Michelle Jurado/Contributing Writer
For many college students, “being Greek” is more than just letters and going to parties. It is the opportunity to be part of an organization that helps make lasting friendships, builds character, and defines your individuality. It is a support system created to ease the transition from adolescence to young adulthood.
During rush week, fraternity and sorority members line the walls of the Graham Center to promote their individual organization. Members encourage students to join based on the experience and contacts made along the way. However, one crucial detail many students initially fail to realize, is the cost associated with membership. Not only will you have to put the majority of your social life into “Greek” life, you will have to put in a good amount of money to become “Greek”. In today’s economy, spending hundreds of dollars for a spot in “Greek” life is a gamble. Membership does not guarantee that dream job after graduation, nor finding that Thelma-and-Louise relationship you’ve longed for. This is why students must decide if joining is really worth the experience alone.
At the University, all fraternities and sororities are accompanied with a membership known as dues. These dues help pay for insurance, national/international dues, operating expenses and programming in addition to initiation fees that can run as much as $700. Also, each person is responsible for purchasing gear, such as T-shirts, date dashes, formals, and other incidents that may arise. Social pressures to maintain the organizations image also become part of the “Greek” life and add to your expenses. Some chapters may run fines if you miss a mandatory meeting or do not maintain a certain grade point average. Though each chapter varies, first-year members face well over $1000 every year.
According to students and alumni, building friendships seemed to be the primary goal for most. Some alumni had the opportunity to stay in Florida and maintain the friendships they made. Still, those who moved away were no longer in contact with most of their brothers or sisters. According to some students, they did not have time to work due to their busy schedules. Parents seem to have taken on the responsibility to pay for their costs.
The expenses that come with “Greek” life may not be so different than what students would pay as a non-Greek student participating in any other extracurricular activities, such as sports, clubs, University-wide events and social gatherings. Expenses do vary significantly by chapter, so students may want to steer clear of “Greek” life and focus on investing it in something else that might give them a more concrete result.
–life@fiusm.com
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