OT: Pros and Cons of joining a Greek house at SU...

[SUATO92]

Yes, that's exactly what I said.

And you do realize I said "from the stories people told me" and that doesn't extend to you, right? So don't worry, I'm not saying you and your ATO brothers did anything. But I'm glad you immediately took it personally even though, again, I very clearly said it was based on experiences of people I know.

Took nothing personal...just asked a question. And anything said on an open forum is open to critique and/or criticism by everyone on said forum.

 

[mark79]

I can honestly say that I would not be the man I am today if it was not for my fraternity days at SU. I ran for and was elected President my senior year and boy oh boy did I become a man that year. Trying to control 40 college age kids and get them to do anything will make you a man and a leader in a hurry. Like anything it was not all roses, but I wouldn't give it up for anything. I had my 35th reunion at SU last year and a bunch of us went and it was like we never left. Priceless to me.

 

[PeteCalvin]

If I never pledged my fraternity, I would have missed out on a lifetime of JoeCollege's jokes about my mom. That would have been a travesty. Although I could have done without the farm animals and the KY...but he told me if "wrestling" livestock made a man out of him...

Seriously, pledging was the best six weeks of my young life, and I made friends that'll last a lifetime. It's all about finding the right place and the right people for you. And I'm proud to have SU alums like Ernie Davis and Hop as extended "brothers".

 

[Ghost]

Eh, if you're white and love self-selected populations of people that are just like you and provide you an opportunity to audition for friendship - I give it a huge thumbs up.

Just kidding - argued this on the OT board for a bit, go with your gut I guess - for many it's obviously a great life-changing experience.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

If I've learned anything from Scream Queens, it's that joining Greek life is a great way to get murdered by the Red Devil.

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

Social Skills
Speaking Skills
Time Management
Event Planning and Logistics Skills
Accounting Skills
Philanthropy and Community Service
Professionalism
Networking
Developing Leadership Skills
Finding a Mentor
Personal Development and Character Building
For the Brotherhood

I played a sport at a small, liberal arts college where greek life was forbidden. While there I was provided the opportunity to develop all of those skills and traits.

However, I would say networking seems like a big pro. I imagine as a member of the right frat or sorority you are united with some people with lots of connections and the willingness to share those connections with their brothers/sisters. That seems like a big advantage these days.

As most everyone has said, it probably depends on the individual.

 

[DCCuse]

Last week, two young friends asked my opinion on whether they should join a Greek house at SU. After warning that my perspective might by seriously outdated, I said my experience had been overwhelmingly positive. The positives included: 1) Having a ready-made group of friends; 2) Having a place to live without going through the annual housing hassle; 3) Having a place to store your stuff over the summer and a place to park your car during the school year; 4) Having a sense of a smaller community within a large institution. I literally could not think of a negative.

Then I began to wonder: are these considerations still valid in light of a very different campus? When I was at SU, the Greek community was much larger than it is how (at least 50 national houses)... and it filled a huge need for on-campus housing (prior to the construction of many of the newer dorms). Also, there were strict parietals that limited housing alternatives ... e.g., all unmarried under-gradudate women under age 25 had to live in either dormitories or sorority houses... and there were strictly enforced curfews for such students.

Given the huge changes at SU, are Greek houses still relevant? Do they fill any role other than throwing parties? Or are they an anachronism on a campus that is preaching diversity and inclusion?

Lots more that I can say, but On here I'll share that I recently became chapter advisor for my fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha, which came back to campus last year after a 15 year absence. In my dealings with these young men, I've been very impressed by the way they have taken on the challenges of being a colony. They have done all the right things in short order & will be granted their charter and regain chapter status this coming spring. Can't speak for other fraternities, but I know hazing wasn't around for our house when I was on campus and our national has one of the strictest anti-hazing policies in the Greek system. We don't have pledges we have associate members, who are basically brothers except they can't vote on recruiting or ritual decisions. AMs can even be officers even before they become brothers. Joyce, if your friends are ever interested in talking I'd be happy to share more thoughts.

 

[HOFCeluck]

:noidea:I went to LeMoyne

 

[mikekan14]

I joined ATO during my time on the hill and never regretted it for one day. I look back on my time in my house as some of the best days of my life and I am continually made proud by the support that I see my brothers give to each other and their communities all of these many years later.
The environment that the houses operate under now is one of greater micromanagement and scrutiny by the university and the national offices but the relevancy remains the same as it has ever been. As someone else suggested your young friends should rush and see if some of the sororities click for them.

I was in ATO as well. Pledging was the best and worst time of my life. I think you know what I mean by that statement. I don't have any regrets. But the times have changed and what was acceptable then is no longer condoned by the public at large.

I would also caution against basing whether or not to pledge on your rush experiences at the houses. Rush is a completely produced and manipulated event. The house will never be cleaner, brothers will appear extra nice, girls will be present, etc. Rush is like college athlete recruitment. Brother's will show you only the best of everything. The Rush experience is not a true reflection of the House outside the Rush period.

 

[Shark58]

having transferred in, wearing letters made the transition much easier to for me. I had a ready made social set before I ever matriculated. My only regret was that my house wasn't as strong of SU's campus as it was where I came from.

 

[Marsh01]

I never got the whole join a frat thing. Having people tell me what to do just so i can join your "club". Weak IMO. I made my own friends. It really wasnt hard.

