Greek life and its affiliates are a system of organizations that are popular across collegiate campuses not only in the United States, but in other countries as well. For many students Greek life provides a strong social basis in a new community and a leaping point to get involved in service and activism, as well as offering contacts after college. So why would a community wish to remove such a system that can be a great boon to its students? There are a number of reasons, such as Greek organizations being viewed as exclusive, incidents of hazing, as well as a reputation for distracting from studies with things such as excessive alcohol, parties, and other such activities. However, despite many of the misgivings that exist around them, Greek life organizations are a necessary part of campus and campus life.

Greek organizations, when they are prominent on a campus, work hard to promote life on that campus for its students. For students who are incoming or still deciding on a school and are interested in Greek life, prominent campus participation creates an appeal and a draw that makes the school competitive when trying to garner new students. For the community as a whole, Greek life is consistently dedicated to service and philanthropy, raising money for organizations such as Relay for Life and Children’s Miracle Network. Greek life provides a basis for other student organizations to build off of as well, as many students involved in it are also involved in other organizations and will promote these other organizations through their activities with their fraternity, sorority, or consanguinity.

Greek life is also healthy for a school post-graduation, as it provides an extensive network of alumni for their members to connect with, and these alumni in turn often work together to help raise money for their alma mater because they wish to see the school, and thus their Greek organization, prosper. However, if a school goes to extensive lengths to remove its Greek life organizations around campus, it in turn loses the support of the alumni who that were part of those organizations. Thus the elimination of Greek life causes financial problems for an institution, especially a private one, by alienating part of their alumni base. This cuts off short term monetary income, and makes the institution less appealing to factions of students who decide not to attend, and thus the school brings in a lower amount of funds through tuition.

Additionally, Greek life is necessary because it gives opportunities to students who struggle with making personal connections. Shy students who are accepted into Greek organizations suddenly have a large network of people with whom they share a connection, a starting point to build friendships and confidence so that they can further build relationships outside of the organization. For many who pose this point however, they are met with the contention of the hazing incidents that have been reported across the United States from various organizations. It is not the place of this author to define what is and what is not hazing, nor to deny that there are many organizations that have crossed a line that never should be. But Greek life provides a great deal of benefits to its members and society, and to judge an entire system based on the actions of a few is folly. Taking away Greek life takes away from students a tool they could have used to build their confidence and personal connections with a community, something that would have been a great aid to them in their lives after college.

Greek life is a powerful organization, one that has fingers in organizations all across campus, support in a community in which they are active, and a strong post-graduate alumni base. To eliminate Greek life is to alienate all of these connections that exist with it, and ultimately aid in the downfall of a campus’s standing nationally and financially. Its removal eliminates a resource for students who both are and are not members to build connections on campus. Greek life is useful, so why would anyone wish to remove that?