Antônio Jorge Medeiros Batista Silva

Although traditional Greek life can be scary for 2SLGBTQIA+ students, I have never felt unsafe or unwelcomed at The Tabard, my house. On that note, it is worth mentioning that, differently from fraternities and sororities, The Tabard is a gender-inclusive house. That means that everyone is welcome to 'rush' – how we refer to the process of 'applying' for house membership. As a gay man, it is no surprise that most of my friends are queer, but some are also straight, cis boys and girls—and The Tabard is a space where all of us can live together.

Perhaps this is an idea I equivocally nurtured from watching too many college-life-themed movies on TV growing up, but either way, I always saw Greek Life as the closest thing students (especially those from far away) get to a second family. Sometimes, these are literally the people you live, eat, study, and work with. But, that is not always the case! Although we are all part of this house, you don't have to force more intimate relationships to grow if that's not what you want. We all come to these spaces with different expectations: some want to make friends, others just want a space to party at, and many other possibilities. When exploring the potentials of Greek Life, be honest with who you are, don't push yourself to pursue exactly what you think others are looking for—especially if your only reference is John Landi's 'Animal House'.

On that same note: throw away any expectations you have that are solely based on TV! Every house has its own charm, and offers its members a unique experience. Although TV often gets it right—portraying general traditions and organizational structures we do find at Dartmouth Greek houses – there's much more nuance to these spaces than shown on the screen. At the end of the day, your Greek experience will be exactly what you make of it – whether that means partying all night or having daily study sessions with siblings in your house library (something most of Dartmouth Greek houses have).