You Don’t Have To Take Part In Greek Life, Or Do You?

As I sat in the Ole Miss Student Union during the fall semester, a girl came and sat next to me. She kindly started talking to me, and I was enjoying the conversation. We were asking common college questions, such as “What year are you?” or “Where are you from?”

Then came that demoralizing question…. “What frat are you in?”
See, to most people, this is just an ordinary question. But, what came next is exactly why I hate being put in this situation.
“I’m not in a fraternity,” I said.
She looked at me with a confused face and said, “Oh.”
She tried to keep a smile as she got up and told me she had to leave, but I could sense the pity in her face. She told me to have a nice day, and I watched her walk to the other side of the room and sit next to another person.
I know this seems like a far-fetched reaction. But, I promise this is the kind of reaction that you can become accustomed to if you are not a part of Greek life at Ole Miss. So, here is the question: is joining a fraternity or sorority necessary to be a student at Ole Miss?
Personally, I think that Greek life is a great aspect of being a college student. It allows you to connect with people and form bonds that cannot be easily broken. However, not everyone wants to or is even able to be a part of a fraternity or sorority financially. And, guess what? That’s okay.
See, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Greek life here at Ole Miss, so if you are thinking about rushing or you are already a part of it, then go right ahead and enjoy the ride. It is seriously a great opportunity. If you do not want to do it, though, then do not let anyone pressure you into doing it.
Greek life is so prevalent here that students often think they have no choice but to join a fraternity or sorority, and they end up failing classes because they took more responsibilities than they could handle.
So, do you have to be a part of Greek life to be a student at Ole Miss? Here is the short answer: No.

By Cole Crenshaw, an intern for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at tccrensh@go.olemiss.edu. 
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