10 Things You Oughta Know About - Sororities & Fraternities Page 1 of 1

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10 Things You Oughta Know About...

SORORITIES/FRATERNITIES
1. Sororities and Fraternities are part of a long held social system on university campuses known as "the
Greek System".
2. Sororities are generally for females, and Fraternities generally for males - some "sororities" are actually
"female fraternities" as defined by their charter. The difference is negligible today although in the past
there were differences.
3. Sexism is rampant in the Greek System; the unofficial attitude that many (not all) fraternities take toward
women is notoriously misogynistic and is demonstrated in some of the practices of the groups (from
taking pledges to strip clubs to "tagging" female guests at parties to label them as available or off limits to
other members) - there are even cases of institutional sexism, some schools have banned Sorority
houses as "bawdy house" since all the residents are female and live under an organized title.
4. Hazing in the early 1980's and 1990's gave Fraternities and Sororities a bad name, currently most major
Fraternities and Sororities have an active anti-hazing policy in place with penalties ranging from expulsion
of individual members to absolute discharge of an entire chapter.
5. Drugs and alcohol are technically banned in all Fraternity and Sorority sponsored functions - but the "Keg
Party" is still synonymous with Fraternity on most campuses.
6. You have to "Rush" in order to get a chance to get in to both Fraternities and Sororities; next you must
pledge, be accepted and finally initiated.
7. A "Legacy" is somebody who "automatically" is accepted because a family member such as; mother,
father, brother or sister, was a member first - not all Fraternities and Sororities still honor the legacy
system.
8. Fraternities and Sororities are not all bad - they are excellent networking groups for later life, give college
students a second "family", and are very philathropic giving hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours
and millions of dollars to worthy causes every year.
9. Fraternities and Sororities are still elitist, although some newer, "left of center" Greek Organizations are
shaking up the centuries old foundation of snobbery and selectivity (namely, openly gay Fraternities and
Sororities).
10. No matter what their reputation, Fraternities and Sororities are here to stay and can be a wonderful part
of your university experience, the trick is finding the one that best suits you.

Frat/Sorority Links
Fraternity Goes Alcohol Free
College Life & Lessons

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