North Texas Daily

I’m greek. For privacy reasons, I won’t discuss who I belong to, but I am greek. And being greek, I have to call attention to what can only be described as a disturbing trend.

You think, “Fraternity,” and what comes to mind first? Paddles and alcohol? Hazing and rich kids who barely get by in school? If you do, you can thank the media.

Think about it. Do we ever hear positives of Greek Life in media? Be it in the news, on TV shows like “Greek,” or on Facebook groups like UNT Confessions?

No. You don’t hear about the community service or philanthropy carried out by greek organizations, you hear about the underage drinkers and the drunks hazing each other. Or even more recently, the tragic event that happened here on campus, which caused a storm of anti-greek backlash.

Let me paint a different picture. During Greek Week, my brothers and I collected a lot of cans, and I mean a lot. Many families will be eating tonight thanks to us. But where was the story in the news? The posts on social media? We sure heard a lot about that alcohol fiasco though, didn’t we?

Fraternities are brotherhoods, and used to be something treasured by society. It was a common bond that allowed men to come together so they could grow and share together.

Now people hear “Fraternity” and they think of Keystone Beer and tanned meatheads. But that’s not what brotherhood is about.

True brotherhood, and of course sisterhood, can only be appreciated when you are standing around a campfire and singing songs from your organization’s traditions, sharing with each other at a level that can’t be understood from the outside. No alcohol necessary.

I would be lying if I said parties don’t happen, but Greek Life is more than Ralph Lauren and booze. We do so much good that I can’t even begin to express it within a single column.

Unfortunately, the media has shown us in a different light. Let’s face it, collecting cans looks so boring when you can talk about a freshman who got hospitalized after using an enema to consume alcohol.

Stupid stuff will happen anywhere within any organization that is large enough. But you can’t let those outliers become judgements. And yes, they are outliers when compared to all the good greeks do every day. Greeks raise $7 million a year nationally, and that’s just scratching the surface.

I may have a polo man on my shirt as I write this, but make no mistake about my character, and the good my fraternity allows me to do for the community and myself.

I am proud to be greek as I strive to become a man of character. And I know I am not alone.

Keep in mind the good things greeks do, because though it may not bleed, if it got the right kind of attention, it could certainly lead.

Andrew Freeman is a pre-journalism freshman. He can be reached at afree@grandecom.net.