<p>Right. It’s kind of silly to say it’s not equally superficial. I hire people, and I can figure out within the first 10 minutes or so whether I want to continue on and investigate this person further. And really, I can’t think of a social situation in which I haven’t been able to figure out whether I liked someone or not within the first few minutes of getting to know them.</p>
<p>Quote:
“From what she tells him, women have to be considered sufficiently pretty in order to be accepted. No “ugly” girls need apply.”</p>
<p>This is what its like at most places. Schools have more than 1 sorority usually and they each have their own stereotypes. At my school there are only 3. One is known for being the pretty, rich girls who are dumb as rocks, one is known for being the fat, ugly girls and the last is known for being the normal, sort of middle of the road girls who are pretty but smart and well-liked by most people. Obviously you can see which one most girls try to join. The one that is known for having the undesirable girls got that way because they pretty much let anyone who rushes in. All the guys make fun of them and none of the frats want to party with them. Thats just the way it is, and you can’t tell me that life outside of college isn’t like this. People will judge you on your looks your entire life its just a fact. Its not the only factor, but studies do show that attractive people make 25% more in the same job with the same qualifications. But, like the less popular greek organizations, there is a place for everyone in the world to fit in. All of the girls are happy in their groups and have made lifelong friends. Its really not a bad thing.</p>
<p>I agree with the people who have mentioned how greek life can help your interviewing skills. It helped me very significantly. I was pretty shy entering college, and now I can keep a conversation going with anyone, and sell myself well. This is because during rush, I had to keep a conversation going with a completely random woman, and sell my sorority as the best. Helps with networking, too–those career fairs become a lot less painful.</p>
<p>The results were pretty clear when I graduated in May–even in this economy, I had 11 job offers. I did not go to a top 20 school, or even a top 50. I think I owe a lot of credit to greek life for my success.</p>
<p>This is totally true, the networking skills you learn in a sorority are priceless! My sorority has over 150 chapters in the U.S. and thousands of alumni women in high positions that can help me network and get a job once I leave college, its really a great asset!</p>
<p>OK… I talked to H about his foray into the world of the fraternity. Interesting stuff really. So … he said it was nothing like that video… nothing. He actually quit at the beginning of hell week and to make a long story short, he was ticked at the older brothers who had strewn garbage all around and ordered the pledges to pick it up. When I told him about the hot iron tattoo on that video where they basically convnced the pledges they were doing that he said “I am the same man today that I was then. I wouldn’t wait in that kind of line to even see what would happen.” When he walked away from picking up the garbage, he also determined that he didn’t want to spent the extra money every month that it took to be in the fraternity. And he maintained his friends with all the guys and pretty much was welcome at any frat party. Most important, it wasnt costing him $100 a month which he could then use to go to the garden district on the weekends. Now it all makes sense. :)</p>
<p>IMO I think academic fraternities are the the most beneficial.</p>
<p>Just saw this on the news: [Amon</a> Carter IV branded, burned by fraternity chums | Dallas - Fort Worth News | wfaa.com | Local News](<a href=“http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Amon-Carter-IV-branded-burned-by-fraternity-chums-82758112.html]Amon”>http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Amon-Carter-IV-branded-burned-by-fraternity-chums-82758112.html)</p>
<p>Very prominent FW family.</p>
<p>[TCU</a> student’s branding prompts inquiry by school, fraternity | Mom2MomDFW.com](<a href=“http://www.star-telegram.com/1056/story/1927950.html]TCU”>http://www.star-telegram.com/1056/story/1927950.html)</p>
<p>The kid had the Kappa Sig brand started during last year’s spring break trip… after lots of alcohol decided to finish. Plus the drunk kids decided to add some triangles for the sorority the girls were affiliated with.
