Hazing in Greek Life

i can't stand reading this thread...

so ******* stupid and trying so hard to be 'cool' that it's pathetic

Originally Posted by Texasmade

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Do they just sneak up on you and do it like how that one dude in Jar Heads was branded on the calf muscle?

Yeah I think thats what he said. Of course they know it will be coming eventually if they get accepted....

frats are obviously polarizing.

those who went through it and came out with a feeling of brotherhood and comraderie, or those who didnt do it but relate to the concept will defend it

those who went through it and found it to be torture and are scarred from it , or those who dont relate to it will condem it

does that sum it up?

Originally Posted by Another New Yorker

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Formals with sororities? Giant national ragers at Las Vegas/New Orleans with the whole organization? These may not be for you, but for those that enjoy them they're incredible experiences. Also, I personally believe that a Greek network is one of the better ones you can have; grads can feel free to correct me if that turns out to be false. I think my chef is probably better than what I can make as a college student and what the school provides me with while saving money.
**** formals. Ragers are good. You can still tear **** up as a GDI. I'm an Aggie, so any other college network seems pretty laughable by comparison. Even then, it's hardly necessary for a good network. Edit: I remain in favor of hazing. Any type that doesn't leave permanent damage is good I'n my books.

Originally Posted by gam29

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i can't stand reading this thread...

so ******* stupid and trying so hard to be 'cool' that it's pathetic
Meh. When I was in college people didn't feel the need to be above good, old fashioned fun.

Originally Posted by Another New Yorker

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Formals with sororities? Giant national ragers at Las Vegas/New Orleans with the whole organization? These may not be for you, but for those that enjoy them they're incredible experiences. Also, I personally believe that a Greek network is one of the better ones you can have; grads can feel free to correct me if that turns out to be false. I think my chef is probably better than what I can make as a college student and what the school provides me with while saving money.
Organizations outside of the Greek system at my school also hold social gatherings. Sometimes they involved dressing up in nice clothes. (Although, the best ones involved the ones with little to no clothes, and they were not infrequent.) They always involved members of the opposite sex. I don't recall having hired photographers trailing us around to take pictures that we could then buy to commemorate the evening. We got by with our own cameras. Oh, and the school often paid for those events. I participated in events with similar student organizations from other schools. I never went to a LV or NOLA, but I once got a free trip with other college newspaper editors to Jamaica. We raged there. Your network may be more extensive. However, putting editor-in-chief of a major school newspaper on my resume and having all the valuable experience from participating in that particular organization for four years has opened more doors than any network ever could. Glad you enjoy your chef's cooking. There are downsides to having one, though. Limited menu for each meal. Specific times when you get to eat a freshly prepared meal. I enjoyed the freedom of eating whatever, whenever.

I don't condemn frats. However, I argue with the notion that you need a fraternity to achieve certain things in college.

Originally Posted by zbromer

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Not really. I don't condemn frats. However, I argue with the notion that you need a fraternity to achieve certain things in college.
This is a reasonable attitude. Probably the one I would have if I started school now, knowing what I know.

Originally Posted by in stitches

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frats are obviously polarizing.

those who went through it and came out with a feeling of brotherhood and comraderie, or those who didnt do it but relate to the concept will defend it

those who went through it and found it to be torture and are scarred from it , or those who dont relate to it will condem it

does that sum it up?

Honestly in short this is pretty much it. It's just been much more polarized however in recent years I think. Decades ago when Greek life was much more extreme and exclusive, more it also seemed to be more accepted by the nation as a whole.

I mean if you look at the proportion of Greeks in the House, Senate, SC, and White House to non Greeks, it's completely out of wack with the college grad ratio so something must have been good and the people must not have minded.

Originally Posted by iammatt

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This is a reasonable attitude. Probably the one I would have if I started school now, knowing what I know.

