<p>convince me that fraternities are not about paying for friends. i think its a universally accepted truth. so convince me otherwise.</p>
<p>Well Frats are organizations and all organizations have you pay dues in order to be a part of them. I'm rushing right now and I wouldn't see anything different in paying dues to a frat than paying my Model UN dues. You don't join frats for the sake of it, you join one if you feel like you fit in with the brothers (and the brothers feel that you fit in with them, so it is mutual. I would definetely rush, I see no reason for anyone not to, it is a lot of fun and you get to meet a lot of people and there are no committments!</p>
<p>It would be considered paying for friends if you paid everyone in the organization money when you joined, which you don't. It's not like as soon as you join you owe all the members $20 or something. The dues go to the national organization, housing, lounges, t-shirts, organizing social events, etc. In reality it's not too much different from paying a student activity fee for your university.</p>
<p>aint nothing wrong with paying for friends, if you get something back from them/.</p>
<p>Those who think that fraternities are about paying for friends as a universally accepted truth obviously have no idea what fraternities are all about.</p>
<p>It's like living on campus, but way better. Though a bit dirty...at times.. but still that's forgivable.</p>
<p>"convince me that fraternities are not about paying for friends. i think its a universally accepted truth. so convince me otherwise."</p>
<p>Why should anyone bother to try? You've stated your position and belief. What could anybody say to change your mind. </p>
<p>As far as a universially accepted truth, you should gain a larger circle of friends... away from the all jocks are dumb, women inferior, people of color less worthy and what not.. You have a sterotype in your head. Until you shake it, what's the point of attempting to talk about the subject?</p>
<p>First off, EVERYONE in a fraternity pays dues - not just new people. If everyone was paying for friends...why wouldn't everyone just not pay for friends?</p>
<p>Dues goes towards several things - the way it worked at my house (i was treasurer) was like this.</p>
<p>1) house mortgage was our biggest payment
2) fraternity insurance
3) property taxes for the house
4) utilities
5) national dues
6) fines from nationals/school
7) regional dues</p>
<p>that alone will account for 90-95% of a yearly budget.</p>
<p>the rest goes towards parties (1000 will create an absolutely ridiculous party) and fixing holes in walls/buying toilet paper.</p>
<p>each brother paid for meal plan separately if they wanted it.</p>
<p>I love these frat threads, the defensiveness is amusing. Seriously, though, I agree with what the OP is saying. It doesn't matter where your money is going, you're still paying money to be in a frat. If you don't pay the dues, you're not in it. You're not paying your brothers, per se, but still, if you didn't initially pay the dues to get into the club, you wouldn't be friends with those guys. I don't think this is making any sense, but basically I'm saying, being in a frat is like paying for friends. You could just as easily make good friendships and bond with other people without having to pay a cent.</p>
<p>and as for opie, what is that saying again? oh yeah..."don't throw stones in glass houses". It looks like you're doing some pretty serious stereotyping yourself...</p>
<p>
[quote]
You're not paying your brothers, per se, but still, if you didn't initially pay the dues to get into the club, you wouldn't be friends with those guys.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Wrong. I was friends with many people in my fraternity even before I joined. In fact, I was friends with them before I even knew they were in a frat.</p>
<p>I have friends from all areas. non-fraternity members, members of my own frat, members of different frats...</p>
<p>"and as for opie, what is that saying again? oh yeah..."don't throw stones in glass houses". It looks like you're doing some pretty serious stereotyping yurself"</p>
<p>That's kinda my point, you aren't going to be swayed to any degree of reasonable thought, so why should any body bother, cause you always going to dismiss it as a sterotype. </p>
<p>You guys are obviously better than those frat guys...cause you say so..:) </p>
<p>If you're such hot stuff, what do you care for? Who cares how anybody else makes friends? </p>
<p>Nobody forces anyone to belong, it's a freewill situation, why should any of you guys care? Did you lose a girlfriend to a frat guy? Envy is kinda funny sometimes, it usually comes out as some sort of criticism in general terms.. "They have to buy their friends". Again why do you care?</p>
<p>People that are defending the notion that fraternities = paying for friends obviously have never been in one (and probably never will be) so they only have superficial reasonings and misconceptions.</p>
<p>The answer is YES. The notion is simple; if you don't have a lot of money, you aren't picked. And there's no such thing as awarding scholarships or waiving dues.</p>
<p>I don't have alot of money. Fraternity dues, room, board, and dining are all cheaper than school rates here. I had friends in the fraternity system long before I even joined. I'm fat, I'm chinese, I'm an electrical engineer @ Cornell, hardly the stereotypical frat boy. What's the problem?</p>