This is the kind of thing that ought to result in having a house’s charter yanked by the national organization. Way back in the '70’s the idea of “risk management” started to impact what greek houses would tolerate.</p>
<p>Totally off topic, I wonder if the formal organization of Delta Delta Delta is happy that the sorority is mis-identified in the story as Tri Delta?</p>
<p>
Life outside of college isn’t like this.</p>
<p>At least, it doesn’t have to be. If you seek out people who think and act this way you can find them, of course, and maybe you can’t ever entirely avoid them. But you can definitely build a happy and fulfilling social life from the very large group of human beings (probably a majority) who don’t have the time or the inclination for this kind of nonsense, and just take people as they find them.</p>
<p>I agree with nightchef. The “real world” is nothing about judging based on looks/etc. Yes, these people EXIST in the real world, certainly, and you’ll (unfortunately) run into them. But making a life apart from them (or mostly apart from them) is relatively easy. </p>
<p>I just want to chime in that it doesn’t just depend on the campus - it depends on the frat/sorority in question, in the context of the campus in question.</p>
<p>I say this in an unbiased way as someone who never understood the appeal to fratnerities/sororities: there are going to be frats/sororities that fit all of the stereotypes. And there going to be those that break all of them. </p>
<p>There are tens of choices for people interested in Greek life at MD and it’s up to the individual to decide which organization fits them and what is “too much” for pledging. Some frats around here are extremely laid back and pledging is nothing more than memorizing some fratnerity rules/a creed/etc. Others involve serious hazing and can really disrupt academic life.</p>
<p>I knew a girl freshman year who found a sorority she thought was great, but when it came time for pledge week, the commitment was just too great and ridiculous (in her logical mind). She dropped out.</p>
<p>You have to hope your S has a head on his shoulders and a brain in there somewhere, and let him know that not all frats/sororities expect ridiculous things out of their members. And they certainly don’t all require dangerous things. </p>
<p>Some are going to judge based on looks. Some are going to haze with alcohol, with time-consuming activities/with dangerous activities/etc. Some aren’t. </p>
<p>It’s highly specific to the school-frat/sorority combination, and not just that, but the YEAR of the frat/sorority as well. Here, the character of certain Greek organizations can really change dramatically depending on who is in the house at the time. </p>
<p>In the end, going “Greek” is like going anything else - some of the organizations are going to be great, some aren’t.</p>
<p>My bet is that every college/university that has a Greek system, has at some point in time, suspended or revoked privileges of a particular fraternity or sorority due to many valid reasons, so yes, there are always going to be stories of Animal House-type Greek organizations; but usually the trouble they’re in is due to poor leadership that allows this stuff to happen.</p>
<p>Regarding the drinking - at Syracuse (which has a rather large Greek system), during the six-week pledge period, girls are absolutely forbidden from drinking, to the point that if you’re seen out in public drinking by members of another sorority, they will most likely report you (and God forbid that you have ANY alcohol in the house during that time, whether you’re drinking it or not). It’s just known that you don’t drink on campus during pledge period. I believe this applies to the girls of legal drinking age and not. </p>
<p>And yes, I also remember the competition amongst sororities to see which one had the highest overall average GPA. So there is pressure to do well academically, and I do know that the girls really care about their sisters doing well in classes and will help tutor, etc., if necessary.</p>
<p>Why does a student need to join a fraternity? If students were meant to be friends then so be it. Why do they have to prove themselves to be friends? There does not need to be a fraternity in order for a group of people to hang. What about Phi Gamma Delta at Lasalle University in NE Philly? I understand they are the most secretive Frat. They do not cooperate with the University. They do not do anything for the community. They say they do but they don’t. They just party and think they are No. 1! If you are at a University you need to get involved in a positive way or why even be there. I think a Fraternity is a bunch of nonsense. It should be outlawed. It is like a gang. If you want to be in a fraternity do it with integrity. Hazzing and ragging is not showing intgrity it is showing stupidity.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It does and probably will.</p>
<p>Apparently back in the day having a fraternity tatoo was commonplace. Anyone here heard of Judge Crater? When he went missing his description included a tatoo of the Greek letters Sigma Chi on his hand.</p>
<p>^ that was probably after he was a member, not something he had to do in order to get in…</p>