When people picture a fraternity president, they probably think of endless keg stands and massive parties where I am the center of attention. Well … sorry to disappoint you, but that is the greatest myth ever told.
The best representation of the fraternity president is Robert Hoover, president of the Delta Tau Chi Fraternity from “National Lampoon’s Animal House.” He is overtly nervous about every little thing, has to please the university with outstanding achievements and keep young, rowdy men under somewhat control.
Yes, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Ultimately, the most responsible person is chosen to run the logistics and plans of the house, and I happened to fit the bill.
Now, this is not a shot at any fraternity or a complaint that things are so hard. This is simply a small look at the life in a position most people are not familiar with.
My days consist of calming down my brothers who feel that something is completely unfair, convincing them that the old ways of doing things just won’t work today and rallying others for the future betterment of the house.
The biggest challenge today is trying to make a change. Times are shifting, and the culture surrounding Greek life has to shift as well. It will be difficult in the upcoming months and years to combat the mindset of what has been so ingrained from the past.
The president is somewhat like being a police officer. You fight for a noble cause, knowing that everyday someone is going to make fun of you for your “fratiness” from the outside and scoff at you for enforcing rules that will keep people safe.
It is not easy … at … all. At the end of the day, I lay my head on my pillow and fall fast asleep. I wake up the next day and hit the ground running once again. Some days I want to scream, other days I want to gleam with joy but most days I just want to turn the lights off and sit in silence.
Some might ask, “Why are you doing this to yourself?” Well, I believe that I can leave something positive behind, even if it means only one person is impacted by my presence.
I have to be an advocate for change, but the tides seem to be against me at the moment. That’s okay. Every change comes with resistance. I have to be a leader and a responsible person who has to swallow their pride from time to time just to keep the peace. It sucks sometimes, but someone has to do it.
I will be here fighting the good fight until my term is up, but I will not let people put me down for doing what is right, even though it may be unpopular. Right now, the times will keep changing and a president must adapt, for a fraternity will not make it into the future if it resists change.
