by Jasmine Ellis

“It’s just a joke”

“My (insert race here) friend told me it was ok”

“Stop being so sensitive”

“Stop being so P.C”

These were among the very angry responses to an Ohio Student groups poster campaign. The group called S. T.A.R.S students teaching  against racism in society ruffled a few feathers by asking students to stop mocking other peoples cultures.

Some claimed the grew was overly sensitive and trying to infringe on their 1st amendment rights. The truth is you can be whomever or whatever you want to be on Halloween but the costume you choose can reflect you, your family and your Greek letter organization in a very negative way.When it boils down to it your  right to  make jokes shouldn’t be more important than a minority’s right to feel like a human  being .

Treating a person like a costume means that you don’t feel like they matter; don’t let your costume define you in a negative way. I could go on for days about how some of the slaves, holocaust victims and terrorist I have seen have really left a sinking feeling in my stomach.

So take a second to view the pictures and hopefully this will spark some conversation and a little more acceptance and a little less disrespect.

See the full pictures and discussion on CNN

I could just sit right here,
And let myself be distracted,
By the vast wasteland of 600 channels.
Catch up on reality TV,
Check out movies I haven’t seen since…
Last week.
Poker on ESPN, Jersey Shore on MTV.
It’s nice to just do something
Mindless.

I could just sit right here,
Take this controller that is
Connected to that box,
And enter an alternative video game world.
I can blow things up.
I can win the World Series.
I can pretend that I’m a rock legend.
It’s fun,
There’s a sense of achievement,
And of course, I’m improving my
Hand-eye coordination.

I could just sit right here
And stare out of this window.
Sit in a quiet and reflective state.
Contemplate life, develop theories,
Think about what I should do.
Then analyze that thought,
Change my mind,
Start over again,
Be lost in my thoughts.
Just think,
And reflect,
And stare.

I could just sit here
Read about others;
Be a critic.
“Well that was stupid.”
“What on earth was he thinking?”
“I would have done it differently.”
“That will never work.”
And then,
Turn back to reality TV.

I could just sit here
And sleep.
But I can’t,
For no idea, action, or passion
Has exhausted me.
Yet, lethargy is so draining.
So if I can’t sleep,
I’ll just relax instead.

Wait,

I can’t do that.
I can’t just sit here, I can’t just relax.
I made a decision to do more.
To be a part of a movement.
To strive to be my best self.
To do more with my life.
There are plenty of people
Sitting on couches,
Watching TV, thinking, criticizing,
Playing video games.
But there are not enough of me.

I can’t just sit here because there is a force,
Greater than the gravity
That keeps me grounded.
It’s the force of oaths and commitments
That like a great blast of air
Lifts me up,
And pushes me out,
Of hiding.

I can’t just sit here
And stare at a screen,
Or out the window.
I need instead to look directly
Into the weary face of a world that needs me.

The couch beckons me and
I could just sit here.
But I can’t.
And I won’t.
It’s time to get up off this couch,
And get to work.

In such a short history, fraternities have evolved immensely and have experienced a vast shift in cultural identity. Many would suggest the only constant among all this change has been the values we say we represent, but are we sure about that?

Over the past few months, I have questioned what fraternities actually represent; not by what we say, but what we do. This question demanded that I take a closer and more detailed look, so I decided to follow “fraternity” via Google’s alert system for the past month and see what was being reported on the Greek life I love so much. To say the least, I was beyond disappointed.

Turns out, there has been a lot of negative coverage on fraternities lately. It seems as though the media is relentless in their pursuit to find any and all negative byproducts of this system. I can hardly blame them; no more than I can blame the media for those actions being made in the first place.

Too often, we jump to the same tired defense, arguing that the media fails to report all the good we do. But is the good we do good enough? Have we reached a point where we truly believe that six community service hours justifies the mental distress of an 18 year old? Do we think raising 6,000 dollars can replace a life?

Like it or not, these horrible acts are committed. And yes, they will always be the only aspect of fraternity reported by the media. But is pointing out the good we do even an appropriate response? It’s like we just accept this behavior as a necessary evil to all the good we do. I just can’t bring myself to believe that.

Instead of fighting against what is reported, let’s give the media nothing to report. We say we hold ourselves to a “higher standard” yet too often there is a report of alleged hazing or sexual assault by a fraternity member. Look, we will never be able to control what is reported, but the one thing we can control is our actions. Let’s stop playing into the stereotypes that we created.

