COURTESY OF ELLIOTT DALE FOUNDING FATHER Dale at Delta Sigmsa Phi, Oregon's first alcohol-free frat house

As a freshman entering the university of Oregon, I had little interest in Greek life. All the movies I'd seen and headlines I'd read had painted a dismal picture of fraternities. I didn't want to spend my college years in a drunken haze, being forced to do stupid scavenger hunts and cleaning up after others in an effort to "prove" my loyalty. My early stereotypes certainly weren't invalid, though they no longer reflect my current experience.

Fraternities across North America are struggling with their identity. Are they values-based organizations that exist to develop ethical leaders and serve the community? Or are they clubs whose purpose is to serve the social libido of their membership? I came to defend the former.

In the beginning of my freshman year, I saw a flyer that read: "Be a Founding Father. Start the Tradition." I met with men from the national fraternity of Delta Sigma Phi. They were interested in helping start a new chapter at the University of Oregon, where I was a student. We pondered the possibilities of a fraternity that exemplified the values of leadership, scholarship, friendship and service. That day I started believing in Greek life.

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Founding a fraternity chapter requires an incredible commitment of time and energy. It means representing a highly visible student organization, organizing events on campus, budgeting and managing chapter finances and recruiting new members. We were determined to create an organization that would stand squarely in the face of the stereotypes: binge drinking, hazing, womanizing, élitism.

When it came time to move into a chapter house together, we made the decision to become the first dry house at the University of Oregon. We thought it would distinguish us from the other fraternities and provide an example of how a fraternity can be strong without alcohol. The university president spoke at our house dedication ceremony. A woman whose son had died in an alcohol-related automobile accident after a fraternity party came to our chapter for dinner.

Alcohol-free housing proved to be an excellent decision. Other chapters on our campus — and across the nation — have followed suit and signed an initiative called Select 2000, which combats the alcohol-drenched culture of fraternities. The Governor of Oregon invited us to the state capitol and presented our fraternity chapter with an outstanding community achievement award.

Despite all the hoopla, the best part of my experience can be measured in a handful of afternoons spent with men who are more than friends. When the intricacies of Keynesian economic theory baffled me, a brother was there to walk me through it. When I found myself wanting to get outdoors and relieve stress, a brother taught me how to rappel down a rock face. When I was nervous about approaching a girl, my brothers helped me out with advice. When I was looking for my first internship, brothers were there to critique my résumé.

I will miss the philosophical discussions until 4 a.m. and the heated debates about topics ranging from presidential campaigns to the best-looking actress on 90210. I will miss recounting the weekend with my brothers on a lazy Monday afternoon. I have a friend who says there are two ways to go through college: you can have a college experience, or you can have a fraternity experience. I chose the latter, and it has made all the difference.

Source: TIME/The Princeton Review's The Best College For You 2001