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WLVR 01-21-2013 10:26 PM

Rushing currently, have a few questions
 
Hey guys, so I'm rushing this semester and I've been checking out different places. Few questions.

I have an opportunity to become a founding father of a fraternity that's being recolonized on campus. Anyone been in that situation? Is it worth it? Obviously it's going to be hard but should I try to go for it?

Also somewhat unrelated, but how does fraternity "tiers" and "popularity" play into social life? Personally I don't really care or believe in popularity, but does that actually have an effect on the social life you'll have and the people you'll meet? Do people typically care about this?

thanks

jazing 01-22-2013 02:18 AM

1. If a fraternity is being colonized, first make sure they will be recognized by the University. At that point it is up to you to decide if you want to join into a long time tradition of 25+ years depending on your school or start traditions that others will join into. If they won't be recognized, there is no point and it is better to join a fraternity that is recognized already.

2. Tiers and popularity don't play too much into your actual social life. It is up to you to make friends and meet people. A socially awkward guy in a so called "top tier" will have the same difficulty no matter what. A socially successful guy will have a successful social life no matter where they go.

33girl 01-22-2013 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jazing (Post 2199072)
2. Tiers and popularity don't play too much into your actual social life. It is up to you to make friends and meet people. A socially awkward guy in a so called "top tier" will have the same difficulty no matter what. A socially successful guy will have a successful social life no matter where they go.

This is what I was trying to find a way to say, but you put it perfectly. :) Yes, if you are in Top Tier Fraternity you may have tons of mixers with Top Tier Sorority - you may even be paired with TTS girls at date parties or something - but if you're a backwards dork you will very quickly become an object of derision and/or pity among the sororities, who will wonder why TTF ever gave you a bid in the first place.

Firehouse 01-22-2013 07:04 PM

You'll have a different expereince as a Founder than you will as a member of a top tier fraternity. Both experiences are legit and positive; they're just different. As a Founder you're wrapped up in the excitement of expansion and striving together toward the goal of chartering. You have a real influence over the individuals who are selected for membership so you can help form the persoanlity of the fraternity.
On the other hand, as a brother in a top tier house you are surrounded by the movers and shakers of the campus, by men who want and expect to always be part of the championship team. A top tier fraternity at a major university produces the future leaders of the state, and the alumni network is extremely valuable.
In terms of social life, yes it's true that a confident man can enjoy a good social life in spite of being in a lower tier house. But the fact is that top fraternities and top sororities tend to mix together, and it similarly goes down the ladder all the way to the bottom.
I've seen men in a top tier chapter told, "By the time you leave here, you'll never walk into any Board room and be intimidated; you'll never lack confidence in the presence of any beautiful woman."

DeltaBetaBaby 01-22-2013 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firehouse (Post 2199196)
You'll have a different expereince as a Founder than you will as a member of a top tier fraternity. Both experiences are legit and positive; they're just different. As a Founder you're wrapped up in the excitement of expansion and striving together toward the goal of chartering. You have a real influence over the individuals who are selected for membership so you can help form the persoanlity of the fraternity.
On the other hand, as a brother in a top tier house you are surrounded by the movers and shakers of the campus, by men who want and expect to always be part of the championship team. A top tier fraternity at a major university produces the future leaders of the state, and the alumni network is extremely valuable.
In terms of social life, yes it's true that a confident man can enjoy a good social life in spite of being in a lower tier house. But the fact is that top fraternities and top sororities tend to mix together, and it similarly goes down the ladder all the way to the bottom.
I've seen men in a top tier chapter told, "By the time you leave here, you'll never walk into any Board room and be intimidated; you'll never lack confidence in the presence of any beautiful woman."

Correlation is not causation.

ASTalumna06 01-22-2013 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firehouse (Post 2199196)
You'll have a different expereince as a Founder than you will as a member of a top tier fraternity. Both experiences are legit and positive; they're just different. As a Founder you're wrapped up in the excitement of expansion and striving together toward the goal of chartering. You have a real influence over the individuals who are selected for membership so you can help form the persoanlity of the fraternity.
On the other hand, as a brother in a top tier house you are surrounded by the movers and shakers of the campus, by men who want and expect to always be part of the championship team. A top tier fraternity at a major university produces the future leaders of the state, and the alumni network is extremely valuable.
In terms of social life, yes it's true that a confident man can enjoy a good social life in spite of being in a lower tier house. But the fact is that top fraternities and top sororities tend to mix together, and it similarly goes down the ladder all the way to the bottom.
I've seen men in a top tier chapter told, "By the time you leave here, you'll never walk into any Board room and be intimidated; you'll never lack confidence in the presence of any beautiful woman."

This is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

Success and confidence can be obtained, but it isn't handed to you just because you're a founder of "top-tiered" ABC fraternity. You get out of Greek life what you put in. That goes for any chapter on any campus.

DubaiSis 01-22-2013 08:19 PM

Sounds to me like TTF breeds arrogance not confidence.

