Speaking Greek

[Davids-Coco]

Well, I saw that there are at least three of us on here! And I know that the greekchat Phi Sigs have an annual meet at DTD California. But we greeks need to stick together and play down the animal house mentality!

I am still amazed by the number out there who don't know that hazing is illegal in 48 states and most headquarters have policies against it.

 

[teh fish]

jaywalking is illegal in many cities, but people still do it.

 

[WDWAurora]

I was in a coed fraternity...based on a tripod of fellowship, scholarship, and leadership. I was secretary my senior year (I'm in grad school now) and there's seriously no hazing. However, despite the strict no hazing policy, I knew several guys who were hazed during their initiation in one way or another.

teh fish went to my undergrad. Traditional fraternities and sororities get a pretty bad rap there...The untraditional ones like mine, as well as agricultural based ones had much better reputations.

 

[jimmybop]

I am still amazed by the number out there who don't know that hazing is illegal in 48 states and most headquarters have policies against it.

Someone better tell that to the people yelling out in the quad in the middle of the night for a week each semester.....

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

I am a member of Delta Gamma Sorority and love it!! My college is the #2 Greek campus in the country 1% behind the top which is Washington and Lee.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

Someone better tell that to the people yelling out in the quad in the middle of the night for a week each semester.....

The only "yelling" that occurs on my campus is chanting for recruitment. Hazing doesn't happen everywhere. It is upsetting that people automatically assume greek = hazing ya know?

 

[JMD]

Toga...Toga....Toga....

 

[Davids-Coco]

***? I didn't ask for gross generalizations. I guess it is something you have to be in to understand. Its not all animal house and painty raids, nor have I ever worn or been to a toga party.

Ditto on the chants.

I can't image being that high on the greek university list. PSU has two national and one multicultural sororities, and three national and two multicultural fraternities. We are tiny. However, we have had a lot of others in the past. The new greek advisor is suggesting reopening some of those charters... I think Alpha Phi is one that they are talking about. I can't imagine how your advisors feel either! There are three of us for about 25 active ladies.

 

[PigSoldier]

You mean it's not like Animal House???

That's where I get all my ideas about American college life. That and the episode of the Simpsons where Homer goes to college.

Please tell me you at least have toga parties, before you pull my whole world out from under me!

 

[DisHornFan]

Just to preserve your image of American college life....I'm in a non-greek sorority and we do not have toga parties, however I have seen pictures of friends in togas at Frat/Soroity parties here. *PLEASE NOTE* I am NOT trying to generalize about everyone elses sorority . I'm just saying here at the #7 party school in the nation toga parties are still alive and well.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

We have 10 national greek sororities and 12 national greek fraternities with over 70% of our campus belonging to a greek organization.

 

[Evil Princess]

Well, I saw that there are at least three of us on here! And I know that the greekchat Phi Sigs have an annual meet at DTD California. But we greeks need to stick together and play down the animal house mentality!

I am still amazed by the number out there who don't know that hazing is illegal in 48 states and most headquarters have policies against it.

I don't mean to be rude, but many of the sororities and frats around here still do it. Just because there are policies against it doesn't mean that it doesn't happen.

As for me, I'm not greek, but I'm thinking about it.

And as for that whole toga party thing, frats and just regular old people throwing parties do them, so fear not

 

[phisigprincess]

Davids-Coco, us Phi Sigs are singing the same tune!!! I'm a Gamma Gamma alum from Clarion University of PA. I was archon for 2 years and I'm working with a group to form a Pittsburgh alumnae chapter. I'm so excited you're a Phi Sig!! Did you go to Convention? PM me, we'll have to talk Phi Sig!!

The whole idea of Greek life being more than the stereotypes is one of the topics I am so incredibly passionate about. Our chapter was non hazing. It was amazing. I had the best new member program ever. Greek life did for me what NOTHING in college could have accomplished otherwise. Yeah, there was the crap associated with working with a large group of people, but you'll have that anywhere. I have so much to say on this topic, I won't bore all of you out there. I'll leave it with my favorite quote about greek life. "From the outside looking in you could never understand it. From the inside looking out you could never explain it."

