Although the Greek system has come under much scrutiny this past year, the Greek system has seen an enormous increase in the number of students pledging to fraternities and sororities.
According to IGC Social Chair and Alpha Omega Pi sister Alexis Liistro, participation both in her house and in the Greek system as a whole has gone up by 50 percent this year. IGC Public Relations Chair and Alpha Phi sister Jessica Brauser, agreed that membership is on the upswing. "Membership was definitely up this year, and I know that our [Alpha Phi] numbers have been increasing over the past few years," Brauser said.
Those who pledged this semester cite many different incentives, although a common sentiment was that Greek life is a great way to participate in social activities.
Sophomore and recently initiated Theta Delta Chi (123) brother David Donotelli joined because he realized that being a member of a fraternity gave him many new social opportunities. "It's a great way to socialize and participate in campus events," he said.
"I think from people I was friends with last year and pledged, seeing the friendships that they had, I just kind of wanted to be part of something else on campus, and to get more involved and meet new people," said sophomore Stephanie Reinhardt, who pledged Alpha Phi this semester.
"I think pledging increased just because of the entire Greek scene first semester," freshman and Theta Delta Chi (123) brother Peter Maher said. "Freshmen coming in were expecting something different out of the whole college experience, and with all the regulations and [houses on] probation, that social life was stifled by the University."
But Tufts fraternities and sororities have attempted to show the campus that they are not just places to party. During this past week's Greek Week, the Greek houses banded together to organize community service endeavors and activities for the entire campus.
"We want to give back to the community, ultimately," Brauser said. "There's more to Greek life than just having parties and socializing -- every house has a charity organization."
Through events like Mud Volleyball, Karaoke for Cardiac Care, Jar Wars, and a canned food drive, the IGC attempted to bring the campus together while giving back to charity.
"Basically we wanted to increase the Greek presence on campus and we felt that come Spring Fling it would be a good time to bring both Greeks and non-Greeks together," Brauser said. "Mud volleyball was the kickoff, and we hope that over the next few years the participation level will go up."
One of the Greek system's main focuses has been to bring "non-Greeks" into the Greek community, and get them involved in the events. "The goal is to show that the Greek system does stuff outside of Friday and Saturday nights," junior Christopher Valente, an Alpha Tao Omega brother and Vice President of the IGC said. "The participation was awesome from what we saw at all the activities. There was lot of non-Greek participation, which is what we were looking for."
According to the IGC members, both Mud Volleyball and Karaoke for Cardiac Care had "good turnouts," with large numbers of non-Greeks showing up for both activities. Additionally, through Jar Wars, a competition among the different Greek houses to see who can raise the most money for their chosen charity, about $700 was raised.
Although it is difficult to determine what effect the Greek System's recent efforts will have in the long run, the number of new members shows that the system will not die out. "It's a combination of things," Valente said about the increase in Greek membership. "Everyone is being more involved, which attracts more people to the Greek system, [and] we're getting a lot of help with the administration, who are really working with us to make sure the Greek system lasts a lot longer."
"We're trying to improve the image of the Greek system," Brauser said, adding that "over the past few years, the system has taken some hits, and we are trying to improve our image and help each other out."
