Fraternities, sororities, and other campus groups play a large part in the lives of students, colleges, businesses, and society. Fraternities and sororities can open doors for students to have larger roles on their campus and in their future careers.
Students can also make lifelong friendships in these groups. The Demystifying Fraternity and Sorority Life event was put on by the Student Leadership and Development department on April 13th, 2023 at the Village Cafe.
This event went from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Attendance at this meeting was low but the purpose and message of this event are still very relevant to students of Stanislaus State.
Julie Anaya, student organization & fraternity/sorority life coordinator, was the organizer for this event and she herself was a part of Phi Sigma Sigma National Pan Hellenic groups. She oversees all student leadership organizations including fraternities and sororities and has been in this position since 2019.
Many people think members of these campus groups are the types of people that only care about partying and getting drunk however this is not always the case.
Ethan Hobbs (junior, Anthropology) said, “My mom saw someone die of alcohol poisoning when she was in a fraternity.”
 “…in no way, shape, or form does belonging to a fraternity or sorority group encourage those behaviors, there are plenty of people who choose not to do those things,” Anaya said.
This popular stereotype that surrounds fraternity and sorority life can often discredit the ways these campus groups can enrich the lives of students.
One common reason why students are hesitant to join fraternities and sororities is that they think they won’t have time because of their academic or professional workload.
An important thing for students to remember is that college is about becoming who you want to be in the real world. Sororities and fraternities can give students the opportunity to learn these skills.
Members of fraternities and sororities can also help each other in their studies.
Connor Larosa (freshman, Business Administration,) is a leader at Kappa Sigma, the largest fraternity on campus. He was initiated into this group at the end of his first semester.
He said, “What I can say is that it’s a bunch of great dudes who are really just looking for a place in college.”
Larosa went on to say this about the partying and substance abuse stereotype. He adds, “I mean, that has definitely not been the main focus for just not me, but for pretty much all my brothers where we’re just trying to be involved in campus, find our place, become better men, have fun, and just make something out of college.”
Despite the pros and cons of Greek life, one reason why students should join a fraternity or sorority is to find community. Students shouldn’t feel they have to go through college alone.
Fraternities, sororities, and other campus groups can give students a sense of belonging and importance.