To those that base their opinions of Greek life on television shows and movies, those that think Greek life is a stain on society that must be removed, did you know that over seven million dollars is donated every year by members of Greek life? Did you know that Greeks have over 10 million service hours donated so far this year? Oh, but all Greek life members do is party and “haze”? The negative connotation on Greek life is overwhelming; anyone can see that, but Greeks do so much good for the world that is overshadowed by the mistakes of a FEW chapters at a FEW schools. Philanthropy is only one of the many ways that Greek Life has a positive effect on the world.
“What even is ‘philanthropy’; and why do Greeks throw that word around like a Frisbee?” If you go to a small school (such as Seton Hall University), every day you probably see tables on tables and advertisements for events that support a fraternity or sorority’s philanthropic cause. One of the big questions during recruitment is “WHAT IS YOUR PHILANTHROPY?” But what even is philanthropy? Upon hearing that word when going through recruitment and choosing a sorority, I thought of millionaires with their own charities, throwing money towards causes. However, Greek philanthropy is much more substantial and meaningful than I ever could have imagined at the time.
In a Greek setting, philanthropy brings people towards a common goal; not just within the organization, but as a whole. Philanthropy unites the different organizations. Each organization has its own philanthropic cause that they raise money for, but each is good and beneficial in its own way, there is no competition. As Greeks, we support each other’s endeavors. We attend other events that aren’t our own and donate to causes that are not our own, because any cause is a good cause. Sororities and fraternities are sometimes pitted against each other and believed to always be in competition with each other because of one irrelevant reason or another, but most philanthropic events promote Greek Unity through co-sponsorship or through the substance of the event.
One of the best examples of a good philanthropic cause is the Lexi Brown fund that the brothers of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at UCLA started. Before starting this philanthropy fund for the 12-year-old cancer victim, the brothers of the fraternity brought her pizza, serenaded her in her hospital room, visited her until she was ready to go home, and wrote her name out in Christmas lights on their house. They started the fund afterwards to help with the many hospital bills that she was bombarded with. This is the true definition of philanthropy, and there are so many other chapters out there, even at Seton Hall, that do just as much as the brothers of this fraternity.
Seven million dollars is an awe-inspiring amount of money, and it all goes towards different ways to make the world a better place; not alcohol, drugs, or partying, contrary to popular belief. As a philanthropy coordinator, it saddens me to hear that Greek Life is held on a dingy pedestal of disappointment, but Greeks must keep working hard to clear the dirt off and to wash away the stigma that comes with the term “Greek Life”. Philanthropy is the active effort to take responsibility in the bettering of society, and us Greeks take a major part in that.
“We are responsible for the world in which we find ourselves, if only because we are the only sentient force which can change it.” – James Baldwin