While the choice to get involved in Greek life is one that involves many first-year students, not all of them are freshmen. Transfer students of all ages and credit levels choose to become a member of USF’s welcoming Greek community every year.

In my opinion, any reservations students may have will be relinquished as soon as they become a part of the Greek community. The pros most certainly outweigh the cons, and for freshmen looking to make friends or get involved their first year on campus, Greek life is the best option.

Although there are fees associated with becoming a member of a Greek organization, there are fees to become a member of almost every other honor society organization on campus. There are all sorts of payment plans and scholarships available to students to help them with their dues as well.

Considering a “time commitment” to be a turnoff about being a part of an organization seems absurd. I can’t think of a single thing in my life that I enjoy that doesn’t require some kind of time commitment.

Greek life has been the most inspiring time commitment I’ve ever been blessed to be a part of. Sometimes we take on more than we can handle, and saying no sometimes is OK.

Also, considering “community service” to be a “struggle to fulfill” seems silly. Students should be encouraged to help others less fortunate and (The Oracle) should refrain from publishing articles that speak otherwise, especially those that discourage students from becoming more involved on and around campus, as well as helping improve their community.

The counter-argument mentioned that Greeks tend to have higher GPA’s than the general student population remains true.

We are a proud community of students that take our education very seriously. Many of our organizations require study hours each week, as well as many of our core values relating to being scholarly.

Asking if Greek life is like a movie centered around partying only shows people aren’t aware of what it is really like, and it proves as more motivation to keep improving our reputation in the community.

The fact that the Greek organizations all strive to relinquish any negative stereotypes every day should serve as proof enough that clearly we care about how we are viewed and try to leave the best impression we can on others.

Also, not denying an accusation does not count as admitting to it, in case that point in the last article seemed as silly to everyone else as it did to me.

There are many pros and cons to joining any kind of organization, but when it comes to Greek life here at the university, I would honestly have to say that it was the best decision I have ever made.

It increases school spirit, decreases dropout rates, improves GPAs, improves alumni funding and involvement, raises a student’s confidence, creates a sense of community in such a big school, teaches leadership skills, encourages campus involvement and teaches so many other important life lessons that I cannot list all in one article alone.

I am proud to be a member of this community full of our future leaders, and I couldn’t imagine going through my college experience without my Greek organization.

Erika Solloway is a junior majoring in psychology and behavioral healthcare.