positive impact on many people that are involved, however, there has been a decline in the amount of people who desire to join in the past few years. Due to the pandemic, numbers are lower for a few different reasons.
To be in a Greek organization there is a financial commitment. As many know, the pandemic caused tight financial situations for many families. This was a drastic change on sorority and fraternity numbers the first year back from the lockdown.
This past year, numbers have begun to increase again, but there are many chapters at every school who are struggling to get enough members to stay an organization on their campus.
Conclusion
Every school has different views on the importance of Greek life, but at High Point University the members of fraternities and sororities are getting so much more out of their experiences than just the title of their organization. They get to work with incredible philanthropies, build bonds with their brothers/ sisters, and build impactful leadership skills for their futures. With all of these factors involved, at High Point University Greek life is worth a try.
Works Cited
Fraternity and Sorority Life at HPU
2022 Most Students In Sororities and Fraternities
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