With many of the students going back and forth about the question of whether or not USF St. Petersburg should have Greek life on campus, we have heard a resounding “NO” from many students. However, I believe that most of the people who disagree with Greek life only see the negative connotations that it has acquired.
Look at some of Greek life’s biggest statistics: Since the 1900s, 63 percent of the U.S. President’s Cabinet have been Greek, 43 of the nation’s 50 largest corporations are led by Greek members, 85 percent of Fortune 500 executives belong to Greek life, and a U.S. government study shows that members of a sorority or fraternity are 20 percent more likely to graduate.
Greek members volunteer over 850,000 hours annually and they give their time and money to many organizations that need help. Not only does being Greek look good on a resume, it also helps members gain crucial leadership skills that will remain with them for life.
As striking as many of the statistics are, they are not the only reasons why people join. The Greek system is a family and each member gains a sister or a brother they can depend on for life.
“Greek life creates a stronger bond for individuals than just joining a club and having ‘friendly faces’ around,” said Jenna Willard, a junior.
Membership in the Greek community can offer a support system to many students that need help transitioning into the college lifestyle.
Delta Sigma Zeta is trying to become the first sorority on USFSP’s campus. DSZ is working to become nationally recognized by the Panhellenic Council. This process can take years, and will not affect the majority of students that are on campus now.
Many students are unaware of Delta Sigma Pi, a non-social fraternity already at USFSP. I’ve heard no qualms about DSP, so why shouldn’t people give other types of Greek life a chance as well?
Bringing Greek life onto our campus would be an opportunity for many students. It would create life-long relationships and commitments as well as a feeling of belonging. It wouldn’t hurt anyone who didn’t want to join, it wouldn’t deter students from coming to USFSP, and it would be something new and exciting that students could look forward to being a part of.
Our campus is different than most but as we grow and change, the addition of Greek life would be one more step in the evolution of USFSP.
cpinyan@mail.usf.edu