I guess what I’m asking is at what point will we truly do what we say we do, without exception. Reaching that point includes everyone in the community. Regardless what you think your level of guilt is in all of this, if you’re not doing something to actively stop those who are, you’re not doing anything to help our cause either. Remember, the next time you turn your eye to what you think is minor hazing, it was that same bystander behavior that led to the death of an 18 year old being the top story on CNN.com.

Are we so far off the beaten path that we can’t come back to the pure state that we once were? Are we so concerned with fulfilling social norms that we dismiss the very reason we exist as an organization? Is the type of man that our fraternities originally sought even relevant anymore?

If you are looking for an answer, I don’t have them. Sorry. What I do know is that I took a vow to my organization, promising to be a better man and to make a difference. I’m committed to this vow. I commit to never giving up on our high ideals. I truly believe in Fraternity.

I’d like to challenge the fraternity men who continue to dismiss the values by which they vowed to live: I challenge you to start living to our high standards and stop making those men doing the right thing defend your actions with their own. I challenge you to stop giving the media stories to report. I challenge you to earn your place in this Greek life I love so much.

After the first night of recruitment I fell in love with sororities!

I made so many new friends and learned a lot about each chapter. When Bid Day finally came I was so excited to open my card and see where I was going and what sorority I would be able to call my own! Once we all found out what sorority we were now apart of we got to hang out with our chapter.

After hanging out with the chapter girls, I finally decided to tell my parents I joined a sorority. I went the whole week without telling them because I wasn’t sure if I was going to join and how my parents would feel if I did join. My parents were very excited for me and could not believe I joined a sorority. My dad was so excited that I joined a sorority he went on the national webpage of my sorority and looked up everything about it! My dad called me the next day and was like did you know your president’s name is this?…and your national colors are that?… and your symbol is this? He knew more than me!!!

As the semester went on I had a blast with my new sisters! We played in the intramural flag football games, hung out a lot, went on a retreat together and just got to know each other.  I became so close with everyone in such a short time. Being from Massachusetts, I really felt like I had a family in Texas since my family was so far away.

In November we had our sororities’ formal banquet. This is a time when the chapter gets together and invites their parents to come and see how much we’ve done in the semester and what we’ve done as a chapter.  Unfortunately my parents were not able to attend since they live over 30 hours away.

At one point in the evening we were handing out awards and people were giving speeches.  My Big Sister in sorority and another one of my sisters went up to the microphone and starting to talk as they looked directly at me. At first I was thinking why are they looking at me? As they continued to talk they said “One of our sisters is from really far away.” I was trying to avoid eye contact and was thinking to myself that’s great stop looking at me!  They continued, “Her family could not be with us tonight and we wanted to present her with something special.” I was thinking okay that’s nice, why are you still looking at me? Then they said, “She’s from Massachusetts,” They Caught my attention then!!!! I was thinking I’m the only one from Massachusetts and I stared right back at them listening with my ears open!

They continued saying, “When we found out at the beginning of the semester Renee could not afford to buy a plane ticket home for Christmas break we all chipped in and bought her a plane ticket home!” I started baling my eyes out!!! I couldn’t believe what they were saying!

I ran up to my Big Sis and just hugged her as hard as I could and kept crying. All the parents in the room started to cry too because they couldn’t believe what happened either. I was so grateful of all my sisters!

Once they stopped talking I grabbed my phone and called my parents! My dad answered and I yelled, “I’M COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!!” At this point both my parents were on the phone and I could hear my mom crying. My dad told me that in September one of my sisters contacted him and told him what they had planned and asked what airport I should land at. I couldn’t believe that first off my family kept this secret from me! And second off that I was going to be able to see my family during Christmas when I thought I wasn’t going to be able to see them until May!

Once I stopped crying my dad told me that he couldn’t believe that this group of women cared that much about me since they had only known me for a few months. I couldn’t believe it either! They told me they couldn’t believe this sisterhood was so welcoming and caring and looking out for me. My parents told me they were very grateful of my sorority sisters and couldn’t wait to see me in a few weeks.

To this day I am so very thankful of my sisters for buying me a plane ticket home my freshman year! That action alone showed me what sisterhood was really about. This kind action of buying me a plane ticket home to see my family is just one of the many things sorority has offered me!

