Juniors Becca Craig and Mike Hsu, heads of this year’s Greek Week, stressed the emphasis they are putting on unifying all of the campus’ Greek chapters.

“We want the chapters to work with each other rather than against each other,” Hsu said.

“There is definitely a huge shift in the dynamics this year,” Hsu claimed. “I can’t even describe how much of a 180 we’ve taken from last year.”

According to the two students, a negative image of Greek life has developed on campus. “I think [the Greek community] can be seen as a destructive force, and because of that, Greeks aren’t proud to be Greek,” Craig said. “It’s hard to get people to understand us and not stereotype. This is exactly what we’re trying to address.”

Greek leaders are looking outward to improve their image, rather than focusing on reforms within individual chapters. Craig believes that if Greek members open up more events to the greater community, it will help improve others’ perceptions of Greek life.

Greek leaders also hope to minimize competition between chapters, as all of the chapters’ creeds are fundamentally the same, according to Craig. The Greek Week leaders pointed out that every fraternity and sorority values the same characteristics: intellectual curiosity, loyalty, service and respect.

“It’s easy for people to lose sight of [our similar values], especially during recruitment. But that’s why we’re really emphasizing Greek Week programs—to reignite that flame in the community,” she said.

“The frustration we feel as a Greek community is that we can do a hundred good things, but when one bad thing happens, it spreads faster than the good,” Craig said.

“You can’t let one bad incident tarnish your view of the system, Hsu added.”

“I think Wash. U. students can relate to our dilemma,” Craig said. “It’s similar to what’s going on in U. City. There are a few people who make a lot of noise in the off campus apartments, but the whole Wash. U. student body gets blamed.”

Craig and Hsu, however, have had very positive experiences as members of the Greek community.

“When you pledge a fraternity or sorority, you pledge to them and they pledge to you. It’s a bond that’s not quite like any other organization. The benefit is more what you can feel, not what you can express,” Craig said.

Lucy Morlan, Coordinator of Chapter Development for the Greek Life Office, believes that one of the biggest challenges Greek leaders will face this year will be maintaining the momentum that Greek Week has started.

“It’s easy to talk,” Morlan said. “It’s easy to start the semester with lofty goals and lots of motivation, but then people’s lives kick in and you forget the goals you started off with.”

Morlan hopes that Greek leaders will continue to promote action in the greater Wash. U. community even beyond Greek Week.

One of the Greek Week events that represented the newfound emphasis on cross-chapter unity was the Greek Olympics, which occurred on Sunday September 5th. Morlan explained that this year, the teams will be bigger to avoid pitting sororities against each other. In the past, teams consisted of two fraternities and one sorority, which caused tension between sorority chapters. This year’s Greek Olympics featured a tug-of-war, a volleyball tournament, a basketball tournament and an ultimate Frisbee game.

“It was amazing to see members of six different Greek organizations playing on the same Frisbee team.” Morlan said, “This year’s Olympics are all about building relationships and promoting teamwork within and between the chapters.”

Other Greek Week events, which run from Sept. 5 through Sept. 16, include a lecture by Dr. Corey Ciocchetti about the effects of stress on students, volunteering at the campus kitchen, Rock the Row, a town hall discussion on Greek values, and a fundraising competition.

“I think this year’s Greek Week really shows Wash. U. what Greek life is all about,” Craig said.

“I think the Greek leaders have definitely set great goals for themselves, and they’re off to a great start,” Morlan said. “These attitudes just need to be more natural so that they become something Greek members live by everyday. […] When you pledge a fraternity or sorority, you agree to be a particular kind of student—you stand for something. The Greek community needs to hold each other accountable. It might get uncomfortable at times, but that’s what needs to happen.”

Marc Elliot, a Wash. U. greek alum, will be speaking at Washington University as part of a public speaking tour. His speech focuses on the value of tolerance and the attitudes and behavior required for it to flourish. (Courtesy of Amanda Coppock)

Elliot, whose visit is sponsored by the Greek Life Office, Women’s Panhellenic Association and the Interfraternity Council (IFC), has Tourette’s syndrome and an intestinal disorder called Hirschsprung’s disease

“The thesis of my speech is basically that I try to convey the value of tolerance and the basic attitudes and behaviors that allow it to flourish,” Elliot said.

“His message is quite serious, but he presents it in a very light-hearted way, so it really allows you to connect what his message is and it really allows you to hear a perspective that you don’t really get to hear about a whole lot,” said Ryan Jasen Henne, director of Greek life.

Elliot said he is excited to be back at the University.

“The last two months, I’ve been all across the country, speaking to complete strangers, so it’s really neat to be able to talk to a group of people who know who I am.”

Elliot believes all attendees will benefit from his speech and from learning about his experiences in dealing with Tourette’s.

“A lot of people didn’t know me personally, but they knew there was a kid with Tourette’s on campus because it’s very visible,” Elliot said. “I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised, thinking they might know me, and realize there’s a lot you don’t know about people.”

Elliot’s speaking career has taken him to middle schools, high schools, colleges and nonprofit organizations across the country.

“It’s really has been a wide range of audiences, and each time, depending on the audience, I try to make it conducive for that type of audience,” he said.

Henne said the speech fills a gap in discussions on campus, since disabilities often do not come up in discussions about diversity.

“It is a serious topic that doesn’t really get a lot of air time, so to be able to educate people on Tourette’s syndrome and also on his personal life of being a man growing up in the world with a disability, it’s something that not a lot of people have had a whole lot of exposure to,” Henne said.

Junior Kevin Smith, IFC president, said there were several reasons why members of the University community would benefit from Elliot’s program.

“I don’t think there’s any one specific reason for [students] to attend. His speech is a positive message basically good for anyone to hear,” Smith said.

According to junior Amanda Coppock, WPA president, Elliot’s visit is the result of a collaboration between multiple campus organizations.

“The WPA and IFC and all the exec boards sat down, and we talked about it and decided for any community, it’s important to talk about diversity, and this was a great way to do it. Marc talks about a really unique part of diversity that I don’t think gets discussed in depth all the time,” Coppock said. “We decided it would be an excellent event for Greek life and the Greek Life Office and WPA and IFC to host for the entire Wash. U. community.”

Coppock believes the University already does a good job in addressing tolerance and diversity but thinks more discussion can always be beneficial.

“I think that our campus tries to be really progressive and tries to have a lot of conversations about diversity and important issues, and this is another way of doing that,” she said.

According to Henne, the Greek community has a special connection to Elliot, who was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, but Elliot’s message applies to a much broader audience.

“For us, he is a Greek man, but the cause that he represents and the issues that he’s going to speak about really do speak and transcend all boundaries of race, gender, ethnicity, etc,” Henne said. “It’s truly an opportunity for us in Greek life to be a frontrunner in presenting to the campus-wide population an issue that affects people of the world.”

Henne believes anyone can rally behind and discuss the issues Elliot will address.

“We’re hoping what’s going to happen is that people are going to hear this message and start having more conversations about it,” Henne said.