Greek life: creating a culture of acceptance and leadership on campus

Greek life is a big part of college culture, but it is not necessarily a good part. Fraternities and sororities across the country hold stereotypes of drinking and hazing, sometimes resulting in serious injury or death. 

However, Elmhurst University’s Greek life groups work to counter that stereotype. 

Samuel Shulman is a member of Lambda Chi Alpha, one of the first fraternities to ban hazing and pledging on a national scale. Since then, both across the country and within EU’s Pi Zeta chapter, members have taken to heart their motto “Every Man a Man.” 

Shulman, who’s openly gay, encourages his brothers to be open with themselves and to each other. 

“Greek life should be safe and inclusive to join,” Shulman said. 

Shulman added that toxic masculinity and stereotypical fraternal culture are harmful. 

“A lot of queer men are emasculated,” Shulman explained, “My freshman year I thought, ‘I’m gay. I’m gonna get hazed. I’m gonna die,’ but it’s not like that,” Shulman described. 

As the vice president, or “High Beta” of his chapter, Shulman has both experienced and contributed to change within his fraternity and within his community. 

As a junior, he served on the Inter-Fraternal Council’s leadership board and was the leading voice in creating a three-week-long recruitment period on campus. He said the change made men, “more inclined and less afraid to join.” 

It meant potential brothers had time to learn what Greek life is truly about and which organization suits them best. 

It also gave the fraternities time to decide if they shouldn’t offer a bid to somebody. Without giving specifics, Shulman admitted there were instances where individuals were likely to receive a bid, or invitation to join, but didn’t because of their behavior during the recruitment period. 

“We respect our brothers and respect our school,” Shulman said about misbehavior. “Once they act a certain way, they have to go.” 

However, respect goes beyond the initial recruitment phase, and another EU fraternity, Alpha Sigma Phi’s (A-Sig’s), values reflect this sentiment. 

The Sigs’ core values include Charity, Honor, Patriotism, Purity, and Silence. Each value has its own volunteer opportunity attached. Charity, for example, is supported by their work with Shatterproof, an organization dedicated to stopping addiction and substance abuse. 

Alex Eddy, president of A-Sig, served as one of two ambassadors last year during a nationally broadcasted info session, sharing how fellow chapters, as well as individuals, can help end addiction. 

“To Better the Man” is the motto of A-Sig; Eddy and his chapter strive every day to reach that goal. A-Sig served as the first partner to a new organization called “Stop Hazing” last year, serving to do exactly that. 

They recognize the history and baggage that fraternities come with and look to make sure those actions and behaviors are never imitated. 

“That culture was universal,” Eddy said, “I thought Greek life was what you hear from the news. I feel like it didn’t match me,” referring to when he first came to EU. 

Fraternities are reaching out more and more to new members with the goal of showing them what the experience is actually like. Eddy said going to recruitment events and hangouts for all the campus fraternities helped him immensely. 

“You learn ‘oh, he’s not an asshole’ and ‘they’re not terrible people,’” Eddy explained. 

With the addition of Continuous Open Bidding, the option to apply or join a fraternity after the initial “bid week,” students are given even more time to find their place on campus. 

“If you say this isn’t a fit for you, it’s not a fit for you,” Eddy added. 

Making the experience fit you is a big part of Greek life at Elmhurst. 

Klaudia Piechocka, president of Elmhurst’s Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter, takes this to heart when talking about her sorority. KKG is bigger than all fraternities, and is one of the larger sororities on campus, boasting about 20 members. Still, they have a very close-knit feel. 

“We’re here to have fun,” Piechocka said, calling her chapter, “a big group of friends.” 

Piechocka wants to avoid the stigma of massive southern schools with hundreds of members, most of whom likely barely know each other. 

She said her chapter wants, “genuine girls with genuine personality.” They achieve this through numerous recruitment events, retreats, and formal and informal get-togethers. 

On an even more personal scale is Sigma Lambda Gamma (SLG), a sorority dedicated to empowering Latina women. Their chapter only has five members, though they still manage to get a lot done. 

SLG travels door to door collecting donations and hosts events such as their Loteria Night. Loteria is a Mexican game similar to bingo, and the entrance money goes to support and uplift Latina voices in the community and in the country. 

Jocelyn Moreno, chapter president, noted the commitment SLG requires. 

“A lot of us carry multiple roles,” Moreno said, with her taking on three roles this year within SLG. “I was working on an invoice in class…you have sisterhood with a side of business.” 

The effort that goes into planning events, even for a sisterhood as small as Sigma Lambda Gamma, breaks down the idea of a stereotypical sorority. Moreno says working with her sorority is “like another class” and they are “always trying to get that stereotype out of [public opinion].” 

According to the Greeks themselves, just about anybody can find a home in a fraternity or sorority on campus. Almost any member would be happy to invite interested students to events, whether it be an extravagant fundraising event or an informal dinner get-together. 

Several Greek life leaders gave the same advice — joining Greek life is for service and friendship, not partying and drinking. 

Shulman phrased it best, “You have to want it for what it stands for.”