What's Your Thoughts on Greek Life?

I'm still in high school, but I do know people involved in Greek life. I always thought it was like in the movies, but my cousin talks about her sorority and how they do a lot of volunteer work and they have perks like their own chef which is pretty cool And the way you described it makes it sound a lot better than I thought. Maybe I will join one.
I know this wouldn't be the same for every college and I don't know if you're out or not, but if so have you found it easy to tell your brothers and have they been supportive and everything?
Also, the sororities and frats I've heard of are set up where every member has normal dorms with the rest of the campus, but a main house where they can meet or dine. Is it like that for you? What would you say is more common in your experience?

 

I was invited to join ones, but gladly declined. However, a lot of my friends are in greek life, and my best friend left one. He said it was very elitist and everyone hated each other over petty things. I personally don't hate greek life, the idea seems cool, but it always turns out ugly and stupid to me.

Like my campus's greek life had a walk for Sexual harrassment and rape, which is nice. But a majority of rapes on campus are involved with Greek life. It's really dumb to me. And I'm not fond of paying money to meet people/make friends because I'm picky about who I hangout with and I have much better things to spend my money on. But to each thir own, not all greek life is bad. It really depends on the college and culture.

 

I suppose it would depend on the people in the fraternity. There's good ones and bad apples. Would I personally join one? I guess that depends. I always kind of figured that if I was offered to join a fraternity and I knew it was a great one, I might consider it. Just depends on if they're people I want to be associated with.

 

I have some opinions on it. I've been to three colleges actually and the Greek life various.

I was at a private college that was mostly upper class White and Greek Life was big there.

I mean I stood out at the time because I was some lower class Chicano guy and everything.

The Greek Life didn't appeal to me then and I did feel some distancing between me and the frat boys at that school. For some exceptions(to a few frat guys I knew), the frat boys there at that school weren't all welcoming to me. I mean they never said, "Hey bro, you want to chill with us. We got beer and bud or something."

The last two schools I've been to have been public schools and I see a bit more of a difference. I didn't rush at those schools but I do see an increase of diversity in these schools in participation of minorities.

It depends really on the school itself if it's private or public.

 

Greek life doesn't really exist in Australia, and all the elite universities here are public, but I wouldn't be interested in it.

Elitism in universities is pretty much a given as it is, so I wouldn't want to contribute to it more by joining a fraternity if they did exist here. Academic and social groups with more focus are a healthier way to bond, I think. They're often prone to exclusiveness, but it's harder for them to be classist and exclusive in the same way that fraternities and sororities are famed to be, because the latter are more commonly based on social background and the ability to afford membership rather than common interest and specific goals.

 

To paraphrase Groucho Marx, I would not want to be part of any fraternity that would have me as a member. It would be a really lame one

 

I've never heard of Greek Life and I also never went to college just to community colleges. So I don't really have any opinion of it. What's it like?

 

Thank you hisptervin96!(*hug*)

 

What's "greek life" a lifestyle associated with greek people, or something completely different?

 

I think it's horrible, a danger, a way or perpetuating bigotry and class divide, and has no place on campus.

I'd avoid it like the plague.

The Greek System has a huge problem with hazing, physical abuse, sexual abuse and date rape; they need to be banned, until they can demonstrate some desire to live within the bonus of common decency.

The ones at Michigan State, where I went, were horrible; some of the things I heard from their members still make my hair curl, in terms of bigotry and homophobia...and the ones here in Maryland? Same song and dance. Rich, entitles whites, thinking they get away with anything. 'Greek Life' disgusts me, on so many levels...

 

Having gone to a small private college in the middle of nowhere, the Greek system is almost a necessity providing activities and entertainment, not to mention the feelings of closeness to ones mates. On my campus the majority of men went Greek. Those that were outside the system had their own fraternities in effect. There were the drama geeks (of which I was one), the science nerds, assorted music majors, etc. They all had a floor in the dorms, as did we (there were no houses). It's because of the Greek system that I got to learn and play Rugby, which I still follow, enjoy the camaraderie of my peers, work on social projects that benefited the community outside of campus. On my campus I thought that they were a beneficial and integral part of campus life.

There are those who would claim elitism. Isn't the college one chooses to attend a form of elitism. Aren't many of us latte liberals, who look down our long, thin noses at conservatism and those of true faith (not those who've perverted the teachings of their faith into weapons of hate to bludgeon those that different from themselves) elitist. Is there no form of tyranny greater tan that of tolerance. Like it or nor everybody is an elitist owning a preference that makes us feel superior to someone else. How many of laugh at the unfortunates that appear in those pictures on Facebook of Wal-Mart shoppers in some awful getup. Like bonds with like and distrusts the "other," and we try to overcome it as best we can, but ultimately we butt up against some "other" for whom we cannot tolerate; in that instant we become elitist. Bonding like to like is not elitist unless it is used purposefully to hurt somebody else.

 

No means yes. Yes means anal!

 

I've only ever seen it on American TV shows since the whole Greek system doesn't exist at universities here.. doesn't really appeal. Seems very high school-ish.

 

I think greek life is an amazing way to network and make lifelong friends in college. The stigma that you're "paying for friends" is the most absurd thing. You pay for boarding, activities, clothes, etc, whether you make friends or not is up to you. With that reasoning any extracurricular you pay for is paying for friends. As for whether or not to join, I think it very much depends on the college and who you are!!! I'm still in high school but I'm definitely going to rush when I go to college. Almost all my friends (in college) are in sororities/fraternities and they LOVE it. I'm also an extremely social extrovert who grew up going to a girl's sleep away camp and who was elected to a state position on the board of my (national) youth group. So going greek is not a huge leap for me, like it may be to other people! I think if you're interested, the best thing to do would be to rush and see where you get bids from. You can always decide then, after you've gotten the feel of what it's like.

On class/elitism, I'm not white or upper class and neither are most of my friends. A lot of them just have scholarships to college and work to pay for greek life. I've never heard that it's like Legally Blonde/Scream Queens where it's exclusively white and rich, but again, that depends so much on the school and chapter. I also haven't heard any specific stories of homophobia in the greek system from any of my friends. My coach is openly gay and he was president of his frat, and didn't have any problems. One of my good friends who's trans goes to a private college with a reputation for being very conservative and he's in a fraternity and hasn't had any problems, besides ones that can be fixed by a quick, private conversation about pronouns/hormones/etc. Like anything else in the world, stereotypes are just stereotypes and rumours are just rumours. Your experience is going to be based on you.

 

I thought this thread was going to be about the lives of the Ancient Greek :lol:

 

I think it's a ridiculous concept designed for privileged assholes. Some will disagree but this has been proven to me by every single frat boy ive ever met, without of exception. It makes me sick that my friends and i work shitty blue collar jobs, day in day out, growing as adults... while those with rich mommies and daddies get to play around like children until the age of 25. As if college wasn't easy enough when their parents are footing the bill, they can't even have the decency to study.

 

What fraternity rejected you? Your vitriolic condemnation is the worst kind of prejudice and reverse snobbery I've heard in a long time. Are there Greeks that are asshats? Yes, on the whole though, most are not. You need to resolve yourself to the fact there is always going to be someone richer than you, as there is always someone who'll see you as more privileged than they. You need to see someone about this issue and why it angers and hurts you so much, or you're going to find life most unpleasant. You've a bigger issue than frat boys. and the Greek system.