Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You Americans and your silly, juvenile customs that you get way too worked up about. Lol.

Right. The Japanese drink themselves brain dead after getting into University and my Oxford kid (UVA) says the drinking at Oxford fatr exceeds anything he ever saw in the States. But if course you know better. …because, why? Oh and let’s talk about the German students at Bier-gardens while we are at ot.

It’s not the drinking that I find funny, it’s the weird cosplaying/juvenile social club thing that people apparently assign outsize important to that I find funny. Like you really have to pay for friends to be considered “cool” by other people who pay for their friends? The whole thing is bizarre and a little childish. So glad I attended university in London and not in some hickish American college where being “Greek” is supposed to be something aspirational. And I’m sure actual Greeks find the whole thing even funnier.

yeah, because surely the british upper crust never paid money to join gay, exclusive social clubs lmao

Are you referring to the Pall Mall clubs like Travelers or The Reform Club? Because there is nothing like the American Greek system at Oxbridge. And I’ve been yo Travelers snd the Reform Club and was also president of a US Soriority. They aren’t comparable on any level

Oxford and Cambridge both have drinking societies / dining clubs where kids get together to get drunk and act like idiots with their friends (the same thing Greek kids do at American schools).

Distinct difference between kids getting together to drink and the weird cosplay/initiation/rushing/faux secret society thing that frats/srats partake in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got to see bid day last Sunday at my daughters southern non SEC state school. It was so fun and as each set of girls ran down row to their house bypassing my daughter’s all of the girls were supportive of each other.

Of course there are the parts about that life we hear about that aren’t so pleasant, but it is her money and her life. It isn’t dangerous or harmful, so we listen and support our daughter.

Im glad it wasn’t for your daughter but it is for some. Just know that’s a risk.

Frats and sororities can be very dangerous. A frat at my college was permanently shut down when two young men died during hazing

When I was in college, my roommate’s girlfriend was super cautious about her weight because they did monthly underwear walks where your body was judged by your “sisters”

I went to the University of Florida and was in a sorority and friends with many in other sororities. I was not slim. This never happened to me nor to my other friends.

Anonymous wrote:Not sure how this became a pissing contest on how UK and American students choose to live their lives which is absolutely irrelevant but can this thread die now?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You Americans and your silly, juvenile customs that you get way too worked up about. Lol.

Right. The Japanese drink themselves brain dead after getting into University and my Oxford kid (UVA) says the drinking at Oxford fatr exceeds anything he ever saw in the States. But if course you know better. …because, why? Oh and let’s talk about the German students at Bier-gardens while we are at ot.

It’s not the drinking that I find funny, it’s the weird cosplaying/juvenile social club thing that people apparently assign outsize important to that I find funny. Like you really have to pay for friends to be considered “cool” by other people who pay for their friends? The whole thing is bizarre and a little childish. So glad I attended university in London and not in some hickish American college where being “Greek” is supposed to be something aspirational. And I’m sure actual Greeks find the whole thing even funnier.

yeah, because surely the british upper crust never paid money to join gay, exclusive social clubs lmao

Are you referring to the Pall Mall clubs like Travelers or The Reform Club? Because there is nothing like the American Greek system at Oxbridge. And I’ve been yo Travelers snd the Reform Club and was also president of a US Soriority. They aren’t comparable on any level

Oxford and Cambridge both have drinking societies / dining clubs where kids get together to get drunk and act like idiots with their friends (the same thing Greek kids do at American schools).

Distinct difference between kids getting together to drink and the weird cosplay/initiation/rushing/faux secret society thing that frats/srats partake in.

You must be joking if you think Oxbridge students don't join secret societies for the sole purpose of getting wasted. Not sure how you find that more palatable than greek life.
DP

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is very hard to assess without up to date and specific knowledge of how Greek life is handled at a specific school. What goes on at Alabama will be different than Florida and Minnesota and Maryland. What goes on at a big school will be very different than what goes on at a small school. What goes on at a city/urban school will be different than what goes on at a college town school.

The questions really come down to what else is going on socially around the school and for your kid specifically. A big school (25,000 plus) is going to have tons of stuff happening socially -- athletics, clubs, theater etc -- so kids are not at all at a social disadvantage if they do not join up. On the other hand -- these big schools will also have a strong Greek life for those who want to join. There are also small schools where student social life is very centered on Greek life simply do to a lack of organized other alternative social activities. I will say that at least in some of those schools there is little exclusion of non-members from many of the social activities.

Do be careful of the time commitment involved. It can be significant. Time management will be necessary.

