[Playn4God]

I am just wondering if any of ya'll are in a fraternity or sorority and what your opinion on them is. I am currently pledging Sigma Chi at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and I am having a blast with it. I am learning a whole lot from my pledge class, and I think they are learning some from me in return. They are a very diverse group, some my pledge brothers are really solid Christians, while a lot get drunk together. Regardless, I am learning a lot about how to be friends with people who are polar opposites of me, and I believe it will be one of if not the best part of my college experience. It is also a great way to serve the community by working with each chapter's philanthropies. Sigma Chi has very high standards for its members, and it is a great way to challenge yourself to live up to those standards. It is also a great ministry opportunity, which is one of the reasons I believe God put me in Sigma Chi. My dad is also a Sigma Chi who graduated from University of Alabama, so that is cool to have that bond with him. I would encourage any person in college to really look into the fraternities/sororities on campus, they often have a lot to offer a person or a person can often offer a lot to them. Anyway, I'm just curious if any of ya'll are involved with the Greek system, and just want ya'll to comment on why ya'll are or not.

[OneHope]

Is it hard to get into a fraternity? I think it would be cool but I've seen movies and such about the pledging and intiation process and that doesn't look to appealing; the whole getting totally wasted part.

[jfahler03]

Originally Posted by Playn4God

Regardless, I am learning a lot about how to be friends with people who are polar opposites of me, and I believe it will be one of if not the best part of my college experience.

As the crowd yells "heathen! heathen!"... sorry... no real reason for that other than the fact that I've been grumbling over extremist wacko Christians too much lately (legalistic ones). I just needed to vent


I'm not in a frat yet, however I'll probably end up joining one once I leave this community college I'm getting some of my basic credits finished up at... that is... IF I ever leave it (I'm in my second year, third semester... probably going here again next sememster too, I only planned on going a year)

-Josh

[Playn4God]

Originally Posted by OneHope

Is it hard to get into a fraternity? I think it would be cool but I've seen movies and such about the pledging and intiation process and that doesn't look to appealing; the whole getting totally wasted part.

It depends on the school. Samford's rush progam might not be as competitive because there are less students than a typical school, but there are also less frats to get into. What you really want to do is just kind of have an idea of what frats you are more interested in and spend more of your times at those houses and make sure that you meet and get to know all of the brothers in that frat! This is very important because if they don't know you, they don't know anything about you and won't invite you back. If you can just do this, you should be fine. If you don't get into the one you want though, its not the end of the world, they probably have a pretty good reason to believe that their frat isn't for you (they know more about it than you do), and you definately do not want to be in a frat that you wouldn't feel like you belong in. Something similar happened to me when I didn't get into a frat that I wanted to be in, but I got to spend more time with Sigma Chi, and I learned that they were the ones I really wanted to be with than the other frat (the more I learned about the other frat later on, I found out that it wasn't nearly as good for me as Sigma Chi). I also just believe it was God's plan for that to happen. But if you don't get into anything at all, or just get into one that you really don't want to be in, thats OK too, you really can have just as much fun as an independent. When I went through rush, I wasn't even really expecting to be interested in a frat, but I came out of it all gung-ho for Sigma Chi. Just pray about it and ask God to have his will be done. Thats what I did, and I ended up in a frat that I would have never imagined that I would join, and I am loving it.

As far as pledgeship, Samford generally has a more relaxed pledgeship progam than say a large state school. The initiated brothers in fraternities here generally aren't supportive of a pledge program that is designed just to make the pledges their tools and to make them go through all kinds of physical and emotional trials just because they have the power to. Also, movies RARELY if ever represent the whole pledgeship/initiation process, they always make it look like the living nightmare it really isn't. Now, I'm not saying its always easy, but I sure know that if anyone made me consume any alcohol or do anything that conflicts with anything set in the Bible, I would leave right at that moment. I know at least in Sigma Chi, hazing is STRICTLY forbidden, and they can't make you do anything that you object to (not to say that all chapters obey that rule, however). I will also say this, if brothers tell you that hazing doesn't go on during pledgeship, then they end up hazing pledges badly and making you do all kinds of stuff you object to, I would suggest dropping because that just shows you what that organization is about.

Anyway, that is just my .02, I would just suggest at least going through rush and learning as much about it as you can, because Greek systems are at least a little different at each school, and they can be very beneficial to you (but also just as harmful if you aren't careful).

[quiditchqween]

I don't like them. I go to a very conservative christian school, and even here, they tend to get rather clickish. Personally, I see it as buying friends.

But, to each his own I suppose--unless you are doing things by being in that group that you should not be. Just use discretion, I guess.

[Dunkrazy]

I'm going into a Scholarship house..does that count I really don't understand the greek houses..But i doubt i'd have the money

[Awzmgd117]

if your going into one and worried about weird pledge activities you can always pick a dry frat, that will usually spare you from some of that stuff. it is work to do but fun

Alpha Sigma Phi baby...