RUSH. THE word kind of makes your stomach turn, doesn't it? Associated with it are images of black pants, small talk and hard core partying. That is exactly what came to mind when, as a first-year student, I made the conscious decision not to rush and fall victim to "The Man." Now, as an older and wiser University student, college has taught me one valuable lesson I can carry with me throughout life: Never refrain from doing anything simply because of the hype surrounding it.
First of all, who is "The Man?" The community, the government, the president of the University - who? It is doubtful that, whether a student chooses to pledge a fraternity or a sorority or not, God will become vengeful and strike him or her with a thunderbolt. There is no establishment out to condemn or commend students for joining the Greek system. If there is any group students have to answer to, it is their own peers, members of the University community. Therefore, it is the students who are drawing the lines between "us" and "them" and causing conflict for themselves, sabotaging the idea of unified school spirit.
The sources of these pros and cons about rushing most likely are not reliable. From the moment one sets foot on Grounds as a first year, he or she is fed rumors about Greek life, such as: "The only way a woman will date you is if you are in a fraternity," or "Only elitist snobs join sororities." Comments such as these brainwash students into believing that whether or not they go Greek will be the defining moment of their college careers, and will make or break their reputations at the University. These arguments are usually generated and passed down through word of mouth and become quite distorted, much like a game of "telephone" involving the entire University. There is no basis for these rumors.
Everyone at the University hears the stereotypes of many of the fraternities and sororities on Grounds. Most of these rumors are passed down from class to class, first-year dorm to first-year dorm, because people cannot live without gossip. After a little while of being immersed in University life, one discovers that every fraternity and sorority has all different kinds of members. Every house has nice people and snobby people, party people and more relaxed brothers or sisters.
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This is also true of non-Greek communities. Plenty of students who are not involved with Greek life are heavy drinkers and attend frat parties. If one takes a visual survey while dining in Newcomb or riding on the bus, he or she would never be able to pick out who the fraternity guys and sorority sisters were out of such a diverse lineup. Greek members cannot be identified by clothing - we all know that khakis and baseball caps are a University of Virginia thing, not specifically frat guy apparel - or action. University students are quite diverse, within the Greek system as well as the entire college.
In truth, "fraternity" and "sorority" are just fancy names for "large social clubs." Everyone who enters the University tries desperately to find a place where he or she belongs. Some people satisfy this need by becoming part of the Greek system, and some join other organizations. All of these activities basically serve the same purpose: to help students participate in interests they enjoy, with people they like. It just so happens that some of these organizations have Greek letters to represent them.
As a friend wise beyond her years told me the other day, "A sorority or a fraternity is just another thing that people will tack under your name to describe you. It is just something you are involved in, not something that defines you." Students should remember this insightful comment in the future, and remember - don't let The Man get you down.
(Michelle Drucker's column appears Tuesdays in The Cavalier Daily.)
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