<p>Well, my mom was in a sorority. She feels such a connection to the place that when I went up there to visit with her we even stopped by her sorority's house! She wanted to knock on the door, but I stopped her. Anyways, my mom is a really great, down to earth person...and I think pretty nerdy, too. </p>
<p>I would call sororities an easy way to meet people you click with. Rushing is a great way to get introduced to tons of people and find your niche really quickly. I wouldn't prefer it to the normal friend-finding process, but I wouldn't call it "buying friends", either.</p>
<p>There is a stereotype of sororities being filled with stupid, vapid pretty girls. But not all of them are like that, I guess. Just thought I'd throw my two cents in as things were getting kind of negative.</p>
<p>"i didn't say fraternities are a place where rape takes place. i just consider it buying friends.. especially since you have to pay to be a member... and such"</p>
<p>you need money to help renovate the fraternity house, pay the property tax, purchase inventories to host parties and to increase the endowment so your fellow brothers who are in need of help can get scholarships. One of my brothers gets 1,000 scholarship for a GPA of >3.0 + living in the house and 1,300 dollars of scholarship because of his own financial situation. No all fraternity men are wealthy. There're lots of "frats" which left really bad names for the word fraternity, i dont like them. You have to be in the greek system yourself to experience it.</p>
<p>i can guarantee you that i could throw a party better than any fraternity party.. for the price of 0 dollars.. so needing money to purchase inventories is BS. i'm used to having all night parties with hundreds of people there... dj's playing... live bands all night... hot tubs.. swimming pools.. all for free.. and then you say BYOB.. AND everyone that is still there the next day helps clean up the house... by choice.. and we don't need to slap a fraternity or sorority name on top of our party to have people that we don't even know come.. "oh i'm going to zbt this weekend, oh i'm going to tao, oh i'm going to blah blah" it's i'm going to so and so's.. and i can walk around a party and know every single person there.. i believe the last party before graduation had roughly 300 people.. all of which were friends.. i just love all the little freshman who go to frats because its "a cool place to be.. and a place to get drunk"</p>
<p>i just think it's funny.. i used to hang out with a bunch of guys freshman year who joined frat's at some point and stopped talking to me (probably because they only talked to their new friends)... but of course whenever there was a party they'd send an IM saying party at blah blah.. as if i'd actually go.. to a party where i don't know anyone.. yeah... i just think the whole frat party thing is a joke.. and to use that as a reason why you have to pay dues to be a member.. i understand having taxes and such, i have lived in apartments and such before.. and even scholarships.. but for inventory? that one i don't agree with. (obviously).</p>
<p>Yeah, i've seen some frats shun non greek people just because they're not greek but not everyone is like this. Some frats are really cool and down to earth. I would think long and hard about joining a frat/sorority as it isn't for everyone. I'm definitely not the frat type mostly because i'm apathetic and couldn't imagine whoring myself out come welcome week. (passing out fliers, telling people why the frat is God's gift to the world) But frats do throw out some crazy parties, mostly because they have the resources to do so.</p>
<p>fraternities at my school aren't used to buy friends, you have to be friends with the brothers before you join. And that money you pay goes for social events where everyone can have fun. Frats save the social life at my school.</p>
<p>Why would you need inventories? if you're having a party, You just tell the people to bring their own alcohol. There is absolutely no reason for you to go out and buy it for them. and charging people for drinks... it's not a bar.. it's a party. we always did the bring your own alcohol and wound up having coolers and coolers full of drinks which could last all night (till roughly five or so in the morning) for hundreds of people.. and not once was there ever a complaint... some chick showed up with a keg one night and we looked at her like she was nuts.. nobody has ever done that before, and we weren't too happy with her because it was like she was turning it into a frat party with a keg and all.. the funny thing was since everyone brought their own drinks barely any of her keg was used .. heh.. </p>
<p>I remember one night when a band got done playing i was showing this kid how to play guitar, and it was just so hilarious. i showed him how to play something really simple, and then i hopped over on the drums and was playing them along with him.. and it was just so funny watching him try to play.. :)</p>
<p>"Why would you need inventories? if you're having a party, You just tell the people to bring their own alcohol. There is absolutely no reason for you to go out and buy it for them. and charging people for drinks... it's not a bar.. it's a party. "</p>
<p>Not everyone can get alcohol..........
