" Toga , toga , toga ! " Does this conversant chant from " Animal House " bring fraternities to listen ? While National Lampoon may have arrange the criterion for the world ’s idea of sodality life , these societies vary wide by campus , organisation and location .
Why would anyone want to join a fraternity ? On the one hand , there ’s the promise of party , livingcollegelife to the fullest , meeting prettysororitygirls and indulging in wild , inebriant - imbue adventures . On the other hand , there ’s the probability to become a drawing card and embody the values and apotheosis of a fraternity .
In this clause , we ’ll tattle about what fraternities are , how they recruit member , and what the assurance period is like . We ’ll also hash out the danger of hazing and research brotherhood life .
Fraternities have their roots in the early college curriculum , when most college and universities taught the classic instead of the liberal art . Phi Beta Kappawas the first Greek - missive society , founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary . Phi Beta Kappa was ( and still is ) a literary society , a place for intellectual debate . The secrecy and rituals of modern societal fraternities commence with Phi Beta Kappa [ germ : Encarta ] .
societal fraternities overtook literary ones as more colleges incorporated a freehanded artwork education . [ reservoir : Encarta].Kappa Alphabecame the first social fraternity in 1825 . The first black sodality , Alpha Phi Alpha , was founded in 1906 as a support mathematical group for nonage student at Cornell University . Today , the North - American Interfraternity Conference ( NIC ) represent the interest of 69 fraternities . The National Pan - Hellenic Council ( NPHC ) manage traditionally fatal sororities and fraternities .
Some societal fraternities are further differentiated – there are Jewish fraternities , Christian fraternities , and even some mirthful fraternities .
In addition to societal fraternities , there are also professional , academic and service fraternities . These fraternities are coed . Depending on the type , they might be restricted by major or grade period average .
In the next section , we ’ll take a aspect at the enlisting outgrowth .
Fraternity Recruitment
frat enlisting differs by campus . Typically , enlisting takes place at the beginning of the crepuscle semester . But somecollegesrequire that the process begin at the middle or the end of the summer so students have time to settle in and get their socio-economic class in order . Many fraternities also rush in the bound , especially if they did n’t meet the quota for their fall pledge class .
Rushinga frat is mostly much more informal than rushing asorority . Fraternities often have a formal rush like sorority , but during rush , they also have intimate events . During schematic rush event , a potential unexampled appendage would play with all the fraternities , and depending on the university ’s guidelines , visit their houses as well . Informal haste events are usually party .
If someone ’s father , grandfather or other male relation was part of a certain fraternity , he may also want to connect that fraternity and will be given special consideration during rush .
What are fraternities looking for ? It bet on the brotherhood . Recruitment is a prison term for a possible new member to get to lie with the pal and see if the organization is something he might care to bring together . In turn , it ’s a time for the blood brother to get to know the rushees and see if they ’d fit in .
If the brothers decide a potential newfangled phallus is fraternity textile , they ’ll stretch out a schematic bid . Once the unexampled member take the bidding , he becomes apledge .
Pledging a Fraternity
In some fraternities , pledging is a physical process with multiple stage that can take up to a yr and a one-half . In other fraternities , pledging drive place over a matter of weeks .
A braggy part of pledging is becoming familiar with the fraternity : see about every single member , bind with pledges , and learning about the founding members , the history of the brotherhood and the Greek organization as a whole .
The other big part of pledging is proving oneself desirable of being made a brother . Will the pledge uphold the nonsuch of the fraternity ? Will he be someone they ’re proud to call a brother ?
toast in black fraternities and some other brotherhood drop much of their pledge full point learning how tostep . Stepping is a highly choreographed dance that involve stomping , clapping and intonation . The tradition rise out of the white frat ' history of singing in glee club - style competitions . Each sodality has a unique way of stepping , and many sorority now step as well . An initiated penis ’s first footfall show is call aprobate show .
Fraternity chum often call for pledges in drill of loyalty and faith . pledge and brothers may also have a toast projection they work on together ( building something for thehouse , for model ) and be in charge of tasks like cleaning up after house parties . Pledges may do thing for brothers , like wait on as a designate driver on weekends .
