Seattle UniversityGreek Life Summary

Written by Michael Lis-Sette

Michael Lis-Sette

Hometown

Seattle, WA

Major

Journalism

View all previous student authors

Seattle University is not a part of the Greek System, and this is a very relevant fact to the social life at school. There are various professional fraternities and those dedicated to service and learning projects, but there is nothing like the social fraternities and sororities you find at places like the University of Washington. Student opinions on this absence tend to be in favor of it, as many seem to feel that kind of culture would not really mesh with what already exists at the school. Much of this has to do with the perception of the school as more focused on academics than the kind of more raucous social interactions fraternities and sororities are perceived as bringing to schools. There is also a view of them as being somewhat "exclusive," and that they could serve to establish deeper cliques than what already exist.

Whether these perceptions are true or not is really unknown, and some students do wish they were a part of campus life, as then at least students would have a choice on whether or not to participate. Many of the social aspects of dorm life can be, and are, replicated in the communities that evolve among the floor members of various dorms, sometimes to the point of bringing in the more boisterous aspects of frat life (though that doesn’t happen too often.) And those who are interested in getting an exposure to Greek life can usually attend a party thrown at one of the houses on UW’s Greek Row, which is only a short bus ride away. SU simply is not a party school, though that does not mean students do not value the social life present here, as stunted as it is in comparison to a school that would have an active Greek life.