After Lee University President Dr. Paul Conn announced new regulations for Greek club inductions at Lee University, it has seemed as if everyone on campus has had an opinion. In the last issue of the Clarion members of the faculty responded to the changes and gave opinions. Now its the students turn. One-hundred Lee students took part in a survey to determine general opinion on Greek clubs. As it turns out, most students either like Greek clubs or they dont. According to results, 75 percent believed the organizations have a place on Lees campus. In other words, one out of every four students are against the clubs. Nearly 70 percent of those who don't like Greek clubs have attended a Lee Greek event since they've been at college. The number of Greek event attendees rises to almost 75 percent among the entire student population. Six percent of all non-Greek survey respondents had rushed the clubs but never made it in. I question" wrote one student, "Are Greek clubs really that essential for college students on a Christian campus to 'experience' this supposed 'college life?'" That brings up a good question: why do we have Greek clubs and why do people love or hate them? "Greek clubs are the whole point of college... I wouldn't go to Lee if they disappeared," said freshman Carrie Ivester. I love Greek clubs because they are amazing. Epsilon is raising $26,000 for Leukemia research, wrote junior Christina Peters, who is studying child psychology.. They let the people who feel they need to pay for friends do so," replied an unnamed respondent. Junior Sheena Wozniak, a pastoral ministry major, suggested, They dont share Christ-like love." I like Greek clubs because they are goal oriented and bring competition to raise the level of success," Mitchell Harper, a psychology and music major, said. "Is there anything exclusive about Christ? I don't think so," wrote Michael Brasher, a senior theology major. "Even if they are not ethically questionable and don't reinforce insecurities (which you would be naive to believe), even if they are all good, at the very least, why not let everybody in? It's egregious and ridiculous. Lee is a hypocrite, we have Foundations for Benevolence when we don't even practice it with our social policies. Get rid of Greek clubs. Everything they propose as their purpose are things that Christianity is

responsible for anyway. They are utterly unnecessary." "Greek clubs help people get ideas and plans started that they normally wouldn't be able to do by themselves; there is power among Greek clubs," junior Chris Gates, a telecommunications and youth ministry major, said. "The clubs end up being more of a popularity contest than actual service groups," wrote Bethany Freesen. Among Lee students, 44 percent say that at least one of their five closest friends is in a Greek club. Even though 75 percent of those on campus approve of the clubs, 60 percent of students are not convinced that they are really service-oriented. The girls are service-oriented but the guys arent, Andrew Rowland, a sophomore business major, wrote. Another respondent wrote, Greek clubs have to be [service-oriented], otherwise they would be seen as really unethical. If they are really service-oriented why dont they let anyone join? Why do people have to rush and do crazy things? commented Sheena Wozniak. Pi Kappa Pi is by far the club with the worst reputation according to students. It captured 36 percent of the vote. Upsilon Xi and Alpha Gamma Chi tied for second with 21 percent while Delta Zeta Tau caught 17 percent and Sigma Nu Sigma had six percent. Many respondents wrote that all Greek clubs had a negative reputation while some focused mainly on the male groups. Junior Kelli Gandy, a psychology major, attempted to explain why Greek clubs generally had bad reputations. "People are human and make mistakes. They cannot be expected to be perfect. Just because they're in the limelight does not make them any better than the rest of us. Yet, some people place unattainable expectations on a club and when they fail to reach them, those people spread gossip." Bad reputations dont keep people from rushing. In fact, 38 percent of nonGreek respondents said they have considered rushing a Greek club on campus. I wanted to see what they were about, and it seemed like I would be missing out on something if I didnt, wrote one survey respondent. Many said they would be more likely to rush under certain conditions. 25 percent said they would if they had more time. 19 percent said they would if their friends were in Greek clubs and 19 percent said they would if there was no money required. 14 percent of respondents said they would be more likely

to rush if they knew the induction process or had nothing to be afraid of. 12 percent said they would if they knew they would be chosen. Finally, just 10 percent said they would join a Greek club if there was no induction process. Now that rules regarding induction have changed, the Clarion's survey asked how students would affect the process themselves if they were in control. One student who was not in a Greek club wrote that Lee should "revert to the old tap night and inductions." I dont think that it would matter. Greek clubs wouldnt follow the new restrictions, wrote another. There should be no induction," said Wozniak, while Harper argued the process should be "more spiritually focused." Peters said that Greeks should "teach the lessons under a different light." Eighty-five percent of students in Greek clubs at Lee have no other family in clubs. Of those who do, 45 percent said their fathers were Greek, 25 percent had Greek mothers, 20 percent had sisters in Greek clubs and 10 percent had Greek brothers. The average amount of time Greek club members reported they devote to activities for or with their club was just over 20 hours per month. The survey also asked students what Greek clubs need to improve. "They may want to be more careful about the image that they do present to students," wrote Gandy. "They need not segregate themselves so much," said Christy Jerin, a sophomore sociology major. "Obviously some things need to change among the Greek clubs. In order for the reputations of the Greek clubs to change, I believe that the non-Greek club people need to let go of their idea of what the Greek clubs are. Like any club in America there are pros and cons," wrote Gates. The survey asked students what the best thing about Greek clubs were. "Having something to make fun of," replied freshman Melissa Snyder. Ben Hastings, a freshman, wrote that "They provide the campus with free food and beverage every couple of weeks!" We raise the liveliness of this campus," said Peters. One female student said that there have been a lot of girls with problems and when they rushed a club they were healed of those problems because

they are in a group of praying girls that love them. Some of them never had families or friends, but coming into that particular group helped them. A Greek club has helped people in many different ways just like a teacher or a musical group. I do not see why they are any different. Many Greek Lee students were excited to share why they joined their respective clubs: I was attracted to Pi Kappa Pi because of the charisma of the club and their love towards Christ and each other," said Harper Alpha Gamma Chi is the most real when it comes to the truth about life. When I saw Chi I saw the natural leaders around campus," replied one person. Another student said, Im in Epsilon because I saw the heart of the girls and really fit in with their ideas and standards. Im in Delta Zeta Tau because its a sisterhood that values Christian morals and their heart to serve is real and its not just for show," wrote one student. Finally, Im in Kappa Psi Nu because they do a lot of community service, there is friendship, and there is a community. Greek club members also attempted to explain what those left out of the loop did not understand. If you're not in a Greek club you don't understand how much they bring to campus, and competition of sports, and the move of God in an induction, Harper wrote. From the outside its hard to understand," said Peters. "From the inside its unexplainably amazing. People who aren't in Greek clubs have heard things about other clubs and think it applies to all of them," wrote one member. Another wrote that outsiders don't get the impact a club has on a members life." If someone is not a part of a Greek club they have no right to bash it," wrote another member. Finally, People dont understand anything about Greek clubs. Thats the point. If everyone understood, why would anyone join?