northwestern greek life

eeeeric · 11-25-2007, 04:56 PM

I've heard it is very prominent on campus. Could anybody tell me if this is true?

Sam Lee · 11-25-2007, 10:07 PM

smyeth · 11-25-2007, 10:48 PM

This made me rethink NU:

YouTube - Rushed - A Northwestern Sorority Documentary (Pt 1 of 2)
YouTube - Rushed - A Northwestern Sorority Documentary (Pt 2 of 2)

You can avoid it, sure, but why would you want to have to avoid it if you don't have to confront it at all?

Pizzagirl · 11-27-2007, 06:17 AM

If you want to be Greek at Northwestern, great. If you don't want to, great. One really doesn't affect the other any more than the presence of any other club or organization, so I'm not sure why someone who is not interested in going Greek would feel a need to avoid Northwestern. It's easy enough not to deal with sorority rush - just don't go through it, over and out.

juliusmonky · 12-05-2007, 12:13 AM

Don't watched Rushed!! Come on people, it's so obviously slanted, even if you aren't aware of our Greek system.

I know the filmmaker personally, and there's even a shot of me in it. He went into it with a biased mindset, seeking to make it look bad. "Anonymous" is an infamous ***** that the girls in her own sorority didn't even like, and that said sorority has also since changed its rush procedure. I have many issues with this film, especially how there are always three specific houses on campus targeted (of which one I am a member) in these types of things. Overall, it's so unnecessarily dramatic. I will be the first to say it's a strange and ridiculous process to go through, but the fact is it does work out for the majority of girls who go through it.

I don't see what the big deal is--rush if you want, don't do it if it's not your thing. I would definitely say that I wouldn't be Greek at any other place other than NU, since it's definitely a much more low key atmosphere. My two best friends at school aren't in the Greek system. I do encourage some girls who aren't sure to at least try it out, but I think people need to stop demonizing the Greek system. It's not going to help anyone, both those inside and outside of it.

sidjenks · 12-05-2007, 12:20 AM

omg that movie was serious? i thought it was a joke...

aquamarinee · 12-05-2007, 12:52 AM

I was kind of shocked by "Anonymous." Glad she's not really representative of the sororities on campus. Hahaha.

Pizzagirl · 12-05-2007, 04:59 AM

I would also add that the interviewing process for jobs really isn't all that dissimilar from sorority rush, frankly. It's good prep for life.
Smyeth, the poster above, doesn't like NU for her own reasons (which she's entitled to, of course) but speaking only for NU, it truly is a situation where you can do it if you want to, you don't have to, and the presence of Greeks there is only as important as you want it to be.

typecastme22 · 12-09-2007, 04:17 AM

As someone who has absolutely no interest in or affiliation with the Greek system here, I can say that it honestly doesn't matter. True, many people do rush and it can be a big part of your life at NU. But, you can also have an amazing and fulfilling time without it. It's all up to you.

k&s · 12-11-2007, 03:34 PM

The sororities and fraternities at NU are more laid-back than those one would find at say - Southern schools.

Having said that - one doesn't need to join a sorority or fraternity to have a good social life at NU.

My social life didn't change much btwn my frosh year and soph year (when I joined a fraternity).

elsijfdl · 12-11-2007, 09:10 PM

greek life is big for people in the greek community, and not big for people outside of it. you can choose to join or not; people not in the greek system in most cases probably could care less what house someone is a part of, and people who are greek don't care that someone isn't in a house.

NU10 · 12-12-2007, 01:18 AM

I went to Purdue as a freshman. That school is one of the biggest greek schools in the country, and it was obnoxious.

NU, by percentage, I believe, is more greek, but they really seem to be almost invisible. It's very strange. Part of it is because I'm in WCAS and I live down south, but I'm frequently up north and I still can't figure it out.

Pizzagirl · 12-12-2007, 09:03 AM

It's just not defining the way it seems to be in other schools. My closest friends happened to have been in my sorority, and these have become lifelong friendships, but there's no reason that I couldn't have been equally as friendly with girls outside my house, or girls who weren't Greek. No one really cares! Why would they? It's not like you're signing some kind of exclusivity contract. It's really like any other club - I'm not interested in ice hockey or sailing, so the fact that there are people who are on ice hockey teams or sailing clubs doesn't affect me one way or the other. They're happy, I'm happy. It's all good. I don't know why people react so strongly to Greek presence, frankly. Do what you want to do; you'll have a great time at NU either way, really.

NUgraduate · 12-12-2007, 01:04 PM

I think people in fraternities and sororities have more "friends," and long-term a greater tie to the school. I have had four of my Kappa sorority sisters visit me at my home in a small town -far away from things- in the past few years. I keep in touch with more than those four.

At our 25th reunion this past fall, I recognized nearly half the attendees - and most were from fraternities and sororities. I think the ties are often closer because you rush together, pledge together, party together, study together and live together - for more than a quarter, and more than a year. How could you not be close? Particularly in retrospect : )

The different fraternities and sororities interact with one another all the time, so you get to know LOTS of people. And I like that. In the long term it is the people who went to school with you that keep you bonded to your alma mater. In my opinion, kids who are in the Greek System benefit from a bigger acquaintance/friend group. I wouldn't bother going to a reunion to see only a few people whom I could see whenever I wanted, or wherever I wanted, anyway.

NU10 · 12-12-2007, 04:29 PM

One thing I forgot to mention that was brought up is that they seem to tie more into the university as a whole. Back at Purdue, it almost seemed like the Greeks had a lot more pride in their frat/sorority association than with their university association. They were much more likely to wear their letters as opposed to a Purdue shirt or something like that.

You don't see people wearing their letters very often at NU. Part of it might have something to do with the fact that getting to a school like Northwestern is an accomplishment within itself.