Baker University President Pat Long sees the dedication students have to fraternities and sororities on the Baldwin City campus, and is becoming an honorary member of Delta Delta Delta sorority.

Greek life is a way for students to meet others on campus and it can also help to expand students’ leadership ability.

Greek life is an ongoing tradition at Baker that holds many memories for members and alumni. Some students have become legacies and followed in the footsteps of their siblings, parents, grandparents and other members of their families, by going greek.

Long attended a university without a greek system, and will finally get the opportunity to understand what greek life is all about.

With greek life being such a large part of Baker’s campus, it is important for the president to be able to understand and relate to the greek students. By becoming an honorary sorority member, Long will be able to better relate to Baker’s greek population.

Just by going through an initiation ceremony, Long will be able to see the tradition and bond of the chapter.

The knowledge of greek life Long will learn through this experience should help the understanding of what the needs of greek students are and how they can be met.

At Baker, fraternities and sororities are not portrayed like television shows such as “Sorority Life” on MTV or movies like “National Lampoon’s Animal House.”

In Baker’s greek system, there is more to gain than just a social life of parties.

Being a part of a greek organization gives students an opportunity to create relationships with alumni that can lead to strong connections, references and career assistance.

Greek life offers a chance not only to get involved, but also to serve the community through philanthropies.

For example, the philanthropy for Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity is Youth AIDS while Phi Mu sorority assists the Children’s Miracle Network. Fraternities and sororities work to help raise awareness or raise money for organizations.

It can be said that the friendships one makes in college will last a lifetime.

But after one is a member of a fraternity or sorority, the bond can be stronger than making friendships with your classmates. The men or women in a student’s chapter can become brothers and sisters. Students learn things about one another that they may not have learned if they had not joined the same chapter. Alumni also keep friendships from when they lived in their fraternity or sorority houses.

With all greek life can offer at Baker, Long should be able to see the strong bonds and positive aspects it leaves on many in the Baker community.