It's Not Easy Being Greek

Scott Hardie | January 21, 2002
"People believe that frats and sororities really want to have them as members, when in most cases (not all), they just want your money and more members. It's not because of you and your shining personality. Why do people join the greeks? To put it simply, they either have a need to conform, must buy their friends, or become brainwashed by the 'glamor' of what the brothers/sisters present the system as, not what it actually is. As far as I'm concerned, the greek system is a waste of time and a burden on colleges, it's not what it used to be, and should be eliminated. Almost everyone (not all, almost all) who buys into this 'system of brotherhood/sisterhood' has problems. Brainwashing and conformity at its greatest. Aren't you proud that this system exists?"
-Dave Mitzman, January 20th, 2002

David Mitzman | September 29, 2004
Wow, I was posting about the hurricanes earlier and saw that I was a subject. So I look through and find this post. I so remember writing this post. I was pretty pissed off about something with the greek system that day (when am I not?). I don't remember what got me started on this mini-rant but woooosh, it was a beauty.

Melissa Erin | September 30, 2004
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David Mitzman | September 30, 2004
I'm glad you agree with me. I was involved with a house when I got to school because I thought it would be tons of fun and whatnot. Pledging was alright, nothing special, but when the "hell week" came around, I got so screwed. Here's what happened.

I had a major paper due on Monday afternoon. I had my notes and an outline written out already so I could bust out the paper Sunday night, it wouldn't take me more than a couple of hours max to get it from outline to 4 page paper form. Anyway, our pledge meeting was Sunday night at 9pm, so I go, the brothers tell us to go home, pack up a bag, it's I-week and we're staying at the house. We weren't allowed to go ANYWHERE except class or library and we couldn't go anywhere without a brother to escort us. I got uberpissed because after the initial bullshit , it was already 3am and I hadn't gotten any paper done. I convinced the guys to let me go back to my room to do the paper after expressing how pissed I was, and then I was up all night writing a paper that should've been done before midnight if I had started it when I wanted to (which would've been about 10pm since that's when our meetings were over).

I get the paper done at almost 11am (2 hours before my class). I did poorly on it and all that, so right after class I went back to the house unescorted and told them I'm finished with the stupid greek system. I realized after all that bullshit that they didn't care about anyone or anything. One thing that really bugged me is that they expected EVERYONE to live in the house at some point. I told em I didn't really want to, I like the dorms or off campus housing. They told me that at least one of my semester fees will be as much as if I lived in the house (so several thousand instead of several hundred). That pissed me off even more. They came by my dorm several times over the next 2 weeks to try and get me to come back, but I told em no.

I don't hate all people in the greek system (I have some very good friends who are/were members of fraternities), but for the most part, my above statement stands.

Ohhhh, and now I remember where I got upset about this rant. A friend of mine (a few years younger than myself) was a freshman at Virginia Tech) and she was rushing a sorority. I pretty much told her the quote above because I thought she was better than joining a conformist/elitist group. I was wrong, she's still cool in my book but could be better without the sorority.

Anna Gregoline | September 30, 2004
I think the rant is very true - it's not about friendship and pure philanthropy anymore. It's very expensive, and exclusive to the point of ridiculousness. Every time one of my friends joined the greek system in college - I rarely saw them after that. They had too many obligations within the greek system.

David Mitzman | September 30, 2004
Exactly. I had a bunch of friends from my floor (2nd floor williams) pledge Delta Tau Delta at the beginning of our second year. I was kind of upset but I managed to see them a lot since I just went to all their parties (which were fun, I will give the greek system that only, that their parties were for the most part enjoyable).

Scott Horowitz | September 30, 2004
I know why you hated the Greek system, Dave. You found out that people still didn't like you, even if you had to buy their friendship.

David Mitzman | September 30, 2004
You are so going to get kicked in the balls next time I see you.

Erik Bates | September 30, 2004
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David Mitzman | September 30, 2004
That's cool. Service frats are just fine because they normally go out and do things that provide a benefit to the community.