Most people who go to fraternity parties are underage and not everyone has a fake ID. Also, we do NOT charge people for drinks. Free admission, free drinks.</p>
<p>I have NEVER EVER been to a party (fraternity/house/apartment) where guests bring alcohol...........</p>
<p>If you're joining a frat or sorority for the brother/sisterhood or networking/support, it can be a very good thing. If you're just doing it to party, I don't see the point. You can party anytime you want with different people and you can go to the same frats as a guest without joining them and having to pay dues..you can even be freinds with the brothers, if they're not a-holes who exclude others...I had pretty much decided a sorority wasn't for me, but this year, me and some friends sort of started something resembling a sorority - it's just a group of girls, a lot of us are good friends and already live together, and we get together for dinners and classy social functions...</p>
<p>MissSuperFabulous hits it right on. That's how sororities choose their new members. If they can click and see that the new members could potentially keep up with the standards and contribute something, then those people are given bids. It's a matter of whether the potential new members will agree to the philosophy or not. During my rush process, I was so glad that the "upper-class, rich" sorority took me off their list ASAP because I did not like their high-class attitude and they could tell that I'm not exactly a rebel. I clicked with the other sororities alright and then it came down to MY sorority, which was fine because I couldn't decide on the other two for my second choice. I did like all of the girls that I met but I liked my sorority girls the best because they were down-to-earth, caring, smart women who strive for their personal best. The support network was really there and they do massive amounts of community service and I wanted to do more of that. So I was given that bid. And now I have many friends who I do click with- just like MSF said, it's not exactly buying friends but more of just a faster way to find people on campus who fit your niche. Now I can sit back and relax with my sisters (and of course, still meeting new people at other places).</p>
<p>Stereotype will definitely depend on the school and their Panhellenic's goals and ability to control the sororities. Large state schools are more likely to have your typical, blonde partyin' sororities whereas my school will have more diversity and be more composed of their actions. It all really depends on the culture.</p>
<p>Geez, what the hell is wrong with sororities that choose based on money and looks? It may sucks for the girls involved, but it makes things easier for guys. Knowing that a girl is a _____ can make her very appealing without even having met her.</p>
<p>well untitled, we're just different kind of people... i always heard kids saying like oh i'm going to this frat, then this frat, then this frat.. and the sole purpose for them going to those parties was to get drunk. not because they knew people there, or because they were going to have a great time with a group of friends.. they just wanted to get plastered... and they go from house to house.. </p>
<p>at least i know that when people come to our parties its because they want to be there to have a good time with friends... not to get smashed and drink free booze.. because if they just wanted to get smashed they would stay home and do that.. or go to the local frat. we're not just a random house on the street thats having a party for people to walk in on. if someone comes into one of our parties that we don't know, they go home. we're just a group of friends hanging out and having fun. we usually have bands playing in one part of the house, a dj in another part of the house.. till about 2 or so.. then after that we just spin some cd's for the rest of the night... we'll have video games set up in bedrooms (nothing like watching people play 16 player halo smashed.. they're hilarious)... and just hundreds of friends floating around having a good time with each other.. it's great.</p>
<p>About the slut thing, well, the sorority girls here definitely aren't sluts. I wish that were the case, but alas.</p>
<p>The people who say greeks are 'buying friends' are just ignorant. Fraternity dues are used for many things, like paying for the house, maintanance, trips, parties and other events, etc. Throwing parties isn't cheap, and people ought to appreciate that, since, at least around here, ALL the parties are thrown by fraternities. </p>
<p>And I don't really understand this whole point about only wanting to be with people you know at parties. Isn't one of the important part of parties the chance to meet and see NEW people? Maybe not for Fendergirl, but for most of us it is. You can hang out with you're friends any night; a party is a chance to break away from the usual.</p>
<p>sure.. you can hang out with a few people any night.. but a party is a chance to get everyone all together.. and of course you meet people at parties.. i mean, for example, four of us might get together and have a party and invite all of our friends, and it'll be like a pull from four different colleges in the area... but by the time senior year was over, we all knew each other pretty well... it's just when people try to come in who arent friends with any of the people throwing the party.. they are told to go home... but other than that, i'd say i've met a lot more people in things such as classes, clubs.. or even like concerts on campus as opposed to at a party.. and those are all people i'd probably do things with more than once, not just people i happened to meet one night and probably won't see again..</p>
<p>just out of curiosity, have the cops ever showed up at your frat parties? what happens to the members/frat if they do?</p>
<p>All that really happens is that the cops come and break up the party, and everybody just goes home. I've never seen anyone get busted/arrested at a party.</p>
<p>i had to laugh one time at a party we had about a year and a half ago. the cops came, literally knocked on the front door and after the door was opened they informed us that someones car alarm was going off and gave the plate number. the DJ then said the plate number and the person went out and turned off their alarm and the cops left. I just thought it was really funny the way it all happened... like no checking ID's or breaking up the party.. just taking care of a noisy car alarm.</p>
<p>cops here are chill..................if they want to arrest people, they can arrest us ANYTIME. They've got more important stuff to do..........</p>
<p>i can't imagine the size of the house/apartment that you and 3 roommates must have. you're friends with hundreds of people - all of which come to your place with their own booze (enough for 7 hours of drinking) which they let everyone have. these parties stay bumpin until 5 am. theres room for hundreds of people to crash - and they all get up in the morning and help clean. i guess everyone brings their own cup too right? i hate to be a jerk and call ******** on you but i am. having a dj in 1 room - and a band in another? are you kidding me? you obviously have never even organized a large scale party.</p>