There is excessive drinking going on all over every college campus. Always has been. It is not unique to the Greek system and they are not immune. Oddly -- based on some of the comments in this thread -- I would say that my kid's frat experience is that drinking is monitored. They had designated sober party attendees who looked out for drunks, prevented fights, kept an eye on girls attending to make sure they were not harassed and drove people back to dorms/home.

On the other hand -- if your kid is already involved in something time consuming at the school then finding the time to also do Greek may be a real problem. My daughter played soccer. No one on the team was in a Sorority because there was no time to join. Practice and travel prevented that. They went to lots of Greek parties, but really could not join. You really do have to have the time.



Yet, I know the two young men who died during hazing while being forced to drink and drive at my slac. 11 young men died just last year at another college. go google "Deaths
Fraterterniy Sorority Greek hazing alcohol" and you will find a plethora of stories like this:

Which fraternity has the most deaths?

Sigma Alpha Epsilon has had nine deaths linked to drinking, drugs and hazing since 2006, more than any other Greek organization, according to data compiled by Bloomberg in 2013. More than 100 chapters have been disciplined since 2007, with at least fifteen suspended or closed since 2010.

How many non-greek college deaths linked to drinking? Bottom line people, if you are against it do whatever you have to do to make your kid avoid it, it is a personal choice and completely voluntary. Absolutely no one makes you do it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You Americans and your silly, juvenile customs that you get way too worked up about. Lol.

Right. The Japanese drink themselves brain dead after getting into University and my Oxford kid (UVA) says the drinking at Oxford fatr exceeds anything he ever saw in the States. But if course you know better. …because, why? Oh and let’s talk about the German students at Bier-gardens while we are at ot.

It’s not the drinking that I find funny, it’s the weird cosplaying/juvenile social club thing that people apparently assign outsize important to that I find funny. Like you really have to pay for friends to be considered “cool” by other people who pay for their friends? The whole thing is bizarre and a little childish. So glad I attended university in London and not in some hickish American college where being “Greek” is supposed to be something aspirational. And I’m sure actual Greeks find the whole thing even funnier.

yeah, because surely the british upper crust never paid money to join gay, exclusive social clubs lmao

Are you referring to the Pall Mall clubs like Travelers or The Reform Club? Because there is nothing like the American Greek system at Oxbridge. And I’ve been yo Travelers snd the Reform Club and was also president of a US Soriority. They aren’t comparable on any level

Oxford and Cambridge both have drinking societies / dining clubs where kids get together to get drunk and act like idiots with their friends (the same thing Greek kids do at American schools).

Distinct difference between kids getting together to drink and the weird cosplay/initiation/rushing/faux secret society thing that frats/srats partake in.

You must be joking if you think Oxbridge students don't join secret societies for the sole purpose of getting wasted. Not sure how you find that more palatable than greek life.
DP

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is very hard to assess without up to date and specific knowledge of how Greek life is handled at a specific school. What goes on at Alabama will be different than Florida and Minnesota and Maryland. What goes on at a big school will be very different than what goes on at a small school. What goes on at a city/urban school will be different than what goes on at a college town school.

The questions really come down to what else is going on socially around the school and for your kid specifically. A big school (25,000 plus) is going to have tons of stuff happening socially -- athletics, clubs, theater etc -- so kids are not at all at a social disadvantage if they do not join up. On the other hand -- these big schools will also have a strong Greek life for those who want to join. There are also small schools where student social life is very centered on Greek life simply do to a lack of organized other alternative social activities. I will say that at least in some of those schools there is little exclusion of non-members from many of the social activities.

Do be careful of the time commitment involved. It can be significant. Time management will be necessary.

There is excessive drinking going on all over every college campus. Always has been. It is not unique to the Greek system and they are not immune. Oddly -- based on some of the comments in this thread -- I would say that my kid's frat experience is that drinking is monitored. They had designated sober party attendees who looked out for drunks, prevented fights, kept an eye on girls attending to make sure they were not harassed and drove people back to dorms/home.

On the other hand -- if your kid is already involved in something time consuming at the school then finding the time to also do Greek may be a real problem. My daughter played soccer. No one on the team was in a Sorority because there was no time to join. Practice and travel prevented that. They went to lots of Greek parties, but really could not join. You really do have to have the time.

Yet, I know the two young men who died during hazing while being forced to drink and drive at my slac. 11 young men died just last year at another college. go google "Deaths
Fraterterniy Sorority Greek hazing alcohol" and you will find a plethora of stories like this:

Which fraternity has the most deaths?

Sigma Alpha Epsilon has had nine deaths linked to drinking, drugs and hazing since 2006, more than any other Greek organization, according to data compiled by Bloomberg in 2013. More than 100 chapters have been disciplined since 2007, with at least fifteen suspended or closed since 2010.

