Fraternities

Fraternities

Someone asked about joining fraternities (sororities).  Should they / shouldn't they.
Keep in mind that Sororities are now referred to as Fraternities or Fraternal Organizations as well in some literature.

There are a bunch of fraternal organizations (both fraternities and sororities) on campus.  They range from well known to barely noticeable and from idiots to super idiots.  You can see where this is going, right?

Two fraternities "reside" on campus.  ONLY ONE has an actual house that does belong to the chapter but is always in some financial mess where they are thousands of dollars behind in payments or something (so I've been told by their members).  This is a TYPICAL fraternity house. This house belongs to the Sig Taus (Sigma Tau Gamma).  I've been there a couple of times.  Unlike in the movies it does not have a fancy interior, a yard, acceptable living conditions, finished bedrooms where the rafters are covered with walls or plaster, smells fresh, furniture, etc. Community bathroom with one toilet and one shower.  There is a fire pit in the back yard, however, where you can burn the occasional sofa or brother's face. It  does feature a semi finished basement and some parking. It is located within one block of campus.

The other fraternity "on campus" is a bunch of members who all rent or share apartments in the same building.  These are the Delta Sigs (Delta Sigma Phi).  They live in individually rented apartments on Euclid near campus in a multi-story house that used to be part of Millionaire Row.  Don't be mistaken, it is no longer a mansion! It is much like the fraternity house mentioned above.  This house used to actually belong to the Fraternity years ago but was repossessed by the bank (so I was told) and bought by a private owner that now rents apartments in the building.

**Expert Advice: live in your parent's basement, tear the carpet up and the wall paper off, don't shower, and eat Pop Tarts for dinner.  You can save your money and maybe get someone else to do your laundry.

My advice on Fraternities:  Don't!

I have flirted with the idea of joining three fraternities on campus in the past and actually started the pledging process for two of them. Two of which pursued me, one the other way around.  I decided on none of them!  Delta Sigs, TKE (Tau Kappa Epsilon) and one other that is brand new and I do not have enough information about them to mention them or critique them.  I bailed out on both of them and left the other because they were new and just didn't interest me.

If you are a serious student and don't want to waste your money that you'll be spending on an education then do not join a fraternity.  They are NOT like what they have been portrayed as in the movies.  There are parties and social events that happen, which if fine, but my perception of these organizations is that of a giant distraction from your education, attending classes, and other things you are paying money for.  The Fraternity leaders that I have spoken with have all expressed concern with maintaining a 'good' grade point average among their members.  One of them stated that a 2.5 g.p.a. was their GOAL indicating that their collective g.p.a. was below that!  I do not know for certain, but, it appears as though alcohol and drugs run rampant with some of the members that I've spoken with.  In fact, my "Big Brother" in one fraternity was a 'recovering' heroine addict....
I have never met my other Big Brother. Six weeks into pledging and he never showed up to meet me, to events, to assist in my pledge training, nothing. To this day I have no idea who he is. I know his name, that's about it.

Each organization has their own traditions and will require pledges to undergo pledge training.  Once again, NOT like in the movies.  Many traditions are now abandoned due to stricter laws and subsequent university guidelines (ex: hazing rituals, questionable antics, underage drinking parties).  This actually equate to a lot of hours of learning the history of the Fraternity, memorizing other members' histories, interviewing other brothers, etc.  This is often times done in a classroom setting....just like sitting in class and memorizing for a test.  There will also be dues in the form of cash that will be required to be paid every semester or every year or something like that.  Of the three chapters that I was aware of, this could range from $300 every semester to well over $1,000 per semester (as I was told).  You will also be required to dish up money to cover the "insurance premium" of joining the Fraternity just to pledge (no guarantee that you will become a member).  This money is non refundable and you may not even be asked to join = rip off!!!!!

**Expert Advice:  Essentially, you are paying money to have friends.  This can be achieved the old fashioned way by simply, making friends and hanging out with them for free.  You can always get invited to Fraternity parties and other events so why lose your cash AND risk your education? 

If you want to secretly check out some of the typical Fraternity brothers / sisters (and their douche-baggery) in real life and see them in their natural environment you can find one Fraternity that hangs out at Becky's Bar near campus every Thursday night.  This is their weekly get together spot.  You won't be able to miss them as they are known at the bar and will likely be wearing shirts with insignia. Otherwise, you can most often find them members on the first floor of the student center.  In an attempt to have a "presence" on campus, many Fraternity members hang out on the first floor of the student center where they can be seen and display their letters.

***In an effort to keep the University and Greek Organizations off my back.....Please note that the information I present here may be outdated or inaccurate. My opinions and suggestions are just that, My opinions and My suggestions. I recommend verifying any and all information contained here on your own. There, now I should be okay.

Hope this is helpful.  Good luck and God's speed either way.

~Allan