<p>Did you see the pledges they do in the movie, "Butterfly Effect?"</p>
<p>No, I never saw that movie. Why?</p>
<p>The frat boys treat the freshman like crap in the movie, and that made me want to never join a frat. On the whole, I think frats are negative because it puts too much emphasis on drinking. I know drinking is a part of college life, but with the presence of frats, it becomes excessive. Further, it hurts the college experience for those who do not drink because they cannot take part in social life at Dartmouth.</p>
<p>i wouldn't revolve your opinion of frats around a movie...Hollywood <em>loves</em> to cast a bad light on them for their own purposes. why not actually go to a party or spend some time with a frat member before forming an opinion?</p>
<p>i think the greek scene is a pro but i wanted to know if there is any brutal initiation that goes on at dartmouth. thats the only thing that dissuades me from sororities.</p>
<p>everyone needs to drink to survive, if you don't you'll be thirsty and shrivel up and die</p>
<p>No brutal initiation I've never heard of. Certainly not at my sorority.</p>
<p>i was wondering abut how exclusive the frats were and how insane the pledge process is. it seems like a great thing to be a part of but i wonder if its really crazy (since we have all heard the crazy hazing stories but never hear any of the moderate stories) to be a part of it.</p>
<p>how prevalent are drugs at Dartmouth? I heard some guys were caught selling drugs there.</p>
<p>I'm in one of the crazier frats at Dartmouth - AD - the one Animal House was based off of.</p>
<p>The things you have to do to be in a frat differ from house to house and are generally things you want to do or else you wouldn't choose the house. Some houses even have no pledge period (Sig Ep) well some have rather intense pledge periods like Psi U and AD.</p>
<p>Most people find a niche and frats are the coolest thing to do on a weekend night IMHO.</p>
<p>AD, eh? That's good to hear that you didn't have to do anything you didn't want to do during your pledge period. Either this story is completely fabricated, AD's traditions have greatly evolved, or you like to do some questionable things: <a href="http://www.nationallampoon.com/nl/01_cc/8thfire/8thfire.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.nationallampoon.com/nl/01_cc/8thfire/8thfire.asp</a></p>
<p>Because of its isolated location, the greek scene seems to really dominate on campus at Dartmouth. If social options are so limited, I personally would see it as a 'con'.</p>
<p>While that story is entirely true. They make it sound like it wasn't the most fun thing ever and something that was very painful which it wasn't. Sink Night was scary - but unless you've gone through it you have no idea. It was one of the most fun night's I've had in my entire life and the clothes I wore that night will never be the worn again. The addage "most fun you'll never wanna have" is definetly true for sink night at AD.</p>
<p>Um, if any of the girls here read that story about AD, please note that sorority pledge terms are NOTHING like that.</p>
<p>That is the most disgusting thing I have ever read in my life!</p>
<p>No offense, DartmouthGuy. I mean, to each his own... :)</p>
<p>Hey DartmouthGuy, can non-drinkers still have fun @ Dartmouth? Do non-drinkers join frats also?</p>
<p>In all honesty, at most frats there is alot of drinking but drinking isn't what makes you friends with people. While at my frat most everyone drinks at some point there are alot of people who are dry for sports or other reasons and there is no pressure to drink then. At many frats there are people who don't drink and it is perfectly fine - even frats that have similar drinking reputations as mine. There are some frats where there is less drinking then others, but none are dry. Someone who didn't drink I'd think would be perfectly welcome at my frat and there wouldn't be pressure to drink. During pledge term the older brothers would always stress that you have to take care of things outside of the frat (class, sports, etc.) and if you are messing them up because you are drinking then that is not cool.</p>
<p>AthenaNY - no one thinks soriorities have things like AD which is a frat known to have one of the most intense pledge terms on campus. Also I was trying to say while that story <i> is </i> true. The writers tone makes the entire night sound tortuous and not fun. The article was sent to all the pledges basically just to scare us and believe me we were scared.</p>
<p>I could even give you stereotypes about each frat if you wanted. In my opinion there is a place for everyone and anyone who wants to be in a frat and most likely an enviroment for him. Also the frats at Dartmouth, unlike most places, are very friendly. Anyone who wants to go party at any frat is welcome - the norm is you are welcome first you have to **** someone off to get kicked out. While at many schools, brothers from other frats or unaffiliated people are not welcome at frats. I could give examples for everything. The greek system at Dartmouth is in my opinion the best I have seen on any campus because everyone just wants to be friends (and is) with most everyone else. Brothers aren't on power trips like they are at some places.</p>
<p>A frat like Sig Ep I'm sure has plenty of non-drinkers (some even play the drinking games with water which is fun). The co-ed orginizations have some. Even a frat like Theta Delta Chi which is one of the bigger partying frats on campus has several non-drinkers that I know. They are perfectly accepted and have a good time I hope.</p>
<p>You know what gianievve I think your opinion is completely unfounded. While the social options are "limited" at Dartmouth people have an awesome time. I don't even know what limited means in this sense. The limited nature has some many positives - it creates the school spirit that makes Dartmouth special. If Dartmouth were in a city then people wouldn't all have to hang out with each other all the time; hell they wouldn't. The limited nature of the social scene is one of the reasons the school is so tight knit. Also one of the best thing about frats is that the students create the social scene. They make of it what they want - which is awesome. If there is a christmas party - they are the ones decorrating and makign everything cool. They book the bands. They get the entertainment. It's not some club/bar owner doing all that. </p>
<p>While from the outside it might look "limited" - that is also what makes it special. Last year for instance one of my good friends who is older told me he applied early to Wharton and did not get in. However in hindsight, it was the best thing that ever happened to him, because he could not imagine himself happier anywhere else.</p>
<p>It is strange - even I thought that I would feel trapped (before I visited) by the rural atmosphere that is Dartmouth. The college, however, is special and infects its students spirit with a sense of pride and community that I have not seen anywhere else.</p>
<p>
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I don't even know what limited means in this sense. The limited nature has some many positives - it creates the school spirit that makes Dartmouth special.
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Well said, DG - this is exactly why I applied to Dartmouth and did not apply to any "city schools."</p>
<p>On the other hand, what works for one person may not work for the next. Thus, I can understand why you'd think that, Gian.</p>
<p>Phi Tau, the co-ed frat, is officially dry, I believe.</p>
<p>And I would much rather have the frats at Dartmouth than go to Columbia and have everybody leave on the weekends to go to clubs.</p>
<p>DartmouthGuy-
2 quick things: first of all, I wasn't attacking AD in any way. :) I don't spend a ton of time there, but the lawn party is fun.</p>
<p>2nd- the reason I said that is because of the new book "Pledged" which really dramatizes what goes on in sororities. It makes them sound like just groups of promiscuous, mean spirited girls with eating disorders. That's DEFINITELY not true, at least, not at Dartmouth. I don't know if any of these girls have read that book, or even heard of it, but I like to try to clear up certain stereotypes people have about sorority life.</p>
<p>What year are you, by the way? If you don't mind my asking...</p>