As I’ve mentioned in a post or two, I’ve been trying to start a sorority at my school. It’s proved to be an incredible challenge, but after months and months of pushing for this I feel like defeat just isn’t an option.
This all started freshman year, when I was shedding my soft grunge alternative cocoon, and transforming into the preppy butterfly I was truly meant to be.
I tried to transfer to the University of Alabama but unfortunately had no transfer credits.
I was devastated. If I wanted to transfer there, or anywhere for that matter, I’d have to start as a freshman, which would mean throwing away $40k.
I decided that if I had to stay at my school, it was going to have to change too and devoted myself to getting Greek Life on campus.
I met with the VP of student affairs and she completely shut me down when I proposed colonizing national fraternities and sororities.
The problem that she, and everyone else at my school has with traditional Greek Life is exclusion. And while I can see where their concerns come from, as criteria for what makes a worthy member of certain organizations can appear questionable to say the least, exclusion isn’t always a bad thing.
What kind of reputation do universities with low acceptance rates usually have? What would happen to Harvard’s reputation if they suddenly let in 70 percent of their applicants as opposed to the 5 or less percent they accept now? It would go down the drain.
(And I’m not saying that there aren’t plenty of great universities with acceptance rates on the higher side, but that’s beside the point.)
If you didn’t make the cut for your school’s basketball team would you complain to your principal that the basketball coach’s standards were too high? I’d sure hope not. If you would, you’re exactly what’s wrong with this country.
The logical thing to do would be to ask the coach where you could improve so that you were equipped to make the cut next time around.
Exclusivity encourages excellence, and that’s really all there is to it.
I’m not giving up on this sorority not just because I know that it would benefit our school, or that the idea of leaving behind a legacy is oh so appealing, but because we are falling into an age of normalization of mediocrity, where “everyone is getting trophies just for showing up” and if someone has to draw the line, I’ll gladly snatch the pencil.
While fraternities and sororities have their downfalls, like everything else, they are overall positive institutions that produce eternal bonds as well as well rounded, capable individuals that go on to lead the majority of the free world. Prohibiting Greek Life because of the ruffled feathers of people that hypothetically wouldn’t make the cut is just as ridiculous as dismantling our grading system because there will always be kids that never learn to apply themselves. This mentality is crippling, juvenile, and un-American. This socialist ideology frankly has absolutely no place in God’s country.
what do you think?