In Best College Reviews’ most recent college ranking for Greek life, Baker has been named as the third best among schools around the country. This is the first time that the Greek system has been nationally recognized.

“I thought it was really exciting to be on the list,” Katie Sellers, fraternity and sorority life coordinator, said. “To be amongst some of [the other] institutions, I think it speaks to how special our Greek system is.”

According to Best College Reviews’ article, the ranking is based off of a number of key characteristics including the percentage of students enrolled in Greek life, number of Greek organizations on campus and number of criminal offenses occurring on campus between 2011 and 2013.

“I think it goes to just Baker University in general,” Sellers said. “Because it is a small community, students have an opportunity to be involved in many activities. They are not just gaining leadership positions but also strong relationships.”

Brittany Crittenden, a sophomore member of Alpha Chi Omega, joined the Baker Greek system for this exact reason. Originally from San Diego, California, Crittenden grew up surrounded by larger schools and their respectively big Greek systems.

“I grew up going to San Diego State University games,” she said. Being around that, I never thought I wanted to be in Greek life because there were so many people in their chapters, and it was such a small portion of their campus. But at Baker, with about 40 percent of the student body being Greek-involved, I felt like it was more of a community that I could fit into.”

Junior Nick Yarbrough, the current chapter president of Delta Tau Delta, similarly found this type of experience with the Greek system.

“Here at Baker, you actually get to know every single person in your house,” Yarbrough said. “You form a lot close bonds and relationships with the members in your chapter.”

With the small chapter size and small campus overall, Yarbrough noted the diversity that also exists on the campus. With students involved in many different organizations on campus, being in a Greek organization doesn’t limit options for students, but rather opens up other opportunities as well.

“I think Baker Greek life is obviously a lot different,” he said. “Having such a small campus, you get to see people involved in things other than Greek life, such as sports.”

As the media often portray Greek life as a whole in a negative way, Sellers hopes that the article will show Baker’s uniqueness, as it is noted to be one of the safest schools when it came to the number of criminal offenses on campus.

“I think people really look out for one another and really care about the well-being of their classmates,” Sellers said. “I hope that this article lets both students and parents know that [Greek life] isn’t just a social activity. It’s part of the Baker community that helps develop leadership and opportunities.”