Now as I’m going into my senior year, I look back at all that I’ve gotten to have because of the sorority experience. I have gotten to meet so many wonderful sisters, made memories that will last a lifetime, won lip-sync competitions, and created bonds with girls I never thought I would create.

I am so glad I decided to follow my friends and Go Greek!

So far I have learned so much and gotten to meet so many great people. I still have a year left and I can only imagine what more is to come from this amazing experience. Without a doubt I would say GO GREEK!!!!!!!!!!

Renee DuBois

Panhellenic President

There’s only three more weeks left to sign up for Fall Formal Recruitment!! If you’ve been debating whether or not Greek life is for you, hopefully this blog will you help you make that decision, or at least make the decision to give it a shot.
Going through Fall Formal Recruitment does not mean you are automatically stuck in Greek life. If you feel at any point that Greek life just isn’t for you, that’s ok! It isn’t for everybody, but you’ll never know until you try. Also, going through recruitment is a great way to meet women on a campus that can seem overwhelmingly large. The women you make during this week could become some of your closest friends. So why not try it out? You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain!

So what else do you gain by joining a Greek chapter? Well, every Greek chapter values what we call the four pillars. The four pillars of Greek Life stand for Service, Scholarship, Leadership and Sisterhood/Brotherhood.

Community service and philanthropic support is an integral part of fraternity and sorority life. Each chapter sponsors events to provide service, raise funding and raise awareness to a wide variety of organizations representing many worthy causes. These events can take many forms and they bring the entire Greek community together. Grab your sisters and head off to a water balloon fight, a date auction, a scavenger hunt or even a rock concert, all in the name of helping others! Most students report that helping others is one of the most rewarding experiences that fraternity or sorority membership provides.

Scholarship: it’s why you’re at MSU in the first place! Joining a sorority means that you have an automatic network of support and older women willing to help out with subjects they’ve already taken.  Each chapter maintains its own GPA requirements for membership and initiation and ensures continued academic success, through tutoring, academic advising, scholarships and reward systems.

Greek life also provides students with a wide variety of leadership opportunities. Members can participate within their chapter as an officer or on one of the committees each chapter maintains. There are also opportunities outside each chapter to become actively involved in MSU ’s 100 + student organizations. If you’re interested in Student Government, you will find that the student body leaders, including the vice president of Student Government are members of the Greek community. Greeks are actively involved in sports, professional organizations, religious groups, community service opportunities, even the cheerleaders. For members to achieve a well-rounded education, fraternities and sororities encourage active participation in a variety of MSU leadership experiences.

Finally, alumni of Greek organizations often report that the most rewarding part of their Greek experience was the friendships they were able to build and maintain over the years. Fraternities and sororities build a unique bond of brotherhood and sisterhood that students carry with them throughout their lives. The connections that are built in a fraternity or sorority during the college years transcend time and often impact students many times after graduation.

Greek Life has a lot to offer and we would love for you to give the experience a chance. Look back through this blog to read the stories other Panhellenic women have shared about their experiences. And finally, if you are interested in signing up for recruitment, click here.

Being apart of the Greek community at Midwestern for the past three and a half years has made me the best person I could have possibly imagined. Of course I still have things to work on, but the things I have accomplished so far are more than I could have hoped for. I have been honored to serve my chapter in many positions, including vice president, and I have also been chosen to serve on the Panhellenic Council for two years. One of the things I am most proud of, however, is that I have been able to keep my GPA up while going to school full-time and working twenty-five hours a week. I don’t believe I would be such a driven individual without the help of my chapter and the friends I have made through Panhellenic.

So what is in it for you?

It’s a chance to become the best person you can be, and knowing if you mess up or make a mistake you will have a whole room of sisters that will be there for you to help you through it. It’s a chance to grow as a person and make life long connections and friendships. And most importantly it’s the chance to make memories that you will be able to have for the rest of your life.

Caitlin Niemann

Panhellenic Vice President of Recruitment

I didn’t want to be in a sorority; my sister, a Delta Gamma at A&M, convinced me to go through recruitment. I felt that I wasn’t “sorority girl” material. I wasn’t particularly girly and I didn’t like parties or frat boys, but I attended recruitment anyway. After being accepted into a sorority and signing a bid, I was skeptical, but decided to give it a little time. With time, these women began to intrigue me. They were not the stereotypical sorority girls on TV. They were real people with goals, with a vision, with so much love for each other. But they were even more than the normal students. These girls do so much more than the average student, while the average student is surviving, these girls are striving. Striving to succeed academically, striving to make a difference in their community and for each other. I wanted to be like them. And now, I hope that people look at me in the way I look at them because I believe that sorority life has changed me for the better.

