<p>I appreciate this debate about the Greek system’s influence on the social scene very much. My son is finishing his junior year in HS and UI is a candidate for him, which is why I read this forum. I had a disappointing first year at Purdue many years ago, which at that time had a very strong Greek presence. I found that while social opportunities did exist for non-Greeks, a sort of divide did exist between the two worlds and as a shy person who didn’t find Greek life appealing I found this somewhat alienating. Definately if I had worked harder to join some organizations with people of my similar interests that would’ve helped, and I do blame myself for not doing so. I transferred to UW Madison as a sophomore and had a much better time. Now it’s not clear where my son might fall with respect to Greek life, but I think it’s useful to hear perspectives on its role in the social life of students.</p>