Interviews | Backgrounds

Religion & Participation/Perception in Greek Life 

 

Jenna W.

Sophomore 

Which faith do you associate with?
Non-denominational/Protestant Christian

How often do you formally practice your religion? In which ways?I go to church when I can (1-3 times a month), I pray every day (usually before bed or in the morning), and I read/study scripture a few times a week.

Briefly describe your upbringing and the role that religion played.
I was raised going to Methodist and non-denominational churches, but stopped in middle and high school when sports consumed my weekends. My family isn't very religious, but I picked my faith back up in late high school because of a friend/track teammate and now it is a major part of who I am. I try to have my beliefs and love for God at the center of everything I do.

What were some of your reasons for joining the Greek system?
My mom participated in Greek life, I wanted a group of people to connect with, to get involved in an organization on campus, and step out of my comfort zone and grow as an individual. DPhiE’s style of sisterhood and their non-profits were appealing to me.

Did your religion play a role in the organization you wanted to be in? If yes, how so?
Yes, my religion played a role in the kind of sisterhood I wanted to be a part of. I’m against hazing and other forms of treating people with disrespect. I looked for a sisterhood that reflected my personality, promoted love for one another and showed determination/hard work ethic. I didn’t so much think that oh, I’ll join DPhiE because it matches closest to my beliefs, but I found that DPhiE reflected and contained the values that I cherish. I thought DPhiE would help make me a better me.

Are there any times that you feel as though your religious beliefs conflict with aspects of Greek life on campus?

Yes, although I wouldn’t say they conflict as much as I choose to set boundaries for myself. Based off what I believe, I set lines that I choose not to cross because I don’t think they will be reflective of who I want to be or what I believe in.

Do your beliefs affect the way you go out and if you choose to drink etc.?
I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with going out and having a good time or drinking. However, I do believe there is a right way for me to do it. I try to dress in a way that I think is more modest, I am careful of what activities I partake in, and I will not drink to the point of physical harm or lack of control. I think as long as I am treating my body and other people with respect, it’s okay.

Is there a Greek event that you chose not to go to because of your beliefs/religious practices?

Sometimes I choose a religious event like Church over a Greek event if they are happening at the same time. Although I enjoy having a good time and going out, I don’t go out too often because it doesn’t satisfy or fulfill me as much. I appreciate doing other things like having real and deep conversations with people, going to get food, or outdoor activities. There’s no scripture I believe that says I must do this instead, but I think my personality and enjoyment from these activities comes from my religious values.

Do your Greek brothers/sisters know about your religious beliefs and does it affect your relationship with them?

For the most part yes, most of my sisters know, although the extent to which they know I follow my beliefs may vary. People that are aware understand where I come from, respect my choices, and know that I do the same for them. I think being open, knowing, and accepting what each other believes builds strong relationships and trust. Many times sisters have asked me questions about my faith and I enjoy telling them my perspective while also listening to theirs; I think it helps us all grow to be better people.

Do you have any other comments or thoughts about the intersection of religion and Greek life at Emory?

I think sometimes people think that religion and Greek life clash with each other because of the stereotypes that are associated with each, but it’s not necessarily true. Being that I’m religious and in Greek life, however, I’ve learned that it’s important to know and be firm in what you believe so you make the right choices for you while also being understanding of how other people view the world and they make their choices.  

David R.

 Sophomore

Which faith do you associate with?

Judaism

How often do you formally practice your religion? In which ways?

I go to Shabbat every weekend, I would say that’s the most consistent thing that I do. That includes Shabbat meals, which are catered by Chabad and are sit down meals with families, members, and a rabbi. I try to rap tefilin in the mornings if I remember which is something that you do in the mornings in association with prayer.  It’s important because it’s a biblical commandment.

Briefly describe your upbringing and the role that religion played.

I grew up in northern New Jersey in a pretty Jewish community. All of my friends were Jewish, we all went to Jewish day schools and camps. We lived in what I coined as the yeshiva league. A yeshiva is a Jewish day school and we all played each other in sports. Girls had to wear pants passed the knee and guys had to wear head coverings. Basically every one I knew was Jewish. We would have Friday and Saturday night meals together, hang out together, go to synagogue together. One of the best values of Judaism is the sense of community and that was really reinforced in the community I grew up in. Its like a giant magnet, it really brings people together in the best way possible.

