It's a beautiful afternoon, and several of my friends and I are sitting by the pond in Massell Quad. Most of us are doing work when a large pickup truck blasting music pulls up alongside our table. Around 15 guys jump out, whip out a grill and start cooking hamburgers, which they pass out for free to anyone who walks by. After talking to some of them for a while, I quickly realize what their motive is. These guys aren't just giving away food to be nice. They represent one of Brandeis' fraternities, whose main goal is recruiting first-year guys who might want to join.

When I applied to Brandeis, I knew that the University did not recognize fraternities and sororities. I also knew that there were several that operated under the table anyway. So when I arrived here, I was a little surprised to see how blatant the recruitment process was on campus. But I was also surprised to find that this activity didn't bother me very much. Granted, the fraternities and sororities put a lot of effort into recruitment, but I felt absolutely no pressure to rush a sorority.

Much of why I was unfazed by this recruitment process lies in that the University does not recognize Greek life.

At other universities, where fraternities are more ingrained into campus life, many people get pressured into rushing for social reasons, either by the fraternities themselves, or by their friends who are rushing. At Brandeis, I know several people who are either in a fraternity or pledging one. While I would never join a sorority myself, I think it's understandable that people in college want to be part of one, as long as they don't drag their friends with them.

Although understandable, the existence of fraternities at Brandeis creates a bit of a conundrum. Sure, everyone wants to party, socialize and have fun, but many aspects of Greek life are contradictory to the values that have governed Brandeis since its founding. One of the major issues with Greek life at Brandeis is the society's exclusive nature. Brandeis University was founded specifically as a place for Jews and other minorities, who were excluded from other universities. Fraternities and sororities may not discriminate based on race or religion, but there is still a discriminatory element. If you don't fit the profile of the fraternity or sorority, you aren't accepted, no matter how much you might want to join.

Lewis Solow-Collins '13, a pledge to one of Brandeis' fraternities, believes that fraternities are "like a sports team. Just because you want to be on varsity swimming doesn't mean you get to. ... Just because you want to be in a frat doesn't mean you get to, either." True, varsity swimming is quite exclusive, but for a reason. If the swim team were to accept everyone, it is likely that its level of competitiveness would drop significantly. But a fraternity is not a competitive team. It is a social group. At a university that prides itself on diversity, there is no place for groups that only allow members of a certain kind.

Solow-Collins also argues that "varsity swimming gets funding, so why shouldn't a frat?" Varsity swimming gets funding for the same reason it is allowed to be exclusive. They are a team that represents Brandeis through competition. Without funding, they would not be able to train their members effectively or travel to competitions. Again, fraternities are only social groups. It would be highly hypocritical for Brandeis to say that its main principles are acceptance and diversity, but to then give funding and recognition to fraternities, whose membership is based upon social exclusion.

Furthermore, if fraternities were recognized, they could potentially be detrimental to the University's image. Greek life is commonly associated with an intense party scene. Since fraternities and sororities aren't recognized, most people don't even hear about them until they get here. Thus, Brandeis doesn't attract the stereotypical fraternity boy or sorority girl that comes to college solely to party and avoids the reputation of being a party school.

So, what is to be done about Greek life at Brandeis? The unfortunate truth is that not much can be done. There is a reason Greek life exists unofficially at Brandeis, even though the University refuses to recognize it. College kids still need to blow off steam, and many people see fraternities and sororities as the best way to do so. As it stands now, Brandeis' Greek life operates mostly off campus (except when recruiting) and is largely insignificant to Brandeis students who choose to remain uninvolved. As long as Brandeis sticks to its principles and continues to deny fraternities and sororities recognition, the University has fulfilled its commitment to maintaining an open and diverse community. So, if students choose to partake in this under-the-table society, let them. It ultimately takes nothing away from the Brandeis experience.