Greek Life Research Paper

Victoria Woronuik

Professor Catherine Fakler

English 101

15 October 2015 Greek Life: Service Hand in Hand On November 11, 1750, a group of notable gentlemen studying at the College of William and Mary came together to create an extracurricular academic club, which is now deemed as the creation of first established Greek-letter organization. (Rehoboth Journal) Since then, several other Greek organizations have been formed in hopes of following in the footsteps of the original founders. Over the evolution of Greek Life, strong opinions have been construed about whether Greek organizations are beneficial or harmful to members and to the greater society. With the ideals of the founders in mind, Greek organizations were formed to build competent

This extravagant event is typically held during Parent’s Weekend at the University of Arizona. The purpose is to raise awareness about the dangers of heart disease and donate the proceeds directly to the Alpha Phi foundation.

The 11th Annual Red Dress Gala for the Beta Epsilon chapter of Alpha Phi at the University was held at the beautiful Loews Ventana Resort. Approximately 1700 members and their parents came together with a goal of surpassing goals from previous years by a significant amount: Alpha Phi made it a priority to raise $50,000 for Women’s Heart Health. In a casino setting, parents and members alike had the opportunity to gamble, catch up over a few cocktails and place bids on silent auction items. An $85 per plate dinner and premium prices on cocktails and valet parking contributed to the ultimate goal of

“Participating in service projects at University of Arizona not only benefits the outside community, but also the individual members.” (Beuther) Transitioning from the comforts and familiarity of high school life to an unfamiliar next chapter - college life, is often very difficult on young adults. These service activities provide a bonding experience between members and ease the transition from adolescence to adulthood by integrating the qualities of a successful adult into tasks. But the question is: who is really helping whom? It’s not a one-way street is it? No, Greeks and charities are mutually beneficial. Yes, Greek Life raises millions of dollars across the country but by participating in these philanthropies members are able to enrich their lives and increase their general sense of well being. How, you ask? Ed Diener and Martin Seligman explain in Beyond Money. In this report, Diener and Seligman provide examples of how service and helping others increases levels of happiness: “Happy workers are better organizational citizens, meaning that they help other people at work in various ways” (Beyond Money). They also determine the variables that assess well-being that apply to the general public. Among the list is engagement which in context, applies to ones sense of connection to the world around them and the activities they carry out in order