You forgot to mention how some guy named Brad or Lance or Hunter threw a beer can at you and yelled “fuck off!”.
Does it matter? Our fraternities also threw a lot of fancy cocktail parties. You’d still bitch about those because those stuck-up jerks made you wear a tie.
Sometimes it makes people feel good about themselves to ridicule organizations they can’t join - fraternities, sports teams, honor societies, whoever.
Maybe. I know it makes me feel good to ridicule organizations whose parties are composed entirely of drunken, urinating, vomiting jocks trying to get in the pants of anything female and breathing.
While trying not to slip on the floor that is covered in spilled beer.
We’ll try and tidy up for you next time, Princess.
I have no real dog in this fight.
I attended college in the '80’s. So, yes, some of my opinions are dated–but not the ones that refer to human nature. If membership in any club is limited, members may pride themselves on their inclusion–and “diss” those who are excluded.
I had no interest in joining. But I didn’t have a problem with anyone who DID want to join.
Again, all I am saying is that the Greek system is not superior in some vague way to “ordinary” college life. Of course membership in a house can be a positive life changing choice. Forgive me if I felt the need to point out that Greek is not all good. mssmith --I agree with you–none of it is mutually exclusive, nor should it be. And, just to be clear–Greek does not equal all bad, either.
C3 --all those things sound good. But I have trouble believing that they are standard operating procedures for all houses–witness the not that infrequent news of rapes/hazing/“high jinks” at frats and sororities. Certainly, there seems to be more awareness and concern than when I was in college–and that is a good thing. I hope it continues (but doesn’t end up being repressive and no fun at all–a fine line and a changing one).
Thank you, I’d appreciate it.
I’m currently a student at UCD. I’m also in the Greek system. While I don’t agree with the OP’s entire statement, I don’t wholly disagree with it either. Of course there are annoying Greek people, there are annoying non-Greek people out there too. I’m just tired of the picture being painted with such a huge brush.
I don’t have time to go bother other people with my brothers and sisters (in a co-ed fraternity). You know why? I’m in a professional fraternity where we take our academics seriously. I’m usually studying for my classes or volunteering for various organizations on campus. You think we’re all stupid bimbos? Well fuck you. I’m too busy volunteering for shitloads of charities and health organizations to bother with people who don’t try to find out about the organizations they’re bitching about.
I don’t drink. I don’t do drugs. I try my best to contribute for the good of mankind when I’m not doing schoolwork or working to pay my way through college. I’m confident in who I am and which fraternity I chose. Maybe some people need to see these often stereotyped organizations for the good people and the good that their group did instead of trying to find the bad and magnifying them tenfold.
It is easier to sit and pass judgment than to take time to understand another person.
It sounds as if you’re in an awesome program, and I’m truly sincerely happy that you’e found an organization that fills exactly what you need it to be like this fraternity apparently does. Congratulations.
To be fair, nobody here is talking about co-ed professional fraternities, just the more prevalent social fraternities and sororities. You might be part of the Greek system at your school, but you’re comparing apples and oranges.
Well, apples and pears.
The honorary fraternity I joined hazed a lot more than the social fraternity.
I still wear both pins to alumni events.
You’ve got a point. 
No one is specifically saying anything about co-ed professional fraternities, but it just gets under my skin when people say “ugh Greek people are so stupid. Greek girls are hos” and whatnot. Statements such as:
make me feel like people don’t try to understand. They just see a group of people, they see letters and then they automatically shoot off their mouth with their preconceptions. It’s annoying when it feels like you have to constantly defend your organization with the whole “no we do not haze, yes we actually study and do well in our classes, no we don’t have keggers during the weekends, and YES, WE ARE GOOD PEOPLE…”.
In answer to eleanorigby, some people like being part of a group. True, you could join a club or just get together with friends, but by experiencing the pledge process and crossing with your pledge brothers and sisters by your side, then being congratulated by the actives as you become one of them, you feel closer to your group. After having to study together, accomplish goals with them, you see them not as a friend, but as family. I’m not in a social sorority, so I can’t speak for them, but family is very important within my fraternity. It’s given us a sense of family away from home and in college, the feeling is very much needed.
