To be or not too be... Greek

The music is blasting, the beer is flowing and the lovely ladies are out in full force, all indicators of a great night and a successful party.

But soon the alcohol and the music become too much, the police arrive and the girls head for the bar, and a once promising night is in shambles.

But aside from the stereotypical Greek theme party, what does the community offer to prospective members and the community as a whole?

Many who reside outside of it see it as a drinking club, a friend service for all who have a checkbook, or purely as an egotistical group of attention seekers.

On the other end, there are those that tell you they build life long friends, meet their future spouses and build powerful networks that help them land future jobs and careers. But, as with all things, it seems to follow Aristotle's Golden Mean.

I have been particularly introspective the past week, partly because this is my last year and partly because it helps me fill up this space, but mostly because the job search has left me reviewing my credentials and wondering if they will be enough. As I've updated my resume, written slews of cover letters and asked for letters of recommendation, I've considered my three years at State University and wondered what could of been if I had chosen a different path.

Ultimately, the biggest decision I made in college was to go Greek. I originally was adamantly against it, fearful of the party stereotype and the havoc it would wreak on my grades. But when three of my roommates took the plunge sophomore year, I was left in the uncomfortable position of being without a social life if I let them leave me behind.

I cautiously jumped in, leery of the "frat boys'" promises of grandeur, fun and friends. My logic was that I could always drop it if it became too much of a time commitment, which I deeply feared it would. That fear would be realized, but when it did, it was of little consequence to me.

Pledging was a blast. I quickly had a large social network of friends and was given the golden pass to parties and bars I couldn't sniff the year before. What I lacked my freshman year, close friends who I could count on, was forced upon me during the pledge process. I had an identity now along with a crusading cause to help my fraternity achieve greatness in the community.

However, my grades plummeted, my parents were not pleased, and the hammer dropped. I struggled juggling partying, working and school my first year, and adding pledging killed my will to put in the work necessary to achieve scholastically. I was three semesters in, having already achieved junior status because of Advanced Placement credit from high school, but I was decidedly behind my peers even when ahead in credits.

Today, that semester looms as the most bittersweet four months of my life. On the one hand, it marked the beginning of a decision I have never regretted. I owe my relationship with Audrey to it, 95 percent of my friends and a host of great stories about long nights. But at what cost? Would I have done better in school had I not joined? Might I have gotten involved in an organization that was focused outside of the social aspect? Would my unfortunate social situation have motivated me to achieve more tangible results that look great on a resume?

The advantages of Greek Life are not well-known by outsiders, and are typically scorned, and perhaps my bias places a higher value on them. But, now as a senior whose job in the fraternity is to lead our pledges toward initiation, pledges that are sophomores and freshman, I can not overlook the social building values that are learned by Greek members. On a weekly basis, we are forced to stand and speak to the fraternity as a whole, to speak our mind on the week that has past. Not all do, but those that take advantage build confidence in their public speaking that does great favors for them down the road. It is not difficult to see the strides taken as new initiates bumble through this their first few meetings but quickly grasp the eloquence necessary to make an impactful statement in front of the brotherhood. The pledges are quickly blossoming in this aspect too. At first, they were cautious and full of trepidation, but now, they are quick to call someone on their mistakes or pat them on the back for successes.

And then there is the nature of the organizational beast, the ins and outs of dealing with 70+ personalities. It is impossible to expect all 70 of us to love each other, and admittedly, we do not. There are a fair number who I would prefer not to have to deal with, and some I out right dislike, but, we are all united under the fraternity oath, and I am forced to hang out with, work with, and see people daily that I really do not care for.

Finally, there are the political considerations. I have put into practice leadership skills when heading up an event or challenging a position I disagree with at meeting. I have competed with other brothers for positions in the chapter and devised strategies for winning. I have voted and campaigned for candidates whose lines of thinking follow mine and whose leadership would directly benefit me. Are these skills tangible or even worthwhile, or merely a "frat boys" attempt to legitimize his alcoholism and drug abuse?

Is the fraternity a god send to the university? Far from it. We cause more headaches than we cure. We drink and party more than any other group on campus, and with that comes rowdiness, lewdness and, more often than I care to admit, violence and sexual assault. Often, we merely go through the motions or phone in the requirements campus has for us to keep our charter. If I have any great regret about Greek Life, it is our lack of impact on campus, and our utter disregard for change in that direction.

I made my bed with Greek Life. I elected to succeed socially, rather than push for a cause or pursue membership in an academic club. But I also know that I owe a great deal to my fraternity, with or without its shortcomings, and that I learned a great deal about life, people, and, ultimately, myself along the way.