I joined a fraternity my freshman year at Grove City college, and it has given me so many opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to experience.
Firstly, the fraternity has given me a stable community I have been able to fall back on throughout my entire college experience. After joining in the spring of my freshman year, I was immediately integrated into the group as a fellow brother. In the fall of my sophomore year, I got the privilege of being able to live on the hall with the rest of the fraternity and have done so during the rest of my time at the college. Grove City’s Greek Life doesn’t have off-campus housing, but the college still gives each group a designated hall in the on-campus dorms, and this ensures that the groups still get to grow in community together. One way we get to do this is through weekly Bible studies. Our fraternity chaplain comes up with the study plan for the semester, and we as brothers get to challenge our beliefs and grow closer to God in community. Knowing that I will get to have these enriching experiences every year by living on the hall has been a huge relief when it comes time to plan for housing at the end of every year.
I have also had the opportunity to partake in special fraternity events each year, like fall and spring parties, formals, and homecoming. These events give a great opportunity to decompress from academic stress with fellow fraternity brothers and make long-lasting memories. Greek groups also get to organize many of the campus-wide events during the fall rush season. For larger events, fraternities will occasionally coordinate with housing groups or sororities to throw joint events. This is a great way to form new relationships by bonding with other Greek groups on campus and meeting the new freshman class.
My time in my fraternity has also given me a lot of experiences that will help prepare me for post-graduation life. Firstly, I have had the opportunity to hold officer positions in my fraternity since my induction. In my time, I have been the historian, secretary, and president. These positions have helped me grow in my organizational, communicative, creative, event-planning, and leadership skills. Furthermore, I have had the chance to do a significant amount of community service with the fraternity. Getting to give back to local communities while bonding with my brothers has been one of the most rewarding experiences in college.
All in all, my time in my fraternity has put a positive spin on so much of my college experience. I have been able to grow closer with so many people I otherwise probably would have never come in contact with. I would recommend to any incoming freshman that they consider joining a Greek group at Grove City as it adds a significant layer of depth to the college experience.
