Greek life at NYU

Colleges and Universities A-Z New York University
21

<p>I think it is perfectly fair for me to bring SMU into this because we are talking about the Greek System in general, not just at NYU.</p>

<p>There are some great aspects of Greek Life at NYU. I am personally opposed to special interest group fraternities. I think it generally counterintuitive. That is my opinion.</p>

<p>I know someone who paid $3000 for her sorority. I guess it is different at NYU.</p>

<p>I am willing to concede on certain topics regarding my lack of knowledge when it comes to the way NYU Greek Life works, but I am not going to concede on hazing because it exists at NYU. Maybe not in some fraternities and certain sororities, but it exists and I am positive of this because I have talked to people involved in Greek Life.</p>

<p>Greek Life was founded on brotherhood that did not include races other than whites: fact. This has not changed at some schools: fact. Regardless of whether or not it is always as clear-cut as it is at SMU, tensions and exclusion do exist. Move beyond the concept of brotherhood and you realize that Greek Life thrives on exclusivity, which is the definition of socially regressive. Gays should be welcome everywhere. Asians should be welcome everywhere. NYU does not need to be any more cliquish than it already is. When you see how happy people are at schools that ban Greek Life, you realize that it can be more of a threat than an opportunity. That’s not how it is at NYU because of how small the population is, but more and more schools are moving away from Greek Life the trade off between brotherhood and abuse just isn’t worth it a lot of the time.</p>

<p>You could have been one of the kids that didn’t get the pledge or whatever, and you’d be excluded. Let me lay something on you now. The system ranks people. It rates the worth of certain people over others and that is so fundamentally wrong that it worries me that people completely brush over it.</p>

<p>My claims are not ridiculous. They’re not even claims. They’re related experiences and opinions and historical facts.</p>

<p>Whether or not you personally have had run-ins with the dark side of Greek Life, it is there. If you’ve managed to join, not participate in any socially destructive activities, and made great friends, then I am very happy for you and am very happy that the system is working the way it should in certain instances. But there is a dark side to Greek Life, and it really upsets me. That’s all.</p>

<p>EDIT: also, keep in mind that the type of people that are on College Confidential and will actually reply to a Greek Life topic are going to feel strongly one way or the other. I know people that are in fraternities and sororities that are sleepwalking through it and think it’s dumb for reasons far less dramatic than the ones I’ve stressed. They think it’s arbitrary and dumb and they’re mostly using it as a source of housing. Maybe I’m wrong for making it sound like I think all Greek Life is absolute ****, but please understand that it is somewhat possible that there are people out there that have been involved in the system and think it’s just plain-old-vanilla lame. It’s not always the magnificent, ah-ha, I’ve seen the light experience that a lot of you seem to have had.</p>

22

<p>So what exactly happens in Blow and Blow?</p>

23

<p>PM me, I will explain the myth of blow or blow.</p>

24

<p>I think it’s when you have to give a blowjob to a homeless guy or snort cocaine. You pick your poison lol</p>

25

<p>Michael blake all greek systems are not the same. At most northeast schools its a totally different vibe.</p>

26

<p>I’m not going to stoop to taking people behind closed doors to hinder the concept of fair open discussion. Your responses have addressed and even countered some of the claims that I have been making but you have failed to even blink at the fundamental problems I have brought up regarding the Greek Life system at most schools and with the Greek Life system in general. You call me close-minded but treat me like a stupid “GDI” when I share my views based on my experiences as an outsider. You say that Greek Life is nothing like how outsiders see it, but if 99% of the student population sees something that looks, walks, and talks like a duck, maybe you’re doing something that’s ****ing up your image.</p>

<p>Regardless of where you go, a frat is a frat, for better or for worse. I personally dislike most of the aspects of fraternity life, so to me it’s for worse. I’ve been to sororities and frats at USC. I’ve been to frats at GW. I’m close with people in Greek Life at NYU. I’ve been to frats at Wesleyan and at Brown. I’ve spoken extensively with people that are in frats in the South, Southwest, and Midwest. Don’t tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about. I’m as knowledgeable as someone outside of the Greek system could possibly be, and whether you realize it or not, my opinion is extremely valuable when it’s on a system that is infamous for brainwashing. Calm down: is it a fact that Greek Life tries to brainwash people? No. But for whatever reason you’re probably going to have to explain to me, 90% of students not involved in Greek Life think it does, and that, my friend, is out of my hands.</p>

<p>I’ve conceded some points and admitted I was wrong about certain things. I am now even willing to concede that maybe, for reasons I cannot even begin to fathom, the girl I know that was in “that” sorority (great fact citing by the way guys, you’re real convincing) was lying about hazing. I am not willing to concede liquor-chugging/physical activity hazing existing because I am 100% positive that exists. And it doesn’t need to be a gallon to be dangerous or absurd. But I will concede that since you are involved in Greek Life you obviously have a better inside source.</p>

<p>I have admitted that the system can work. I have listened to what you had to say and I have responded. I have let it affect aspects of my argument and I have reinforced the opinions and experiences that have yet to be affected by anything you have said.</p>

<p>That is how people debate. They cite multiple sources and utilize the information in a way that is both personally and universally important. They don’t call each other idiots and offer up myopic personal stories from within the system.</p>

<p>But I’ll close with my own personal story. I met someone last night that heard I went to NYU and then told me they heard Greek Life there sketchy as all hell. It must have been that newsletter I sent out to everyone registered through the Princeton Review.</p>

<p>EDIT: to NuclearPakistan - it’s not always and probably isn’t a homeless man, it’s usually a guy of the older sister’s choosing, possibly a member of a close fraternity. I learned this from “The Tales of Beedle the Bard”.</p>

27

<p>Well, check out these links to learn more about Greek life at NYU from unbiased, verified sources:</p>

<p>Inter-Greek Council Tumblr: <a href=“http://igcnyu.■■■■■■■■■■/[/url]”>http://igcnyu.■■■■■■■■■■/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>NYU Website for Greek Life: [Organizations[/url</a>]</p>

<p>Facebook: <a href=“https://www.facebook.com/nyuigc[/url]”>Redirecting...](<a href=“http://www.nyu.edu/life/student-life/getting-involved/fraternity-sorority-life/organizations.html]Organizations[/url”>http://www.nyu.edu/life/student-life/getting-involved/fraternity-sorority-life/organizations.html)</a></p>

<p>Pinterest: [NYU</a> Inter-Greek Council (nyuigc) on Pinterest](<a href=“http://pinterest.com/nyuigc/]NYU”>http://pinterest.com/nyuigc/)</p>

<p>Twitter: @nyu_igc</p>

<p>Many NYU students are happy with their Greek letter organizations and only have positive things to say about their experiences with Greek life. Over 10% of NYU students are involved with Greek life as of March 2011. There’s no harm in giving it a try and going out for recruitment, and if you don’t like it, you can always drop out, no pressure. The only way to know if Greek life is for you is to try it yourself! :)</p>