Sororities and Fraternities - Scary or Awesome?

I haven’t joined a sorority, and I’m still trying to figure out that question for myself. The closest I’ve gotten to understanding this vast topic is an addictive application called Sorority Life on Facebook =/.

Given, there are obvious perks: connections leading to popularity, special events and character building, and having a group to confide in. The older members will also give you advice and support. Yet, it can be a big time and money commitment and there are still pressures to fit in. You have probably heard that each sorority and fraternity has a special initiation ceremony for new members. You have also probably heard about the extreme circumstances where newcomers must endure terrible things. I can’t say this is common or not, but the thought that new members have wanted to fit in so badly that they were a victim of hazing is a scary thought.

I also have to address the “stereotype” associated with sororities and fraternities. They are usually made up of the popular girls and jocks, who may be conceited, and generally have bad (partying, drinking, and promiscuous) reputations. Although I do see this pretty often, I do not necessarily think that everyone is like that. I actually think it depends on the college. If you go to a tech school like RIT, sororities and fraternities still have their popular people with bad reputations, but they also seem to be made up of intelligent people.

Even still, I have a few friends who joined sororities and they love it. One of my friends had been missing home for a while, and she told me that it helped her feel like she belonged at her college. The few things that I learned from my friends about sororities are follows: You don’t need to rush right at the beginning of your freshman year, because there is a considerable amount of sophomores who rush. I’m fairly certain RIT has two rush processes, one in the fall and one in the spring. Then there’s a process where houses pick which girls they want, and send them an invitation. If a girl gets more than one invitation, she can decide which one to join. Plus, there are all these codes and members you need to memorize, and fees to pay.

I’m still not sure if I will join a sorority or not, but I have some time to think about it. For now, I think I’m content playing Sorority Life.