Are Greek stereotypes changing?
Former Kappa Delta member Emily Galbraith said being a Latter-day Saint and being in a sorority were two extremes.
Galbraith said although the sorority was a great organization, she wanted to devote more time to church and her spiritual life.
“Balancing sorority life and her life outside of being a Greek student was difficult to manage,” she said.
Most college students become a part of Greek life for the sense of belonging, the service, the life-long friends acquired from the organizations, and for others it is the brotherhood or sisterhood, a second family in a sense, said Kappa Delta President Jessica Leystra.
However, the negative frame portrayed in movies about sorority and fraternity life such as Sydney White or “Sorority Life” on MTV distort the reality of Greek life, Leystra said.
“(The media) totally just takes down what the Greek system has tried to build up,” Leystra said.
Although “Animal House” is one of her favorite movies, Leystra said the show portrays Greek life as one big party.
“Pretty much any movie about Greeks are portrayed as party people and drinkers who go through the walk of shame,” she said.
Although hazing was a common practice in traditional Greek settings and was used to help bring sorority sisters or fraternity brothers together, hazing today is banned in all Greek organizations and is against all state and national laws, Leystra said.
Hazing is defined as anything that active members wouldn’t do but would make new members do, she said.
“None of this happens now but back in the day it was (a common practice) and if does occur we have very strict punishment for it,” she said. “That’s no way to promote sisterhood or brotherhood.”
For other Greek members, Greek life is too much too handle and hinders free time because being a part of a Greek organization requires commitment and dedication, said Galbraith, senior in family and consumer science education.
Galbraith who was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority for four semesters and served as the treasurer for two, said she wanted to make time for other priorities in her life.
“It was hard for me because I’m a (Latter-day Saint) and I could never go to family home evening or ward prayer,” Galbraith said. “I never went to activities with my ward (when I was active in my sorority) and I started to feel inactive (in church).”
Although Galbraith said she withdrew herself from Kappa Delta for priority reasons, the experience in the sorority was a worthwhile one.
“Kappa Delta and all the values they believe in is awesome,” Galbraith said. “It’s an excellent organization. I don’t regret (being in it) at all but I’m glad I’m not doing it now.”
Galbraith said she joined the sorority her first semester in fall of 2004 because she wanted to find her place at Utah State.
Being a part of a sorority pushed her to become a well-rounded person and serving in philanthropy was a great experience, she said.
“I have never done more service in my life than I did in Kappa Delta,” she said.
Being part of the USU Greek community is a great way to meet new people and get involved with campus activities and service, Galbraith said.
Lance Brown, president of USU fraternity Delta Sigma Phi, said he wasn’t interested in being part of the Greek community at first.
Brown, junior in sports marketing, said his biggest fear of fraternities was the widespread practice of hazing because it was a common practice during his high school years of playing football.
“I pictured a fraternity as a crazy, broken and a trashed place,” he said.
However, after being invited to a barbecue at the Delta Sigma Phi house, Brown said his perception of Greek life changed.
“I expected to see beer bottles everywhere and a crazy party when I walked into the fraternity house but there wasn’t,” he said. “There were just people hanging out, talking and having fun.”
Brown said being a part of a fraternity has changed the course of his career and also his life.
“I would not be where I am today if it were not for my fraternity and I would not be involved with student government and I would not be the leader that I am today,” he said.
Serving as President of Delta Sigma Phi and as the ASUSU Vice President has taught him to learn to love leadership and involvement, Brown said.
Despite juggling the demands of fraternity president and also serving as president of elder’s quorum for his church, Brown said it is not impossible.
“People find it an anomaly that I’m the president over a fraternity and also a church group. People ask me how do I do both worlds,” he said. The reality is you can be a part of both worlds. Some people choose not to, and that’s their choice.”
Zach, who asked that his last name not be used, said he does not agree with the Greek lifestyle and would never become a part of one.
The whole Greek lifestyle, Zach said, is a refuge for people who want to do what they aren’t comfortable doing on-campus.
“The whole party picture is prominent in the Greek life.” Zach, freshman in business, said. “It seems they look to it for the partying lifestyle because they cannot find it in mainstream Logan.”
Brown said the majority of people in sororities and fraternities do drink.
“People don’t pressure you to change your values or to compromise them by any means,” Brown said. “(The Greek life) is about learning how to accept other people and accept that their views may not be your views.”
Although being LDS and being part of a fraternity are two different worlds, Brown said the values from fraternities and values from church are equivalent.
“Values from fraternities and values from church are to create a better person,” he said. “We are group of people who are looking to be involved, to be leaders and to better ourselves.”
-candice.sandness@aggiemail.usu.edu