Alpha Chi Latte Phi Omega. Whatever mumbo jumbo college campus’ “Greek life” are calling themselves these days, it just sounds like something I’d never want to be apart of in the first place.  I didn’t grow up with sisters, so why would I suddenly want them as I enter into college? Not to mention the ride or die pledges you have to take, the cost, and the time commitment. All joking aside, here are some serious reasons as to why sororities and fraternities are a no-go.

Hazing is a serious problem with sororities and fraternities. The hazing comes from the process of Greek life where students who are interested must “rush,” which is basically a series of social gatherings one must attend so that the members of the houses can get a feel for who you are and whether or not they’d like to have you join.  If the house strikes an interest in you, you’ll then move on to a phase called “pledging” which is usually a humiliating and sometimes dangerous task that must be completed to officially enter the house. We’ve all heard our fair share of pledging horror stories, like the ones where students have had to drink absurd amounts of alcohol which in some cases lead to a severe case of alcohol poisoning and even death.  Not to mention, at Penn State University it was rumoured that pledgers were asked to raise a puppy for 6 weeks and then…kill it. TIME magazine reports that 2017 was the deadliest year ever for fraternity hazing deaths. Overall, not only is the process to join Greek life a pain in the you know where but it can also put lives at risk.

How much does it cost to go Greek?  According to USA Today, the average new sorority member will pay $1,280 per semester and the average fraternity member will pay $605 per semester, not including room and board at the chapter house.  I’m sorry, but you’re not allowed to complain about college being expensive when you willingly pay $1200-$2500 a year for an organization that kills puppies. Kidding, but really, the costs don’t end here.  Most chapters require their members to buy matching t-shirts, matching colored clothing items, or even halloween costumes. Though buying a few specific dresses for various events doesn’t seem like a lot, the cost can definitely add up.

Most students go to college to get an education. But when you’re forced to attend mandatory events and some are even fined for not attending, it’s hard to put in an adequate amount of time and effort into your school work.  While it’s absolutely a good thing that these organizations are philanthropic and put a lot of time into events that benefit the community, it’s easy to get lost in the countless amounts of responsibilities that go along with each event, as well as your own personal work that needs to get done.  On some college campuse,s there exist “academic” sororities and fraternities that are in most cases non-residential and are essentially a big group of people in the same major/program as you. In contrast, this is a great way to get help with school work, collaborate with others, and complain about how mutually hard your work is.

College is all about the “experience.” With this in mind, it is extremely important to fill that experience with positive friends, experiences, and only a handful of dumb mistakes. This is why before you go Greek, take a look at the dark side of these social brainwashing hubs.