Alpha Delta Pi sorority president Nicki Heitzler believes reputation is everything for the NIU Greek system.

For years, local fraternity and sorority chapters have tried to erase their less-than-acceptable reputations and build new, positive ones.

“If we get a reputation for having good grades, we have more people with good study habits consider joining the chapter,” Heitzler said. “This is why we’ve been striving to make our name known for community service, grades and athletics.”

With consistent hype about the negative aspects of Greek life & from crime and alcohol on Greek Row to widespread academic probation & members believe non-Greek students often fail to look at the good things Greeks do. Heitzler believes Greeks are judged unfairly mainly by people who don’t fully understand Greek life.

“They have their mind set that we all are the typical fraternity and sorority members that are portrayed in movies such as ‘Animal House’ and other television shows, which is unbelievably untrue,” she said. “They only see and read the bad things that Greeks do, but this is just an example of how the media creates many stereotypes for many different organizations and types of people in the world today.”

Ellen Dunseth, activities adviser for Greek affairs, said 19 of NIU’s 30 Greek houses are on academic probation. This number alone may give a bad impression, but Greek students insist their community involvement counts.

“We are required to participate in philanthropies, community service, brotherhood-sisterhood building activities, meetings,” said Michael Hudec, Triangle fraternity president.

Sometimes those extra-curricular activities can make getting a high grade-point average much harder.

“If a student is involved in a Greek organization, they generally have more to deal with than, say, a student who just has a job and maybe isn’t

as involved in anything,” Dunseth said.

The Greek lifestyle is a different experience in itself, she added. Unlike at the residence halls, where fewer people stay together on a floor, most fraternity or sorority members live together in one house. This means Greeks eat, sleep and do almost everything else together — even settle disputes.

“They may make a few friends on their floor, but it’s not like living in a Greek house,” Dunseth said of residence hall students. “In the houses, they can’t just move to a new floor the way students in dorms can. They have to work out their differences. Everybody has to pull their own weight.”

Hudec agreed, declaring the bonds between house brothers or sisters very strong. Outsiders don’t get to see that side of Greek life as often, he said.

“Some of the best things we have to offer can’t quite be put into words,” Hudec said. “The sense of family and brotherhood is something that most people who aren’t Greek will never quite understand. A member getting caught doing — insert situation here — in big bold print, however, catches everyone’s eye.”

In all, Greek students keep their main focus on school, Heitzler said.

“We stress to our members that you’re here to get an education, not just to be involved and have a good time,” she said.