Firehouse 01-22-2013 10:17 PM

I may not have made myself clear. If I understood the original question, the young man was trying to make a decision whether to join a re-founding chapter, or, to join an established chapter. He also asked if the 'tier' ranking of his fraternity influences his social opportunities.
College fraternity chapters are composed of 18-21 year-old young men and their social dynamic is differently informed than that of we alumni.
Is there a difference in the experience he would have as a re-founder vs. the experience he would have as a member of an established chapter? Absolutely.
Are the social opportunities different for the highly rated fraternities vs those rated toward the bottom of the scale? Yes. Again, 'tiers' are based on subjective perceptions and don't necessarily reflect reality. However that's the world of fraternities on a big campus.
Does top tier status breed arrogance, as 'DubaiSis' charges? You're dealing with 18-21 year old males, so yes, the confidence and pride displayed by top chapters on every major campus are often viewed as arrogance. Sometimes that brings them down. But the top fraternities routinely produce the top performers, the top leaders, and eventually the top contributors to their university. It's hard to think of any famous, accomplished man who was in a college fraternity who was not in a top tier chapter when he was there. Off the top of my head: Sam Walton, George Bush, John Wayne, Warren Buffet, Jon Stewart, David Letterman, T. Boone Pickens, Burt Reynolds, Michael Jordan, Eli Manning, lots of Congressmen on both the left and the right...
It's wrong to assume that the experience is different for a player on a losing team vs a player on a national chapionship team. Yes, ATSAlumna06, you're right: you get out of Greek Life what you put into it. But the opportunities vary widely.

DubaiSis 01-22-2013 10:26 PM

You've mentioned leaders who were in fraternities. You have not provided any proof they were in Top Tier fraternities.

MysticCat 01-22-2013 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firehouse (Post 2199245)
But the top fraternities routinely produce the top performers, the top leaders, and eventually the top contributors to their university.

I see what you're trying to say, but I wonder if this isn't another example of how tier perceptions, which are subjective, can vary from campus to campus and be affected by campus values. I can think of at least one large campus I was pretty familiar where the fraternity that had the "campus leaders" in it was not considered top tier. The fraternities considered top tier tended to be made up of jocks, old money and partiers, not campus leaders.


Quote:

It's hard to think of any famous, accomplished man who was in a college fraternity who was not in a top tier chapter when he was there. Off the top of my head: Sam Walton, George Bush, John Wayne, Warren Buffet, Jon Stewart, David Letterman, T. Boone Pickens, Burt Reynolds, Michael Jordan, Eli Manning, lots of Congressmen on both the left and the right....
How in the world do you know that the chapters any of these men were in were considered top tier by the students on their campuses?

ETA: By the way, one of the men you listed above was on the campus I was referring to during the time I was referring to. While he was a member of a great chapter of a great fraternity, I don't think anyone on camps would have described it as "top tier."

MU2Driver 01-22-2013 10:42 PM

To paraphrase JFK, ask not what your fraternity can do for you; ask what you can do for your fraternity. I can tell you from first hand experience as a colony pledge and ultimately charter member that you will be planting and watering acorns for trees under which you will never sit. Also, your group will be under greater scrutiny from your national office and will be expected to do everything right.
The rewards are great, but be honest with yourself. If you are not 100% OK with that deal, don't sign up for the re-colonization experience.

Firehouse 01-22-2013 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MysticCat (Post 2199250)
I see what you're trying to say, but I wonder if this isn't another example of how tier perceptions, which are subjective, can vary from campus to campus and be affected by campus values. I can think of at least one large campus I was pretty familiar where the fraternity that had the "campus leaders" in it was not considered top tier. The fraternities considered top tier tended to be made up of jocks, old money and partiers, not campus leaders.


How in the world do you know that the chapters any of these men were in were considered top tier by the students on their campuses?

ETA: By the way, one of the men you listed above was on the campus I was referring to during the time I was referring to. While he was a member of a great chapter of a great fraternity, I don't think anyone on camps would have described it as "top tier."

On the first point, you're exactly right MysticCat. The fraternity with the majority of student government leaders isn't necessarily top tier. I should have phrased it differently. I should have referred to the "leading fraternities" on campus. I prefer term that to 'top tier' a phrase I don't particularly like. Who the 'leading fraternities' are is always a matter of peception.
On the second point, I know because I have studied fraternities for years as a hobby and have made it my business to know. And I agree, let's not say 'top tier'. But I am convinced that the aggressive, accomplished, driven men join the leading fraternities. I didn't take time to craft that list. I threw in Michael Jordan because I like him (he was a member of a historically Black fraternity so it doesn't fit the model - but who wouldn't want Michael Jordan in their chapter?).
Which name were you referring to? I'll take the hit if I'm wrong.

WLVR 01-23-2013 01:21 AM

thanks everyone. also another question. What social opportunities would I have if I was part of the recolonized fraternity? Do the do things with other fraternities and sororities or is that pretty limited until they're actually established?

jazing 01-23-2013 01:28 AM

From what I've seen at my University, colonizing chapters usually are smaller than the average size chapter, so they team up with another fraternity usually for socials. This helps build inter fraternal relations. My chapter did this while I started pledging by having a social with a sorority and the colonizing Sigma Chi here. We also did it with Triangle earlier this semester (interestingly it was the same sorority who suggested it).

MysticCat 01-23-2013 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firehouse (Post 2199256)
On the first point, you're exactly right MysticCat. The fraternity with the majority of student government leaders isn't necessarily top tier. I should have phrased it differently. I should have referred to the "leading fraternities" on campus. I prefer term that to 'top tier' a phrase I don't particularly like. Who the 'leading fraternities' are is always a matter of peception.

Exactly, which is why I don't know that it's helpful to a discussion like this, whether one is talking about "top tier" or "leading fraternities" -- especially if it means that different people are talking about different things.
l'm not going to say Omega's the best house on campus, but a lot of outstanding guys figure they'll pledge Omega or won't pledge at all.

We do have more than our share of campus leaders -- something that never looks bad on your permanent record.
Quote:

I didn't take time to craft that list. I threw in Michael Jordan because I like him (he was a member of a historically Black fraternity so it doesn't fit the model - but who wouldn't want Michael Jordan in their chapter?).
Which name were you referring to? I'll take the hit if I'm wrong.
LOL. It was indeed Michael Jordan I was referring to.


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