How do parent feel about Greek Life?

SoccerGirlNYC
Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:17:02 +0000

I actually think that the culture of each Greek system is very much a product of the culture of the school and also of the region it is located in.

I am from a Birmingham AL suburb and went to school OOS. But during my junior/senior year of school I went to Bama for big games and to hang out with older friends from our high school/church/my soccer club. It was what we pretty much ALL did. Of course, I went to college OOS, but one of my younger sisters attends Bama and is a sorority member. For her, going through rush was something she always knew that she would do because that was what almost all her friends did and what she had grown up with - I guess I did too. We are the people that you rarely see on CC!

My sister is really active in theater, church and other groups and doesn’t really drink - she doesn’t like the taste. She also doesn’t like the ‘hot house’ drinking environments of frat parties and off campus parties although she loves the mixers and socials as most of her chapter go, especially her pledge class, and she knows a lot of the younger frat boys from high school and church. But she has also said that she has never, ever had any hassle for not drinking - her sisters and friends know she (and others) don’t and everyone else is too focussed on themselves to pay any attention to what she has in her cup. She has commented, as this is what I have also noted, that the frat parties tend to attract mainly younger students and that once students are juniors/21 they mainly attend bars. She also knows which fraternities she will avoid due to the members’ excessive drinking.

Fraternity parties will continue to be a big draw to all students as they often hold good social budgets and hold great parties often with cool bands. They also provide one outlet for those who want to drink underage. I think that if there are other social/partying options available then the ‘fraternity party’ becomes a less exciting option for many. This is why, I think, that rural LACs with greek systems can be a warning sign - BUT it depends on the school: washington and lee v whitman anyone??

Our mother is English and we have family and friends there. I have been to British universities to visit my cousins and I noted that, especially in the big cities/towns, most of the drinking was in bars - which of course you can do if you’re 18. My sister the non drinker at Bama has had a few (admittedly sugary alcoholic!) drinks in a local country pub in England and enjoyed herself - drink/not drink at your own pace, nice atmosphere, open fire or tables in the garden… shame we can’t do this at home we both agreed. I wonder if the 21 drinking age means that fraternity parties provide one of the few organised ways in which students can drink underage - although, of course, even without a greek system, those that want to, will.

My advice is to understand the culture of the schools that you are applying to and hence what impact that has on the greek system of that school. Personally, I would avoid any small school with a large % of greeks - particularly where the culture of the school holds greeks in high esteem: Washington and Lee (75%), de Pawu (c.78%) for example. Here, not being greek COULD be an issue - AND not being in the ‘right’ house could also be a problem. Whereas Ohio State U, Bama, UCLA, Michigan etc etc will not pose a problem to an ‘independent’ - and neither would it at Whitman or Rhodes…

Know the school, know the region, know the students - but most of all know YOURSELF! I think most of us greeks here will freely admit that there are places where we would have run a mile from joining a sorority/fraternity but were perfectly comfortable at our own school…