What were some of your reasons for joining the Greek system?

My dad was in a fraternity in Maryland, he was in TKE and was the pledge master. He is still best friends with his fraternity brothers and they come and stay with us all the time. I’ve developed a very close relationship with them so when I came to college I was looking for a strong sense of brotherhood and I knew I was going to find that in the Greek system, and after spending time here, knew I was going to find that in AEPi. I do believe they have the strongest brotherhood on campus.

Did you religion play a role in the organization you wanted to be in? If yes, how so?

Yeah. I think for a long time I really didn’t want it to. I kind of came to Emory and was like “I’m not gonna let that sort of stuff get in the way” and then I realized how important it was. I was between two fraternities, and one was going to make my life a lot easier in terms of my religion and the other was going to really challenge things put me under a lot of stress. The one I ended up choosing, which was AEPi, had a much stronger strong Jewish presence and I think I made the right decision because of that. The support system that I had and I see the incoming freshmen know is something I wouldn’t change for the world.

Are there any times that you feel as though your religious beliefs conflict with aspects  of Greek life on campus?

Yeah I guess so. Let me start by saying that there are things that we do that coincide with my religious beliefs. For example, AEPi does philanthropy work with Relay for Life and food drives. As far as Jewish values, Tzedakah, or “charity”, that lines up pretty well. In a perfect world would I love them to not be throwing parties on Friday nights and formals on Saturdays? Yes, but I can’t always expect my comfort to be elevated over the rest of the fraternity. In theory, I’m sure rabbis would look down on things like hazing.

Do your beliefs affect the way you go out and if you choose to drink etc.?

Yeah they do. So usually drinking is a personal choice. I never feel pressured to drink or not to drink because of my Jewish values. Judaism loves alcohol. They associate wine as being a very spiritually uplifting force and tool. That being said sometimes when you have a major holiday like Passover fall on your formal weekend you can’t drink certain alcohols because on Passover you cant consume gluten. So I cant drink beer, or most vodkas. I work around it, I have to buy potato vodka, which is gluten-free or get certain types of tequila. Again, you do what you can. There are always people that are In the same boat as you.

Is there a Greek event that you chose not to go to because of your beliefs/religious practices?

If an event ever falls on a Friday or Saturday afternoon I have to walk to them because that is when the Sabbath is. Starting sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday, I can’t use any electronics, which translates to driving a car.

Do your Greek brothers/sisters know about your religious beliefs and does it affect your relationship with them?

Yeah they all know. AEPi is a pretty Jewish fraternity so there are a handful of members who are like me. I never really feel alone. When you have a lot of people and its not just one person acting alone it kind of legitimizes what you’re doing and makes it seem more normal. You have other people who can back you up and sort of explain what you’re doing. I never have felt that it negatively affected a relationship with someone in the fraternity. I think a lot of the times its an opportunity to learn more about myself and its usually a gateway for conversation, honestly. A lot of people are pretty curious and are Jewish and would like to learn a little bit more. Its usually a force for good.

Do you have any other comments or thoughts about the intersection of religion and Greek life at Emory?

I haven’t had any problems with Greek life and religion really.  They’ve never forced me to do anything on a Friday night or a Saturday.

Blair Ely

Junior

Which faith do you associate with? 

Catholicism

How often do you formally practice your religion? In which ways?

I practice on a daily basis in personal prayer, reading, weekly mass, occasional weekday masses, community activities etc.

Briefly describe your upbringing and the role that religion played.

I was raised Catholic but allowed and encouraged to challenge my faith. I went to Catholic schools and am honestly incredibly grateful for those years because I so adamantly questioned what I was being taught and engaged in so many countering ideas and belief systems, but still had the opportunity to learn foundations of faith, and still feel like I know only a tiny fraction of catholic teaching after nearly 16 years. So it was a daily part of my life probably, and certainly a priority—not to just "practice" or "believe" but to center myself on truth, virtue, service of others, acceptance, and love.

What were some of your reasons for joining the Greek system?

I was actually pretty decidedly against joining and I had so many people trying to convince me to rush that I caved to shut them up about it and say it wasn’t for me but that I gave it a try. I ended up in a pledge class of some of the most incredible people I had met at Emory, was surrounded by support and appreciation, and felt very welcome. Throughout the semester, and still, one of the main reasons I'm proud to be in ADPI is because it is such a strong force for women leaders on campus and promotes really strong healthy relationships and support systems for the women involved while also providing fun. I have so much fun and feel so happy and loved in Adpi.

