British Fraternity

[PhoenixAzul]

I did my undergrad in the states and in Northern Ireland, and I'm doing my postgrad in Scotland right now, just so you know where I'm coming from.

I really have to wonder if Greek Life could take off in Britain the same way it did in the states. What i see as the difference between British and American universities is that British universities maybe lack something of the "community cohesion" (speaking broadly here, of course) and a sense of campus identity that American universities have. I think in the US this derives from everyone living in close quarters (its not unusual for students to live on campus, in halls of res. for all 4 years) and basically living and breathing the university for 4 years. What I've felt in the UK is that, yeah, I go to University of ......, but that doesn't mean a whole lot aside from what's printed on my parchment. Meanwhile in the states, if I said, "yeah, I go to Ohio State/Pitt/insert big university here", people associate an identity with those schools...its very strange.

Now, that being said, I think that Fraternity and Sorority life could be very beneficial to the university community in the UK. It would provide students from far away (both home/eu and non) with a support system that's independent from the uni. It could involve students in their university and the community at large (and ease the "town and gown" problems that sometimes occur). I think it could help with the fact that, aside from us woeful postgrads and our research, universities tend to be empty during the weekends.

So yes, go forth and fraternize! Check with your student union on the rules/regs/paperwork for forming new organizations before you go charging headlong, because the last thing you want to get held up on is a technicality. Work the student media as well, it will raise your profile and get people asking questions. In future years, you could use fresher's week to gain interest (by doing community work, not the rest of the debauchery that happens during that week)!

oh, and check your private messages!