Is this hypocritical?

DeltaSigStan · #1 12-04-2002, 12:27 AM

Here at Fraternity Row, if your house doesn't have enough members to fill the 32 apartment slots, you can have randoms live here.

So, we have some randoms living here. Some don't go to SDSU, one was a TKE (But he left), and then there's some guys that, if were allowed to join, would join, but their parents won't let them join the fraternity.

In other words, their parents won't let them join a fraternity, but will let them live on their property, where they get to enjoy the party aspect of the house as much as the members do.

Would you say that's hypocritical?

Tom Earp · #2 12-04-2002, 12:41 AM

DSTAN, I know we ahve had some diffs but let me ask a question, what the F*&^ is this!

It loses a little automomy for your Fraternity! What if all of the members paid extra to cover house rent?

Why if a new House is it not full? None of us want this as I know none of us want this!

Is this another show of school big brother? Type thing.

By The WY sTAN, knnwoqn<whstsr or w mw hapenonintitg!??

aND TO cONCLUDE .OR9N4FERFDAJAJEIJAIEJF!

kMOW WHAT AIAJNMEN? LOVE YO mANNO!!

UofIL AXO · #3 12-04-2002, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tom Earp

By The WY sTAN, knnwoqn<whstsr or w mw hapenonintitg!??

aND TO cONCLUDE .OR9N4FERFDAJAJEIJAIEJF!

kMOW WHAT AIAJNMEN? LOVE YO mANNO!!

Whoa! Spilled some coffee on the keyboard?

DStan, I think your situation is definetly unfair! I don't know how you could fix the housing issue unless the rules changed or you convinced these guys to become members. Both seem unlikely to happen.

PsychTau · #4 12-04-2002, 01:05 AM

Tom, hon, take your meds like a good boy. . . . .

Stan, doesn't having randoms seriously increase your liability in your house (and therefore insurance)? What does your National say about this? Do the randoms pay something toward insurance? Do the randoms have to follow risk management guidelines?

By the way, I do find that odd that the parents want them to LIVE in a fraternity house, but not JOIN a fraternity. Seems like the living in the house part would be the thing I would worry about most (Especially if they don't follow risk management guidelines)

(By the way, Tom, ya know I love ya!!)

Kevin · #5 12-04-2002, 01:14 AM

I certainly wouldn't want randoms living in my house! I really can't think of a better way to spoil the environment of a fraternity house than by turning it into a dorm. Hell might as well sublet the whole damned thing.

If there are vacancies in our house we split the cost between all chapter members.

DeltaSigStan · #6 12-04-2002, 01:17 AM

We discussed making them pay another fee, but of course, since my chapter is very laid back, it never came to term.

Our Alumni president, Charter class 1948, has been involved with Gamma Alpha since it's inception, apparently doesn't mind because were are still small. I'm guessing IF (Big IF) we ever get over 35 members, then he'll start coming down on it harder.

Glitter650 · #7 12-04-2002, 01:37 AM

As far as I know this is not completely uncommon, I know I met a random who was living in the Pi Kappa Phi House at Berkely and I know a few other houses at Berkely lend out housing to non-greeks for $ and because especially here at urban California campuses, housing (let alone cheap housing) is VERY hard to come by.
It does kinda seem weird that the parents will let them live in the house but not join the fraternity...

MoxieGrrl · #8 12-04-2002, 11:30 AM

Maybe the parents let their kid live in a fraternity house and not join it because they cannot afford the extra expenses?

DeltaSigStan · #9 12-04-2002, 11:33 AM

Maybe, but they've told me that they're parents won't let them because "they've heard of the things that go on in fraternities". Whatever that means

DeltAlum · #10 12-04-2002, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeltaSigStan
In other words, their parents won't let them join a fraternity, but will let them live on their property, where they get to enjoy the party aspect of the house as much as the members do.

Would you say that's hypocritical?

