Hollywood’s portrayal of frats has given real Greeks a bad rap (Photo: Grant Oyston)
Sororities and fraternities have gained a party-animal reputation based on Hollywood movies. The Charlatan’s Hilary Duff investigates what it’s really like to be in a sorority.
For many, the Greek community has always evoked curiosity. Nearly everyone has seen movies like Animal House and Van Wilder — Hollywood’s portrayal of Greek life is often based on stereotypes and misconceptions.
Movies like these are one of the reasons why sororities and fraternities have been typecast as havens for insane parties and superficial values.
However, some of Carleton’s Greek members said they disagree wholeheartedly with the reputation Hollywood has left them to clean up. So what do sororities and “frats” actually want to be known for?
Arif Merani, the rush chair for the Kappa Sigma (ΚΣ) fraternity, believes while every frat and sorority is different, most take pride in promoting roughly the same founding ideals: scholarship, leadership, service and philanthropy.
Merani said everyone in his frat has been working hard to earn a better name for Greek life in the hopes of gaining respect from the university administration.
According to Merani, the university has failed to recognize the Greek system as being formally associated with the school.
“It’s hard to get recognition when people still have stereotypes built up in their heads,” he said.
Marika Washchyshyn, a member of the Tau Sigma Phi (ΤΣΦ) sorority said she agrees that Greek life extends way beyond the parties for which it has become notorious.
“Each organization has [philanthropy] which they support, so there is a lot of community involvement,” Washchyshyn said, wearing her Tau Sigma Phi sweater. “I was very pleasantly surprised when I joined the sorority, not seeing what everyone sees in the movies.”
Along with philanthropy work, sororities and frats want to emphasize the importance of tight-knit relationships, many of which develop during the pledging period.
While outsiders may get the impression that pledging events are meant to haze new recruits and scare off potential members, the challenges faced during this period are really used to determine which pledges have positive traits to bring to the organization.
“We try to find a well-rounded girl, one that will be able to bring something to the group,” said Kate Peer, an executive member on the leadership council of Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII), one of the two international sororities at Carleton.
“All of our girls are involved in different extracurricular activities as well. They participate in cheerleading and volunteering at Cornerstone Women’s Shelter as well as other philanthropy and charity events.”
If there is one thing that Hollywood did manage to accurately portray, it is the importance of brotherhood and sisterhood.
Merani said he believes the pledging process tests how strong a sense of “brotherhood” is in each potential member.
He said the goal of the pledge period is to test the relationships formed with one another and see how well pledges support each other.
“Anything we do that may seem tough is all designed to pull them together and make them feel how we do about our brothers. We don’t want anyone coming into our fraternity who doesn’t feel the same as we all feel about each other,” Merani said.
Still not convinced that Greek life is for you? If you’re worried about your inability to balance membership in the Greek system with your schoolwork, Merani said help can and will be offered.
With most sororities and frats the importance of academics is stressed, as members are required to maintain relatively high marks to stay in the organization.
In Kappa Sigma, as well as most other fraternities, new pledges are assigned a big brother.
Merani describes this person as someone in the fraternity who is in a similar program, and someone with whom you share similar personality traits and ideals.
Merani said he had a great experience with this mentor.
“My big brother in first year definitely buckled me down. He made sure I got my stuff for class and made sure I went. There was a lot of contact there,” he said.
Peer said joining a sorority or fraternity is not just a short-term investment, but the connections made within the Greek system can also expand into opportunities once university is over.
“A lot of girls that have become alumni members have gone on to work for the Alpha Omicron Pi headquarters and have gotten jobs through other alumni,” Peer said.
Merani said being in a Greek organization helps compose the building blocks of a post-graduate career because the Greek hierarchical system models that of a real-life business organization.
He said being Greek means being part of an organization in which “there are some bumps along the way, but it’s a life lesson we’re providing members with.”
Washchyshyn said the best way to know if joining a Greek chapter is right for you is to just try it out.
“I’ll admit that I was the biggest hypocrite at first, but once I got involved, I realized how great everyone was and was so happy I did it,” she said.
As Merani describes it, Greek life has “just a whole load of opportunities there waiting for you. You just have to embrace them.”