I consider myself happy here at Loyola. Most of the time, walking around campus, looking around at the beautiful surroundings and wonderful people, I feel content. I’ve made friends, joined lots of clubs and even formed an intramural soccer team. Even so, I have to admit that I’ve felt something missing from the first week of school. This week, I figured out what’s missing for me at Loyola.

I woke up on Monday, grabbed my phone, and scrolled through my Instagram feed. Immediately, pictures of my friends back in my home state at the University of Oregon laughing, hugging, covered in glitter, and holding Greek letters bombarded me. They’d been rushing for a few days and had finally pledged sororities. I quickly composed a text to my best friend, Sonya, to congratulate her on pledging Alpha Phi, her top choice sorority. Her text in return was full of exclamation points and pink heart emojis, urging me to transfer to UO so I could participate too. I went on Facebook, where everyone and their mother (literally) were busy sending each other congratulatory messages and referring to each other as “sisters.” I felt a pang of doubt in my chest as I thought about the sisterhood I could have been a part of, but had convinced myself I didn’t need during the college search. Maybe Greek life really was something I was missing out on by choosing a school without the option.

Greek organizations facilitate the building of invaluable camaraderie and friendships. It’s miles easier to make friends as a freshman when Greek life exists at a school. People join Greek organizations for the sole purpose of socializing. I look at Sonya, who was nervous about making new friends at first, and who is now forming quick friendships with girls she gets to share a new home with. When you join a sorority or fraternity, you unlock the opportunity to gain dozens of friends instantly. The networking opportunities would also be an asset for Loyola students. Not only will Sonya have a chance to network within her house, but she’ll also have a tie to all the other Alpha Phi women across the nation.

While I understand why Loyola would not want to start Greek organizations on campus, I don’t see why they shouldn’t be started off campus. Alongside Instagrams from my friends at UO, I saw other friends at a Jesuit university in California posting about their excitement to enter the Greek system. At Santa Clara University students started a non-affiliated Greek system. As of about a decade ago, all of their Greek houses are off-campus and not tied to the school in any way, but the option still exists for anyone who wants to go Greek.

The great part about off-campus Greek life is that it doesn’t feel pervasive. If someone doesn’t want to get involved with Greek life, they’re not going to feel as bothered by its presence as if it were on campus. On the flip side, if someone does choose to participate, Greek life won’t dominate his or her life. Having Greek life off campus gives students the opportunity for a social outlet while still being able to focus on academics by attending school in a Greek-free environment.

Josef Schwab, a friend of mine who just began his freshman year at Santa Clara, said, “It’s like having a sudden close group of friends consisting of dozens of people. Being non-affiliated with the school means the school isn’t liable for anything that happens in the fraternities or sororities, so it’s kind of a win-win.” His three brothers who attended Santa Clara before him loved the experience as well.

While scandals swarm sororities and fraternities across the nation, I believe off-campus Greek life would be a great test for us as Greyhounds and a worthwhile pursuit. I would hope that the values we learn at Loyola would lead each and every one of us to make decisions that show respect to our peers and ourselves, allowing us to participate responsibly in these community-building organizations. I certainly hope that the idea of off-campus Greek life gains traction at Loyola over the next few years.

Photo courtesy of Flickr:https://www.flickr.com/photos/ivydawned/2900802180/in/photolist-5qknqG-BqF2B-fnpQWz-k412s-7E3Dmx-AmUz2-FqqkD-ckBrSJ-FqoDS-3tNLd-aAvX9-jyfWZj-FqoQs-FqqH8-Fqqqe-FqoUj-fnE4hy-Fqqrn-FqoH1-pyqt4v-Fqp3E-q8Z9U5-Fknn7-pgWdZT-fnpQNK-uyoCsY-bjPJXK-pgVwuN-9H923x-fnpQnv-pyqtzv-FqoZy-FqoK9-FqoKw-Fqqhn-FqoR1-FqoHs-FqoCN-FqoN7-FqoFS-FqoCo-pyqtWH-FqoTd-FqoJN-FqoHf-Fqqka-FqqGD-FqoX9-FqoUW-Fqquz