Fraternity Stereotypes

When someone thinks about a Greek Community they normally associate it with what they have learned through stereotypes such as the movie Animal House. The members of the fraternity depicted in this film were not the definition of the ideal college student. They would have parties almost every day along with copious amounts of drinking. Their grades reflected on this when the main members of the movie were kicked out for not maintaining a high enough grade point average. This movie is completely fictional. The members of Kappa Alpha are held to an extremely high standard when it comes to academics and behavior. Robi Rini, the Corresponding Secretary of Kappa

Katie Couric, Aretha Franklin, Condoleezza Rice, Leigh Anne Tuohy, Rosa Parks, Kate Spade, Robert Frost, Steven Spielberg, John F. Kennedy, Harrison Ford, Eli Manning, George W. Bush. I could go on with this list for hours. These are all familiar names to us for what they have accomplished in the past or the present. If I told you that all of these individuals participated in Greek life during their times during college, would you be stunned? As college students, we are all given a commonly misconceived stereotype of fraternities and sororities as a whole.

As I sought out to become a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. I saw that the organization matches my personality and what I stand for. My true passion is to make a difference in this world, I desire to make a significant impact on the lives of the youths to inspire them to reach their full potential. I know that Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity was established to accomplish the same things that I do, this is one of the many reasons I aspire to join this great fraternity.

The first Greek organization to assemble was in 1776 at the College of William and Mary. Fraternities were built to provide friendship and recreation. It has been 239 years since the first fraternity was established and now in 2015, there are 123 fraternities and sororities. There are nine million college students involved in Greek organizations (Glass, Nicole). These members are looking to make friends, to build their resumes, to go to social events, or to learn leadership skills. Each member when joining has the incentive to change some aspect of his or her life (Glass, Nicole). If one has the opportunity to join a Greek life organization he or she should for the reasons of giving back to the community, the higher academic standards, the

When one first thinks of Greek life or a sorority the only thing that comes to mind is the social aspect. Most people don’t think of sororities as social institutions that envelop their own culture, with mannerisms, languages and customs that are unique to each individual organization. However, these institutions promote a common set of values that enable members to become connected in a way that has a more profound meaning than just social interaction. Greek organizations are good examples of how institutions can affect and be affected by social status and roles within the collegiate community. They are also a prime example of how race, class and gender can affect a social setting in both positive and negative manners.

My passion for my sorority grew exponentially during the fall of my sophomore year. Recruitment season had started and I was meeting loads of sweet, freshman girls. I loved getting to know the new faces, showing them the ropes and making them feel at home. In high school, I had never been close friends with underclassmen, so the experience of being an older “guide” was new for me. I loved it and I loved my freshmen friends.

Never in a million years did I plan on joining Greek life in college. When I got to school I quickly decided that I wanted to be more involved and help make a difference in people’s lives. I decided to rush a sorority which happened to be Delta Gamma. Delta Gamma has provided me with so many wonderful opportunities to make a difference. When the Whited family reached out to our chapter here at IUP I knew this would be something I would remember doing for years to come. The Whited family came to one of our chapter meetings and we got to meet little Lochlan who touched all of our hearts. I have had so many wonderful opportunities from this organization already and have received such great experience by joining

During the interview, I focused on questions to pertained to what the fraternity has done for them. An impactful quote I got during the interview that described what the fraternity has done for one of my brothers was, “Guys that normally wouldn’t be together, coming together and actually doing fun stuff. The fraternity has made me really jump out of my comfort zone and become a different person than I was before” (Anonymous).

The Greek communities that have risen across the country have created huge impacts on every university that they have established themselves on. Historically, fraternities were designed for students to discreetly meet to discuss issues and host debates that their members believed would be deemed inappropriate by their collegiate faculties. Since their founding, fraternities and sororities have completely revamped their focuses. They are used as social, professional, and honorary organizations that promote many different combinations of community service, leadership, and academic success. The ideas of brotherhood and sisterhood have also transcended the college experience,

Originally, I had the common misconception that fraternities solely focused on parties, drinking and their social status. As I further researched the founding principles of Alpha Phi Alpha I became aware they collectively prioritize scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of humanity. Alpha Phi Alpha is

Greek Life Portrayal: Sororities are constantly competing against each other for the most pledges. In order to get new girls and have a successful chapter, you have to look hot and have boys interested in you.

Before coming to James Madison University I had no clue what I wanted to get involved in. Whether it was a club sport, business related group, or a social fraternity I just wanted to be apart of something that was bigger than myself. At the beginning of the school year I looked into tryouts for club baseball, the Madison Investment Fund and rush schedules for fraternities on campus. I quickly found out that club baseball wasn’t for me, at least for my freshman year. I then asked around about MIF and got the sense that you needed a very heavy Economics background and that it was very challenging to be accepted as a freshman. MIF is something I hope to get involved in next fall. In the back of my head I always knew that a social fraternity was what

I knew going into college that I wanted to join a sorority. I was a legacy and felt the need to carry on that legacy. However, what ended up happening was not what I had in mind. Instead, I created my own legacy by joining a different sorority than those of my family members. But what I came to find was that the chapter that I chose was full of girls who cared about their friends and sisters. I stayed because I too cared about the other members who are a part of the same sisterhood.

I feel as if every sorority is great in its own unique way. Not only did I do my research online, but I also did my research by looking at how the sisters interacted with one another and the way that they welcomed others. I feel as the way that the finer women of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. carries themselves, the way they interact and welcome others, and being a trailblazer stands out to me the most. Every time that I have had an interaction with the sisters of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. it has always been positive. I do not feel as if I need to force myself to act in a particular manner to be accepted I can simply be myself and feel welcomed, opposed to other sororities. If I join an organization the people that I am surrounded by can

Frat boys. Most of us have heard the term whether college students or just from the media. For majority of people, the word is has negative connotations. These well-known stereotypes are depicted very well by the Delta Tau Chi house from the movie Animal House. The Deltas are notoriously known for being obnoxious and rowdy (Animal House, 1978). Movies such as Animal House and many others like it are what lead people to fully believe these stereotypes. According to Brett Wells, most non Greek students react very negatively toward fraternities, while Greek students generally react positively. Wells says, "Although it is not surprising that members of fraternities and sororities see their groups in a positive light, what is more interesting is that independent students harbor negative, rather than neutral, attitudes towards Greek groups" (Wells, September 2008). To many people’s surprise, these stereotypes are not the main purpose of fraternities. Although many movies depict these fraternity men as drunken, careless, and disrespectful boys, most fraternal organizations value academics, philanthropy, and brotherhood.