<p>i find it ironic that someone with zero knowledge or experience regarding the greek system speaks so confidently about its "bad characteristics." </p>
<p>
[quote]
In the greek system, who wants to accept a middle-class person who has no money?
[/quote]
I'm middle class. I'm chinese. I'm an engineer. I'm not rich. I work to pay part of my tuition. Most of these characteristics describe my fraternity brothers too. Just goes to show how much tenniscraze relies on rehashed stereotypes to belittle something he knows so little about.</p>
<p>You're delusional Tim. You're clearly the son of a congressman and the CEO of a fortune 500 company, from birth destined for either high religious or political office, and Godson of a high-ranking Illuminati member.
You're also white, only white people are in frats. Everyone knows that.</p>
<p>The difference between frats/sororities and other organizations (MUN, sports) is that the whole purpose of frats/sororities is making friendships. While it's inevitable that you will make friends in MUN or sports teams, that's not the point of getting together, paying a fee, and spending time together; there's another goal in mind. The goal of frats/sororities, however, is primarily a social one, and some people find it hollow and demeaning that access to a network of would-be friends requires a rather large entrance fee. Personally, I have no problem with frats/sororities, but I wouldn't join.</p>
<p>As I said in my earlier post, it's simply too ironic that there are students who insist upon spending mom's and dad's money to live on campus just to get the social life that it provides, and then turn around and say that greeks are buying their friends for paying dues. What kind of moral high ground is that?</p>
<p>you will never, and i repeat NEVER, hear one person who is in a sorority or fraternity say "oh yeah, greeks buy their friends".</p>
<p>never.</p>
<p>the people who say this are always non-greeks.</p>
<p>now why could that be? it's because people in sororities and fraternities know what they're talking about from firsthand experience. people who aren't greek don't actually know, so they assume greeks are "buying friends" for lack of any real knowledge about the subject.</p>
<p>on a different note, my parents had to pay sports boosters dues back when i was in high school. that certainly wasn't to buy friends; it was to support the organization. i don't see why that particular logic doesn't help the argument here.</p>
<p>Tenniscraze, how is it possible to REALLY buy REAL friends? Your argument is simply a childish red herring. Anyone can buy their way into many organizations, but does that mean those in the organization may actually WANT to be around every individual that makes up the organization? Is it the issue of acceptance and rejection into a social organization that bugs you? Cry me a river and welcome to the real world. Did you make friends while living on campus?....If you did, then you're hypocrite.</p>
<p>Frats, schmats. Why waste time in a cultlike thing where you just do dumb things all the time. Besides, it costs money.</p>
<p>I'm using my money on premium fuel (91 octane) instead. I don't need to be brainwashed by some three-letter Greek organization, and I can find my own friends without paying.</p>
<p>exactly -- it is not possible to <em>really</em> buy <em>real</em> friends. If your membership dues are the only links between you and other people in your organization, then yes, one can argue that you paid for those friends. </p>
<p>i'm in a sorority, and while no, i personally do not pay for surface friends, i will argue that there are girls in my chapter that DO pay for it. i met my best female friends through my sorority- i'm thankful i paid those initial dues because i got to know the women i want to be my roommates when i gradaute and the women i want in and at my wedding. but then again, these are all girls i choose to spend time with outside of sorority. however, there ARE girls in my chapter that we all feel pay for friends or pay for the name or whatever. they barely come to events, make no effort to get to know anyone, etc etc. that i feel is a waste of money, but hey, to each their own.. they obviously see nothing wrong with it. but i can tell you one thing, the bonds of sisterhood only go so far (or brotherhood) and the people who "buy their friends" probably won't stay very much in contact with their fraternity brothers or sorority sisters after graduation.</p>
<p>tenniscraze, its not cause we aren't going to demean ourselves... its cause its not how it is! (but how could you know that, since you aren't involved?) and like bluestar7 said, if there are people who do it for that reason, they aren't really getting anything out of it in the long run anyway.</p>
<p>AFprep, i doubt anyone is going to seriously respond to that. if you have a point to make, make it.... saying things like that doesn't even warrant a response.</p>
<p>Bluestar,
Students also pay *extra to live in the dorms. I knew plenty of students who were independents who lived in the same hallways, who are still friends until this day. I also knew those who couldn't live on campus and didn't have the luxury of a built in "social life" in the dorms even, so their connections to alum at the school is very limited. Who "bought" their friends there?</p>