Anyone here in/ever in a frat?

Was about to join one. Looked around more carefully... had to say it was mostly young people, anxiously trying to be someone/something else, usually an item/person between 50 and 300 years ago [meanwhile living in 200X] - put together and having a good time. Thing is- they are not those items. And they will not become those people. I got tired of playing dollhouse and went back to books :) eventually leaving college because I knew I would never forgive myself the day I'd see another person step into a completely wide-open niche while I would've spent the next 4 years stuck in classrooms. That market is mine now. The frat guys do 9-5's while gleeing over the next 50 euro paycheck increase.

Whatever floats people's boat, man. In the end all that counts is how good you manage ventures.

PS: I know it's sort of different in the US. US fraternities hold broader, more practical values. EU fraternities are about aesthetic and coming closer to sons/daughters of regent/noble families. What that adds to someone's business though ???

Pretty much.
 


I was in a fraternity and it definitely epitomizes the sheep mentality, but is there anything really wrong with that? I got to college knowing no one and grew to make some friends in the dorm the first few weeks and we all went to some sick parties at the houses and felt it would be fun to pledge. I have some great friends now from it and had some great times.

The hazing sucks but its all in good fun and you get to give it back to the new pledges 7x over so its worth it. Plus you learn things like how many live goldfish you can swallow at once, and that its impossible for a human to drink a gallon of milk w/o vomiting.
 
Yeah. Frats can -and are- fun. In the US they hold tangible immersion throughout many facets of society. US frat graduates also feel more inclined to reach back to their alma mater after all is said and done.

In EU they're mostly about establishing the right perceptions. These perceptions might later on provide easier access to wealth and status, but most often just not [genuinely]. And because so few actually reach what they expected to- aftercare with schools stays out. But I've heard the UK is different.

EU-wise... I am very convinced a person can achieve equal results from fraternity experiences by simple being a promising entrepreneur, and stepping into an industrialist club or Freemason lodge one day.
 
I was in a fraternity until I dropped out of school (though in all respects I'm still 'in' the frat just not officially).

A lot of people simply don't understand or are intimidated by fraternities and what they do. Hazing is designed to weed out the pussies, bond you with your brothers, and to downsize your ego. Obviously scat, pissing, anything that involves you taking your clothes off or inflicts physical injury is a perversion of what hazing is supposed to be; but the fact is, there is 'right' hazing. Hazing isn't just for fraternities either, it has evolved from military setting and is nothing more than a initiation procedure that has been with human society since the beginning.

Being in a college fraternity has a ton of benefits. For example, having 1,000+ person parties, getting crazy drunk with a ton of your friends, and other silly stuff. Being in a fraternity was the first time I experienced being part of an organization, how to plan events, deal with different types of people, etc. To this day I have not experienced the complexity of interaction that I experienced in a frat house.

It's also the little things, like having a place to crash on most college campuses, meeting random people from your fraternity and having something instantly to connect over, networking opportunities, etc.

And of course, the basics: girls, parties, booze, etc. By far most the best girls will be in sororities, and people who tell you otherwise are usually bitter or don't fit in. My best experiences from college are definitely from being in a fraternity and I recommend any male to join one. It has been by far more important to me than any class I've taken, or any other organization that I've worked with.

But haters gonna hate, right?
 
^^^ I don't hate frats, I just thought getting pissed on, vomited on, etc is retarded and anyone who does that for the sake of a frat is an idiot. Paddling or other weird initiation rituals, who cares. But ones that cause physical or psychological harm = no thanks
 
papajohn56 said:
^^^ I don't hate frats, I just thought getting pissed on, vomited on, etc is retarded and anyone who does that for the sake of a frat is an idiot. Paddling or other weird initiation rituals, who cares. But ones that cause physical or psychological harm = no thanks
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Yep. We take that very seriously out here. People get sued all the time for hazing stuff. However, the worst I've seen (saw through the window of a 2nd story house) was:

10ish dudes standing around naked, blindfolded. Their superior hands one a beer bottle and tells him to open it with his teeth. Tells him to chug the beer bottle. Then tells him to shove it up his ass, repeatedly screaming at him. Obviously he doesn't do it (no one expects him to) but all in all that was a pretty homo moment. Found out later that was the water-polo team. Truth of the matter is that the athletics teams haze way harder than any fraternity and get away with it too, because no one is going to give up their spot on the team or anything else that could appear mutinous.
 
I don't know why they call pledge process hazing, I mean you are not "forced" to be there, you can leave anytime. Its not like youre getting tortured/humiliated without your consent.
 
I'm an a frat and I have to say it's been one of my best decisions in college. Hazing happens, but as BluAffiliate said, it's to weed out the pussies and and it does connect you closer to your pledge brothers. It's fucked up but that's the way it is and no one is going decade or even century-long traditions.

The connections you make, parties you go to, crazy nights, girls you meet, and life-long bonds you make are things that you simply couldn't have as much of as an independent. It's just pretty much living in a house full of your best friends during some of the most interesting times of your life. But that's why you shouldn't take rushing lightly, if you choose the wrong frat to live in, you might hate your life.



A-C-A-C-I-A
 
thought about it, but then i saw the dues. FUCK that.

