It's all Greek to me | New pledge classes join 160-year history | Interactive timeline

As Penn students receive bids to join fraternities and sororities this semester, they are joining a long-time staple of the University and one of the oldest Greek societies in the country.

The 160-year fixture of student life has not always played as large a role on campus as it does now, with nearly 30 percent of students involved in Greek organizations.

Over time, participation in the Greek system has fluctuated as historical events have pushed membership up and down.

During World War II, for example, chapter houses were used as barracks. At the end of the war, Greek life grew because soldiers returned to school and many former soldiers had new education opportunities because of the GI Bill. Greek life flourished significantly in the 1950s and 1960s.

However, in the 1970s, when social upheaval was affecting the nation, membership in fraternities and sororities declined dramatically and many chapters closed.

According to Scott Reikofski, director of Penn's Office of Fraternity and Sorority affairs, the decline in participation in Greek life stemmed from a student "antiestablishment culture," in which Greek organizations were rejected for their traditionalism.

In the late 1980s and 1990s, participation in Greek organizations became more popular again. Reiksofski said the upswing could have been a result of an increasing number of people joining fraternities and sororities because of their networking and housing options.

Over the last 15 years, the percentage of Greek students at Penn has remained steady, with about 30 percent of men joining fraternities and 26 to 27 percent of women joining sororities.

And while networking and housing may have been a motivating factor for some, many students said they think their friendships have been the driving force in their participation in Greek life.

Wharton junior and Interfraternity Council President Shawn Woodhull wrote in an e-mail that he decided to join a fraternity because he "was interested in the community and friendships that the Greek system cultivates."

College sophomore and alpha Kappa Delta Phi member Celine Chen said she joined the organization because she had a friend who was already a member. Once she joined, she made even more friends.

"You can get really close to your sisters," Chen said.

Reikofski said other popular reasons for joining fraternities and sororities include following the footsteps of parents and siblings who had positive experiences in the Greek community and desiring the social status they feel membership will bring them.

Other Penn students, however, opt not to join. College senior Dan Ross said he did not join a fraternity because the dues were too expensive.

"I'm not paying 1,000 extra dollars for what a fraternity has to offer, which is a lot, but I can get it elsewhere," Ross said.

As participation in Greek life has climbed and fell, relationships between the Greek community and the University have also strengthened in recent years.

Though Penn's first fraternity - Delta Phi, also known as St. Elmo's - was founded in 1849, it wasn't until the 1950s and 1960s that issues arose concerning the academic performance and hazing of Greek students.

OFSA was created in the early 1970s to provide a link between Greeks and the University.

Delta Phi was founded twenty-four years after the creation of the first social fraternity in the U.S., and was soon joined by several other fraternities, including Phi Kappa Sigma, also known as Skulls. It was the first chapter the fraternity, making it the only alpha chapter of a Greek organization at Penn.

Between 1875 and 1900, thirteen more fraternities and Penn's first sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, were established. In 1918, the first historically black Greek organization was established on Penn's campus, with the founding of the school's Delta Sigma Theta sorority chapter.

According to Reikofski, in the last 15 years, OFSA has worked hard to make the relationship between the Greek community and the University a more positive one.

In the early 1990s, the Greek community worked with the University to develop the 21st Century Plan for an Ivy League Greek System, which included increased grade point average and community service requirements and helped implement risk-management techniques when planning social events.

Today, OFSA, a division of the Vice Provost for University Life, works with a number of University groups to develop policies.

Reikofski wrote in an e-mail that he sits on a number of University committees, including Safety and Security and Pluralism.

He added that OFSA has also coordinated with VPUL and reached out to a number of other University groups, particularly ones relating to health and facilities issues.

Greek students and alumni have also been instrumental in relations with the University in recent years.

College junior, Panhellenic Council President and former Daily Pennsylvanian editor Alissa Eisenberg wrote in an e-mail that the Greek umbrella organizations are trying to work together to implement more events in accordance with the greater Penn community.

Reikofski said leaders in the Greek community are sometimes used by the University to provide feedback on issues relating to student culture.

He added that Greek influence also manifests itself in University issues because many of Penn's active and loyal alumni were Greek.

VPUL spokesperson Matthew Waller wrote in an e-mail that Greek student leaders often work with the University administration to highlight issues they feel are important to the Greek community.

He added that he sees the presence of Greek life on campus as positive for the University.

"The benefits of a vibrant and healthy Greek system are felt across campus and the community at large, in academic successes, community service work and philanthropy, engaged alumni, and fulfilling co-curricular experiences for students," he wrote. "Today, as ever, it is an ongoing effort, across the University, to ensure a positive role for the Greek system at Penn, and one that we're excited about for the future."

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