Croc

Yea, no problem. I'm a first-generation Greek, and I've always felt that it was one of those things you just gotta do in college. Going Greek is an important decision, and it really depends on where you go. Some schools have much more positive images of the Greek Community than others. Also, many non-Greeks seem to have some degree of contempt toward Greeks (as you can obviously see from the tone of some of the posts above). Honestly? It isn't for everyone, but I do think the vast majority of people could get something good out of it. Some people become embittered through a few bad experiences or end up being serial victims of Rush Cuts. Others just come from campuses where Greek Life has few positive qualities. Again, it all depends on which college/university you go to. I know you're at that age, so try to pick one that has an active and positive Greek Life. USC does, and it makes for a lot of good qualities on campus, for both Greeks and non-Greeks. Here we have about 20-30% participation, which is really a lot of people considering there are 35,000 undergrads. You cannot walk through campus without seeing a lot of letters every day, all times of day. Good luck with it, NOS, you should have no problem getting in.

American Wasteland aka Montana

We are just a social fraternity, standard-issue. "Interest Group" is the title applied to the very small group of guys interested in starting (or re-starting) a chapter. Once a membership requirement has been met, an interest group becomes a "Colony." After another set of requirements are met (both in member numbers and other things) the Colony gets Initiated and Installed as a Chapter.I am in Theta Chi, hence the avatar. Beta Tau chapter.

That's not entirely true...again it depends on the individual Chapter as far as what non-members can do. In mine, each party we have that is an official chapter party can only have 2 guests per brother, and this is done to minimize risk for insurance purposes to prevent things from getting out of hand. I can tell right away that you aren't Greek. As far as it really benefiting NOS, or any member for that matter, let me put it this way: you will be in a house with about 40+ active members on campus. Most of these guys will be older than you and have more experience in the university/college. Many probably took some of the same classes you're about to take. All will have recommendations on which classes to take and which to avoid. This can help your GPA. Also, if you are having problems in school, your fraternity brothers will be there for you and do all they can to help you out. This goes for life: you are in a fraternity for life, and if you ever have a problem, you can count on your brothers to have your back. Seconded on the Rush Week. It's a lot of fun, even if you're just using it as an excuse to party hard. As far as the alcoholism, it depends on the fraternity chapter. Most of the ones here at USC are fine; there are very few problems with the Greek community. Also, alcoholism is most certainly not limited to the Greek community. Most of the alcoholics I knew were freshman living on the substance free floor of the dorm because of overprotective parents. Hate to break it to you, but you're wrong. I'm sorry you've only gone to colleges with a less-than-stellar Greek community, but maybe it's a regional thing? Everyone on the West Coast is pretty chill about it all...there was no problem associating between members and non-members at all. Oh Jesus...yea...ummmm...not true or accurate at all. Maybe applies to 1% of the Greek community.