To addresss the original question, it may be possible that the parents can't afford dues and the "randoms" don't choose to make the money themselves.

Another possibility is that the parents aren't really aware of the fraternity house situation in which their sons are living. I lived in about every dump in town when I was in college, and my parents had no idea of where I lived. They just had the address. (note: in those days students under 21 had to live in "university approved" housing -- and all of the Greek houses were "approved" which meant no alcohol, no visits by members of the opposite sex except in "common" areas, 10:30 PM "hours" for women, etc.)

So I simply went underground and lived in unapproved housing and got lost in the university bureaucracy -- they didn't know where I lived either. They just sent my grades and bills to my home address.

I suppose it's possible the parents in question are hypocritical -- but not necessarily.

DeltaSigStan · #11 12-04-2002, 11:46 AM

No, they've been here before...................

aephi alum · #12 12-04-2002, 09:06 PM

I do find it a little odd that parents would permit their sons to live in a fraternity house but not to actually join the fraternity. Are they worried about hazing? (Most GLOs have anti-hazing policies these days.) The expense? (Do what many of us do/did... get a part-time job.) The parties and alcohol? (You have access to parties and alcohol whether you're greek or not.)

As for not having a full house - my school recently implemented a change in policy. Formerly, all fraternity members including freshmen/pledges had to live in their fraternity houses. Starting this year, freshmen can pledge, but all freshmen must live in the dorms. This has left a lot of fraternities with empty beds. Some fraternities are housing what you call randoms - usually grad students, since grad housing is very scarce. Others are just eating the cost of not having a full house. Those that are housing randoms are just doing what they have to in order to hang onto their house until they either (hopefully) rush in some large pledge classes and fill the house again, or have to give up the house.

And housing independents isn't necessarily a bad way to meet some potential brothers and show them firsthand what your fraternity is like when it's not rush week

alphaiota · #13 12-04-2002, 11:05 PM

what the hell? what about your ritual? doesn't it put your ritual at risk of being revealed? i'd be afraid that you'd be having an initiation or something and some random just walks in not realizing you are having an initiation ceremony. maybe that's just me, but i think on top of the things already mentioned (risk managment, insurance) that is definately an issue.
wow, i just can't even imagine letting non members live in a chapter house. defeats the purpose of brotherhood/sisterhood in the house.

oh and maybe you shoud tell your brothers to get their acts together and fill the house or let the chapter and house be taken over by randoms. i can't believe they don't care.

shelley j
sigma k

DeltaSigStan · #14 12-04-2002, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by alphaiota
what the hell? what about your ritual? doesn't it put your ritual at risk of being revealed? i'd be afraid that you'd be having an initiation or something and some random just walks in not realizing you are having an initiation ceremony. maybe that's just me, but i think on top of the things already mentioned (risk managment, insurance) that is definately an issue.
wow, i just can't even imagine letting non members live in a chapter house. defeats the purpose of brotherhood/sisterhood in the house.

oh and maybe you shoud tell your brothers to get their acts together and fill the house or let the chapter and house be taken over by randoms. i can't believe they don't care.

shelley j
sigma k

I feel exactly those sentiments. They are not allowed in our prescence during meetings, but that's as far as I can comment on that.

We're still dealing with problems involving direction of the chapter and recruitment, but like I said.....apathy. And I get shit for "caring too much". ...

33girl · #15 12-05-2002, 12:34 AM

We had non-Greeks live in our house at various times. I can't remember there ever being a conflict with activities (keep in mind we didn't have meetings or rituals in our house - it was too small). We just told them at the beginning of the semester that so and so activities were scheduled for certain days and that they could not be in the house that night. You just have to schedule in advance and find understanding people.

If you HAVE to have independents live in your house, my advice is to get last semester seniors or grad students - people who are at the library or working most of the time, that just need a bed to crash in and aren't thinking about pledging. I know it sounds like a source of rushees, but believe me, that can get VERY sticky. So it's best to just avoid that possibility altogether.