Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 17, 1992 TAG: 9203170362
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: EILEEN LAMB
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Rarely do we see a newspaper feature story praising a fraternity or sorority for helping the community or for raising money for a philanthropic project. We see Greeks in the news when members of an organization get into trouble. In the past, we have seen fraternity members arrested for drug trafficking, sexual harassment and hazing.
In most instances when a fraternity receives negative publicity, it is due to the actions of a few individuals, not the entire organization. It is not fair that an entire fraternity or the Greek system should take the blame for one individual.
In any group there is bound to be a bad apple or two, and Greek organizations are no exception. No organization can be accountable for every action its members carry out.
It is not Greek organizations that get students into trouble, but the college atmosphere itself. Drinking and reckless behavior are a fact of life among young people. When students go away to college, it is often the first time they are without a curfew, rules or parental supervision. College students are known to experiment with their new-found freedom, and this tends to get them into trouble.
Students who are not Greek-affiliated get into just as much trouble as those who are; the media makes a bigger deal of the situation when a Greek is involved.
There is so much negative publicity surrounding Greeks that often the positive aspects are overshadowed. Many people do not realize how Greek organizations benefit the community as well as provide services for their members.
At Virgina Tech, sororities and fraternities have raised money for organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House, Children's Cancer Research, Habitat for Humanity and the Virginia Tech YMCA. These are only a few examples of how Greek organizations serve the community.
The Greek system also provides a variety of opportunities for its members. One is to learn leadership skills. Greek organizations encourage members to become active through leadership roles, whether as an executive officer or the chairperson of a committee.
These skills carry over into other organizations on campus. It is interesting to note that 85 percent of student-leadership positions at Virginia Tech are held by members of the Greek community.
Another opportunity that Greek organizations offer their members is academic support. Although many people assume that the primary purposes of fraternities and sororities are to party and get drunk, this is not true. Greeks realize that the primary purpose they are in school is to get an education, and most take this very seriously. At Virginia Tech the overall grade-point average of Greek-affiliated students is higher than the average for the university. Greeks are just as concerned about their grades as non-Greeks.
Greek organizations offer friendship and moral support. Although it is not necessary to join any organization to find friendship, it may make it easier.
Entering a large university such as Virginia Tech can be intimidating, and it is easy to feel lost in the crowd. Greek organizations make the campus seem smaller and make it easier to meet people. Greek organizations also make it easier to get involved in other activities on campus.
The many positive aspects of Greek life are swept under the carpet whenever an individual or small group of members get into trouble. I think that when a fraternity member gets arrested the blame should be placed on him, not on his fraternity and not on the Greek system itself.
Eileen Lamb is a senior communication-studies major at Virginia Tech.
by CNB