trade school vs finishing school

[Erik P Conard]

interesting how we have changed the "college education."
In the days of the Union Triad, gentlemen went to college, joined
Delta Psi, and spent four years polishing themselves in preparation to taking over dad's business, joining the Elks, Masons, Rotary, C of C, and raising his son to become a Beta.
The girls went to Ward-Belmont or such and prepared themselves
by attending a finishing school--Chi Omega (bless 'em) had not
yet started at Arkansas and Tri Sigma was a teachers' college dream...but change was a-comin'.
Today we have trade schools, aggie schools, drive in schools,
high school extensions, internet curricula, diplomas for sale and
credit hours (you pay for them, though) for having lived.
Most of these have some semblance of greeks. Some have houses, mimicking the Phi Psis and their cabin in the woods 'way
back when in Gettysburg.
Question...the greeks were elite back then; even in the yearbooks of yore they pictured "Fratres in Urbe" and "Fratres
in Facultate" so proud and prestigious were the local alums and
the faculty greeks...now...well, look at our faculties...more like
trade schools, hardly elitist. No judgment intended here.
Enrollments (check 'em out if you will) at some of these schools
were not much over 75 students.
Interesting now...the 80 man (or woman) live-in house has gone
down the tubes, the sleeping porch a thing of the past, and the
newer houses are but a shadow of their once-togethernes--and
the members with their TVs, boom boxes, stereos, cybernetic wonders, microwaves and all other trappings, sequestered in high-rise cubicles fitted to those needs...spacial needs.
In the 50's we had only one TV in the 55 man, full service,
live-in house, and only a couple of dozen actives living outside...
Lots of things to discuss here in Greek Chat, and some of us have
certainly seen change....good or bad, warts and all.
Think about this...yet we still love the Fraternity.

[Tom Earp]

Interfraternal Brother (If they only knew) welcome back to GC.

you always can show an insight with Your knowledge and History of such!!!

Oh for the AXO Lovers as Yourself, Avila (KC) had a Chapter back when they were a Ladys College!

ALAS, they went Coed, and no longer any GLOs there!

Lives, Economics, and demographics change.

[hoosier]

Welcome back, EC

During my early UG days, we had a big (like 21" in those days) in the basement rec room, and everyone gathered there during ball games and big events. The Housemother had a little b/w TV with no antenna, and she shared it with the few wanting to see something else.

Soon guys started bringing TVs for their rooms, and the crowd fraternizing in the basement TV room was scattered around the house. It was never the same.

So I blame TV for the decline in brotherhood.

[TSteven]

Mr. Conard, welcome back sir!

Originally posted by Erik P Conard
Question...the greeks were elite back then; even in the yearbooks of yore they pictured "Fratres in Urbe" and "Fratres in Facultate" so proud and prestigious were the local alums and the faculty greeks...now...well, look at our faculties...more like trade schools, hardly elitist. No judgment intended here.

The times, they are a changing. Now to address the above 'question'.

In general, Greeks are still some what *elite* when you look at the population at large - i.e. the number of community leaders etc. The major difference *now* versus *then* seems to be the lack of good public relations. And I'm not limiting this to the bad press (i.e. hazing and alcohol, what have you). More so, the issue seems to be the lack of good press. Where current members and alumni are not promoting their GLOs and the good deeds done by the group and or their members. As such, we will not get the credit we so richly deserve unless others know or associate *good deeds* (leadership etc.) with Greek life.

[Tom Earp]

hoosier, that and mini fridges, computers, Sound Systems.

Much better in the old days where You congregated with Brothers and GFs!

[mmcat]

erik...
just delighted to see your input back.
your heart is enormous. who needs toenail clippers?
lol

[Tom Earp]

mmcat you dont know Him Like I do!

He is a cranky old Fart. Right EC?

He is very knowledgable and has a TON of Info!

Having no human legs will never keep Him down.

Besides He is a little older than Me! My Idol, The EC!!!! Well even though He is a TKE! We do go back longer than most are old on this site!

[Erik P Conard]

I certainly did not want to imply that the love of our chapters
has diminished, nor did I intend to badmouth Delta Psi aka
St. A, as they dearly loved in their own way. In fact, the notions
they still have, while strange to some of us rustics...well, lemme
tell you a story....I think it was a Chi Psi chapter at U Minnesota--
they got in a horrible pissing contest over muted colors of the
lights vs drapes in the living room. This was a major issue in this
hundred year old chapter, encumbrance free and quite regal...
Meanwhile, back at the Teke house, the chapter was trying to
scrape up enough bucks to pay a past due grocery bill.
When TNE was legit it is fun to follow them, and I recall a DKE
composite or yearbook picture with one of the guys on the front
row, feet crossed but barefoot on one foot...funny, kinda crazy.
Yes, lifestyles varied and still do. One cannot help but admire
the closeness of the Betas alumni-wise and the unity they have
even with old pledge classes and their reunions.
I ran across an old alum the other day...and said "Duane, do you
recall Tiny Hendrickson, Joe Lutz, Russ Roberts, Dean Allen, and Wilford Riegle?" He said "Yeah, those were the old codgers who
hung around our TKE house when we were pledges." And I said,
"Do you realize...we are older NOW than they were THEN?"
Time marches on, but Fraternity is for life. Cherish it. Erik