What makes Greek life "hot" in the south?

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by PhiGam

I'm not saying you're off base... I'm saying that if you knew what bows and toes or elephant walk (lol) meant than you would understand what hes saying indirectly.

Are you talking about the meaning or purpose behind those hazing practices?

Are these practices only done for the cool fraternities in the South?

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by PhiGam

I'm not saying you're off base... I'm saying that if you knew what bows and toes or elephant walk (lol) meant than you would understand what hes saying indirectly.
Also, the fraternities here are only about 600-900 per semester, its the sororities that are expensive.

I do know what "bows and toes" and "elephant walk (lol)" are, thus my assurance to you that clever "bonding" experiences like those are not new and in fact my male family members pledged in the "good old days" when hazing was de rigeur and much more of it was even above ground (the underground stuff was what you really had to fear -- they'd think what you guys call "bonding" these days is a cake walk).

And I'm cross-quoting you two again, this time in reverse. The assurance that they have access to connections and wealth was in response to the standards laid out below. Their fraternities, chapters and the school they attended are also WAY steeped in tradition.

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

I've already established they were different. By our standards, inferior.

Fraternity life is so much more than just brotherhood.

It's regional tradition, rites of passage, a status symbol, a method of gaining wealth through connections and so on.

So, looks like they check off all the boxes, would they be cool with you, then?

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

edit: By the way jackass, I believe he was saying "you better find out what bowsandtoes (((((the poster))) means", not the hazing term"

Hey, first of all, I'm female, secondly, I haven't called you any names, I'm not sure why you're starting that up, and third, if PhiGam meant YOU, the poster, I assume he would have written "find out what bowsandtoes means" not "find out what bows and toes means". I stand by my inference unless and until PG wants to tell me that's not what he was implying.

[Elephant Walk]

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

I do know what "bows and toes" and "elephant walk (lol)" are, thus my assurance to you that clever "bonding" experiences like those are not new and in fact my male family members pledged in the "good old days" when hazing was de rigeur and much more of it was even above ground (the underground stuff was what you really had to fear -- they'd think what you guys call "bonding" these days is a cake walk).

And I'm cross-quoting you two again, this time in reverse. The assurance that they have access to connections and wealth was in response to the standards laid out below. Their fraternities, chapters and the school they attended are also WAY steeped in tradition.


So, looks like they check off all the boxes, would they be cool with you, then?

If they share similar interests, which any good ivy leaguer probably would, then absolutely.

[banditone]

It sounds like everyone sorta agrees now, and it’s almost back to one big happy family. The problem with most threads on GC is that it seems everyone reads a thread, and immediately inserts themselves into the issue (usually feeling attacked).

I’d like to give exalts to the thread creator, as well as the girl that went off on the couple page tirade on what Theta Phi Alpha is.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by banditone

It sounds like everyone sorta agrees now, and it’s almost back to one big happy family.

Agrees about what?

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

If they share similar interests, which any good ivy leaguer probably would, then absolutely.

Super! I will let them know.

[SWTXBelle]

Just to clarify - Elephant Walk, you are from which fraternity and school? I think I know the other players in this discussion.


eta -OH - now I get it. Thanks.

[Elephant Walk]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Just to clarify - Elephant Walk, you are from which fraternity and school? I think I know the other players in this discussion.

University of Arkansas.

The fraternity is of no importance.

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

So - please define your terms. What constitutes a "real pledgeship", and on what do you base your belief that only southern fraternity chapters have it?

Still waiting . . .and of course the fraternity is of importance!

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

University of Arkansas.

Hold up.

You're from ARKANSAS?

And you're talking smack about northern brethren not being good enough.

To hang out with you in ARKANSAS?

Oh, the jokes, the jokes I'm holding back! But my northern etiquette won't allow me to take the cheap shots.

[oldu]

As the originator of this thread I had no idea it would create such a cat fight! I went to school in the midwest, have lived in the south and spend a lot of time in NYC and I see this from many perspectives. Many cannot imagine wearing a pig face and cheering "sooey"...find the attire and behavior of some southern men a bit sissy...or are offended by the brashness of a northeasterner. That's the way they all are. The ORIGINAL QUESTION is why do students in the southeast find Greek membership more valuable or attractive and join in much larger numbers? Please approach this more intellectually and give us your opinion.

[nittanyalum]

All due respect, oldu, I think this thread is way past that and I don't really think your premise has a basis that will truly allow for "intellectual" discourse. You still toss in the words "more valuable" and "attractive" and "larger numbers" and you're just begging for the heat to flame up again. Even brief time spent on GC teaches that anything trying to define something 'southern' or 'northern' will go exactly the way this thread has gone.

Originally Posted by KenUDiggit

If there's sweet tea served then it's the south. I vacationed in Miami and about had a heart attack when I found out they didn't serve sweet tea

Love sweet tea. Everytime I vist family in NC I make sure to get me some sweet tea. Anyway, with McDonalds serving sweet tea , I don't think you can use that test anymore as you can find sweet tea in the North now.

[bowsandtoes]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Well, if being a part of the same organization isn't what makes you brothers - if having the same ideals, same creed, having gone through the same ritual, being a part of a chain of men going back over a hundred years isn't what makes you brothers, what does that say about your GLO? You would say a man who has gone through all of that is not your brother because of his choice of clothing? A man who wears a hoodie instantly is somehow inferior? Pardon me for thinking that your standards are rather superficial if that is the case.

That's one way to look at it. The only problem is that a lot of the time they haven't gone through the same experience. From rush to pledgeship their experience is not nearly as intense. In our eyes, they haven't "earned it". Maybe it's just my fraternity, who enacted a 'Balanced Man' program that's met widespread criticism for lowering the standards of admittance. I talk to friends from other schools and there we are known as "Sigma Phi Everyone" because the chapters have a reputation of bidding anyone who walks in the door.

Obviously, this is not always the case. I have friends at Northern chapters of my fraternity and other organizations that I have a great deal of respect for because of the way they conduct themselves. It's those chapters I previously described they tend to 'cheapen' I letters that I take exception to.