This past weekend during my average Saturday night shenanigans with my friends at the bars, I began talking to a group of fraternity men. The conversation was flowing smoothly until I was asked one question. 

One question that holds a lot of unnecessary weight on campus: “What house are you in?”

I confidently answered the question and was met with the response, “Oh…that’s nice! Hey, I have to run to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” 

As you might have guessed, he did not return.

While there could have been countless other reasons why he chose not to return, I inferred that his decision was based on my answer to that question, as everything else had gone great.

It is not an uncommon occurrence. I see it all the time.

In the University Greek system, social ranking and the “tier system,” as we call it, are taken way too seriously. Greeks need to stop making swift judgments about people based on which house they are a part of. In order to improve the Greek reputation on campus, the tier system needs to be destroyed.

Tiering houses, or ranking them in order of best to worst, is something most sorority women are fully aware of. Rankings are far too often determined by superficial values such as which house has the thinnest girls or who has the hottest pledge class. These stats can even be seen online. It is something we know happens, and we hate to think about. Going to a bar and feeling unworthy of someone’s time based solely on my answer to what house I belong to is extremely insulting. This is not an attitude I believe anyone should have.

I would be willing to bet that most sorority women and fraternity men on this campus know about the website “Greek Rank.”The website is dedicated to judging different houses based on categories such as looks, social life, sisterhood and popularity. 

The comments on this site are straight up mean. Most sorority women are encouraged not to even look at it due to the nature of most of the comments.

Websites like this just perpetuate the stereotype that Greeks are narrow-minded, conceited and judgmental people, and being a part of the Greek system, I know this is not always the case.

So why are we judging each other based solely on the letters plastered across our chests?

Deciding to go Greek means something different to everyone. Some people go Greek because they are “legacies,” meaning one of their family member belonged to a certain house. Some people are looking for crazy party experiences they think the system will offer, and others are looking to form deeper bonds and friendships with people who will become their brothers or sisters.

Every house is different and each is great in its own way. 

We do not know everyone’s story, so who are we to judge?

It confuses me as to why some of the Greeks on this campus choose whether they are going to get to know someone based on their affiliation. Personally, I did not go through recruitment to join a “top house.” That was not even on my horizon. I chose my house based on the connections I had with the other members, and that is what the Greek system should emulate.

I am not saying that every single Greek on this campus believes in the tiers. 

Personally, I have many friends in other sororities and fraternities that are ranked higher than my house. 

We see each other simply as people who are also going through the roller coaster that is college. If the rest of the Greek system was like this, I believe its reputation would take a step in the right direction, and we would gain more respect from the student body.

If we girls keep bashing each other and name-calling other houses, we are only making it OK for other people to call us these names as well. The house bashing needs to stop, and the Greek system needs to come together as one and remain united in our common mission.

When I sit here and think about a day any fraternity could mix with any sorority on this campus without judgment, I realize that I might be aiming for the stars. Diminishing the tier system is no easy task, and there really is no quick fix. But changing our attitude is the first step in resolving this problem.

In the end we need to remember the age old saying: “No matter the letter, we are Greek together.”

Rebecca is a junior in LAS. She can be reached at [email protected].