If the brothers feel a pledge has nail his pledge education to their satisfaction , he can beinitiatedinto the labor union . The actual institution ceremony is shrouded in mystery . It may take several 60 minutes and involve chanting , robe , blindfolds and candlelight . The pledge will be initiated into the secrets of the fraternity , from surreptitious mottoes and grip ( handshakes ) to passwords and the significance behind rituals . He will be swear to secrecy .
In the next discussion section , we ’ll search at the coloured side of fraternity – hazing .
The Dangers and Consequences of Hazing
regrettably , sometimes the toast process can get out of control and turn into something else completely : hazing . StopHazing.org watershed hazing into three different class : subtle , harassing and violent .
Subtle hazing leaves pledges feeling guy , embarrassed and humiliate . Some examples include social closing off and drills on nonsense selective information . Harassment hazing make " worked up anguish or physical irritation . " Not countenance pledges take exhibitor , deprive pledges ofsleep , and forcing pledge to perform sexually degrading skits would all be examples of harassment hazing . Violent hazing is the kind you usually hear about in the media – forced binge drunkenness , abductions , beatings and stigmatization , for example . [ source : StopHazing.org ]
Every national frat and every university with a Grecian system forbid hazing . The declared purpose of a fraternity is to make a toast into a full man . Kappa Alpha , the oldest social frat , even calls hazing " the fratricide of brotherhood " on its World Wide Web website [ source : Kappa Alpha ] . But in many fraternity , hazing still happens . The rationale is that a assurance should raise he ’s loyal and desirable to be a comrade . But the cognitive process is dangerous and sometimes fatal .
A Seattle Times newsman investigated the suicide of a youthful human being wassail Delta Kappa Epsilon ( know as the " Dekes " ) at the University of Washington afterHell Week , the week before trigger when brotherhood that haze subject their pledges to dun . After a hebdomad of forced drill with footling water supply andfood , eternal sleep privation , beatings , and various humiliations – from bobbing for apples in atoiletto simulatingsexacts – a new brother hanged himself . The Dekes are n’t some bang organization – they have a long and illustrious history that arrogate both George Bushes as appendage . [ beginning : The Seattle Times ] . Unfortunately , this is just one example – there are many others like it .
Are all fraternities like this ? utterly not . But they can be , and there are enough fatality to prove it , often from forced binge drink or accidents related to toalcohol .
In the next section , we ’ll look at life inside and exterior of the frat theatre .
Fraternity Life
The stereotypical estimate of a frat son is a shaggy - hairy drunken clown in a pink Polo shirt . To be sure , there are plenty of fraternity human beings who embody this stereotype . But the ideal fraternity man , according to most fraternity ' stated finish , is a man – a leader in the community who excels in his academic study and earns the respect of his brothers . Fraternity member are often campus loss leader , involved in student politics , honor societies and other governance .
Some frat havehousesand some do not . A fraternity menage can either be a smutty political party den or a plaza that someone actually might require to exist in .
More and more fraternity are declaring themselvesdry houses , which means that noalcoholcan be served or consume in the house – not even for parties . Some fraternities have chosen to do so because of indemnity indebtedness , while others do so in orderliness to debar rowdy behavior that might result in property damage . Sororitiesare usually dry houses .
societal networking is an important part of fraternity liveliness . Fraternities often have themed socials with sorority , as well as semi - formal and formal dances . They discombobulate party and other outcome where fraternity men can suffer charwoman . Philanthropyevents tend to be societal as well .
Most fraternities also take for labor union event throughout the year – times when all the buddy have a hideaway and bond with each another . They may take a camping stumble or go rafting , for example .
Another perk of being a fraternity member is the chance tonetwork . Fraternity connections can be very beneficial in the business mankind . Forbes magazine even put out a list of the best fraternities for future CEO .
Many alumni last out dynamic and call for with their fraternity chapters , returning forfootballgames , initiation and rush event . Some continue to donate money for house repairs and other fraternity needs .
For more entropy on frat and related matter , check out the links on the next page .
