To rush or not to rush: that is the question. One decision many students face when starting college is deciding whether or not to investigate joining a fraternity or sorority. Others may not understand what Greek” students are all about, having only drawn information from the “American Pie” franchise.

“I think the message that the media sends out about Greeks is really shallow,” said Savannah Smith, a graduate assistant for Greek affairs and former sorority member at UNA. “The reality of being in a Greek organization is that you learn a lot of skills while being a part of a community that is rooted in deep tradition,” she said. “I’ve seen a lot of students go come through the Greek system at UNA and really leave behind a legacy.”

Joining a fraternity or sorority is a great way to serve the campus community while gaining valuable life experience, Smith said.

“Our leaders are learning how to run small business,” she said. “There are students on the executive boards of these chapters who are learning how to balance a budget for a small business. When I learned that as an undergrad, I realized I was receiving skills that I probably would not have gotten elsewhere.”

DeAnte’ Smith, the outgoing assistant director of Student Engagement for Greek Affairs, said the academic requirements for participating in Greek life are often overlooked, although they appear to be important to students at UNA.

“As part of the requirements to remain part of the Greek system or the Greek chapters, you have to maintain certain GPA requirements,” he said. “A lot of our chapters excel academically. We’ve seen a significant increase (in academic performance), particularly in the Interfraternity Council as a whole over the last five years or so.”

He said networking is also a significant part of Greek life because of the relationships Greek students are able to develop with others in their chapter, as well as alumni.

“Any employment connection that you have in this day and age is beneficial,” he said. “Being able to go to school, often work a job and be involved in an organization that is visible and gives back to the campus community is an amazing thing that I see a lot of Greek students accomplish.”

Shane Parker, a sophomore at UNA, said he is not involved in a fraternity, although he sees the potential career opportunities and close-knit community as being key benefits to those involved.

“On the other hand, that environment can facilitate destructive behavior through substance or alcohol abuse,” he said. “That’s a very generalized distinction, but nevertheless, I think that there could be a lot of improvements made to make Greek life more appealing to people like myself. Personally, I would like to see more money and efforts geared towards trying to improve the community on campus and off, and less on parties and things of that nature.”

Smith said students that join a Greek organization are expected to serve their chapter and their campus community while balancing the responsibilities of school.

“If your plan is to breeze through college and for life to be as easy as possible, then it is not for you,” she said. “The amount of service that (the current Greek) students put into their (organization’s) events has been really cool. We’ve seen chapters host events that host over a thousand people and raise thousands of dollars for different philanthropies both nationwide and locally.”

Skylar Stewart, a senior at UNA, said he has been encouraged by the commitment of several of the Greek organizations to the UNA community and the city of Florence.

“They do a great job helping the community with fundraising events that support the Make A Wish foundation, Big Brother Big Sister, and other community-centered non-profit organizations,” he said.

Smith said the Greeks have big plans for the 2013-2014 school year, such as UNA’s first dance marathon.

“It is going to be hosted by our Greek honors society,” she said. “This is event that is very large-scale; we have a big dream for it. It’s an 18 1/2 hour event where we celebrate the lives of kids who are battling any kind of terminal illness within Children’s Miracle Network, but specifically with Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, where our funds will be going.”