Going Greek?

by Eddie Sonnie

So when I came to college, I specifically told myself I would never, ever join a Greek organization. My knowledge of them at the time (AKA: what I’ve seen in movies) was pretty limited but I figured that’s all I needed to know that it wasn’t for me. I’m not one for big parties and doing crazy things, so the idea of joining a fraternity made me feel weird. 

With that being said, I am joining two Greek organizations this semester. I can explain.

Something I learned since coming to college is that there are different types of Greek organizations, and none of them are like the movie depictions. There are social, academic, service, arts and many other kinds of Greek organizations. I have friends in all sorts of Greek organizations, and I’ve learned to not be so judgemental about Greek life because these organizations offer a lot of professional development, networking and social opportunities for growth.

The two organizations I am joining this semester are both academic Greek organizations, so don’t worry, I’m not quite in my panic zone. Lambda Pi Eta is the communication national honor society, and Sigma Delta Pi is the Spanish national honor society. These organizations are going to be really great to have on my resume and will expand my social circle by a lot.

If there’s one thing you can learn from this, don’t judge things based on the way that a movie portrays it. Make your own decisions once you get there. I’m still pretty sure that a social Greek organization isn’t a good fit for me, but I found my way around it. Since coming to Christopher Newport, I’ve been exposed to so many new things, people and ideas, and it’s really great to be in a place that can challenge my beliefs and ideas the way this university has.