Greek life has many misconceptions attached to it, according to Alex Hayes '07 of Hopedale, MA. The accounts of drunken parties, wild times, and hazing rituals that are portrayed on T.V. and in the movies are completely untrue.

As the former president of the Tau Epsilon Phi (TEP) fraternity, he said his first job in attracting students to join the fraternity was debunking those stereotypes.

"I didn't come into college looking to get into Greek Life... I was actually one of those guys who were totally against it," said Hayes, who double majored in marketing and management at Bryant.

But it did not take long for him to change his mind. While moving in his first day on campus, he met someone involved in Greek life at Bryant. Not long after, he was playing basketball and hanging out with some of the frat brothers.

"My love for the fraternity grew very quickly," he said.

Soon he was stepping into a leadership position and held the title of president in his junior year. It was a role he filled admirably as evidenced by his selection as National Chancellor of the Year as the best president for all TEP chapters nationwide. Bryant's chapter was also named Chapter of the Year. Both distinctions were a first for any fraternity or sorority at Bryant.

When recruiting incoming students to the frat, he stressed the importance of community involvement and grades.

Just during an average spring semester, the fraternity sponsors 12 community service events - nearly double the other frats on campus - and it boasts the highest cumulative grade point average of any frat at Bryant.

"We pride ourselves on character," he said.

Hayes helped institute a scholarship to help pay the national dues for one fraternity member each semester. The brothers fund the scholarship, and vote for the recipient each year, which helps provide a sense of ownership in the organization and improves morale, he said.

"I don't think I would have had these ideas if it wasn't for my Bryant education," he said. "You learn all these leadership techniques in school but being in my fraternity has allowed me to employ all [my skills]," he said.