<p>Hey everyone, I am Bama bound this fall from the north. I do not think I will be joining a fraternity, but have not ruled out the possibility. I was wondering if it is hard to join a frat if you are from the north? Some things about greek life interest me, but I don’t think I will be able to join one, mainly because I am from the north the way I dress. I really don’t dress “preppy” at all. The typical thing I wear is a tshirt with jeans, or nike shorts. So basically I am asking is there a certain dress code for being in a frat and can northerners join? Also, if i don’t join one is there other options where I could “party”?</p>
<p>Your best bet would be to sign up for formal rush and take it from there. Even if you don’t pledge your freshman year you may want to your sophomore year and it would be good if you had a chance to see the different houses and meet the guys in them… Chances are you’ll meet a few greeks in your dorm or classes and they may invite you to their house as a potential pledge for either the spring or the following fall. </p>
<p>There is nothing to prohibit northerners joining a fraternity and many do go greek. Your best bet will probably be a new row fraternity but there are some yankees in some old row fraternities too. The only fraternity you’ll have no shot with will be Kappa Alpha. </p>
<p>As far as dress. I’d encourage you to wear khaki shorts (not cargo) and a polo shirt when you go through rush. A pair of Sperry’s (boat shoes) on your feet would be preferable but sneakers would be ok (especially running shoes).</p>
<p>If/when you pledge your standard attire will be jeans or khaki shorts and a polo type shirt (pledge pin is supposed to be worn to class and it can only be worn on a collared shirt) or a t-shirt (for yard work and cleanup). This really won’t be negotiable and you’ll be instructed on acceptable dress at your first pledge meeting. You will also need a pair or two of khaki pants, a couple button down white dress shirts, a few ties, and a blue blazer for football games as a pledge and for various other occasions. </p>
<p>Once you get initiated you can wear anything you want. But most members have conformed to the “standard” by then. </p>
<p>GDI’s have parties, just not on the scale of some of the fraternities. Some of the bars on the strip and downtown are also 18 to enter 21 to drink. So you can hear some bands, dance, pick up girls, etc etc there as well even though you’re not allowed to drink. Generally to get into a fraternity party you would need to know an active or two in the house to either put you on the list or to tell the pledges to let you in the gate/door.</p>
<p>Good luck with whatever you decide. Just keep an open mind and have fun. Roll Tide!!</p>
<p>What parts of Greek life interest you?
Don’t rule out a fraternity just because of the way you dress or where you’re from. There are a few fraternities on campus that I know are not the “typical” Greek stereotype, though which ones they are I can’t help you with since I’m not part of the system myself (I opted instead for the living-learning community and Honors program Mallet Assembly, which is technically classified as a fraternity but not Greek system).</p>
<p>Many frats will have dress codes on certain days, such as football game days. Otherwise, I’m not sure how they all end up wearing polos and shorts. However, as said before don’t write off the system if it genuinely interests you - just do some research and find a fraternity that suits your needs. With the expansive Greek system that UA offers, I’m sure you can find one that is what you’re looking for.</p>
<p>To be honest, the only things that interest me about greek life is the parties and sorority girls. That is why I am leaning towards not joining a frat, because I don’t think those are good enough reasons. I just had a couple of questions about being a GDI.</p>
<p>Can you still tailgate on gameday if you aren’t in a frat?</p>
<p>Is it true that most sorority girls won’t talk to you if you are a GDI?</p>
<p>Where are the GDI parties? Are they at apartments, off-campus houses and places like that?</p>
<p>Thanks and Roll Tide</p>
<p>“Can you still tailgate on gameday if you aren’t in a frat?”</p>
<p>Absolutely. The entire campus is full of tailgates and tailgaters. </p>
<p>“Is it true that most sorority girls won’t talk to you if you are a GDI?”</p>
<p>Not true. However I will say that sorority girls are encouraged to date fraternity men. And it’s a lot easier to meet them if you’re in a fraternity because of the swaps and other social functions. There are roughly 12,000 GDI females on campus though. You shouldn’t be shut out if you can’t get a date with a sorority girl.</p>
<p>"Where are the GDI parties? Are they at apartments, off-campus houses and places like that? "</p>
<p>I’d say most would be at off campus apartments and houses if alcohol is involved. However it’s possible to have a party in the dorms depending on how strict your RA is.</p>
<p>I’m in general agreement with NJBama here, but will elaborate.</p>
<p>Can you still tailgate on gameday if you aren’t in a frat?
From what I’ve seen, most frats aren’t tailgating, but rather have events in their frat houses before and after the game. Most of the students tailgating are independents.</p>
<p>Is it true that most sorority girls won’t talk to you if you are a GDI?
They’ll talk to you, but as NJBama said, are encouraged/inclined to date fraternity guys. Don’t forget that there are some very attractive GDI girls. </p>
<p>Where are the GDI parties? Are they at apartments, off-campus houses and places like that?
Logistically, it would be very difficult to have a large party in a dorm room. There can be small groups of people that hang out in dorm rooms, but most parties are held off campus.</p>
<p>I encourage people to at least consider going Greek as it may be a good option for them. Being from the North can be an asset as it is still rare for many for many fraternities to have many non-Southern brothers. You’d also get a boost if you had a high GPA.</p>
<p>Be sure to join the Facebook pages if you’re interested in rushing or just making new friends.</p>