The positive influences of college fraternities According to Webster's New World Dictionary the definition of stereotype is: a fixed or conventional notion or concept. While attending college I noticed that stereotypes are a part of everyday life. Day after day people are judged for who they are and what they believe. These stereotypes are especially relevant in fraternities. The negative stereotypes associated with college fraternities have recently been magnified and often overshadow the many positive aspects and contributions of Greek life. The Greek system offers men and women the opportunity to complete their college education by completing themselves better and giving back to our community. If you are someone who has acquired these negative stereotypes, consider how your community benefits from our many service projects. But before my article can prove your misconceptions, we need to discuss stereotypes. A stereotype is a lack of information. The basis of what the public is informed about is true in most cases, but the misleading part of a stereotype is what people don't hear. If only half of the information in a story is revealed, obviously the entire story will not be revealed to the reader. This is how negative stereotypes of fraternities are born. When it comes to fraternities, not many people want to hear about the positives, so they tune them out and only focus on the negatives. According to Sam Doria, a freshman here at Bowling Green, "the positive issues facing fraternities are boring. I want to see which fraternity is next to be accused of hazing violations." Most of the positive issues regarding fraternities have recently been published... halfway through the paper... yle: The Endless Binge. Newsweek, 124, 72-73. Celio, Jeff (1998, March). [interview with IFC president.]Doria, Sam (1998, March). [Interview with a BGSU student.Hirsch, K. (1990). Brotherhood of Fear: Gang Rape, Male Bonding, and the Silence of Women. Ms, 1 52-56. Johnson, C. (1991). When sex is the problem. US News & World Report, 111, 34-36.Jordan, I. (1998, last updated January). The Jordan Standard [Sigma Chi Fraternity Headquarters Home Page]. Available on the Internet: http://dsc.dixie.edu/barry/uncle_runkle@sigmachihq.orgMansell, Eric. (1998, Winter). NIC supports alcohol-free housing. Fraternal Law, 2Wayland, J. (1998, last updated March). The True Gentleman [Home page of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity at BGSU]. Available http//:www.bgsu.edu/studentlife/organizations/sigma-alpha=epsilon/tgwj.htm