Coming from high school I was a shy girl who dreaded speaking in front of crowds and would walk away from a leadership position. I now speak in front of the entire sorority at every weekly meeting and have held two vice presidential positions. Where I once had few girlfriends I now have about 40 that will have my back in any situation. Service work has taught me to care for strangers and see the good in giving to the community. With the help of our scholarship committee, I have gained two 4.0 semesters, grades I would never even dream of even in high school. My past was a life of uncertainty and bashfulness. My present, and hopefully my future, is one of confidence and a clear vision of what I want in life. Being able to work with my sisters toward a common goal, a better sorority for us and for future members, has made me into a better version of myself. A stronger and more successful woman who my family can be proud of, that I can be proud of.

Sorority life, once I opened up to it, was able to change me in so many positive ways. Of course there are negatives to everything, but the positives that you could gain from sorority life at MSU far outweigh any negatives. Anyone can join sorority life and make a change you just have to open to it and take the first step: join recruitment and see where your life is headed.

Kendall Neu

Panhellenic Vice President of Scholarship

I wanted to get involved on campus and meet new people, but I was too shy to put myself out there. Needless to say, I didn’t go through formal recruitment that first fall I came to Midwestern. I wasn’t exactly sure of what to expect during recruitment so I decided to wait a semester. By the time the spring semester rolled around, I was more comfortable with my surroundings. I even mustered up enough courage to take a position in an education organization on campus. Despite how far I had come since I first moved to Wichita Falls, I still felt like I needed something more.

I realized that I missed my friends and family from back home. I missed having people to talk to and hang out with on a regular basis. So with the new courage I had to start talking to people I searched for my place in the Greek community at MSU.

I still remember the first day I met all the girls in my chapter. The first question the ladies asked me was why choose their sorority? I remember telling them, “friends.” I explained to them that I was from Houston and that I didn’t know anyone in Wichita Falls. One of the girls in the group shot up and exclaimed, “I’m from Houston too!” She told me that she knew exactly how I felt and that was so comforting to me. I knew at that moment that with those girls was exactly where I belonged. Now, my chapter means more to me than just friends and I am so grateful for the opportunity to join a sorority at Midwestern.

Kristina Morales

Panhellenic Vice President of Communications

“No matter the letters, we’re all Greek together.”

I know – rather cheesy, don’t you think? I just wanted to share this fun little quote as Formal Recruitment draws near for many chapters at campuses all over the country. This is a time when sororities are clearly competing against each other, so it’s the perfect time to remind active members that the Greek community as a whole should be respected during this process.

Support your fellow Panhellenic sisters – wish them luck because the new members they gain will become your Panhellenic sisters and will represent the entire Greek community.

We’re all Greek together!

by Mallory Yancy

My Greek experience has benefited me in a variety of ways.

I never thought I would be a “sorority girl” but I decided to give it a try.  I am so blessed that I did. I have gained sisters and friends that I will have forever. Without their friendships I would not be the person I am today.

Coming to college can be very hard and it was great for me to have a support system being away from home. I also have been able to gain different types of leadership skills. I always was a leader in high school but becoming Greek is a lot different.

There are so many different positions you can fill and it’s so awesome being able to get involved and push myself to do well in areas I had no idea I could succeed in. My Greek experience has also made me a stronger woman. My sisterhood is very unique and not one girl is alike.

At first it was really hard realizing we were all so different, I didn’t know how we would all be friends. But the exact opposite happened, we became best friends. My pledge class couldn’t have been more different and it was amazing to see how blessed each of us were that we were each unique but could come together to form an amazing bond that I never thought was possible.

I got a better understanding of who I was through the whole process too. Sisterhood is not being an identical twin to everyone; it’s about being unique and offering something that no one else can to make your sisterhood flourish and grow.

_________________________________________________________________________

Mallory is a recruitment counselor for the fall 2011 formal recruitment period. In her chapter, Mallory has held a number of leadership roles, including being the delegate for the Panhellenic Council. Mallory is looking forward to working with all the women who are going to participate in the recruitment process and showing them the benefits of joining a sorority.