Doing some research, care to share your views?

[NoSecrets913]

What exacty are your views on fraternities? As a member of one, my views change day to day on my loyalty to the Greek system. But we still seem to have this cloud of negativity that always hangs over us. I just want to know what you think of the Greek system, and your reasons for those beliefs. Also, thanks ahead of time, i have 3 hours left at work and I'm bored off my ass

[adidasguy]

Maybe it is different today.

I was DU for 1 quarter at ISU in the late 70's. There was so much drinking, people passed out drunk vomiting on the floor passed out that I couldn't take it. Panty raids on the girls. All the craziness of Animal House.

Then there were the all night hazing sessions of needlessly moping floors and other , well, crap, just to harass the pledges.

It wasn't my style. My adviser really didn't do much to help me. I had better experience in the dorms, where they were divided into "houses", kind of like fraternities but without all the hazing.

There were good frats at ISU  Maybe I got into a bad one (Sorry - I see you are DU. Nothing personal.)

[BaltimoreGS]

I have a negative view of frat boys but I think it was mainly because at my college they were dominated by rich New York/Jersey Shore types.  I also have a friend that loved his college fraternity days and gets offended when I use the term frat.

-Jessie

[gsatterw]

I'm in my junior year and am a GDI (God Damn Independent) down here at tulane in new orleans. I guess i have a negative view; I think they are sort of dumb. Lets see, pay money for a group of friends and parties and bossing underclassmen around. They also seem to have this superiority complex type thing going on, thinking they are 'better' because they're in a frat, and from time to time I get a beer bottle chucked at me as i ride by the houses. jealous drunk pricks. On the other hand, i do have some great friends in frats, so I guess it depends on the individual.

[yamahonkawazuki]

depends on teh individual. imho. am not back inschool yet. awaiting health  to improve before i consider it. my education will be twofold. will try to relocate to miami. to an exclusive watchmakers school founded by the president of the swatch group. ( free tuition. have an almost open invite) but eventually after doing that. again ( health issues :/ plan to return to a 4 year uni.  may end up in a frat, may not. who knows.

[noworries]

Might be having a re- think about that watchmaker career, Yam. 'Av a look at what the Swiss ***tards are trying to do to the Aussie watch fixers:

http://www.save-the-time.org/

......us downunder now, probably you boys next.

PS NO frat house anywhere has it on us John's boys from Sydney Uni!!!!!

[yamahonkawazuki]

Might be having a re- think about that watchmaker career, Yam. 'Av a look at what the Swiss ***tards are trying to do to the Aussie watch fixers:

http://www.save-the-time.org/

......us downunder now, probably you boys next.

PS NO frat house anywhere has it on us John's boys from Sydney Uni!!!!!

that is bullshit. ( very true btw) although some watches wont be warranteed unless repaired @ a licensed horologist . i can overhaul a rolex president. but in doing so will void a warranty ( taught myself)  since it was already out of warranty, i did it, then had it examined by friend at jewelry store who sold rolex. his supervisor was impressed. but theres always ebay . there are ways to obtain parts

[Toogoofy317]

This I do know those that are freshmen, play athletes, male, and in a Fraternity have the highest chance of all college students  likely to become alcoholics!

We had a freshman die this past year at a Greek party at UCF she had been on campus less than two weeks. UCF is really cracking down on the Greek community.

I really don't see what the use of them are. I'm a senior and it never even showed up on my radar as wanting to do it. I'd rather join a club to get my community service padding for the resume.

Mary

[Hawke301]

Why buy your friends?  (Sigma Phi Nothing)

I actually started an un-Fraternity when I was in college.  The faternities & sororities thought it was a joke until we got chartered and told them to piss off in a club meeting.  As the spokesperson for the group, I rather enjoyed doing that.

My roommate pledged Sig-Pi my freshman year, and spent most of his time drunk, or hungover.  He also woke me up one night while he was sitting on the top bunk and peeing on my desk chair.

The only guy in Sig-Pi that I actually got along with was treated like he didn't exist because he couldn't pay the membership dues after the first semester.

Some are better than others, but I don't recall ever having any actual positive experiences with any of them except for one of the sororities on campus (AZD).  I have several friends that joined that one, and they even invited me and a friend of mine to join, but they wanted us to shave our legs and put on dresses...and that wasn't going to happen.

[yamahonkawazuki]

This I do know those that are freshmen, play athletes, male, and in a Fraternity have the highest chance of all college students  likely to become alcoholics!

We had a freshman die this past year at a Greek party at UCF she had been on campus less than two weeks. UCF is really cracking down on the Greek community.

I really don't see what the use of them are. I'm a senior and it never even showed up on my radar as wanting to do it. I'd rather join a club to get my community service padding for the resume.

Mary

@ UCF's marchign band isnt there a flute player in his mid 50's? mary, if hes still there, hes an interesting felow imho

[The Buddha]

Might be having a re- think about that watchmaker career, Yam. 'Av a look at what the Swiss ***tards are trying to do to the Aussie watch fixers:

http://www.save-the-time.org/

......us downunder now, probably you boys next.

