At Auburn University, there are currently 32 fraternities and 19 sororities. According to Auburn University’s website, almost 6,000 of over 25,000 students were Greek in 2011 alone.
These statistics help to explain how big of a role Greek Life is at Auburn.
In addition, Friday, Aug. 14, was Auburn’s bid day for sorority recruitment for the 17 National Panhellenic Council sororities. Record-breaking numbers of new members were recorded.
Being a part of Greek Life, at Auburn and in general, requires much more from its members than what many people realize.
Individuals are expected to maintain certain grade point averages, participate in and contribute to their organization’s philanthropy, attend community service events and be involved with other clubs and activities.
While this may seem overwhelming, being a part of Greek Life has many benefits as well.
In addition to helping students build and maintain lifelong friendships and a strong support system, which can be particularly helpful for students many hours away from home, Greek Life can also serve as a résumé booster and provide networking contacts.
However, we must not ignore the many negative stereotypes associated with Greek Life.
Twitter accounts, websites and movies, such as TotalFratMove.com and “American Pie,” often portray sorority and fraternity members as shallow people who are only concerned with drinking, partying and having fun with their friends.
This week, Alpha Phi, a sorority at the University of Alabama, has gained national attention for a recruitment video it posted.
The video included girls in swimsuits blowing kisses to the camera, holding glitter and laughing with friends.
We do not necessarily agree or disagree that the video lacked diversity or was as objectifying as many criticized it to be, but we do believe the video represented the sorority exactly how many negative stereotypes would portray.
The video showed us nothing about the sorority’s philanthropy, accomplishments of its members, the sorority’s history or how the group has helped to improve the community.
While the video may only depict Alpha Phi in a negative way, the lack of substance has the potential to hurt Greek Life in general by giving in to negative stereotypes.
Concerning Greek Life on Auburn’s campus, sororities and fraternities shouldn’t be overly concerned with negative stereotypes, but they should be aware they exist and make sure not to feed them, even when they are not necessarily true.
We believe it is also important to note that these perceptions of Greek Life can be misleading for potential new members.
Students may be unaware of what is required and expected of them once they decide to join a fraternity or sorority.
For Greek organizations to be viewed more favorably, it is important not to advertise themselves in a way that confirms negative stereotypes.
While enjoying yourself with friends can be a positive aspect of joining a Greek organization, failing to communicate anything other than this can be perceived as shallow, giving in to popular stereotypes.
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