And the fees? We put our fees toward our socials such as ski trips, white water rafting, etc. so that everyone can hang out together. Our dues are also put toward professional-related events and charities. For example, to raise money for the Childhood Cancer Association this year, we had to first buy the CCA wristbands in order to sell them to the community. Once we made enough to replace the money we used for the wristbands, the profit made afterward went to the CCA.
I’m not saying it’s for everyone, but those of us who choose the Greek system want more out of college than just schooling. We really do want to make lifelong friendships as well as benefit from the networks that we establish through our alumni.
Well, most or some Greeks do.
I stand by my anecdotes re petty meanness and irresponsiblity.
But nowhere have I said that people are foolish to join–it just wasn’t for me.
I’m glad you are having (had?) a good experience–although that sounds too much like work for me when I was in college…
I would like to say two things. First, I sympathize heartily with your plight. I lived in Castililan South my freshman year in a dorm suite with four girls who’s singular goal was to rush a sorority. If you think it sucks to sit two hours in a movie with the brainless twits, try living with four of them for an entire school year.
Secondly, for the KKG’s in this thread, guess which sorority they collectively ended up rushing? Practically every weekend, at least one of them would come staggering in, sloppy drunk, singing at the top of her lungs:
Sigh.
At Cal the greek scene was pretty low-key. You’d basically only hear about them when a frat got suspended or disbanded (or whatever they call it) for drugs or booze or other unapproved behavior.
But, one fine evening at the coffeeshop, a group of rushing girls approached dressed in garbage bags with their underwear on the outside, their hair absolutely fucked and shit drawn all over their faces, legs and arms, and serenaded us with what I am convinced was the sorority theme song, complete with a ridiculous dance. It was HILARIOUS. So sororities are at least good for some entertainment.
I love how it’s an unforgiveable sin to generalize about groups of people on this board, but when it pertains to people who join the Greek system, somehow it seems to be okay.
Some of you are hypocrites.
Keep painting with that wide brush.
Did they get put on Double Secret Probation first?
Most people in the thread are painting a mural, not a portrait.
It is difficult to paint a mural with a camel-hair brush.
I’m finding this fascinating. I don’t understand any of this either. I went to a small Quaker liberal arts college. We had no fraternities or sororities. Heck, we had no valedictorian. It’s a whole new world.
I’m just curious: Why a total ban on any kind of hazing? Why not just a rule that hazing cannot involve alcohol, physical assault, or prurient behavior? I’ve never had even a tenuous connection to the Greek system, so I may be hopelessly naive in saying this, but what is so wrong with rituals that prove pledges’ loyalty? I can understand the objection to hazing that ends up with people dead, or traumatized for life, but if you just eliminate those possibilities, wouldn’t that be okay?
Hey, a fellow 'Ford? What year?
– Kimstu
HC '85
My sorority’s philosophy was that any sort of hazing was demeaning to a pledge, including anything that had the potential to embarass them. The total ban was basically a safeguard against the one pledge who might be emotionally harmed by a something like wearing a stupid outfit or serenading a bunch of fraternity guys.
I don’t know of anyone in my house who really would have felt demeaned by things like that, but we definitely all understood the potential legal issues that could arise from having one person who was actually harmed by stuff like that. Through my involvement with my sorority, I had to take a ton of leadership courses and in every single one of them, liability was a major topic.
Plus, even though we were young college girls, we did at least attempt to take our image seriously. I can’t deny that there weren’t ever groups of us out that were being loud and acting silly, but we had rules like no smoking in front of our sorority house, no wearing letters if you’re not otherwise dressed nicely, etc. Sticking our pledges in stupid outfits, drawing all over their faces, and having them go order us pizza wouldn’t have exactly gone with our overall theme.
I see. Thank you.