Do you know what fraternities and sororities are really about?
The typical stereotype or opinion of fraternities or sororities includes Animal House, drunks, hazers, rapists, sluts, bow heads, etc. To stereotype a fraternity or sorority is as bad as stereotyping a race of people.
Webster defines a fraternity as a body of men associated for their common interest, a brotherhood. Typically, a sorority was a sister organization to a fraternity. However, some fraternities are all female or coed. National fraternities are organizations that have a national headquarters that coordinates all of its chapters, colonies and interest groups around the nation.
National has staff members who come around to each chapter and check up on the progress of each chapter. They make recommendations that can better the chapter or, in some cases, they can pull the charter and close the chapter. A charter is a document given by a national, in cooperation with a university, that allows a group to be a part of the national organization.
Being part of a national organization isn't as easy as one might think. There are established scholarship requirements that each person must meet, mandatory study hours, history and beliefs that each member should be familiar with, leadership obligations and dues that help pay for the benefits of the organization. Some of the benefits are a national affiliation (networking). That means whenever you go to another city or state, if your fraternity has a chapter there, you share a common bond with those people.
I have traveled to several Delta Sigma Phi chapters in Texas and Louisiana. It is always a rush for me to walk up, sporting the letters, and have all the brothers greet me like a long-lost friend. They invite me in like I'm a part of their chapter.
Like in Webster's definition, only you can determine where you fit in best. I recommend visiting all the Greek organizations you can and then making a decision on what group you want to be a part of.
A fraternity or sorority is supposed to be for life. It isn't easy being Greek, but the experience will benefit you for the rest of your life.
Helweg is a member of Delta Sigma Phi, Gamma Omega chapter.