Did you religion play a role in the organization you wanted to be in? If yes, how so?

I don’t think it did actually, I mean no more than any of my life decisions. It might not be very separable from other parts of my identity but I did really value the humor, lack of focus on status, etc.

Are there any times that you feel as though your religious beliefs conflict with aspects of Greek life on campus?

I mean, yeah. Definitely. But it has more to do with our culture as a whole and critiques I have of many systems that go far beyond religion. Or my personal discomfort or lack of enjoyment with certain things.

Do your beliefs affect the way you go out and if you choose to drink etc.?

People often ask me if I don’t drink because of Religion and that is absolutely not the case, though I understand why people think that. I usually laugh and say that Jesus's first miracle was water into wine and I have zero judgment against drinking or moral reason for not drinking. I simply don’t like the way alcohol tastes, i don’t like being drunk, I'm fairly uninhibited as a person and don’t have more fun when I am drunk, I like to be aware of my situation and in control if needed to help friends or to avoid sexual assault which is unfortunately something I have been very exposed to and feel the need to guard myself against.

Is there a Greek event that you chose not to go to because of your beliefs/religious practices?

Again, maybe not directly because of my "religion" because I don’t see some of my preferences and thoughts as strictly sourced in religious belief. I don’t attend the stripper event and many mixers that have themes I think are degrading or are at fraternities who I feel degraded by. So I'm not super down for having a playboy mansion redo or live tinder, as examples.

Do your Greek brothers/sisters know about your religious beliefs and does it affect your relationship with them?

I think many of them do and I honestly don’t know?!

I actually "went out" on the night before Easter this year and got a lot of reactions from people who know I'm Catholic. I thought about it and realized that there is an expectation of "immoral" behavior for college students going out. I didn’t drink, or do drugs, or hook up with anyone or do anything besides hang out with my friends and dance before going to bed earlier than I do on most school nights. So I guess people generally associate Christianity with strict laws, so to speak, but I know that Catholicism in particular encourages the enjoyment of life, drinking, dancing, singing etc. And there are people who will try to make me look like a hypocrite for not conforming to what their idea is of Christianity.

Do you have any other comments or thoughts about the intersection of religion and Greek life at Emory?

Probably just that its highly variable depending on what faith system you are coming from and the ways in which you live that out. But that generally it is an accepting environment.

Sylvie Moscowitz

Sophomore

Which faith do you associate with?

Judaism

How often do you formally practice your religion? In which ways?

I observe Shabbat and holidays and Kashrut, which means that I do not work or use technology on Saturdays and holidays, and I only eat Kosher food. I also live in the Jewish house on campus.

Briefly describe your upbringing and the role that religion played.

Judaism is probably the biggest part of my identity, and I grew up in an insular Jewish community, going to Jewish school, camp, and synagogue. I was very involved in Jewish leadership throughout my life, and I plan to work in the Jewish community in the future.

What were some of your reasons for joining the Greek system?

I wanted to join a sorority in order to make new friends at Emory.

Did you religion play a role in the organization you wanted to be in? If yes, how so?

I actually did not want to join an only Jewish sorority because I wanted to take this opportunity to make non-Jewish friends. 

Are there any times that you feel as though your religious beliefs conflict with aspects of Greek life on campus?

I often do feel as though my religious practices conflict with Greek life - recruitment was on Saturday and I felt like I really had to compromise my faith. Also, there are often events on Shabbat and holidays that I feel like I miss out on.

Is there a Greek event that you chose not to go to because of your beliefs/religious practices?

I have often had to not go to events which is really disappointing. I have missed a lot of mixers and also some larger events. 

Do your Greek brothers/sisters know about your religious beliefs and does it affect your relationship with them?

My sorority sisters know about my religion and all of my good friends are totally fine with it, but the leadership team is often fed up with all of the things they have to accommodate me for. I usually feel guilty about this, and I just have this feeling that they are always annoyed at me. 

Do you have any other comments or thoughts about the intersection of religion and Greek life at Emory?

As hard as it is sometimes, I really love being in a sorority and compared to some other horror stories from girls from other sororities, my sorority is really accommodating and I do appreciate everything that they do to try to make me feel welcome.

