Greek life is a great way to get involved at the U of M and make connections with people. But due to the size of the U, the Greek life does not dominate the campus. The most prominent area to witness Greek life is on "frat row," where most of the fraternity houses are. This is also the place where on any weekend, one can find crazy, loud, and often drunk people enjoying themselves in parties spilling out to the sidewalks. It is a typical Greek life system, although many rules are enforced for the security of the students. Besides being a traditional Greek system, a lot of emphasis is put on volunteer work, charities, high academic standards, and representing the University in a positive light. Most of the fraternities and sororities have a philanthropy they support via hosting events or taking part in community involvement and other University activities. There is a Greek league for intramural sports. Sororities and fraternities are paired up in groups for Homecoming and Spring Jam (music weekend close to the end of the school year), and they participate in various activities such as dance-offs, cheer contests, and tug of war, to name a few. Some fraternities and sororities have specifications for members. For example, Alpha Epsilon Pi is an all-Jewish fraternity. There are some non-Greek communities, for example, such as a "sorority" for women in the engineering field.
Joining a fraternity or sorority is a great idea to fit in at the U and make lifelong connections, but it is not the only option to do so. Greek life is a part of campus life, but it is not the exclusive way to have "the college experience." Many viable options are available, and Greek life is one of them.