Through the highlight of the OU Memes, I’ve noticed that the greeks versus non-greeks debate is more alive and well than I would like to admit. Even on websites like Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr, these arguments run rampant.

Those not involved in a sorority or fraternity say greeks buy their friends. The argument snowballs from there until, at some point, students involved in greek life organizations defend themselves by talking about their philanthropy work.

Recently, on one of the social media websites I frequent, I saw a quote going around that greek life organizations in the U.S. “donate 909,065 volunteer hours to philanthropic events, a total of 908,905 community service hours and $3,327,108.41 to philanthropy.” When a person in a fraternity or sorority whips out that line, the other person’s comeback is typically nothing but an eye roll accompanied by the “you-just-don’t-get-it” phrase muttered under their breath.

Until a few weeks ago, I have to say I didn’t get it. Philanthropy is doing good for other people, right? Why is everyone complaining about our friendship and our lifestyles if we are still helping the community? Then, I read something that completely changed my mind about the whole greek/non-greek/philanthropy debate.

In one of my classes, one of our assigned readings was a chapter of “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau. I was skimming the book when I came along a passage having to do with philanthropy. These days, few people ever talk about philanthropy unless they are referring to the latest and greatest greek event giving money to a designated charity. His use of the word sparked my eye, so I decided to give it a closer look.

“Philanthropy is not love for one’s fellow man,” he wrote. I was taken aback. How is giving my money, time and effort not love for people I do not know? This concept made no sense to me. However, as I kept reading, he was not saying all I did was in vain. My money, my time, my efforts are good, but they are not love. My motivation is not entirely selfless.

In contrast, Thoreau was wishing for love to be an action to those who are less fortunate than we are. He continues by pointing out that by feeding someone, giving them a coat or helping them out of the ditch, you are not doing as much good as you think you are doing.

Instead, we need to teach someone how to make food, how to make a coat or how to get themselves out of the ditch. Teaching people how to do something worthwhile is much better. By just donating money to charities, it is like we are putting an adhesive bandage on a gaping wound.

Consequently, I began to understand how non-greeks can believe that our philanthropy events are self-serving. Look deep, and you’ll see they are. Every year, there is more need for money from the various organizations we so reverently support. We always will be needed. Until the end of time, we will get to make our cute T-shirts, wear the bows in our hair or the Sperrys on our feet, attend our favorite philanthropy event and walk away feeling like we did something epic to help the community — when, in reality, all we did was throw money at a problem we never see going away.

Yet, these are not all bad. I am not saying to get rid of these programs in their entirety. There is good done by philanthropy events. Research monies are still in great need. But we need to get our hands just as dirty as our wallets. We cannot sit back and just toss a $5 bill to a charity and think it is OK. That is only one part of being the solution.

Therefore, I think our school, as a whole, needs to get back to the hard work of philanthropy. The university gives us plenty of opportunities to do so, such as mentoring elementary school children through Big Brothers/Big Sisters or building houses through Habitat for Humanity.

Is this harder? Yes, it is. But we cannot walk around, as a community, thinking we are God’s gift to the world when, in fact we are only doing half the work. So go find a way to help, by teaching a man to fish and not simply feeding him one.

Kimm Johnson is an environmental design and professional writing sophomore.