Fraternities and Sororities

[Ther]

For many of us the next few weeks will herald the beginning of the college school year, with new classes, new parties, etc. The new college year also is a time when many people join fraternities and sororities, so I'm wondering what everyone here thinks about Frats and uh, whatever the short name for a sorority is. Anyone in one? Been in one? Thinking about joining one?

[Sanctus]

I'm in one of those academic ones, the ones that send you letters after a particularly good term and ask you to join, but that's it.

I don't really mind fraternities/sororities. Where I am, you sort of develop a liking for the guys or girls in certain ones, or a dislike for the people in others, and that's pretty much how it goes. Frats and sororities are sometimes seen as merely vaunted drinking clubs, but I get the feeling they do a lot more than that, and some of their members are really involved with the various charities and philanthropic organizations connected with them.

[Anteni]

My last year of college was at a very small school with only two or three frats and sororities, so I didn't get a taste of what they were really like. The sororities did a few community service projects, I believe, but I don't remember hearing anything about the frats except drinking and/or cocaine.

I may join one if I enjoy the company of the guys in it. It would probably be more academically-motivated though; I'll be able to party whenever I feel like it, so I'd rather have a place to live quiety when I have to get some work and studying done. May not be too easy with people funneling over my laptop and taking shots on my staircase.

How about yourself, Santh?

[Raelyse]

Can anyone explain the concept of frats to someone who's not in college and only knows about them from drama series and teen movies?

[INDK]

Can anyone explain the concept of frats to someone who's not in college and only knows about them from drama series and teen movies?

The basic idea of a fraternity is it connects you in to a group of men who are your "brothers" (more accurately friends). They have social events, and pay dues to a national chapter. Many of the brothers live in a frat house that is owned by the organization, and others often live in housing together. In some areas, being a member of a fraternity can help a person in the buisness world as they have frat brothers out there that can help them out (I don't know how true this is in all professions, but as an aspiring academic, it doesn't mean dick).

Sororities are basically the same thing, only for women.

Personally, I've always been apathetic to fraternity. I went to quite a few frat parties because I had friends in fraternities as undergrads but never really wanted to rush one because I didn't like a good deal of the brothers at most fraternities and I didn't want to feel like I had to associate with any people I didn't want to (and pay money to do it).