Drinking and Greek Life
I will be the first to admit that I am not always sober. I have plenty of nights out and drink as much as some of my guy friends at times. I will, however, get annoyed if you attempt to categorize all of the Greek community as alcoholics. I would like to mention that a large portion of Greeks don’t drink. The decision whether to consume alcohol or not is an individual choice, and there is not a single Greek organization where drinking is part of the creed or bylaws. Are you going to tell me that more Greeks drink than non-Greeks? This phenomena is not caused by the hazing we are accused of, it is because Greeks have more friends who are older than them to supply alcohol. Most freshman decide to drink in college, but most freshman are mostly friends with other freshman. This means they are out of luck when they want to play a game of beer pong. If you are Greek, you meet many people in many organizations including upperclassmen. From experience, I know that my friends from class tend not to drink not because they like being sober, but because they don’t know many people over 21. I, however, have a big, a g-big, and an entire fraternity willing to get me alcohol if I want it. Think about where these statistics are coming from and what factors cause the numbers to be what they are before you preach them people.
I know people who are skeptical about joining Greek life because they are afraid of being forced to drink. I have been in a sorority for over a year and no one has ever forced alcohol on me. I am asked to go get lunch or Starbucks with my sisters a lot more frequently than I am to go out to a bar or to a party. Do we go to bars and parties too? Hell yeah. Are there sober people when we go? You bet there is. Being in a sorority or having friends in a fraternity means that if you do get drunk, there will be someone there to make sure you make it home safely. I have a Big that would NEVER let me be seen as a ratchet drunk mess. I have sisters that stay sober or will stay in to do homework and offer rides. Sometimes I’m the one offering rides because it’s all a give and take. I have had fraternity guys help me clean some other girl’s vomit off of me, I have had fraternity friends who have had pledges give me rides home, I have had my Big sing and hug me while I drunk cried after one too many shots of vodka even after he told me not to have vodka, and my boy G-Big tucked me into bed on the couch and drove me home in the morning. I made the choice to drink. IT WAS MY DECISION AND NONE OF THEM MADE ME DO IT, but they were there to pick up the pieces. Do you know what did not happen? I was not raped, drugged, or in a dangerous situation. I will not deny that some sketchy stuff happens in some fraternity houses or that bad things don’t happen to Greeks, but if you choose your friends and fam wisely, they will have your back and you will most certainly have some funny pictures of them to show at their weddings when you take care of their drunk asses. It is a 2 way street. You will get what you put in. If you never help out your friends, don’t expect them to hold your hair back when you vomit.
DON’T EXPECT TO ALWAYS HAVE TO BE A BABYSITTER IF YOU DON’T DRINK, BUT DON’T GET ANNOYED IF YOUR FRIENDS INVITE YOU OUT AND END UP HAVING TOO MUCH TO DRINK. Judgement goes both ways. You can’t judge someone for not drinking, and you definitely can’t judge someone for deciding to drink either. Practice what you preach. If you decide drinking isn’t your thing, don’t take up an offer to go to a bar and complain that no one else went to liquor pitcher wednesday without the intention of getting tipsy. You can decide to not drink and people will still invite you out, but if you start bitching about their drinking, don’t expect many more invitations to be extended out to you to go to happy hour because you make it less happy by complaining.
Many people also have the misconception that drinking means you get blackout drunk all the time as well. This is most definitely not true. You can enjoy a beer or two, even have a marg by the pool, and not get drunk. I don’t get super drunk every time I drink because I actually have responsibilities and shit too. Don’t act like people who go out get shit faced every night. After a rough week you might be eager to get to drinking and go a little too hard, but don’t assume this is what people will do every time.
Before you scrutinize and stereotype a large group of people make sure you have your facts straight.
