Columnist Erin Franczak discusses upsetting Yik Yak posts about Greek organizations.
When I was little, my mom and dad taught me, like every other child should be taught, the rules of kindness. They said to never gossip, lie or hurt anyone. I grew up with these morals and values.
When I went to college, my eyes were opened to a new world of experiences and relationships. I will admit I was very nervous, and I originally believed some of the rumors about social sororities and fraternities.
After developing friendships with other students in Greek life, I opened up to the idea and started to learn a lot about them. I realized none of my original opinions were true. I'll admit to this because I want to try to help others understand the feeling of love and adoration Greek life members have for these organizations.
With that in mind, last night I was on an app called Yik Yak. If unfamiliar, it is an app where you can anonymously make comments. I am not generally a fan of this app, but there were a few posts in particular that really angered me. As I was scrolling through, I noticed a post that was very negative about fraternities.
This is not the first time I have seen a negative post about Greek life, and it has irked me a lot. Most of the time, the posts are really mean, and they seem like students posted them just to get attention and the most upvotes.
However, the fact that many are using that tool to damage the reputation of an organization they probably don’t know that much about is frustrating. How would you feel if someone spoke badly about your organization?
First off, no person has the right to judge anything — not just Greek life — based on rumors they’ve heard that don’t have proof. That is how untrue rumors keep spreading. Everyone makes mistakes, including members of Greek life organizations — it’s an unavoidable human tendency.
So, please try to remember that when you’re bashing an organization, it is something you’ve never experienced. If you do have serious complaints with those organizations, please show some serious bravery and talk to a person instead of hiding behind a computer screen or phone.
{{tncms-asset app="editorial" id="03872610-d5b4-11e5-a960-3b4103cbab30"}}
I highly suggest that everyone checks out Greek life because it is an amazing experience, and you may never have another opportunity to be so close with fellow students. Read my next column to learn about why Patrick Ruz loves his fraternity.
Erin Franczak is a freshman studying journalism. Interested in learning more about Greek life? Email her at ef441614@ohio.edu.
