Why Go Greek
When somebody joins a fraternity or a sorority, they join the Greek community at Carnegie Mellon. You not only form friendships with the members of your organization, but you create ties with hundreds of students with whom you may not otherwise have had any connection at all. Not only that, but you join a national organization with people all over the country. After joining a Greek organization, you often meet alumni from years past, and many times form professional or personal relationships that are really just not possible otherwise. The national Greek organizations allow you to meet undergrads from all over the country, and alumni from nearly any generation or location. Joining a Greek organization can instantly give you the potential for thousands of personal connections across the country - you can be part of a powerful social network.
Is this alone a good reason to join a fraternity? For most people, the answer to this question is no. Despite all the benefits, there is still information that would keep many people from joining a Greek organization. This is probably because there are plenty of stereotypes about fraternities. Often times, when someone thinks about a "frat" he/she probably thinks it's all about getting hammered, getting some girl, and partying all day and night. This is certainly not the case, and anybody who's in a Greek organization will tell you that this is far from the truth. From the first time that many of our members began to associate with our organization, they realized that, at the core, it's a group of people who live together, who get along well, and who are interested in common things. This is what being Greek is really about.
If you do decide to join a fraternity or sorority, it gives you a reliable, friendly place to go and hang out. If you are stressed out, having trouble with classes, need someone to talk to, or just want to enjoy yourself, your brothers/sisters are always there for you. You can come to the house any night, even at two in the morning, and someone will probably be downstairs working, being bored, or just hanging out. Yes, we do throw parties and invite girls, but that is by no means what we are all about. We are a group of people who are here for you when you need us, and that is the best part about a fraternity.