As president of the Interfraternity Council, I would like to
welcome all of this year’s fall class by addressing some
misconceptions of the Greek system. I’d like to foster a
better understanding of the way of life preferred by over 10
percent of the undergraduate student body.
Stereotype 1: “When you join a fraternity, you pay for
your friends.” Wrong. Upon joining a fraternity, the costs of
being in a fraternity are directly related to the membership dues
imposed by each fraternity’s national organization. These
dues go toward services provided by your national organization,
such as the costs associated with running national organizations,
insurance policies for your fraternities (simply an issue of
legality, nothing to worry about), and more local benefits such as
social and brotherhood events. If you were paying for your friends,
then your friends would disappear after college. Instead,
brotherhood in any fraternity is for life. Also, when you join a
fraternity, you must be at least a minimally sociable person, and
by nature of being sociable you have been able to acquire friends
in some manner by your first year in college, so buying more
isn’t a prerequisite of your college experience ““ nor
should it be a consideration of any activity.
Stereotype 2: “Fraternity men are stupid” (as in not
intelligent). Yes, it’s true that not all Greeks are rocket
scientists, but it’s also true that the cumulative UCLA
fraternity GPA has been consistently higher than the UCLA
all-men’s average for more than the last three years. Greeks
what? The same applies for the cumulative UCLA sorority GPA, which
consistently surpasses the UCLA all-women’s GPA. How could
this be? Don’t Greeks just drink their brain cells into
oblivion on a daily basis? Actually “¦ no. When you’re
in a fraternity, you have the opportunity to live with your fellow
classmates (Greeks are students too, remember?) and also those who
have taken the same class and professor that you currently have.
Providing critical tips and tricks, studying advice and the rumored
presence of test files can only expand your academic
achievements.
Stereotype 3: “Fraternities are not diverse.” What
you will eventually come to see is that the reality is quite the
opposite of this stereotype, and all it requires is opening your
eyes. Assuming that UCLA fraternities are not an ethnically diverse
group of people is totally illogical. Moreover, any lack of
diversity cannot be blamed on the Greek community but rather on the
UCLA admissions process. Think about it. The Greek community cannot
create diversity or take it away because it is not we who determine
the ethnic proportions of the UCLA student body ““ we simply
receive people from the general student body. In addition, you will
notice upon viewing the picture composites of any fraternity that
none have racial requirements and all have an ethnically diverse
brotherhood. For example, of the six members of the Interfraternity
Council Executive Board, there are three Asian Americans, one Latin
American, one Arab American and one white member. If this screams
racial homogeny to you, then explaining the concept of diversity is
beyond my capabilities.
The Greek community has made incredible progress since my
freshman year, and I know that we will continue to positively
reinvent ourselves and silence critics. From award-winning
educational programs and exceptional community involvement to the
foundation of brotherly principles that create lifelong bonds,
there is nothing that can replicate the amazing experience of
membership in the UCLA Greek community. Without involvement in both
my fraternity and the Interfraternity Council, I would never have
developed the confidence and leadership skills required to run for
a position such as this. I know that I’ll be using these
skills for the rest of my life.
Upon joining a fraternity, the possibilities of your development
as a UCLA Bruin are endless. Please don’t reject the idea of
rushing a fraternity because you’re not the “fraternity
type”; I was under the same impression before I made my
decision. There is only one common characteristic shared by all
fraternity men, and that is solely the shared status of
brotherhood. Whether or not you decide to join, I look forward to
seeing you throughout fall recruitment ““ from Sept. 28 to
Oct. 5 ““ because free food is always a reason to do
something. Welcome to UCLA!
Hanna is the 2004-2005 president of the Interfraternity
Council.