With Rush down overall among men at Iowa State, fraternities have become subject to a national trend of declining membership.

But surprisingly, there is one bright point — substance-free fraternities have had increasing membership.

Interest in the substance-free houses has brought up their membership.

This is an unusual trend for houses not only at Iowa State but also nationwide.

Experiencing the largest increase in new members was Alpha Sigma Phi, one of ISU’s five substance-free men’s fraternities.

This is a step in the right direction.

Of the five houses, most increased their membership, and not one saw its numbers decrease.

Fraternities are finally getting back to the basics of educational excellence, community leadership and philanthropy.

All were strong points in the “glory days.”

Houses are now becoming places that focus on academics.

So, it is not surprising that the substance-free houses have some of the highest grade point averages overall in the greek system.

Twelve percent of ISU’s student body are greek, and this is a great step in breaking down the stereotypes that are associated with fraternities and frat life.

Images that threatened, at one time, to irrevocably tarnish the view most people held of the greek system as a whole.

Frats have been depicted in movies such as “Revenge of the Nerds,” “Animal House” and “PCU” as groups of people whose primary goals were drinking a lot of beer and getting laid.

Students and the general public have perceived frats as they are seen in movies.

Frat boys were seen as horny drunks who threatened entire communities and the virtue of unsuspecting young women.

Hopefully, those days are gone for good, and the days of healing can begin in earnest.

With this step, they can destroy those stereotypes and become institutions of change.

Instead of the occasional blood drive or charity goals, frats can become a real form of civic and social responsibility.

And it is about time they get back to what they were intended to be in the beginning: institutions for academic achievement and community improvement.

The increase in membership for substance-free frats is no accident.

If all houses follow in the footsteps of the few, the greek system will re-emerge as a force for good, not evil.