11 September 2018
Courtney Soeder
Greek Life is a part of almost every college campus across the nation and UCCS is no different. Freshman entering campus know it’s going to be an aspect of their community, and based on the culture presented to most of them, they have formed a stereotype about fraternities and sororities.
From these stereotypes a few questions come to mind: What’s Greek Life like at UCCS, and is it a positive or negative influence to the rest of the students on campus?
Though the Greek Life community at UCCS is small, it is steadily growing and continues to have an impact on the way they are portrayed towards others. Three fraternities and two sororities are what make up the UCCS Greek Life currently on campus and with more students continuing to join.
I believe that opinions on Greek Life vary from person to person; however, there is commonly an initial look of distaste on their faces when fraternities and sororities are mentioned.
You never really know what an impact these negative stereotypes have, until you are a member.
As a former member of Greek life I can vouch, in all honesty, that this wasn’t the best time of my life; but I met amazing people and experienced things that I still hold dear to my heart.
Similarly to how UCCS students showcase their disgust for Greek Life on their faces, many individuals feel that their fraternities and sororities don’t typically have the best reputations.
Greek Life at UCCS is different since there are no fraternity or sorority houses on campus, and everyone makes sure that all members are accounted for and safe. This includes making sure that no hazing occurs on campus. .
Experimentation is common for college age students, especially those that live on campus and UCCS is no different; however, many of the parties here are being held by students associated with Greek Life. That being said, Greek Life leadership helps ensure that most party goers are safe and that they have someone to reach out to if they need help.
More and more members of Greek Life are starting to speak out against hazing and other injustices happening in the community, and are trying to make a difference.
With that being said, college kids are still going to want to party whether Greek Life is there or not, so this organization cannot be completely to blame.
Many of the individuals I know who are a part of Greek Life really want to make a change in their community and alter the stigma that fraternities and sororities are associated with.
Being a part of Greek Life allowed me the ability to help the community in ways I would not have been able to otherwise.
Sadly, no Greek Life chapter is perfect, as some individuals rebel against ethics and, in turn, represent their chapter in a poor manner. Exclusion of those who are not admitted into the group is another negative aspect that is different from other clubs or organizations on campus.
To really understand Greek Life’s influence, it is up to the UCCS student body to look around and decide how this community has affected them. As someone who has been a part of Greek Life, and someone who has not, I can see both the good and the bad sides.