Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin
Would it be offensive to say it's the core of traditional Greek enterprise? You'd have to concede, your fraternity comes from a unique vantage.
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Sure, we do have a different vantage point on housing, as relatively few of our chapters are housed and nationally we don't encourage it.
And I wouldn't be offended by someone saying it's the core of the "traditional Greek experience" -- and I'll concede ours is not the "traditional Greek experience" -- but I would probably quibble a bit and ask "whose tradition?"
My father was a Kappa Sig whose chapter had no house until he was a senior (and married), and my grandfather and uncle were Betas at a school with lodges but no houses, so none of them ever lived in a chapter house.
There's no doubt that in the minds of many Greeks and non-Greeks, chapter houses are synonymous with Greek life and are part of the "Greek experience" that many students seek. But when I quibble, I'm thinking of things like:
- Fraternities had been around for quite a while before chapter houses became a common feature of fraternity life;
- There are campuses that don't have fraternity and/or sorority housing, even among groups (primarily NIC or NPC) for whom housing is common;
- Even on campuses where houses are common, there are often unhoused chapters of (NIC and NPC) groups*;
- Many if not most housed chapters have members who don't live in house;
- Many housed chapters rent, either from their college or from someone else, so in those cases the housing has nothing to do with providing GLOs with money to re-invest in themselves; and
- Housing is not the norm for NPHC groups.
My quibble is that I don't think housing association aspects of Greek life can be considered "core" if the groups for whom it is common allow and support unhoused chapters. "Core" implies "at the heart of what we're about," so if housing is "core," then unhoused chapters can't live up to what is at the heart of what their orgs are about.
It seems to me that the "core" of the Greek enterprise is brotherhood/sisterhood based on shared allegiance to certain values, principles or ideals. Without a doubt, chapter housing can foster and support that brotherhood or sisterhood. But it can exist without it. That's what I was getting at.
* Granted, these chapters are often working toward housing, but while the lack of housing may affect their competitiveness, does it keep them from fully experiencing brotherhood or sisterhood?
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