Ethnicity, Race, Origin and Perception of Greek Life

Interviewee I

Shivani Beall, Freshman, Non-Greek

Which race or ethnicity do you most identify with?

Indian American.

Where are you from? Tell me a little about your family culture, history and origin.

I was born in Atlanta, but neither of my parents are from here. My mother was born in South India and received all of her education in India. She moved to the U.S. in her mid-20s to do postdoctoral work in Kansas City, Missouri. My dad was born in Kansas City and met my mother in the same lab she moved there to work in…as far as my family culture goes- both of my parents were raised in religious households. Catholic for my dad, Hindu for my mom, but we do not practice religion at home. Even though my mother speaks Hindi, I never learned it, and we only speak English at home.

Did one or both of your parents go to college?

Both went to college and graduate school.

Have any of your family members participated in Greek life?

Neither of my parents nor any of my close family members have participated in Greek life.

Why did you decide to not participate in Greek life?

I never saw Greek life as a priority for me coming into college and felt sort of indifferent towards it. When it came time to rush, I just thought the process of rush, the money, and the commitment I’d have to make if I ended up joining a sorority were not personally a sacrifice I thought was worth making. Also, being on the soccer team and having close friends already at Emory…I didn’t feel like I needed to join one to expand my social circle. I just wasn’t passionate enough about the idea to make the process worth it.

How do you, yourself view Greek life at Emory?

I have a lot of close friends who are in Greek life, and seeing the positive experiences they have has showed me that it can be a great thing for those who enjoy it and are invested in it. I get the impression that Greek life here is not as “intense” as it is at other, especially larger, schools, and that people still have the freedom to be their own person.

How do your parents view Emory Greek life and Greek life nationally, if you had to guess?

My parents have pretty negative views of Greek life in general that they are not afraid to voice. My dad took a few years off after high school before going to college, so he was older than most people there. I think he felt more mature and a bit culturally and socially disconnected from what he saw as the average fraternity boy, so he always viewed Greek life as a distraction from what was really important in college - doing well in school. My mom, attending school in India, did not even have Greek life, so the only exposure she got was through movies and media. Because of that, I think she sees Greek life as very much solely an outlet for drinking and partying. I think both of my parents view Emory Greek life less negatively than they do Greek life nationally, but they have the same general perceptions.

Do your parents views of Greek life impact your lack of involvement?

Definitely. I knew coming into college that I would have to REALLY be passionate about joining a sorority to even think about rushing, because their opinions against Greek life were so strong. In the end, I was only curious about what it would be like, and that curiosity definitely wasn’t enough to go against what my parents would want.

Do you see any tie between your ethnicity and family background, and your parents’ perceptions of Greek life?

Yes, especially for my mother. Growing up in a different country completely shaped what she thought about Greek life and the culture that surrounds it. In the break my dad took between high school and college, he was working really tough jobs…mostly hard labor. I think this aspect of his background caused him to be very focused on succeeding in school when he entered college, and he saw anything other than working towards that goal as kind of frivolous.

Are there certain aspects of Greek life that would interfere with your family or cultures beliefs?

Neither of my parents are fans of college partying or drinking, and I think these are things that do tend to be associated with Greek life.

If you have anything to add, elaborate on any relationship you see between ethnicity and family background, and subsequent perception of Greek life and organizations.

From my experience, it seems like having parents that immigrated to the U.S., especially after college, would cause them to have a more stereotypical view of Greek life that is portrayed in movies and television. They never got to experience it firsthand...so they might have a more negative view.

Interviewee II

Melissa Ardizzone, Junior, Alpha Delta Pi Sorority

Which race or ethnicity do you most identify with?

I identify as both Hispanic and White.

Where are you from? Tell me a little about your family culture, history and origin.

I am half Puerto Rican and half Italian. My mom’s parents are both from Puerto Rico. They moved to NYC when they were teenagers to find work and start a family. My nana can’t speak English very well, but she promoted education and the American culture in her family. My mom is bilingual; her first language was Spanish. My dad’s grandparents came here from Italy--Naples and Sicily...that side of my family is very “Americanized”.

Did one or both of your parents go to college?

Both my parents were first generation college students.

Have any of your family members participated in Greek life?

No, I am the first person in my family to participate in Greek Life.

Why did you decide to participate in Greek life?