I can see paying rent in the frat house, but Dues? its not a fucking plumbers union. Get Someone's rich daddy to buy the Kegs and T Shirts.

paying for friendship?
 
SitPoMk said:
I'm an a frat and I have to say it's been one of my best decisions in college. Hazing happens, but as BluAffiliate said, it's to weed out the pussies and and it does connect you closer to your pledge brothers. It's fucked up but that's the way it is and no one is going decade or even century-long traditions.
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So..you got pissed on?
 
thunderlips said:
thought about it, but then i saw the dues. FUCK that.

I can see paying rent in the frat house, but Dues? its not a fucking plumbers union. Get Someone's rich daddy to buy the Kegs and T Shirts.

paying for friendship?
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wtf? I know a lot of EU folks' main motivation to get accepted is to be able to live in the fraternity mansion for free....lol.
 
papajohn56 said:
So..you got pissed on?
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No we got it easy because we were on probation for hazing this year because apparently our they did some borderline insane things last year. I guess I just have to put it this way. People who haven't been in, can't say much because it's not an experience than can be described in a paragraph. And people who complain about costs, for most people it costs less than living independently.

What it came down to me is this. I found a fraternity at Illinois that wasn't full of frat-star tools like a lot of other houses. The guys were legit people that I could hang out with. Also they have a great reputation on campus so I know I was going to be meeting a lot of girls through association, which is always good. It was either pay more for room and board and live alone to go to random parties with whatever guys I happen to meet during my time at college, OR pay less and live with a bunch of people who I know I identify and have a blast with. I'm sure many people here would chose the same option I did
 
fiji brother checkin' in to share a couple comments:

1) whoever said it above, said it best: it's a pledging process, not hazing. if you don't like it, you drop. no one is forcing you to do anything, but good luck rushing another fraternity you fairy

2) if you can't see the value in creating hundreds of extremely close friends that will help you at your first request for the rest of your life, then definitely don't pledge to a fraternity. having said that, you are expected to do the same, so if you can't handle the thought of that... don't pledge to a fraternity

my suggestion to the op is to go to rush events, check out a few fraternities and find out who aligns with your goals and core values the best. some fraternities focus on parties, some on philanthropy, some on sports and others on fucking sorority girls. whatever your fancy, you're sure to find it
 
thunderlips said:
thought about it, but then i saw the dues. FUCK that.

I can see paying rent in the frat house, but Dues? its not a fucking plumbers union. Get Someone's rich daddy to buy the Kegs and T Shirts.

paying for friendship?
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Most of your dues goes back to you, for example the parties, beers, social events, national events, unless you got some shady ass bro that just steal the money for himself, but that is just another case.
 
tangy said:
fiji brother checkin' in to share a couple comments:

1) whoever said it above, said it best: it's a pledging process, not hazing. if you don't like it, you drop. no one is forcing you to do anything, but good luck rushing another fraternity you fairy

2) if you can't see the value in creating hundreds of extremely close friends that will help you at your first request for the rest of your life, then definitely don't pledge to a fraternity. having said that, you are expected to do the same, so if you can't handle the thought of that... don't pledge to a fraternity

my suggestion to the op is to go to rush events, check out a few fraternities and find out who aligns with your goals and core values the best. some fraternities focus on parties, some on philanthropy, some on sports and others on fucking sorority girls. whatever your fancy, you're sure to find it
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Hey are you a doctor yet? or whatever
 
I am an Alumni of Alpha Sigma Phi... One of the best choices in my life ... ever. Met all kinds of great contacts.

I find it hilarious that most of the guys in this thread posting how "frats suck" are in other threads talking about how they collect manga and loved high school marching band.

Guess what, you're probably bitter because you are too big of a fucking dork to be included in a fraternity - so get over it...

Not trying to be an ass, but got to defend the fraternity argument against these GDIs....
 
The best explanation of fraternities or any other club/gang/rite of passage and their use of "hazing" was detailed in the book Influence by Dr. Cialdini.

The summary is that by subjecting the members through the physically abusive trials gives them 100% ownership of their decision to join the group.

It's definitely not unique to fraternities or Americans for that matter.... in fact, getting pissed on would probably be a welcome alternative to a 10 year old african tribe boy who's subjected to years long neglect/flogging/etc. in order to become a "man" in that culture.


It's an interesting study, though... .
 
I wanted to pledge really bad, but I went to a private business college. No frats. Little cliques (mine being one of the largest around 50ish peeps, co-ed) were the biggest orgs besides like Phi Beta Lambda (was also in... but I def wear those "letters" proudly).

Now it's too late for me to pledge around here, I had my bachelors before I turned 21 and the ones around here usually don't let any people with bachelors pledge unless it's for the grad+ frats which I hear aren't even really worth trying for.

Meh, I just party alone like I'm in a frat every time (ask almost anyone that's been with me at an affiliate summit ...). Same effect, minus the brotherhood thing - which I got from high school anyway. But yeah, wish I could have pledged. :-/
 
Never was in one. Never went to college. But I dated plenty of girls that went to college and I used to be in a band that played colleges and college parties, so I've been to several fraternity/sorority parties. I don't think you can really generalize. Some of them are really cool dudes, some of them are complete retards.

And like with anything else, people that feel excluded by something are going to criticize it.
 
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