benefits

Wow...lots of misinformation here...disturbingly so... 1. Fraternities are basically social interest groups on college and university campuses. They are a great way for students to develop a friend base quickly and easily, and the leadership skills learned from the fraternity can help you in life. Fraternities are great for networking. Fraternities can be all-male or co-ed (usually just the special interest fraternities, though). Fraternities are most commonly "social fraternities" in that they exist to provide social lives for their members at the core of their being. Some fraternities are special interest groups, such as business fraternities, engineering fraternities, Christian fraternities, Jewish fraternities, etc. These special interest fraternities usually (though not 100% always) only accept members who are, say, business majors, engineering majors, etc. They are a great way for people with common interests to network, practice religious fellowship, etc. 2. How to get in...well, there are a few ways, and what follows is generally true throughout the US, though some colleges/universities have different policies. The first part of joining a fraternity is participating in Rush Week. Rush Week is the same for every house on The Row, and generally consists of a week of themed parties. The first two nights of Rush (especially the first) are critical. You should go out and visit as many fraternities as possible, talk to the guys in them, get to know each House, register with Houses you like. As Rush Week progresses, you will either get called back each night (if they like you) or you will get a "cut call." If you get cut from a house or two it shouldn't be a problem and shouldn't be taken personally; the fraternity as a group either did not feel you were interested enough, didn't fit in with the existing members, or just didn't get to know you very well (aka, a combination of the previous two). Usually on the Friday of Rush, each house will have an invite-only semiformal dinner. If you get invited you are doing great as far as getting in, though it is not guaranteed. During this dinner you will really get to know a few of the brothers, and if they like you, they will extend a bid to you or invite you to Bid Night, usually a Saturday during Rush Week. Depending on the individual fraternity's policy, you will be able to choose to accept the bid, decline the bid, or wait to answer in a specified amount of time if you haven't decided yet. It definitely helps if you already know someone or are friends with people in a House, and if you know any alumns who would write you letters of recommendation, then go for it. After accepting a bid, you become a new member, or "pledge." This lasts for most of the semester, and consists of learning all about the fraternity and its history. The Pledge Semester culminates with Initiation, when you are officially a full active member of the fraternity. Pledge programs differ widely from fraternity to fraternity, and unfortunately some do haze. There is a difference between "Brotherhood-building activites" and hazing, though there is also a lot of grey area. Just don't do anything you don't feel comfortable with. In this era of lawsuits, I'd say hazing is much less of a concern than it was in the past. Some hazing is absolutely disgusting (elephant walks) while others are more of a matter of personal comfort/inhibitions. Again, don't do anything you aren't comfortable doing. Any fraternity should respect you enough to not force you to do something you do not want to do. Another, totally unrelated option is to become a Founding Father for an interest group or colony. This is a real resume-builder, and the leadership opportunities are abundant. I'm currently doing this option. It is a lot of work, though, but well worth it. 3. What good can they do for you? Well, a lot. Other than the social aspect, the fraternity acts as your home away from home. These are your friends, the people you hang out with. Many lifelong friendships result from fraternities. Many start-up businesses are founded by fraternity brothers. Also, since fraternities are national organizations (some even international), job networking can be a big boon. Other good things are that fraternities help you get adjusted to college life (for freshman) and provide a social network. With everyone paying chapter dues, you can throw some really amazing events that would not be possible with just a few individuals. Consider it people pooling their resources together. Finally, Greek Life can help with dating through various Exchanges and Invite events. Seriously, they are so much fun. 4. Some universities/colleges have policies regulating this, but generally, yes. As for some of the previous comments, many Houses are moving toward AFH or Alcohol-Free Housing as part of their risk management policies due to rising insurance costs. This varies greatly, though, from campus-to-campus and is largely self-regulated. Also, not all fraternities are the same type of guys, just with different letters on the hoodies. Each house has its own distinct personality. Go to a big enough campus with an active Greek community, and you will surely find something that fits you; if not, form your own. Hope this helps.

I love my Dell XPS laptop, but I would definitely consider going Mac...my only concern is the lack of software available on Macs versus PCs.

Target is definitely better than Wal Mart.

Hey, Goose...I think she's lost that lovin' feeling...

One of the more tony villages in the Indianapolis metro area just stopped plans on a new Wal-Mart. I agree with them; why sell out local businesses?

Sorry, TED, I don't see it at all. The Velite is clearly an old Riviera, while the SKY is a bit different. The shapes aren't even the same when viewed from a more realistic angle.

It really is coming to a point where networking is an invaluable tool. The more connections you have, the more of a leg up you have in the rat race of life. I'm so glad I joined Theta Chi...so many of my brothers have connections that I know the hard part will be deciding which connection to pursue once I graduate.

ookie cookie

We really are awesome. Though Oldsmoboi is right, not all of us are that frivolously spendy. Just like not all of us are Republican

USC

white trash

I have yet to see any research whatsoever that even remotely suggests America is in some sort of crisis now or will be in the near future. Remember, there are the great plains which are virtually nothing but endless fields.

Japanese for me. No cuisine is healthier than Japanese overall.

Not all land can be "natural." Some is necessary for human consumption. That said, I'm in the Biodiesel camp because I have yet to hear a single negative about it and it would solve so many problems.

Remember? BVs mom kicked him off the internet for being gay.

I love Top Gun.

if you don't like the discussion no one is making you read it Thank you Ven for that .avi file, really cleared it up. I understood how airbags deploy and the fracture points involved, just having a hard time figuring out how it would work with hard plastic without things going airborn, but obviously it isn't an issue in the Lucerne.

Don't back off, he is as biased against Saturn as razoredge.

No, I meant the plastic hitting one in the head due to the explosion (airbag) behind it. I'm just trying to figure out how the airbag deploys without sending shards flying or without the plastic tearing the airbag.

With the U.S. government paying farmers to either destroy crops or not grow at all to keep prices at an appropriate level, I don't think this will be that much of a problem.