Greek "Advice" for teens

breathesgelatin · #1 11-29-2002, 06:47 PM

I found this article at

http://teenadvice.about.com/library/...gsfratsoro.htm

1. Sororities and Fraternities are part of a long held social system on university campuses known as "the Greek System".
2. Sororities are generally for females, and Fraternities generally for males - some "sororities" are actually "female fraternities" as defined by their charter. The difference is negligible today although in the past there were differences.
3. Sexism is rampant in the Greek System; the unofficial attitude that many (not all) fraternities take toward women is notoriously misogynistic and is demonstrated in some of the practices of the groups (from taking pledges to strip clubs to "tagging" female guests at parties to label them as available or off limits to other members) - there are even cases of institutional sexism, some schools have banned Sorority houses as "bawdy house" since all the residents are female and live under an organized title.
4. Hazing in the early 1980's and 1990's gave Fraternities and Sororities a bad name, currently most major Fraternities and Sororities have an active anti-hazing policy in place with penalties ranging from expulsion of individual members to absolute discharge of an entire chapter.
5. Drugs and alcohol are technically banned in all Fraternity and Sorority sponsored functions - but the "Keg Party" is still synonymous with Fraternity on most campuses.
6. You have to "Rush" in order to get a chance to get in to both Fraternities and Sororities; next you must pledge, be accepted and finally initiated.
7. A "Legacy" is somebody who "automatically" is accepted because a family member such as; mother, father, brother or sister, was a member first - not all Fraternities and Sororities still honor the legacy system.
8. Fraternities and Sororities are not all bad - they are excellent networking groups for later life, give college students a second "family", and are very philathropic giving hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours and millions of dollars to worthy causes every year.
9. Fraternities and Sororities are still elitist, although some newer, "left of center" Greek Organizations are shaking up the centuries old foundation of snobbery and selectivity (namely, openly gay Fraternities and Sororities).
10. No matter what their reputation, Fraternities and Sororities are here to stay and can be a wonderful part of your university experience, the trick is finding the one that best suits you.

This article kinda ticks me off, because they get so much wrong and then get some small things right... This is coming off of a webpage that provides advice to teens about tons of subjects. Why didn't they do their research first?!?! If you're doing a list of advice about AIDS or STIs, you get the facts. Groups like this should do the same. ARG.

crystalline · #2 11-29-2002, 06:56 PM

Ugh.

Kevin · #3 11-29-2002, 07:40 PM

The thing that gets me is how they seem to attribute the negatives (if you'd call them that) such as keggers, going to strip clubs, etc... to JUST fraternity men?

Go into any strip club near your campus. With maybe some exceptions I'd be willing to put money that a very small percentage are actual Greeks... One of us goes to a strip club so we're all sexist?

And non-fraternity members NEVER throw keg parties...

CarolinaCutie · #4 11-29-2002, 10:09 PM

The best email address I can find to address this topic is:

teenadvice.guide@about.com

with the subject as "10 Things". I'm going to write an email stating that the "facts" are twisted in the Sorority and Fraternity list, with suggestions on how to change it. Y'all should do the same! Someone who is giving teenagers advice shouldn't warp the truth into their own ideas of what Greek life is.

Tom Earp · #5 11-29-2002, 11:32 PM

It never ceases to amaze me that people will write advice to unknowing people when they themselves have no damn clue about which they speak!

I especially love the "elitest" part!

Hell most of my Brothers from start of the local worked part time jobs!

They were and still are from the big city to the farm kind of guys!

When we come together, we are just Brothers and LXAs, no more and no less!

Peaches-n-Cream · #6 11-29-2002, 11:41 PM

They never mention the good things like sisterhood and brotherhood, community service, philanthropies, leadership, and academic achievement. Oh well.

Kevin · #7 11-30-2002, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cream
They never mention the good things like sisterhood and brotherhood, community service, philanthropies, leadership, and academic achievement. Oh well.

It mentions them towards the bottom.

Just in the most diminished way possible.. It would seem to be there just so the author can reference them to claim they were fair in their assessment.

Peaches-n-Cream · #8 11-30-2002, 12:18 AM

You're right. I missed that.

Quote:

8. Fraternities and Sororities are not all bad - they are excellent networking groups for later life, give college students a second "family", and are very philathropic giving hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours and millions of dollars to worthy causes every year.

Fraternities and Sororities are not all bad

It's the tone of the article that bothers me.

#9 11-30-2002, 01:46 AM

I have to agree with Cream
it is the tone that is disturbing.

At first glance I figured, ok, I can excuse the oversight because they do try to get a 50-50 oppinion of those who are for and against. but there was something wrong. the tone.

If we e-mail that site tell them to either bend ever and kiss their own arse, or to have someone old enough to have gotten past their teen angst years to write it for them.

UofIL AXO · #10 11-30-2002, 01:56 AM

The tone of the article does not incite anyone to join or gain interest in the greek system. I read similar articles when I was a senior in high school that swayed me to believe that the greek system was NOT for me. Boy was I wrong! This "advice" seems to give one view of fraternities/sororities that is already perpetuated throughout the media. Shame on the author of this piece!

AGDLynn · #11 11-30-2002, 09:14 AM

7. A "Legacy" is somebody who "automatically" is accepted because a family member such as; mother, father, brother or sister, was a member first - not all Fraternities and Sororities still honor the legacy system.

That is definitely not always true! Most chapters have the right and, often do, to not extend a bid for a "legacy" if that person is wrong for their organization. Plus, being a "legacy" may "automatically" turn that person away from the organization based on their relationship with the org. member. There are several "legacy" threads on GC that should be read.

PM_Mama00 · #12 11-30-2002, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AGDLynn
7. A "Legacy" is somebody who "automatically" is accepted because a family member such as; mother, father, brother or sister, was a member first - not all Fraternities and Sororities still honor the legacy system.

That is definitely not always true! Most chapters have the right and, often do, to not extend a bid for a "legacy" if that person is wrong for their organization. Plus, being a "legacy" may "automatically" turn that person away from the organization based on their relationship with the org. member. There are several "legacy" threads on GC that should be read.

That's why the article stated "not all Fraternities and Sororities still honor the legacy system". I know a bunch of organizations that "automatically" bid legacies, whether they like that person or not.

The elitist comment: On my campus, it is definately not about being elite. We're lucky if we even get girls who are at school on daddy's money (I'm one of them). From what I've heard from sorority girls on other campuses, SOME groups are very elite, and even brag about it.

I don't see what is so bad about this list. Other than the whole strip club thing and the kegger, I think the tone is just written towards high schoolers. When you think about it, some of these things are really what organizations do. Why sugar coat it to high schoolers? Do you really think high schoolers would be interested if all it talked about was philanthropic activities?

33girl · #13 11-30-2002, 12:14 PM

Well, this idiot says bras are necessary too, so I wouldn't take anything he says seriously.

PM_Mama00 · #14 11-30-2002, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 33girl
Well, this idiot says bras are necessary too, so I wouldn't take anything he says seriously.

Bras should be unnecessary.... ugh they suck!

LuaBlanca · #15 12-02-2002, 08:17 PM

I have absolutely NO experience with the Greek System, and actually found myself here at greekchat because I wanted to learn more about it...I just want to say that I'm glad I found all of you before I saw that article. Regardless of what it ACTUALLY says, it somehow conveys a message that is quite different to what I, an outsider, have come to understand Greek Life is all about. That is not something I would want representing me.

just a comment to PM_Mama00...if all it had talked about was philanthropic activities, I would have been interested!