As school starts up for many students, students are bombarded with clubs and activities to join and are usually asked to join within the first days of arrival at school. Out of all the different clubs and activities to join, there is one activity that jumps out the most; Greek Life. Many students believe that Greek life is just one big party; which is why I’m typing this blog. Before I make my case for Greek life, I am fully aware that rush is over and that the only other time to try and rush is next semester. With that said, let me make my case. Too often students stereotype fraternities into the image given from the hit movie Animal House. The truth is that no one would ever consider rushing a fraternity if people partied that much. Students do not see the numerous library hours put in night after night or the physical training done at six in the morning at the recreational center. Students also never see the plethora of community service work done by all of the fraternities. All students see is the party that got busted for a noise violation. People seem to think that with fraternities, grades will slip and lead to college doom, while nothing could be more false. Fraternities require a minimum of a 2.5 grade point average at the least. While that is the University’s requirement for grade point average, most fraternities themselves raise that standard. I could counter any other argument against going Greek so let me end this with a challenge. I challenge any student in the University that has any interest to go Greek next semester to rush. I promise whether it is a fraternity or sorority, there will be one house that fits you best to your preference. Just remember, a fraternity is supposed to help you, not hurt you! If any Greek house is detrimental to your grades or health, then it is not even worth staying around for, so go somewhere else. Remember my challenge and good luck next semester.
--Orgasmo
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2 comments:
The truth is that no one would ever consider rushing a fraternity if people partied that much.
Well, just to be fair, while much of what you said is true, the above is *not* always true. Many, many students rush a frat specifically for the parties or because they've heard about the parties.
Sororities are pretty good around here. Frats are hit or miss. Other pledges have commented on how aggressive and demeaning some of the frats around here can be. One frat got busted for cocaine selling conspiracy. Some of their "brothers" spent over a year in prison for being part of the deal. I know this for a fact, because I visited them in the Kennedy Center (the local low level prison here in Morgantown).
What you're leaving out is the number of pledges who don't make it and who consequently fail out their first semester. Those who manage to get into frats do have a slightly higher GPA. Those who don't make it (depending on the frat they rush) usually end up with Ds and Fs. There have been tons of times I've had students come in late and hungover telling me about how their frat made them drink until they puked, passed out, or crapped on themselves. I know two specific pledges who had to be taken to the hospital for blood alcohol poisoning. I know several women who got slipped something at frat parties in their drinks, the "brothers" knowing full well that stuff was going on.
Those frats consider the pledges who make it through that process to be "worthy" enough to join. It has nothing to do with "manning up" and everything to do with unrelenting pressure. They don't give a shit about the ones who don't make it, and they don't care about their complicity in screwing up that pledges college career and possibly their future.
The rewards are OK, but they really aren't that spectacular. Being in a frat, regardless of what they say, does not mean you're going to be better networked in the future. The real world cares very little about that, actually. The benefit is mostly social and possibly academic, depending on how the frat sets stuff up. Most frats do not do much at all with the local nonprofit organizations, but instead have their own stuff when it's convenient for them. They like bringing over the kids of the Boys & Girls Club to "hang out" in their frat house every now and again, but they rarely go over to the Club and do any real work with them. The Business frat does, though. It all depends.
So, the challenge I would give is for you all to be honest about which frats are doing these things and which frats aren't. People who behave like the above will never have your best interests at heart. Some can be helpful. Some can be really destructive. It's a disservice to all incoming freshmen to pretend otherwise.
I completely agree, with the poster. Rushing should be enjoyable and people do not see that good things that frats do only the partys. But for me the questions comes up, me being a african american male in a school with 89 percents white americans, that can be really unsafe for me.
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