The NIAAA tracks reported alcohol related college student deaths. They average more than 1500 a year. That’s college. Young people drink to excess and do stupid things like drive or even walk where they don’t know where they are going and pass out somewhere outside and freeze. Not long ago at my Alma mater a young man fell into the river crossing campus and drowned.

The point being - young adults drink to excess in college very often and bad things can happen. Sometimes leading to death - about 1500 times a year. If frats and sororities make up about 10% of college student populations, then you would expect about 150 alcohol related deaths a year. It seems like the number is quite a bit lower than that so maybe they are doing a better job at keeping track to prevent those things.

Wow, this is quite the spin. Just lay off it. Interns from the national office are really out here somehow trying to turn greek-related alcohol deaths into a good thing. The gall.

DP. Still nattering on about the "interns from the national office"? Anything more original to offer? Your shtick is beyond stale. I've never been in a sorority, but people like you make them seem appealing by comparison.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is very hard to assess without up to date and specific knowledge of how Greek life is handled at a specific school. What goes on at Alabama will be different than Florida and Minnesota and Maryland. What goes on at a big school will be very different than what goes on at a small school. What goes on at a city/urban school will be different than what goes on at a college town school.

The questions really come down to what else is going on socially around the school and for your kid specifically. A big school (25,000 plus) is going to have tons of stuff happening socially -- athletics, clubs, theater etc -- so kids are not at all at a social disadvantage if they do not join up. On the other hand -- these big schools will also have a strong Greek life for those who want to join. There are also small schools where student social life is very centered on Greek life simply do to a lack of organized other alternative social activities. I will say that at least in some of those schools there is little exclusion of non-members from many of the social activities.

Do be careful of the time commitment involved. It can be significant. Time management will be necessary.

There is excessive drinking going on all over every college campus. Always has been. It is not unique to the Greek system and they are not immune. Oddly -- based on some of the comments in this thread -- I would say that my kid's frat experience is that drinking is monitored. They had designated sober party attendees who looked out for drunks, prevented fights, kept an eye on girls attending to make sure they were not harassed and drove people back to dorms/home.

On the other hand -- if your kid is already involved in something time consuming at the school then finding the time to also do Greek may be a real problem. My daughter played soccer. No one on the team was in a Sorority because there was no time to join. Practice and travel prevented that. They went to lots of Greek parties, but really could not join. You really do have to have the time.

Yet, I know the two young men who died during hazing while being forced to drink and drive at my slac. 11 young men died just last year at another college. go google "Deaths
Fraterterniy Sorority Greek hazing alcohol" and you will find a plethora of stories like this:

Which fraternity has the most deaths?

Sigma Alpha Epsilon has had nine deaths linked to drinking, drugs and hazing since 2006, more than any other Greek organization, according to data compiled by Bloomberg in 2013. More than 100 chapters have been disciplined since 2007, with at least fifteen suspended or closed since 2010.

The NIAAA tracks reported alcohol related college student deaths. They average more than 1500 a year. That’s college. Young people drink to excess and do stupid things like drive or even walk where they don’t know where they are going and pass out somewhere outside and freeze. Not long ago at my Alma mater a young man fell into the river crossing campus and drowned.

The point being - young adults drink to excess in college very often and bad things can happen. Sometimes leading to death - about 1500 times a year. If frats and sororities make up about 10% of college student populations, then you would expect about 150 alcohol related deaths a year. It seems like the number is quite a bit lower than that so maybe they are doing a better job at keeping track to prevent those things.

Wow, this is quite the spin. Just lay off it. Interns from the national office are really out here somehow trying to turn greek-related alcohol deaths into a good thing. The gall.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You Americans and your silly, juvenile customs that you get way too worked up about. Lol.

Right. The Japanese drink themselves brain dead after getting into University and my Oxford kid (UVA) says the drinking at Oxford fatr exceeds anything he ever saw in the States. But if course you know better. …because, why? Oh and let’s talk about the German students at Bier-gardens while we are at ot.

It’s not the drinking that I find funny, it’s the weird cosplaying/juvenile social club thing that people apparently assign outsize important to that I find funny. Like you really have to pay for friends to be considered “cool” by other people who pay for their friends? The whole thing is bizarre and a little childish. So glad I attended university in London and not in some hickish American college where being “Greek” is supposed to be something aspirational. And I’m sure actual Greeks find the whole thing even funnier.

yeah, because surely the british upper crust never paid money to join gay, exclusive social clubs lmao

Are you referring to the Pall Mall clubs like Travelers or The Reform Club? Because there is nothing like the American Greek system at Oxbridge. And I’ve been yo Travelers snd the Reform Club and was also president of a US Soriority. They aren’t comparable on any level

Oxford and Cambridge both have drinking societies / dining clubs where kids get together to get drunk and act like idiots with their friends (the same thing Greek kids do at American schools).

