To all Men in Fraternities

[33girl]

Originally posted by SigEp42
Another question... We were told last year at a Greek leadership forum that we shouldn't refer to chapters as houses, because some chapters don't have houses and may be offended. What are your thoughts??

NPC has been saying this for years, and (for once) I agree. Not only because all chapters don't have houses, but because the focus/reason people pledge should be on the members (the chapter) instead of the structure (the house). It's kind of like the difference between the words "house" and "home."

[sugar and spice]

Originally posted by 33girl
NPC has been saying this for years, and (for once) I agree. Not only because all chapters don't have houses, but because the focus/reason people pledge should be on the members (the chapter) instead of the structure (the house). It's kind of like the difference between the words "house" and "home."

We were told this too -- not to use "house" to refer to the chapter because it puts too much emphasis on the structure instead of the people.

[aephi alum]

I use the term "frat" very rarely - usually only when quoting something someone has said to me. By and large, I stick to "fraternity". I even trained my non-greek husband to say "fraternity". "Frat" does have negative connotations.

I do use "house" from time to time, usually when I'm talking about fraternities and sororities collectively. I know that's strange, coming from someone from an unhoused chapter, but there you go

[enlightenment06]

We use the term "frat" regularly. Actually it's very common for one of us to say to another "wassup frat?" However the "frat boy" image is something else and not something we associate ourselves with.

[JerzeeBoy26]

Originally posted by SigEp42
I can definatly say that we hate the word frat, for all its negative connotations. I don't think I have ever heard someone use "frat" in a positive way. "Oh your just a bunch of FRAT boys," ect. I think LXAAlum put it best with his post, and we actually have a section of our national newsletter called our very own frat boys, where our national Headquarters tells us about chapters that have screwed up and how they were punished.

Another question... We were told last year at a Greek leadership forum that we shouldn't refer to chapters as houses, because some chapters don't have houses and may be offended. What are your thoughts??

all our 19 (soon to be 21) IFC fraternities have houses

[D.0.7]

I don't think that there is a need to get upset about the word frat. What i mean is alot of fraternities are not so called drug, drinking guys who skip school all the time. I think it's all in how you look at things, what will be the difference in someone calling your a fraternity. So when you think about it it's no difference at all in the word it's just how you use the term. I'm proud to be consider a frat or apart of a fraternity it's not think for me. So think about what your goal is as a organization and role with that. U feel me..lol

[fingerbang]

i joined a fraternity to be the sae true gentleman that i am...but their are many moments that make me a frat man, unruly drinking and breaking things...i sometimes try to live up to the frat boy name

[Optimist Prime]

It depends on what kind of mood I'm in and in the situation. I will call it a frat when its just me talking to some unenlightened people, but mostly call it a fraternity.

[bonelifer]

Well I'm in Kappa Kappa Psi and we(local chapter, regional chapters[esp. HBCU chapters, ours isn't one though]) use the term Frat to refer to brothers. One of the reasons I think our chapter does is one of our newly alumni members is APhiA and he'd just pointed out that it's how you say it, not how THEY(the media and anti-greek) mean it. If you are saying it to a fellow brother then there shouldn't be any negative connotation. Also, we are living in a sad condition when we allow words to dictate how we feel about ourselves and our organizations. My brothers and myself aren't drunks, we drink intelligently, but should we not drink because of the way some liberal thinks(putting out notice that I'm a moderate Democrat just so you know). When it comes down to it, me calling one of my brothers frat don't mean that I think they are fall down drunks who can't walk straight, it just is an expression or for that matter a shortening of the latin "FRATER" or "BROTHER". I leave you with a dictionary quote of the definition.

fraternity - early 14c., "body of men associated by common interest," from O.Fr. fraternité, from L. fraternitatem (nom. fraternitas), from fraternus "brotherly," from frater "brother," from PIE *bhrater. College sense is from 1840s. Fraternal is 1421, from M.L. fraternalis, from L. fraternus.

[Senusret I]

Well said, bonelifer.

[SigkapAlumWSU]

We were told last year during recruitment that we shouldn' say House, but Chapter house instead, as it refers to the structure. You would use Chapter to refer to the org itself, and so on. But I still use House on my campus, and I know a lot of other people do as well. But notice, mine is House, not house. Personally, I just see a difference. (Chapter House vs residential house)

[starang21]

"what's poppin', frat!?!!?!?"

"ay frat, who's that chick in them jeans?"

"dayum, frat.....that chick is workin' it."

common ways the word "frat" is used, lol. it's something interchangeable with "bruh." but as stated earlier, we're not frat boys, we're <insert greek letter> men. Iota men will NEVER be associated with that connotation.

[KappaKittyCat]

I didn't understand what the big deal about the word "frat" was until I became Greek. Now I understand, and it's like fingernails on a blackboard.

I love what LXAAlum and SigEp42 posted; it really does help to distinguish between a frat boy and a fraternity man. Similarly, I distinguish bewteen "sorority girl" and "sorority/fraternity woman." Don't even get me started on trying to explain to non-Greeks why Kappa is a fraternity (the etymology posted by Bonelifer comes into play there).

Anyway, I don't like the whole "country/cunt" comparison, and it seems a little silly to those who don't get it. I remember an XBF using that comparison and thinking that he was just being melodramatic. I'd more likely compare "fraternity/frat" to "ethnic group/racial slur" because that comparison truly shows how insulting some of us find the term "frat" to be.

[tangent]

Originally posted by 33girl
NPC has been saying this for years, and (for once) I agree. Not only because all chapters don't have houses, but because the focus/reason people pledge should be on the members (the chapter) instead of the structure (the house). It's kind of like the difference between the words "house" and "home."

This is a particularly touchy subject on my campus, where only one of our three NPC sororities is housed. A typical exchange goes like this. Non-LU Sorority Woman: "So, how many houses do y'all have?" Me: "One." NLSW: "But I thought you said that y'all weren't housed." Me: "Correct. We have three chapters. Only one has a house."

Or, as I often say to my university's disgruntled fraternity alumni, "I sincerely hope that you see your brotherhood as more than a pile of bricks."
[/tangent]

[1896_kai_]

Regarding the term "frat," it is split at my chapter. Some people are highly offended by this term and like to use the pharse "would you call your fraternity a frat? would you call you country a cunt?" However, some guys like to use this word. Those who use the term are the type more in the fraternity for drinking and nothing extending to brotherhood and such.

[sueali]

Here at UNLV only people who are non-greek use the word "Frat", when people use it you can tell they are not greek or are anti-greek. Terms are different on all campuses. For example we never refer to our chapters as houses because we don't have any. But, frat here is definately derogatory. I'm not sure about NPHC though.