[sherbertlemons]

Originally posted by Sverige
It's not that I regret making the choices I did, I just didnt see any rational reason for doing what I did other than the reasons I stated. I doubt any of us would have had a hard time meeting women or forming a relationship with them regardless of whether not we went greek. Those reasons were the only things we could come up with as to why someone would want to join such an organization.

One of the major reasons I was initially interested in joining my organization was so that I could meet more people, both male and female. I was a sophomore when I joined, and I knew very few people. Joining Kappa broadened my social circle immensely, and I doubt I could have met nearly as many people otherwise.

Furthermore, I highly doubt that meeting people should be regarded as a "lower" function of a GLO. I went home every weekend and was pretty badly homesick my freshman year. Being a Kappa has made my university life much more homelike, and that is something that I feel indebted to my GLO for, whatever happens after I finish school.

Are there more than one of you under this sn? You refer to "we."

I realize there are people who join a fraternity and inturn become more of a man, if you will, but if you already have those qualities (the confidence, leadership abilities, fitting into any social situation, and not being intimidated by others, no matter what the occasion ) why would you join? Who would want to change their lifestyle completely if it already bears the qualities such organizations claim to instill in the lives of it's members? I think it would be safe to say that you are not the same individual when you come out, than what you were when you went in.

Frankly, if someone walked in a recruitment event thinking they are all that like you describe, I'm not sure if I'd want them as a sister. I want people I can love and be friends with, not people that clearly think they're God's gift to Kappa Kappa Gamma and that we better be thanking our lucky stars that they chose to grace our odious organization with their presence. It's obvious that this hypothethetical person you describe also is lacking a mighty important quality: humility! Whether they learn this by not receiving a bid from a few groups because of their obnoxious attitude at a recruitment event or by royally screwing up Greek Week because they refused to ask for help when they were in over their heads, trust me, they will learn it.

I also think of most of those qualities as not being "have or have not" qualities. There are different levels of proficiency. One could possess the skills at a level that suits them for middle management and not much more, or they could have them on the level of a Martin Luther King. I doubt that many college students already possess the skills needed to be the next Martin Luther King, and so it is unquestionable that everyone can benefit from building these skills. A GLO can help you to do just that.

I think most Amerikans percieve things differently than the rest of the world. Amerikans, for the most part, are lazy. That said, I can see how joining such an organization would help one through their secondary education and achieve their goal of getting a college education. However, how do you explain those who do not finish college,drop out or take an excessive amount of time to finish school while being in a fraternity. I think it's different for women who join a sorority since they normally are not the ones throwing the huge partys and indulging in long nights. If being in such an organization means you show their values throughout your life, wouldn't it be odd to see it's members with so many problems in their lives? Since that is the case with a number men who do join a fraternity, my question again, why would you want to join?

Nobody on this board, or at least I hope I am correct in this, will say that joining a GLO is a magical balm that suddenly makes everything in your life perfect forevermore. Furthermore, GLO membership does not magically make you a saint. Many people love the ritual and ideals of their GLO, but they are a lot to live up to. That's why they're called ideals, not universal truths. I'm sure that I and most of the others reading this post could name an instance when they fell far short of the ideals espoused in their ritual. It happens. The point is not that you reach them 100% all the time, but that you keep striving for them all the time. You will improve that way.

Fraternity membership is not the only reason people drop out of school. Since I've seen statistics indicating that the drop out rate is considerably lower and the GPA considerably higher amongst Greeks, that would seemingly indicate that fraternity membership is, if not a deterrent, at least not a major cause of the problem.

Honey, sorority members also stay extremely busy. I know there are weeks when I eat sleep and breathe Kappa. This has forced me to learn good time management skills and also forced me to curb my procrastination. It's somewhat of a sink or swim scenario- you either learn these skills and thrive, or you don't and have major problems in college. Frankly, I'd rather have major issues in college with time management than out in the real world. Colleges and your parents tend to be much more forgiving!

Again, I'm sure many see this message as negative but all i'm trying to do is to find the reason for being apart of something that can have such a diverse effect on the lives of it's members. I know my response is a bit late, but we're 7 hours ahead of you depending on whether or not you're on EST.

We'll be much more forgiving if you demostrate yourself to be open-minded and willing to listen. I honestly don't mind being questioned if you're interested in our side, but when it's already a foregone conclusion that GLOS=EVIL and you're just trying to bait us, it gets irritatating. Here's hoping your case is the former!