A question (don't flame me, please!)

[RockChalk]

On a lot of college-oriented sites (NOT this one, thankfully) Greek vs. anti-Greek debates are pretty heated. One thing I hear the Greeks say a lot is "well, you're all just jealous because you didn't get a bid" or words to that effect. Does anybody actually think that non-Greeks feel that way?

[FuzzieAlum]

Well, I'm sure there are one or two people like that out there, because there are ALL kinds of people out there, but I don't think that's the case for the vast majority of non-Greeks or anti-Greeks.

[dgbibo]

a lot of the "anti-greeks" are actually people who did NOT get in the house they hoped.

[Optimist Prime]

The "you're just jealous cuz you didn't get a bid" can be cutting. Make sure you are willing to hurt someone you don't even know before saying it.

[SigkapAlumWSU]

The majority of non-Greeks that I have met, when they do have a negative attitude towards Greeks, isn't because of not recieving a bid. It's usually because of an interaction that went bad that they have had with a Greek. But at the same time, they accept that not all Greeks are the same as the bad experience they've had. Just like not all non-Greeks think we're bad people just because we are Greek.

[aggieAXO]

My friends that are not greek don't understand why I went greek, their thinking is that I was brain washed. When I was in Colorado this September I went to visit the chapter in Boulder and my friend refused to get out of the car. She said she doesn't want to have anything to do with a sorority-it hurt my feelings b/c she has never given greeks a chance. I am her friend and I am greek and an overall good person so I don't know why she has this dislike for us. There are 2 other girls in our social group that were in sororities and they are awesome (a KKG and XO). Someday I will have to ask her why she is so anti-greek.

[pbpck]

Basically, I feel that this is just a trite statement in response to the cliche GDI statement "At least I don't have to buy my friends"... or something to this extent. It's a cheap effective blow.

[navane]

I often try to figure out what thought process might be behind things like anti-greek opinion. I wonder if in a few cases it has to do with a fear of rejection. They may subconsciously want to have the friendship and activity they see greeks having, but are afraid that they won't be selected for membership. Therefore, they try and rationalize that fear in their heads by saying "Oh, you're just buying your friends" or "What a bunch of rich snobs." Does that make sense?

This also goes along with the bitterness exhibited by people who rushed, but didn't get a bid. Again, trying to make themselves feel better by saying that "it's all dumb anyway."

Kelly the arm-chair psychologist strikes again!

......Kelly

(Hey! My BA was comprised of 33% psychology courses! At least I'm 33% qualified? )

[DukeBlue]

I think "you're just jealous" is a dumbass accusation and only reflects ignorance on the part of the accuser. Arrogance doesn't do anything to help our image, you know.

[justamom]

I think we are all guilty, to different degrees, of labeling people.
I must confess before my daughter rushed, I put my 2 cents in on the chapters at her school. Why? I knew many, many of the girls in different sororities running a time span of 8 years due to the high pledging rate of our area. Plus I had two nieces ahead of my daughter. I KNEW/KNOW the area girls since they all attended the same schools and even though the total population doesn't reflect it, the "inner circle" is rather small. When I saw who was where, I definitely talked to her about the choices she might face.
Ialso made no bones about a few chapters that had members who were less than "stellar" representatives of human kindness.

Honestly, some sororities DO have the negative stereotypical members that can turn a GDI off. When you see a pattern, is it meaningful? Not in all cases, but certainly in some.

I don't think the "You're jealous" is a very wise response. It may be true in some instances, but it just makes the poster look like they fall into the snobby category.
Why would a GDI be so vehemently opposed to Greek life?

TV/Movies must be cosidered a source.
Perhaps they have had run ins with a handful of members they KNOW and carry that impression with them.
They had an unhappy rush (or someone they care about did)
The higher the profile of a group on campus, the more the gossip,
good or bad, flows.
SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE/NEED ORGANIZATIONS
The true GDI doesn't go around bashing-they just don't care until you ask.
I really believe the GREATEST influence goes back to feelings in High School. This is where they or people they cared about were "pegged" and more than likely, were unhappy with the way the popular crowd defined them or others. They may see Greek life as nothing more than an extension of HS where the names have changed, but the dynamics remain the same.

[bearal]

My father joined a fraternity, but my mother didn't go Greek. My mother thought sororities were filled with elitists and rich kids.

I initially had my mother's sentiments as well. Why? Because society paints Greeks in a negative light. I used to think sororities were about conformity, and that you had to come from a wealthy background. Then I went to college, and boy was I wrong! Sure, there were definitely a few gals who fit the stereotypical sorority girl, but most of them were smart, fun, beautiful (inside AND outside), and down-to-earth.

So now here I am, a proud member of Greekdom!

[Tom Earp]

RockChalk, I know of only one place that would put that up!

Are You West of KC Area?

If so, there are a few of us Ks folks here finally!

[33girl]

I think it all depends on the situation...

When a friend of mine who went through rush hell said "sororities control your life" I knew it was a jealousy thing, because two years previous she would have loved nothing more than to have received a bid and had her life "controlled."

Then there are people who hate Greeks just on the principle that it is an insitution that selects its members. These are the people who when you remind them that they also choose who they want to live, work and party with, and that they shunned Weird Waldo who wanted to date them, just sputter around and say "Welllll.....that's just different!"

[DukeBlue]

And there are people who have seen the bad seeds of greek life and had bad encounters, who I can't blame for having a negative view. I did. Hell, a lot of what's on this site made me not want to participate. But I did because I met my sisters and found out they weren't like what I'd seen before, at all.

It's not just a matter of jealousy or hypocrisy, some people have valid reasons and/or no reason to believe otherwise.

[SAEguy]

Yeah TOM lookcs like we have another Kansas person on the boards!!! "Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk go KU!!!" lol Glad to see the kansans stepping up