+1

The only GDIs we sneer at are the ones who sneer back. I'm a New Yorker. Obviously a lot of my high school friends didn't go Greek. They went to degenerate (jk) schools like Vassar, Bard, and Wesleyan.

Don't know why that post was edited though.

iammatt, would you still have gone Greek in hindsight know what you may have given up and what you have gained.

Originally Posted by Another New Yorker

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+1

The only GDIs we sneer at are the ones who sneer back. I'm a New Yorker. Obviously a lot of my high school friends didn't go Greek. They went to degenerate (jk) schools like Vassar, Bard, and Wesleyan.

Don't know why that post was edited though.

iammatt, would you still have gone Greek in hindsight know what you may have given up and what you have gained.
I didn't really gain anything from it. For a few years I kept in touch with some friends, but I don't buy the whole idea of an important network, but then I don't live in a very fratty town. I thought it was fun. I came from a close family and it was nice to have another one away at school. It could get a bit tiresome, but whatever. I don't know if I would do it again, but I don't regret doing it in the first place.

at my school doing virtually anything will get you bounced for hazing, but a lot of stuff still goes on. i had a pretty easy time, but ive seen some rough stuff. one frat always does floor board parties - they tear up their floor boards, make all all the pledges lie under them, and then replace them and have a party on top of them. i went through a lot of drinking stuff that wasn't a big deal.

yea the historically black frats are the WORST. the branding is so ******* gross - it creates a huge raised scar, disgusting. and yea as magician said it's not like you're drunk or you're warned.. they just do it. they also do 'ghost hazing' where they show up at your house in the middle of the night, grab you, strip you naked, and dump you in the worst ghetto in the city to wander back (miles and miles).

uhm worst thing ive heard? i know one chapter in my frat got bounced out because they locked their 10 pledges in a room with 2 kegs and a trash can. they had to drink and vomit until the trash can was full.

Originally Posted by Another New Yorker

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Don't know why that post was edited though.
I was just trying to compose another thought and got lost. For what it's worth, I think there is a lot of variation by your school and region. I grew up in Georgia and a lot of my friends went to large, public, southern universities. I went to a smaller, private, northern school. I noticed that the importance of being Greek to fit and have a social life was vastly different between my friends and me. I definitely believe that it was more important for them than it was for me. However, I also think that those schools don't allow for us much individuality. At southern schools, you have to be and act a certain way to be accepted. At the liberal schools up north where I went, being unique, not following the herd, etc. was much more acceptable. They were all pansies, though. I'm making things a little black and white. But, man, I used to go to party with my friends at UGA and every frat brother looked the exact ******* same. Same skimpy shorts, same pastel polo, same croakies, same shaggy haircut, same mildly marsupialed looking pudgy face that all Southern men seem to have. They all got hot chicks, but their lives are all pretty boring now.

Originally Posted by iammatt

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I didn't really gain anything from it. For a few years I kept in touch with some friends, but I don't buy the whole idea of an important network, but then I don't live in a very fratty town. I thought it was fun. I came from a close family and it was nice to have another one away at school. It could get a bit tiresome, but whatever. I don't know if I would do it again, but I don't regret doing it in the first place.

+1

i think a lot of the people who are like BEING IN A FRATERNITY GIVES YOU A FAMILY FOR LIFE!!!! are deluding themselves. yea ill have a few friends ill keep in touch with, but fraternities shine while you're in college, not after.

Originally Posted by zbromer

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I definitely believe that it was more important for them than it was for me. However, I also think that those schools don't allow for us much individuality. At southern schools, you have to be and act a certain way to be accepted. At the liberal schools up north where I went, being unique, not following the herd, etc. was much more acceptable. They were all pansies, though. I'm making things a little black and white. But, man, I used to go to party with my friends at UGA and every frat brother looked the exact ******* same. Same skimpy shorts, same pastel polo, same croakies, same shaggy haircut, same mildly marsupialed looking pudgy face that all Southern men seem to have.

Exactly why I never pledged. Frat bros and I do not get along.