PS NO frat house anywhere has it on us John's boys from Sydney Uni!!!!!

that is bullshit. ( very true btw) although some watches wont be warranteed unless repaired @ a licensed horologist . i can overhaul a rolex president. but in doing so will void a warranty ( taught myself)  since it was already out of warranty, i did it, then had it examined by friend at jewelry store who sold rolex. his supervisor was impressed. but theres always ebay . there are ways to obtain parts

I got parts for my panerai from australia a few years ago ...
And yamahon - I better send you my package of real and fake watches asap ... I wanted to get the wife to spare her daily ... but she wont (I just asked again, she just wont) ... some have issues ... some just need a clean, @ this point I dont even remember, its a year or so since I started on this idea ...
Well watch your pm.
Cool.
Buddha.

[jestercinti]

Never joined a frat.  Cool parties, but bad beer.  I went to Indiana University in the mid to late 90s.  Crazy wild parties.

Made a deal with the dorm system there.  I fixed computers in the labs and helped freshman get on the residence hall network.  The dorms then conveniently didn't send me a room and board bill.  $5K value.  No taxes, no BS.  Worked maybe 5-10 hours a week.  That gig ended soon after I left.  Best kept secret there for a while.

[Juan1]

1.  I never understood how people have time or money for fraternities.  I had to work or study.  The only way they make sense is if your college and living expenses are paid for, AND you have an easy major. 

2.  The golden era of frat houses is over.  Campuses have cracked down on what is allowable.

3.  If you are using a frat house to network, try clubs or part time jobs in your field of study instead.

[Toogoofy317]

This was a decent debate on the issue.

http://www.helium.com/debates/79527-do-college-sororities-and-fraternities-cause-more-harm-or-good-on-campus

Mary

[ohgood]

What exacty are your views on fraternities? As a member of one, my views change day to day on my loyalty to the Greek system. But we still seem to have this cloud of negativity that always hangs over us. I just want to know what you think of the Greek system, and your reasons for those beliefs. Also, thanks ahead of time, i have 3 hours left at work and I'm bored off my ass

Its a rather lame way to claim self-importance in the world ?

Crutches for rich people ?

Practices in narcissism ?

You asked.

[tt_four]

Only because you asked, I've never considered it more than people buying friends. I had general hobbies that let me make a good number of friends my first year at school, and none of them ever felt like hazing me just because I was new. At the same time, I guess if drinking is your hobby, your choices are probably a little more limited.

On the other hand, me and a few friends did let a frat buy us china buffet once during rush week, that was nice of them 

[NoSecrets913]

See, thats the one I never got. "Buying your friends". When I was in highschool, I had to pay 200 bucks a term just to do band, and same for football. Both were very close knit families, with traditions/pledgeship/hazing/etc. But never once di anybody ever accuse me of buying my friends. Now that I'm in college, I pay 1000 less per term to live in my fraternity vs the dorms (2500/term with food/board/utiities vs 3500/term w/o food).

I think my favorite part of this house is the absense of hazing. We don't haze. But yes, pledges do a weekly kitchen clean. They help serve dinner once a week. Simple stuff ike that. I mean, sophmores clean the parking lot, junoirs have the yard. But sadly, this is egaly defined as hazing. Stupid in my opinion. It's just called seniority.

[comradeiggy]

See, thats the one I never got. "Buying your friends". When I was in highschool, I had to pay 200 bucks a term just to do band, and same for football. Both were very close knit families, with traditions/pledgeship/hazing/etc. But never once di anybody ever accuse me of buying my friends. Now that I'm in college, I pay 1000 less per term to live in my fraternity vs the dorms (2500/term with food/board/utiities vs 3500/term w/o food).

I think my favorite part of this house is the absense of hazing. We don't haze. But yes, pledges do a weekly kitchen clean. They help serve dinner once a week. Simple stuff ike that. I mean, sophmores clean the parking lot, junoirs have the yard. But sadly, this is egaly defined as hazing. Stupid in my opinion. It's just called seniority.

That is not "legally defined" as hazing.

[Janx101]

hasnt FB and other electronica rendered the fart.. err frat obsolete?... now you can have 'friends' pretending to be your friend from all over the world and crap on at you crapping on at others about crap that wont matter for a pico-second after the crap swap .. or the end of college?

unless of course its all to practice the secret handshakes etc of the masons, the brethren, the sciento... whatevers.. like all the way thru anyones whole education... start at the bottom and work up to the next level of bottom etc etc etc

forums like this and others do 'usually' have at least one common theme to work back to .. but FB and such?... well i guess it helps folks cut down on their antidepressants and such cos they are more easily validated by 'friends'

I had a FB .. killed it off...... started it again to retreive some lost phone numbers of contacts ... then killed it again ... my life is so much easier now that i dont have to worry about other ppls lost cat or how much they vomited after the big party..

that said ... i am not so much a lone wolf as a grumpy grizzly ... all that slimy pseudo friendship was kinda cloying....

oops... off topic again..

if from the simple descriptions above .. the Fraternity system is really like the movies then 

[yamahonkawazuki]

This I do know those that are freshmen, play athletes, male, and in a Fraternity have the highest chance of all college students  likely to become alcoholics!

We had a freshman die this past year at a Greek party at UCF she had been on campus less than two weeks. UCF is really cracking down on the Greek community.

I really don't see what the use of them are. I'm a senior and it never even showed up on my radar as wanting to do it. I'd rather join a club to get my community service padding for the resume.

Mary

i remember UCF marchign band having a middle aged flute player,. i wonder if he is still in the band or still a student there