 

[AZOrange]

I never got the whole join a frat thing. Having people tell me what to do just so i can join your "club". Weak IMO. I made my own friends. It really wasnt hard.

I was in a frat mainly because my older friends joined. Not sure if I'd do it again. If you want to be popular an get to know everyone learn how to make rum and cokes and get a job at a college bar. Best time of my life (that which I remember...concussions ya know...)

 

[Jake]

I never got the whole join a frat thing. Having people tell me what to do just so i can join your "club". Weak IMO. I made my own friends. It really wasnt hard.

Pretty much sums it up for me. The people I knew who pledged frats had self esteem issues, and were people I generally didn't like. I'm sure that's not always the case, but it turned me off to the concept at the time.

Funniest pledging/hazing story actually came from a sorority girl I knew. I'm sure she broke some kind of code by telling me that her "little sister" and the rest of the pledge class had to faux orally pleasure a ceramic bull statue not far from campus (Oswego).

 

[Jeremy L.]

I joined a fraternity up at Oswego in Spring 12. There have been some friends I've stayed in touch with but I don't really keep in touch with them at all anymore. I then joined WTOP in Fall 2012 (the student TV station). I ended up living with two members of WTOP my senior year and had the greatest year of my life. My biggest regret in college is joining a fraternity based on the relationships I had with them, and not joing WTOP earlier. Not only did I make great friends but it allowed me to gain experience in my field that I continue to use today.

 

[jgeorge322]

I didnt do a frat. Had friends in them. Thought it was stupid. Do you really need it to make friends? Cant see any benefits. Moved off campus after frosh year and loved living on euclid.

 

[jgeorge322]

I should add, if you join a frat, it should be lambda lamda lamda.

 

[Ghost]

 

[kirbivore]

After warning that my perspective might by seriously outdated,

 

[cliftonparksufan]

I Cant see any benefits.

That's so shortsighted. Many of the leaders on college campuses are members of greek organizations. Plus the networking and brotherhood will follow you throughout your life. If you are willing to look at the big picture you will see there is a lot more to it besides the four years between 18 and 22 years old. In fact here is an article talking about our nation's leaders and their connections to fraternities.
http://www.theatlantic.com/educatio...esidents-were-in-college-fraternities/283997/

 

[Ghost]

1

That's so shortsighted. Many of the leaders on college campuses are members of greek organizations. Plus the networking and brotherhood will follow you throughout your life. If you are willing to look at the big picture you will see there is a lot more to it besides the four years between 18 and 22 years old. In fact here is an article talking about our nation's leaders and their connections to fraternities.
http://www.theatlantic.com/educatio...esidents-were-in-college-fraternities/283997/

The Atlantic has a lot of interesting stuff on fraternities...

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/03/the-dark-power-of-fraternities/357580/

http://www.theatlantic.com/educatio...nt-history-of-bigotry-at-fraternities/387319/

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/03/i-loved-being-in-a-fraternity/284204/

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/02/pop-cultures-war-on-fraternities/284126/

http://www.theatlantic.com/educatio...against-my-colleges-sexist-fraternity/284040/

 

[jgeorge322]

That's so shortsighted. Many of the leaders on college campuses are members of greek organizations. Plus the networking and brotherhood will follow you throughout your life. If you are willing to look at the big picture you will see there is a lot more to it besides the four years between 18 and 22 years old. In fact here is an article talking about our nation's leaders and their connections to fraternities.
http://www.theatlantic.com/educatio...esidents-were-in-college-fraternities/283997/

Theres plenty of other and better ways to network imho. I prefer people who do things on their own merits anyways. Frats are full of self entitled rich brats.

 

[jgeorge322]

1


The Atlantic has a lot of interesting stuff on fraternities...

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/03/the-dark-power-of-fraternities/357580/

http://www.theatlantic.com/educatio...nt-history-of-bigotry-at-fraternities/387319/

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/03/i-loved-being-in-a-fraternity/284204/

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/02/pop-cultures-war-on-fraternities/284126/

http://www.theatlantic.com/educatio...ainst-my-colleges-s e xist-fraternity/284040/

I clicked on your first article. It started w a kid who stuck a bottle rocket in his ass. I stopped reading.

 

[DCCuse]

Frats are full of self entitled rich brats.

I don't want to get into a pissing match about this and there are numerous great ways to network on any campus that aren't Greek as you say. BUT let's please not overly generalize fraternities like that. I knew brothers who were work study guys, many who were ROTC and served our country proudly post-grad and yes a few that had some money. I saw a great diversity of guys and some that I never would have been friends with if we weren't in the same fraternity. I talk to many of them today 25 years later and proud to call each of them my brother, no matter what their background was.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I prefer people who do things on their own merits anyways. Frats are full of self entitled rich brats.

Alrighty then.

I'm going to have to ask my parents where they hid all our money.

With posts like this, you should be on the OT board. Narrow minded, sweeping generalizations is pretty much a prereq over there. You'd fit right in.

 

[jgeorge322]

Alrighty then.

I'm going to have to ask my parents where they hid all our money.

With posts like this, you should be on the OT board. Narrow minded, sweeping generalizations is pretty much a prereq over there. You'd fit right in.

don't be so sensitive. I didn't say 100% of frat kids are that way. I said frats are full of them. just like this board is seemingly full of idiots. doesn't mean im an idiot.