I decided to participate in Greek life because my closest friends on the soccer team encouraged it and I rushed for fun, not thinking I would seriously join. After serious consideration I decided to stay because of the people and friends I made.

How do you, yourself view Greek life at Emory?

I don’t like the whole idea of Greek life, but I think sororities are a positive institution here. I have met so many amazing girls I otherwise would not have met. It has opened my eyes to different opportunities on campus and I think it promotes friendship and sisterhood. I don’t think fraternities are as positive of an institution because men in general tend to act differently when they are in groups of guys due to peer pressure; for example, there are more drugs that they could be introduced to.

How do your parents view Emory Greek life and Greek life nationally, if you had to guess?

My dad doesn’t know what it is and my mom never remembers the name of my sorority and never asks about it. They don’t pay mind to it and don’t pay for any of my dues at all. I don’t talk about it at home for the most part, so it’s not on their radar. They also went to New York colleges which didn’t have Greek life, so they were never immersed in it.

Do your parents views of Greek life impact your involvement?

Not particularly because they aren’t too involved in my life and don’t fully understand what Greek life is.

Do you see any tie between your ethnicity and family background, and your parents’ perceptions of Greek life?

Yes for sure. They were both first generation college students and both commuted to their respective schools. My dad went to St. John’s University and my mom went to FIT and neither have Greek life. My grandparents didn’t go to college at all so they were never exposed to it either.

Are there certain aspects of Greek life that interfere with your family or cultures beliefs?

I don’t believe there are aspects that would interfere with my culture and beliefs. My family is very religious and I was taught to be good and to follow rules, which I think I do while I’m in Greek life.

Does Greek life ever make you feel more disconnected from your heritage or culture?

When I am at school I feel pretty disconnected from my heritage because at home we speak Spanish sometimes and the food we eat all revolves around Italian and Spanish customs and recipes. I think Greek life specifically doesn’t make me feel disconnected, just being away from my family...

Elaborate on any relationship you see between ethnicity and family background, and subsequent perception of Greek life and organizations, if you have anything to add!

I think that with my ethnicity and family background, it’s actually surprising that I am in Greek life because no one in my family has been exposed or part of it in the past. I think that if you are a first generation or second generation college student it is less likely that you are in Greek life...not sure if that is a family background thing. 

Interviewee III

Jimmy Tricolli, Freshman, Sigma Chi Fraternity

Which race or ethnicity do you most identify with?

I identify as a white male.

Where are you from? Tell me a little about your family culture, history and origin.

I am from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Specifically born in Bryn Mawr, a suburb 20 minutes outside the city. My family is a typical “American” family of four. My family, while not super traditional in our heritage and roots, is Italian. My ancestors, from the Pompeii region in Italy and other southern cities, first immigrated to Canada before matriculating down into the states.

Did one or both of your parents go to college?

Both of my parents attended college. My dad went to Dickinson College in Carlisle, a small liberal arts college in the Centennial conference. My mom went to Bloomsburg University, also in Pennsylvania. She later returned to school to get her masters in English so she could become a teacher. She attended Duquesne University to receive this diploma.  

Have any of your family members participated in Greek life?

Yes, my dad was an Alpha Chi Rho during his time at Dickinson. My mom was a Chi Sigma Rho, which is not a national sorority but a local one. She was part of this sorority during her time at Bloomsburg.

Why did you decide to participate in Greek life?

I decided to participate in Greek Life for several reasons. First, ever since old enough to know what Fraternities and Sororities were I knew I wanted to participate because it a great way to get involved on campus socially, and you will meet a lot of different, interesting people from different backgrounds with a plethora of various life experiences. Secondly, upon arriving to Emory and getting a feel for the campus dynamic, I quickly realized that if you don’t join Greek Life your social life is less than satisfactory, at least in my opinion it is. I find if I wasn’t part of the Greek Life I would just simply be doing school work all the time and that would just be a depressing college experience, again this is just simply my point of view. Thirdly, building off my first point, I believe that by getting to meet all these different types of people will help build a network of friends for life. Through Greek Life you live, eat, sleep, socialize, travel, and do countless other activities with your fellow brothers. I believe that is something very special and is something more than just your everyday friendship.

How do you, yourself view Greek life at Emory?

