By lwilliams
Article by Melissa Pope
For me, the most exciting thing about leaving for college was knowing that I wouldn’t have to follow any of my parents’ rules anymore. I was finally going to call the shots for myself! No curfew, no chores, nothing. I was going to make my own rules. If I didn’t want to clean my room, I didn’t have to! Want to put homework off for a while? Fine by me! I didn’t realize that there would be rules to follow once I joined a sorority, though.
The word “rules” may sound a bit negative, but in this case it really isn’t. Here, let me explain: It’s true that there will be rules you’ll have to follow in order to maintain your membership in any sorority or fraternity. House rules are made to ensure the safety and well-being of every Greek life member. Listed below are some of the fraternity and sorority rules women of Alpha Chi Omega at OSU must follow, which may be similar to Greek life rules other houses around the country have:
- All members must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA
- No alcohol or related paraphernalia (shot glasses, flasks, etc.) on the sorority property
- No drugs or related paraphernalia on the sorority property
- All chapter facilities are closed to male guests between the hours of 12:00am – 7:30am Sunday night through Thursday morning and 2:00am – 7:30am Thursday night through Sunday morning
- All members are required to attend mandatory events, unless a submitted excuse has been approved by the Executive Board
- All members are required to fulfill a minimum amount of community service hours (# of hours are determined and voted on by the entire chapter)
- Members living in the chapter house are required to fulfill house duties (a fancy term for “chores”) for at least one week every term. Duties must be completed by 8:00pm every night. House duties are determined by whoever holds the Vice President Facility Operations position.
- Members are not allowed to use the main kitchen. There is a designated area (the Nook) for member-use, equipped with two refrigerators, cabinet space, dishware, a microwave, stove, coffee maker, toaster, and sink.
- Members are prohibited from consuming alcohol during Recruitment Week, philanthropy events organized by the chapter, or at anything else that has been labeled a “sober/dry event”
- Members are required to sleep in designated sleeping areas at night (aka. the sleeping porch) as it pertains to fire code
Now I realize this list may look overwhelming, but these Greek life rules really aren’t that bad! They may seem like a lot at first, especially because there are more than just these 10, but eventually you’ll get used to them. Many of these rules are made because of insurance policies and fire-safety regulations. Housing a large amount of people under one roof requires special rules to ensure everyone’s safety. Others are set in place to ensure you uphold the basic standards of your fraternity or sorority (like maintaining a specific GPA and volunteering for a certain amount of hours). Greek organizations are in place so that students can have fun in college, help better the world locally and nationally, and be part of something that truly looks out for their best interests! But, part of doing that means setting some guidelines. These organizations, along with the guidelines they must enforce, teach you responsibility, dedication, work ethic, communication, and what it means to be part of a nationally recognized organization. So, even though I thought I was escaping to a rule-free world, I came to realize that the rules in place would help shape me into the responsible adult I am today.