[kateshort]

Originally posted by Sverige
I know this being a greek website and all, most of the answers to my question will strongly be one sided. However, for those of you who are now out of the college enviroment, do you look back and think sometimes how stupid it was being greek?

Sometimes. I think that some of the stuff *that we did* was stupid, but it wasn't just being greek. I know lots of girls who did stoopid isht with their friends within their dorm and major. -shrug- It's one of those groupthink things.

Originally posted by Sverige
I've come to realize that outside of college no one really gives a rats ass if your greek or not. In fact, many people look at it as a crutch or an excuse in case they screw up in college.

It depends on who you hang around with. For some people, their fraternity brothers and sorority sisters are still their best friends. For others, they're in business with other former greeks who have respect for leadership and character (assuming, of course, that they're one of those greeks that exhibits those things instead of becoming a poster child for venereal disease and liver failure!).

Originally posted by Sverige
I was talking to a few friends the other day, who were all in different frats, and we all agreed it was an easy way to meet girls and get easy sex. Other than those two reasons, we couldn't rationally come up with any logical reason for joining a fraternity.

Well, maybe your fraternities only did stuff like that! Today, many fraternities and sororities are much more balanced-- as much community service, friendship, and doofy stuff like bowling as there is drinking, dancing, and hooking up. Programming and leadership training are on the rise.

Originally posted by Sverige
I guess what I'm trying to say is, i don't see how being greek can completely change ones life. I do see how it can get you into trouble while at the same time making life long bonds with other men, but in my view you have to be one weak minded, low self esteemed individual for it to just completely change eveything about you, as one person has recently informed me it did to them.

Again, it depends on your situation. In my local at Valpo, I was part of a block class, where we didn't rush, but just joined and rebuilt the organization from scratch. I learned to like (or at least tolerate) people who were very different from myself (I wasn't a party girl-- didn't smoke, rarely drank, didn't have casual sex), and it allowed me to loosen up a bit, while making me better at negotiating, understanding, listening, explaining, and all of that Roberts Rules of Order spin-cycle stuff.

As an ADPi, and as an alumna who's starting to get back into it, I see myself as being able to mentor the collegians. And I love our creed! I want to actually memorize the darned thing someday. I love our alumna ritual, and I'd like to go back and witness the pledge and initiate rituals, because I think there's a lot of meaning there that, as an alumna initiate, I haven't had access to yet.

Originally posted by Sverige
At the very most it was a lot of fun and gave me unforgetable memories. It did both good and bad things for me. In my opinion though, it should be left at the University. What are some of your thoughts on this?

Again, it really depends on your school and your situation. Not every frat is Animal House, and not every sorority looks like it's out of MTV's Sorority Life (thank god on both counts!!!). If yours was more of a hook-up central, then yeah, that probably should be left at the gates. Otherwise, take a look at your principles, motto, ritual, pin, and creed. There may be good stuff there that you can still apply to your personal life, even if you don't wear your pin or share your fraternity experiences with others.