From: producer@maple.circa.ufl.edu
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.college,soc.college
Subject: Re: still more practical jokes
Date: 11 Apr 92 00:27:49 GMT
Reply-To: PRODUCER%oak.decnet@pine.circa.ufl.edu
Organization: The CIRCA Underground

>
>>I find the bad reps fraternities have very interesting. They do a lot of 
>>community service work. They are involved in campus activities. They generally
>>make life more interesting in a positive way, at least on my campus. I admit
>>my opinions are biased, because I am a Phi Delt. However, I can safely say we 
>>have never served someone so much alcohol that they were close to alcohol
>>poisoning, our pledge program is designed not to humiliate new people into 
>>tears, but to help them in their quest for adulthood. We do not attack, degrade
>>hate or harass women. All we are is a group of friends running a club. You
>>may not like that, I don't care. You may say we are elitist; we are. On the 
>>other hand, so are a *lot* of other clubs on campus. We have the right to
>>be elitist, It's guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and in the 
>>American constitution. You may say we are sexist; we are. On the other hand,
>>so are sororities, and many women's groups. Once again we have the right to 
>>exclude whoever we want. If you don't like it, too bad. It's that old
>>Freedom of Association thing again. The only difference is that we know things
>>about our organization the  general public does not know, and we put new 
>>members through an initiation. I'm not going to tell you what we do, but I'll
>>tell you that *every* sports team I have ever heard of has put their members
>>through a lot more hell than I ever would have endured to become a Phi Delt.
>>I expect that the flames are going to fly fast and thick after this posting.
>>I'd recommend you email them, since I don't often get a chance to read this 
>>group. 
>>> -- 
>>> Ted Frank          + "There are different Klans, just like there are different
>>> 1307 E 60 St, #109 +  fraternities in college." -- David Duke/// "This is what
>>> U o' C Law Skool   +  a fraternity is about, we take people and put them in
>>> Chi, IL 60637      +  one room and say 'You will become friends!'" -- AH Betts
>[...]
>>If your posting was serious (which I doubt), then I apologise
>
>>Mike
>>01sybok@ac.dal.ca
>
>Just for the record at Brandeis the Student Union Constitution forbids
>chartered clubs from restricting membership and charging dues of its
>members. 
>
>As for frats my personal opinion of them is that i don't buy my
>friends. It seems that a frat is a bunch of guys to insecure to try
>and make friends at random. Therefore a group is formed with the
>licence to exclude anyone they like as so that its members will know
>exactly who there friends are.
>
>I DO NOT BUY MY FRIENDS!
>
>time for the asbestos flame shields!!!
>
>--Zach
>
>   Zachary Kessin               
> ZKessin@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu  / real.world: I don't think the    |
> (617)736-5878                 /   news server gets that group!    |
>>

I love it when people say 'i dont want to join a Fraternity because I don't
buy my friends.' That is probably the most insipid remark anyone canmake. 
In what way does a Fraternity man 'buy' his friends? 

Maybe by paying dues? Gee, in my Fraternity, Sigma Pi, our dues go to
pay for our house. And our parties. And all the stuff we get from our
national office. New initiate deposits are used to pay for manuals
to educate (usually freshmen) about our Fraternity and the ways of the world.
This is the same at all the other Fraterniies I know of. 

If you want to get into the bs about good/vs bad, if it werent for the greeks
on my campus, there would be a lot of dead people right now, we provide more
blood than any other organization(s) in the state. We are constantly
trying to out-do eachother raising funds for our charities, etc...

Any real Fraternity has completely eliminated all 'hazing'. you don't have
to denegrate a man just to make him one of your brothers. Just once I'd like
to get the real story as to why all those ROTC cadets run around campus at
3:00 in the morning in full battle gear with their rifles over their heads.