As I researched a broad range of topics covered in multicultural education I stressed over what

I could possibly write about in my paper. Honestly, at first there weren’t many topics that stood out to

me that I could expand on in a paper. As I thought more about it I decided to write about a topic I could

relate to and was a large part of my college education, Greek Life: A Culture onto Itself. Starting college

is a very big transition for most teenage students. They just became adults, have to be responsible for

themselves, leaving home for the first time, on top of all this they are also trying to find a place or group

to fit in with to make their college life more enjoyable and successful. Some students find cultural

organizations to join, for example whether it be a religious organization, ethnic based club, or athletic

teams on their college campus. Then there are those other students who neither identify with religion,

cultural ethnicity, or athletic clubs, so these students find acceptance elsewhere in an organization that

has its own cultural identity, practices, and even their own language or phrases: the fraternity or sorority.

When I started college I was one of these lost students who couldn’t find a place to fit in. Hunter College was a large commuter school where everyone seemed to come and go, and I couldn’t find a group I fit in with. I wasn’t athletic, so joining a sports team wasn’t an option. I wasn’t overly religious at that time, nor did I relate to my Italian or Irish heritage to seek out one of those organizations. While taking orientation classes another student running the group approached me, wearing her letters, and in sorority language “rushed me.” This meant she gave me information about her sorority and told me about open meetings they were having where I could come meet the sisters, as they called themselves, see what the group is all about, and find out the benefits of joining this group of women. From that point on is when my life took a completely different path then the one I had been taking up to that point. Believe it or not getting invited to join a sorority was like being initiated into a new family, one that I had great experiences with and even bad ones too. Fraternities and sororities are their own culture, but not always ones with the best intentions at times. As I researched this topic I learned that Greek Organizations are more then just one culture. In fact they are made up of many different micro cultures within the organizations, some good and others bad. After taking this course I realized that culture doesn’t just apply to differences in ethnic backgrounds. When students are invited to join a fraternity or sorority, they are exposed to a new and different culture then students who do not belong to one. Looking back at the historical purpose of Greek Organizations students founded them “…to provide themselves a social alternative, an outlet to the rigorous academic requirements of college. Social fraternities gave students opportunities to interact with other students and release their energy and stress.”(Garrett 1) The Greek Organizations grew and became a large part of numerous students’ college lives, especially those who went away to college. The members of the Greek Organizations developed a “camaraderie” with each other. This camaraderie helped students develop “strong bonds with their peers and a sense of belonging in their communities. Greek organizations became institutions rich in tradition and loyalty, with students taking great pride in their organizations.”(Garrett 1) Hence a unique and new culture was created. The pride and loyalty members feel about their fraternity or sorority is similar to the feelings people have about their ethnic heritage. A fraternity or sorority can be a local or national based organization, there are some that are even international. They are usually labeled with two or three Greek letters to identify them, and then if they are a national fraternity or sorority the organizations are broken down further into chapters depending on when they were founded on their college campus. For example, I joined Delta Phi Epsilon at Hunter College, but when I decided to transfer to Queens College I was automatically welcomed into the chapter at Queens College. Every fraternity and sorority has a coat of arms with a motto written on it. The motto is normally a saying or belief the Greek organization has. Some Greek organizations, mainly sororities will adopt a mascot, colors to represent themselves, and a flower. All of these symbols will have underlying meanings for the men and women in the organizations. Furthermore, when the members are initiated into the organizations they will go through a secret ritual, receive a pin/badge, and learn the secret handshake and passwords. Typically some fraternities and sororities also provide housing for their members as long as they are undergraduate students in good standing with the school.