Explaining that I am involved in Greek Life on a college campus can sometimes result in some skeptical looks.
I get it; social sororities and fraternities have been hotly criticized in national media recently, and the stereotypical reputation Greeks often get in movies doesn’t help much in defending ourselves.
On Gannon’s campus, I proudly wear letters as a sister of my sorority, Alpha Sigma Tau, and as a sweetheart to the men’s fraternity Delta Sigma Phi.
The members of both of the social organizations I am a part of on campus have become my families away from home, and I’m extremely thankful for that.
Whereas many of my friends went through recruitment during freshman year, I waited until the fall of my sophomore year to officially join a sorority, mainly because I was worried about what I was signing up for.
I did not want the stereotypical pop culture version of sorority life, and I quickly came to find that being a part of Greek life didn’t mean I had to settle for that.
Being a part of Greek life is so much more than attending social events at fraternity houses or posting a bunch of cheesy Instagram pictures with my sisters.
To me, being Greek is more about making connections with my peers, holding a leadership position where I can form professional relationships with Gannon faculty and being motivated by an entire community that supports each other in a variety of philanthropic and charitable events each year.
One of the main reasons I joined Alpha Sigma Tau is because I knew they did not haze.
All of Gannon’s Greek organizations are held to a zero tolerance hazing policy, and I am proud to be a part of a chapter that I thoroughly believe would continue to follow that policy even if there were not regulations enforcing it.
My sisters genuinely believe in bringing new members into the organization by making quality connections from the start, and I am proud to be a part of that legacy as we continue to grow our chapter size.
I officially received my Delta Sigma Phi letters at their formal a few weeks ago.
Fraternities have unfortunately come under harsh criticism recently, and some of that can be tied to incidents like the highly publicized death of a new member at Penn State University’s Beta Theta Pi chapter.
From what I have witnessed at Gannon, I am proud to say that I have not seen any behaviors that even remotely emulate the horrific nature of those crimes in our own fraternities.
I am proud to represent Delta Sigma Phi on our campus, and I have an extensive amount of faith that these young men are fully living up to their motto of “Better Men, Better Lives.”
With spring recruitment coming up at the start of next semester, I hope many freshmen and upperclassmen will consider joining Greek Life.
It’s been one of my best decisions so far, and I’d encourage anyone here to at least give it a chance.
With five sororities and seven fraternities to explore, you’re more than likely to find a fit that’s right for you.
I’m biased, but I think Gannon Greeks are pretty rad; I hope you’ll think the same and join us as we fight to change the stigma that surrounds Greek Life on college campuses.
KATE ROBB
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