Fraternities have been getting a pretty shit rap in the news lately, whether it’s allegations of dumping roofies into girls’ drinks at parties or rumors about pledges dying from being hazed, it hasn’t exactly been a great month to justify to your parents why they’re spending an extra $700 a semester for you to be in a frat.
With that being said, I think it’s important to take a step back from all the horrendous press and remember that, overall, fraternities do a lot of good within their communities. This morning I received an email from a current Delta Chi brother at the University of Maryland, reaching out to see if we could somehow help one of their alums in need:
Hey Rebecca,
My name is Tyler Denk and I’m in Delta Chi at the University of Maryland. Recently one of our alumni, Michael Murray, was diagnosed with ALS and on Monday our entire chapter did the ice bucket challenge to help show support and raise money for this medical expenses. He has a GoFundMe page in which he has a goal of $30,000 to make parts of his home wheelchair accessible as well as purchase a wheelchair accessible van; however, he’s been stuck at around $10,000 for months and it’s been awful seeing him struggle both physically and financially. It would really mean a lot to us and his family if this video could help him reach his financial goal. The diamondback is writing a story in the paper within the next few days about our fraternity’s effort to help out an alumni, but knowing that you’re a UMD grad, we were hoping maybe you could throw up a quick little story on brobible just to help get it a little more publicity. I hate to bother you with the request but just wanted to bring it to your attention so we can hopefully make a significant difference in Michael’s life.
Thanks.
Tyler R. Denk
At the end of the day, fraternities are about helping those in the community around them and bringing out the best in people. Don’t let the awful stories about some frats let that poison your view of the rest. Those are the exceptions, not the norms.
If you’d like to donate to Michael Murray’s fund, click here to go to his GoFundMe page.