The Connections You Make In College & The Importance Of Going Greek

Do You Put The “eek” in Greek?

Sorority chants and stories of Greek weeks past come rolling through my mind as I scroll down the page of a Greek apparel website. Tempted to invest in a new hoodie, I quickly remind myself that I am two years out of college and that I own enough sorority clothing to dress a small children’s choir. Regardless of whether or not I should be investing in new Greek apparel for my too-old-to-do-a-socially-acceptable-keg-stand self, I will still don all 14 t-shirts, 3 sweatshirts, 2 sweatpants, picture frames, flip-flops, key chain, shoulder bag, 4 shot glasses, and a car sticker until my future husband tells me that he thinks I’m too old. “Eek” I think to myself, as I happily order a new set of bottle-opening key chains for the ‘05 Alum bar crawl we’re planning for next month. Will it ever end?

Making the decision to join the Greek community during college is one that many people take too lightly. Some people opt to check out the Greek housing facilities simply because they don’t want to live in the college dormitories any longer, while others have their heart set on going Greek the moment they mail in their college deposit. At some schools, the Greek community takes up more than half of the student population, while other schools might have 2 or 3 small houses amongst a large campus. Whether you are a young college student considering entering the Greek community at your school, or a recovering sorority girl reminiscing on how happy you were with the choices you made years ago, the following list of information may come as a surprise;

48% of all US Presidents have been Greek
42% of US Senators have been Greek
30% of US Congressmen/women have been Greek
40% of US Supreme Court Justices have been Greek
30% of Fortune 500 Executives have been Greek

Feeling the love yet? Regardless of the size of the Greek community on your campus, the whole point in joining the system is for a much larger purpose. When choosing to join a fraternity or sorority, you’re choosing to join a group that spans the nation and unites men and women in a common bond. Total membership in the nationwide Greek community has risen steadily from 1985 through 2005 which means that it is not only progressively growing but also that the Greek community traditions are being practiced and remembered throughout generations of college students all over the country.

There is both the nationwide connection between all fraternities and sororities, and the local connection one gains from joining an organization and feeling like their huge college campus is really not that huge at all. When I was living in a sorority for my years at a large state school, I found it was an effective way for each and every one of us living in my house to feel connected to each other while walking around a gigantic campus. Seeing the block lettering on your friend’s t-shirt before she was close enough for you to recognize her face gave everyone a secure sense of belonging while walking from class to class.

I continue to wear my sorority t-shirts to the gym, and oftentimes there’s a sister of mine from a different school who happens to walk by and notice it. Sometimes we’ll exchange a smile and walk by, and other times it sparks a conversation and a new friendship. Just like it did years ago in college, the Greek connection that I will hold on to for the rest of my life is able to make the city feel a little bit smaller.