<p>It seems like you are still relying on misconceptions as usual...what makes it even worse is that you think they are all true when you've never set foot into greek life.</p>
<p>why don't you shut the **** up tenniscraze coz you don't know ****?</p>
<p>There is a lot of scholarship in my fraternity. Almost everyone who applied for the national scholarship last year got at least 500 dollars, some got 4000, one got 5000. This could be because my fraternity has the largest scholarship fund in the nation. But every fraternity has a scholarship fund.</p>
<p>I don't want to talk about it. But one of my fraternity brothers hasn't paid ANYTHING since he was a pledge. My house's due collection is below 50% now. That means tons of brothers havent paid their dues completely, including myself. We are still brothers. No one is kicked out. Brothers also set up payment plans, like 20 dollars a week. Basically, do what you can, financially.</p>
<p>Sometimes I wonder how these ignorant people got in these top schools.</p>
<p>Dude, not all frats get scholarships like yours. A majority don't which makes it such an elitist system.</p>
<p>College admissions are an "elitist system". Tenniscraze you are pretty bitter and pathetic and your opinion is not welcome on anything to do with fraternities, becuase you refuse to see anything positive about them. Live and let live. Extremely high dues are generally an exageration in my experience anyway.</p>
<p>can't we all just agree to disagree? I mean, there are now 2 threads about this (maybe more), and it doesn't seem like either side is going to understand the other.</p>
<p>For one thing, I don't hate frats, I honestly don't really care about them. I had no interest in the rushing/pledging system, no one I knew/liked was rushing, so I'm not in a frat. That's pretty much it. Well maybe sometimes the more obnoxious people on campus tend to be in frats, but that really doesn't affect me. And as for my previous post, I was just commenting on an idea I had never thought of before, and found interesting.</p>
<p>Honestly, this whole aggression thing is just stupid. And please stop it with the whole "I'm better because I'm in a frat", that's why some people dislike you. And I don't want to start anything, but unlimitedx's quote:</p>
<p>"People that are defending the notion that fraternities = paying for friends obviously have never been in one (and probably never will be) so they only have superficial reasonings and misconceptions."</p>
<p>Even though that is partly true, I am and never will be in a frat, the subtle arrogance in "(and probably never will be)" really perpetuates the stereotype. Not everyone wants to be in a frat, that doesn't make you special.</p>
<p>And opie, if it makes you feel better, I'll apologize for not sharing your beliefs, because obviously associating disliking frats with racism and sexism is reasonable thought...</p>
<p>Okay, I'm now done. Hopefully you all will be too.</p>
<p>"Even though that is partly true, I am and never will be in a frat, the subtle arrogance in "(and probably never will be)" really perpetuates the stereotype. Not everyone wants to be in a frat, that doesn't make you special."</p>
<p>My reasoning to word it that way was not to include the subtle arrogance as you interpreted, but by the reasoning that those who believe frats means buying friends will probably not pledge one and see the other side of the argument. The way you initially interpreted it already suggests that you already have a bias towards fraternities.</p>
<p>Like you indicated, not everyone wants to be in a frat. Frankly it's not for everyone, just like many other things in life. And there are people like you don't really care at all. For me, I'm lucky that I did pledge for one that I felt comfortable in and it's a decision that I don't regret. And it happens that living in a fraternity costs less than renting an apartment over here in the Bay Area.</p>
<p>There are lots of different social venues in college, and fraternities happen to be one of them. No one needs to join one to make best friends. Those that believe that fraternities are about paying for friends really should give it a try before creating these sorts of generalizations about organizations.</p>
<p>It's like saying you hate eating cheeseburgers without ever eating one, but heard from someone that it tastes disgusting. Only when you have eaten a cheeseburger could you then have the position to point out exactly why cheeseburgers taste bad without other people thinking you have no idea what you are talking about.</p>
<p>"Why should anyone bother to try? You've stated your position and belief. What could anybody say to change your mind. </p>
<p>As far as a universially accepted truth, you should gain a larger circle of friends... away from the all jocks are dumb, women inferior, people of color less worthy and what not.. You have a sterotype in your head. Until you shake it, what's the point of attempting to talk about the subject?"</p>
<p>look dude. im not saying that it is im not saying that it isn't. fact is, throughout my whole life i heard that. from when i was in elementary school to high school people had brothers and sisters in these frats/sororities and i would always overhear people say that its about paying for friends. and even now that i am in college i still here this.</p>
<p>all im saying is persuade an inquisitive mind that being in a frat isn't about paying for friends.</p>
<p>oh btw im still not convinced.</p>