|
The problem I see with the Greek organizations at many universities (not all) is the peer pressure atmophere it creates toward bad (and dangerous) behavior, layered on top of all the good things that they offer. My D is loving her sorority experience and, given that she has never been particularly good with making girl-friends, I think that this has been a good opportunity for her to bond with some great girls who will probably be her lifelong friends. And, the few girls whom I have met seem very smart and polished, and likely are very good students. Still, I was shocked that my D would want to spend her time painting a cooler for a guy she doesn't even know and that she would think it was ok to ask her parents for money to buy alcohol to put inside of it or that it was no big deal to spend the weekend in a hotel room with a man she had just met and who likely would be drunk all weekend. It was like a zombie had taken over my D--it just wan't like her. Sure, it's her own fault for being such an idiot, but when hundreds (and I do mean hundreds) of other girls around you are doing something idiotic, it is difficult for a young adult to stay grounded and to refuse to take part. That's how hazing happens, too, and, from the stories my D's male friends have told her from many schools around the country, serious hazing is rampant and usually involves excessive drinking (i.e. Solo cups full of vodka until the pledge throws up) or humiliation. (We haven't seen this type of hazing in the girls' sorority experiences.) It's difficult to justify the positive aspects of Greek life, especially for boys, given this atmosphere, and we will definitely attempt to sway our younger son away from it when his time comes.
|