What makes Greek life "hot" in the south?

[SWTXBelle]

First, what is my award for rendering PhiGam speechless?

I'm not sure if the "real pledgeship" remark is addressed to me - but what do you know of northern chapter's pledgeships? Rumor, hearsay? You've already said you don't mix with northern chapters, so I'm curious as to where you are getting the information which informs your opinion of these northern (perhaps western, too) chapters.
Shouldn't pledgeship be the same for all chapters - I believe HQs certainly strive for a certain uniformity in their programming. Admittedly, my experience with fraternity pledgeship is only being married to the president of a local as became a colony and then a chapter of Sigma Chi - so HQ ran the program.
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?

[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]

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.

[srmom]

Basically what it all boils down to is the fact that the lower the average income is, the larger the social class division gap is.

Uggh..

Snobby McSnobberson, you are in college right? You BASICALLY have never earned your own money and are living off of your parents. Quit with the I'm so classy and rich, because a) classy people do not talk about how much better they are than others, and b) really rich people do not talk about how rich they are - they've been raised better than that.

[sasquatch]

Originally Posted by srmom

Uggh..

Snobby McSnobberson, you are in college right? You BASICALLY have never earned your own money and are living off of your parents. Quit with the I'm so classy and rich, because a) classy people do not talk about how much better they are than others, and b) really rich people do not talk about how rich they are - they've been raised better than that.

I never said anything about my own financial situation. What you quoted is true and everyone here knows it.

[ComradesTrue]

Originally Posted by srmom

Uggh..

Snobby McSnobberson, you are in college right? You BASICALLY have never earned your own money and are living off of your parents. Quit with the I'm so classy and rich, because a) classy people do not talk about how much better they are than others, and b) really rich people do not talk about how rich they are - they've been raised better than that.

Applause.

Thank you, srmom.

[sasquatch]

I'm not sure what I said that was so offensive, but whatever.

[skylark]

Originally Posted by sasquatch

I'm not sure what I said that was so offensive, but whatever.

The fact that you don't see how offensive it is illustrates further that it was meant with the most sincerely offensive assumptions possible.

Ask yourself this... if you think your brotherhood should be exclusive to only the *right* types of men (i.e. men from a certain wealth bracket because you think this corrollates to class) then what more is your brotherhood then a country club? And why should anyone in your fraternity feel "chosen" based on them as individuals v. their parents money?

To me, the fraternity or sorority that ignores wealth (besides the ability to pay dues) is the FAR SUPERIOR organization because it judges people based on who they actually are, rather than how much of their parents money is coming along with them.

Perhaps you and some of the other southern fraternity men in this thread could learn an important lesson on brotherhood from your brothers up north. My guess is that they wouldn't hesitate to acknowledge you as their unconditional brother like you have with them.

[sasquatch]

I was answering in the context of the original question. I wasn't saying it's better or worse, just that people (greek or non greek) view Greek life entirely different in the South for that reason. Most people here in the South who have little to no knowledge of Greek life don't view members of fraternities and sororities as drunken slobs, but as huge SUV driving, trust fund having rich kids. I'm not saying it's always true and I'm not saying it makes it better, I'm just saying that in the minds of non-Greeks that's how it's viewed. Therefore it's more respected by the community as a whole, because these kids are viewed (and are) as the future of the community (the lawyers-turned-judges, local politicians, doctors, mayors). I was answering the question in regards to why it is viewed in an entirely different light for the most part, by the communities as a whole. Hope that clears some things up.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by srmom

Uggh..

Snobby McSnobberson, you are in college right? You BASICALLY have never earned your own money and are living off of your parents. Quit with the I'm so classy and rich, because a) classy people do not talk about how much better they are than others, and b) really rich people do not talk about how rich they are - they've been raised better than that.

This quote should be the welcome message when some GCers log on.

More than that, that poster actually boasted about the social class divide in an area. Someone has taken his Future Capitalists of America membership way too seriously and has failed to use his brain.

[bowsandtoes]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

This quote should be the welcome message when some GCers log on.

More than that, that poster actually boasted about the social class divide in an area. Someone has taken his Future Capitalists of America membership way too seriously and has failed to use his brain.

You seem overly bitter. Is it our fault that we're better of? No, and I take pride in my family's wealth, especially because my father worked so hard to put us where we are. I plan on working just as hard to make sure we maintain or exceed our current situation. I also plan on using every connection I have (through school, fraternity, or any means) to make that happen. For that reason, the reputation and prestige of the fraternity mean a lot to me, as does the exclusivity. Does that make me an asshole? Probably in your eyes, but I really don't care, so long as my children have more opportunities than I did, just like my father made sure I was able to do many of the things he couldn't when he was my age.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by bowsandtoes

You seem overly bitter. Is it our fault that we're better of?

I guess I am supposedly bitter because your class standing and family background differs from mine? Certainly no one who comes from money or education would be critical of caplitalism.

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by srmom

Uggh..

Snobby McSnobberson, you are in college right? You BASICALLY have never earned your own money and are living off of your parents. Quit with the I'm so classy and rich, because a) classy people do not talk about how much better they are than others, and b) really rich people do not talk about how rich they are - they've been raised better than that.

Golly and you are getting the fact now?

Read some of the above posts!

[srmom]

What y'all don't get is how you come off sounding. Bows and Toes, I'm sure if your dad read your last post, he'd cringe at much of what you say. You are young, and you don't understand nuance.

When you talk about wealth and exclusivity, it sounds ridiculous to me because you have earned nothing - your father has. It is great that you respect him, I'm sure he appreciates it. But, I'm also sure he would be disappointed if he knew that he had created a monster - a snob.

I was raised to appreciate where I was, what I had, and where I came from, but to never look down on others because it is a short fall with a few mis-steps. I hope I have instilled the same values in my children. I'll tell you that the first time I hear any ticky-tacky, classless garbage coming out of any of their mouths, will be the last!

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by srmom

What y'all don't get is how you come off sounding. Bows and Toes, I'm sure if your dad read your last post, he'd cringe at much of what you say. You are young, and you don't understand nuance.

Maybe not. Bowsandtoes got it from somewhere.

But he might even be playing a character so take all of this with a grain of salt.