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

The whole idea of Greek life being more than the stereotypes is one of the topics I am so incredibly passionate about. Our chapter was non hazing. It was amazing. I had the best new member program ever. Greek life did for me what NOTHING in college could have accomplished otherwise. Yeah, there was the crap associated with working with a large group of people, but you'll have that anywhere. I have so much to say on this topic, I won't bore all of you out there. I'll leave it with my favorite quote about greek life. "From the outside looking in you could never understand it. From the inside looking out you could never explain it."

OMG That is the quote we use to describe sisterhood at my house!! You hit the nail right on the head. You really can't explain it to anyone.

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

But we greeks need to stick together and play down the animal house mentality!

It really doesn't help your cause (trying to fight the stereotypes) much when, from what I've seen, at least at my school, MOST of the people involved in the greek system behave exactly as the stereotype says.

At Syracuse, it wasn't an uncommon occurance to read our campus newspaper and hear a report of a fight between brothers of 2 fraternities. No real reason for these fights, as near as I could tell, just that people didn't like the other frat because it wasn't theirs. I lived across the street from a "temporary" frat house last year ... at least 3 nights a week, they'd have loud parties that usually ran until 2 or 3 am. And yes, there was at least one toga party.

I walked through our student center once when the sororities were about to have their big pre-rush meeting with everyone who wants to rush. Everyone was waiting outside the auditorium, milling around in the atrium of the student center. Just in the time (about 15 seconds) that it took me to walk through this area, I had a headache from the odor of all the hair chemicals and perfume that had been applied. And in this group of about 1,000 people, I only saw 3 pairs of pants that were anything other than black stretch/sweatpants type pants. The people in the sororities at SU say "oh no, it's not about everyone being the same" ... well, if it's not, why do they try so hard to look the same, and act the same?

I'm not anti-greek, I just don't really understand the whole "culture" ... I was never in a frat, I hung out with friends that were, I hung out with friends that weren't. It didn't matter much at all. So, I'm just curious as to why people who are involved in the greek system seem to think it's so great, and people on the outside are just kinda thinking "huh?" about the whole thing.

 

[phisigprincess]

I think the thing is that it's like anything in life, when you're not involved, it's hard to understand. I think of a sports team. I never belonged to a sports team and don't understand why people live and breathe for their sport. It's a matter of what a person is used to and where they fit in. I was never going to join a sorority because of the stereotypes. Then I got to meet some of the girls and completely changed my mind. It wasn't about being "the best" in college for me, it was being with a group of people who were unlike any friend base I had found at school. It's where people fit in. I have many friends from other sororities and fraternities and a lot of non greek friends, but the girls who I've shared the past 4.5 years of my life with will always be the closest. It allowed me to meet people I would have never met without the organization.

Unfortunately, it's very true that there are many people out there who are making it hard to battle stereotypes. I have been to so many workshops and seminars about how to get rid of this, but there doesn't seem to be a good answer. Again, it's unfortunate that the good things that Greeks do are completely overshadowed by the bad.

Being Greek isn't for everyone, but nothing in this world is. I think if that's where someone belongs, then great. If it's not, they find their niche that makes college a wonderful experience for them.

 

[Davids-Coco]

Phi Sig Princess, you have put it much more eloquently than I. Check for a PM soon.

Oh, and I try to fight the sterotype by doing what is best for me and my chapter. WE will not be the steroype, and that is how it is fought.

 

[Megster]

I'm not greek, but I do know many people who are including some of my closest friends. I, obviously, don't know everything that goes on during pledging and once you're a brother/sister, but I have seen my friends become new and better people. Many of them have opened up and, in fact, done better in school than they were before. I went through formal rush and decided that becoming Greek isn't for me (at least right now) but my friends and rush opened my eyes to what the Greek system really is (and isn't) all about.