I believe Greek Life is an essential part of life here at Emory. As I previously mentioned, without it I believe that people would only go to class and just focus on school all the time, which creates a dull and somewhat too repetitive lifestyle for my liking. Greek Life gives you an opportunity to socialize outside of class and really get to know people and you gain valuable relationships and grow as a person as you realize how different everyone is and you can fully appreciate the amazing backgrounds everyone comes from. It ultimately helps you connect and learn more about different culture around the states and in some cases other countries.

How do your parents view Emory Greek life and Greek life nationally, if you had to guess?

I believe they are supporters of Greek Life as some of their best friends from college who they stay in touch with or visit most frequently are friends from Greek Life. While at the same time my dad definitely has some reserves as he thinks at times it can be detrimental to one’s academics.

Do your parents views of Greek life impact your involvement?

My parents’ views of Greek Life do not impact how I choose to involve myself, however, I do listen to what they have to say or hear what their opinions are on certain things. In the end though this is my college experience and I would like to be as independent as possible and do things my way in order to figure things out on my own. 

Do you see any tie between your ethnicity and family background, and your parents’ perceptions of Greek life?

I do not believe that my ethnicity or family background play any role in my parent’s perceptions of Greek Life.

Are there certain aspects of Greek life that interfere with your family or cultures beliefs?

There are no aspects that come to mind that would or already do interfere with my family or cultural beliefs.

Does Greek life ever make you feel more disconnected from your heritage or culture?

No.

Elaborate on any relationship you see between ethnicity and family background, and subsequent perception of Greek life and organizations, if you have anything to add!

I think certain Fraternities and Sororities on the Emory campus have certain stigmas and reputations about them. For example, AEPi and ZBT are predominately Jewish Frats. Tri Delta here also is predominately Jewish. I forget the name of this other Fraternity, but it is predominately an Asian culture house. Most Greek Life when it comes to family accepts all people who rush if they have had a previous member of that persons family part of their respective organization, both nationally or the campuses chapter specifically.

Interviewee IV

Stuart Taylor, Sophomore, Non-Greek

Which race or ethnicity do you most identify with?

I am black.

Where are you from? Tell me a little about your family culture, history and origin.

I am born and raised in Chicago. I attended a small private school for all four years of high school. I grew up in Kenwood-Hyde Park area of Chicago. I live with my brother who is a senior in high school and both my parents. My parents are both executives. My father is from Providence, Rhode Island and my mother is from Washington, D.C. My parents have raised me in order to be a positive role model and an upstanding human being. I was raised a Christian.

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Did one or both of your parents go to college?

Yes, both my parents attended college. My dad attended Yale University and my mother attended Howard University.

Have any of your family members participated in Greek life?

My grandfather was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

Why did you decide to not participate in Greek life?

I chose not to join an IFC fraternity. I felt like if I joined, it would cut off a lot of relationships that I have. In addition, I feel like I would have lost a sense of independence. I like to be in full control of my life. I would like to build my own relationships based off of my criteria of what friendship is, rather than be forced into relationships.

How do you, yourself view Greek life at Emory?

I view it how it is. It has a large impact on people and it reveals a lot about people in general. I think Greek life works when there is a sense of a larger purpose. I fully support Greek life when it develops real and deep relationships. It is good for people when it allows people to contribute to society and become better human beings. I have seen people fully embrace the goodness and the values of being in a fraternity. However, I believe that at Emory it really harms people...I think it creates a social addiction that ruins good people. Those people make Greek life bigger and more important than it really should be. If used properly Greek life is a really great thing, but there is always a chance that it could turn into something really bad. I guess it manifests itself in different ways based on the person. It's different for everyone.

How do your parents view Emory Greek life and Greek life nationally, if you had to guess?

My parents are 100% against me joining a white fraternity. They get a lot of information based on what goes on the news. They are very conservative people. They believe that too many bad things have happened in white fraternities and would never want me to be around that situation. My parents would support me if I chose to be in a historically black fraternity. A lot of their friends are involved with black Greek life and they are more comfortable with the values and lifestyle of a black fraternity.

Do your parents views of Greek life impact your lack of involvement?

Even though I chose not to do it, my parents didn’t any impact on my decision. My decision was completely independent.

Do you see any tie between your ethnicity and family background, and your parents’ perceptions of Greek life?

Yes. On top of what I said before, my parent’s biggest issue is that I would probably be the only black person in the fraternity. All of their perceptions have ties to me being black and being in a situation I spoke of before would not be good at all. Therefore, they want me to stay away from that lifestyle.