For some Greeks, the four walls forming their house become limitations to the friends they make.
At the University of Idaho, our Greek system truly is a family. For example, best friends Jordan Drexler of Kappa Kappa Gamma and Kenzie Reiber of Delta Gamma both knew they would not end up in the same sorority. They also knew that it didn”t matter.
Alexander Milles
From day one, we are taught to examine the differences between Greek houses, but when we finally find a place of our own in the system we are able to look at the things that bring us all together.
Once we learn to stop asking, or caring, what house someone is in, things change. Personally, some of my closest friends have been from a variety of houses.
With a Greek row that is forever changing, Greeks need to unify and interconnect more than ever before. It may seem cheesy, but we are literally “All in this together.”
Being in the Greek system and connecting with other houses can have its benefits as well. Drexler said she has made friends with women in Gamma Phi Beta, and Rieber said she knows she wouldn”t be so involved on campus if she weren”t in a sorority.
From personal benefits to house-to-house benefits, there are so many reasons why making friends with people from different Greek houses is a good thing. Good relationships can lead to new co-functions or more philanthropy interactions. I could keep going.
The Greek system was built on an elitist system, but it is through working together that we will continue to survive and thrive.
Knowing other Greeks will not take away from your relationships with your brothers or sisters either. If anything, it will strengthen them, giving you a whole new appreciation for the rituals that binds your house together.
For whatever reason, almost every Greek student has at least one house they are not particularly fond of. I get it. But going into Greek life means more than accepting the people around you, it means learning to interact and work together with individuals we may disagree with and trying to find ways to coexist with them anyway.
Fraternity events, for example, are a perfect playground for Greeks to interact. With functions like Beach Party and Jock Jams on the way, it would be wise to make friends in different houses soon.
At the end of the day, everyone in the Greek system is just trying to get through college, and have a good time doing it. All Greeks go through Recruitment “¦ and Greek 101 for that matter.
We participate in these events together, and normally, working with one another to push through them makes them more enjoyable. Isn”t that the point? Remember this, and it may make a difference in the way we operate as a Greek community.
Alexander Milles can be reached at [email protected]