Distinct difference between kids getting together to drink and the weird cosplay/initiation/rushing/faux secret society thing that frats/srats partake in.

You must be joking if you think Oxbridge students don't join secret societies for the sole purpose of getting wasted. Not sure how you find that more palatable than greek life.
DP

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You Americans and your silly, juvenile customs that you get way too worked up about. Lol.

Right. The Japanese drink themselves brain dead after getting into University and my Oxford kid (UVA) says the drinking at Oxford fatr exceeds anything he ever saw in the States. But if course you know better. …because, why? Oh and let’s talk about the German students at Bier-gardens while we are at ot.

It’s not the drinking that I find funny, it’s the weird cosplaying/juvenile social club thing that people apparently assign outsize important to that I find funny. Like you really have to pay for friends to be considered “cool” by other people who pay for their friends? The whole thing is bizarre and a little childish. So glad I attended university in London and not in some hickish American college where being “Greek” is supposed to be something aspirational. And I’m sure actual Greeks find the whole thing even funnier.

yeah, because surely the british upper crust never paid money to join gay, exclusive social clubs lmao

Are you referring to the Pall Mall clubs like Travelers or The Reform Club? Because there is nothing like the American Greek system at Oxbridge. And I’ve been yo Travelers snd the Reform Club and was also president of a US Soriority. They aren’t comparable on any level

Oxford and Cambridge both have drinking societies / dining clubs where kids get together to get drunk and act like idiots with their friends (the same thing Greek kids do at American schools).

Distinct difference between kids getting together to drink and the weird cosplay/initiation/rushing/faux secret society thing that frats/srats partake in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You Americans and your silly, juvenile customs that you get way too worked up about. Lol.

Right. The Japanese drink themselves brain dead after getting into University and my Oxford kid (UVA) says the drinking at Oxford fatr exceeds anything he ever saw in the States. But if course you know better. …because, why? Oh and let’s talk about the German students at Bier-gardens while we are at ot.

It’s not the drinking that I find funny, it’s the weird cosplaying/juvenile social club thing that people apparently assign outsize important to that I find funny. Like you really have to pay for friends to be considered “cool” by other people who pay for their friends? The whole thing is bizarre and a little childish. So glad I attended university in London and not in some hickish American college where being “Greek” is supposed to be something aspirational. And I’m sure actual Greeks find the whole thing even funnier.

yeah, because surely the british upper crust never paid money to join gay, exclusive social clubs lmao

Are you referring to the Pall Mall clubs like Travelers or The Reform Club? Because there is nothing like the American Greek system at Oxbridge. And I’ve been yo Travelers snd the Reform Club and was also president of a US Soriority. They aren’t comparable on any level

Oxford and Cambridge both have drinking societies / dining clubs where kids get together to get drunk and act like idiots with their friends (the same thing Greek kids do at American schools).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got to see bid day last Sunday at my daughters southern non SEC state school. It was so fun and as each set of girls ran down row to their house bypassing my daughter’s all of the girls were supportive of each other.

Of course there are the parts about that life we hear about that aren’t so pleasant, but it is her money and her life. It isn’t dangerous or harmful, so we listen and support our daughter.

Im glad it wasn’t for your daughter but it is for some. Just know that’s a risk.

Frats and sororities can be very dangerous. A frat at my college was permanently shut down when two young men died during hazing

When I was in college, my roommate’s girlfriend was super cautious about her weight because they did monthly underwear walks where your body was judged by your “sisters”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You Americans and your silly, juvenile customs that you get way too worked up about. Lol.

Right. The Japanese drink themselves brain dead after getting into University and my Oxford kid (UVA) says the drinking at Oxford fatr exceeds anything he ever saw in the States. But if course you know better. …because, why? Oh and let’s talk about the German students at Bier-gardens while we are at ot.

It’s not the drinking that I find funny, it’s the weird cosplaying/juvenile social club thing that people apparently assign outsize important to that I find funny. Like you really have to pay for friends to be considered “cool” by other people who pay for their friends? The whole thing is bizarre and a little childish. So glad I attended university in London and not in some hickish American college where being “Greek” is supposed to be something aspirational. And I’m sure actual Greeks find the whole thing even funnier.

yeah, because surely the british upper crust never paid money to join gay, exclusive social clubs lmao

Are you referring to the Pall Mall clubs like Travelers or The Reform Club? Because there is nothing like the American Greek system at Oxbridge. And I’ve been yo Travelers snd the Reform Club and was also president of a US Soriority. They aren’t comparable on any level