Sororities-past & now

[SheFly]

ShootingStar - I think I went to your 1st university, albeit late 80s, early 90s. I was a co-op student, but in the Arts - not typical for that particular university . When I was there, no fraternities or sororities. I think a sorority chapter started in my 3rd or 4th year, but I wasn't interested.

And while I was there, despite the math, engineering and science focus, there was still a lot of school pride and attendance at some events - mostly basketball for some reason.

SheFly

[sfa]

I went to a Catholic women's college, so depending on how you look at it there either were no sororities at all or the whole place was one big sorority!

At the time I was pretty anti-sorority/fraternity anyway. That whole scene seemed to be part of a much older and more socially constrained time. But thinking about it now, I don't know why I was so opposed to them. I can see that it would be a good way to find your niche in a large university.

Sarah

[Crankin]

I started college here in Boston, ironically at the same school I am attending now for my second master's. Greek life in Boston in 1971? You would have been laughed out of town. We were more interested in other pursuits... .

Then I went back to FL, where I attended commuter schools, so other than the the interest type clubs I belonged to, no sororities. However, they were big at Gainesville and Tallahassee, where many of my friends went.
Then I transferred to ASU. It seemed back to the fifties to me. Lots of "Iowa girls" (no offense to anyone from Iowa, but that's what the in state students called them) in sororities who thought Tempe was the big city. I was only interested in getting my degree and getting a job.

There seems to be a regional difference here. I briefly belonged to a Jewish sorority in HS, here in MA. I had to endure a pledge night where I had to get dressed up as a football player and do all sorts of weird things in the middle of Kenmore Square, in a crowd of BU students when I was 15. I quit shortly thereafter. I did join B'nai Brith Girls in Florida, when I moved. It is really a youth group, but in the south, it was more like a sorority. We had an annual formal (I posted the picture in the what you looked like thread), but we did a lot of charity work, too. I never would have joined this if I had not moved in the middle of high school, which was extremely traumatic for me. I made some friends, was even the president for part of my senior year.
I would have liked being in the coed fraternity Deb was in.

[Triskeliongirl]

It is interesting for me to watch my kids go through this. What I have concluded is that sororities/fraternities play a much larger role at large schools than small schools.

My college (Brandeis, a medium sized liberal northeast school) had no fraternities/sororities/football team, etc. The rebel in me liked that. I got a job in a research lab as freshmen, so for me my family/social group were my fellow labmates.

My son attends a large northeast school (MIT). His experience is similar to Deb's. The school is so large, fraternities provide smaller communities within this massive intensive place. They give them a sense of family, a house to live in with a cook that makes them family style meals that they eat as a group, etc. While his fraternity is not co-ed, there is no shortage of women friends that the brothers interact with socially. My son's brothers are his friends, and I imagine they will stay friends for a very long time. As Deb said MIT is a very intense place academically, and the brothers help each other with their work. My son said he learns best by teaching, so really enjoys tutoring his classmates. So, while of course the fraternity has a social aspect to it, to me it appears to have more of a community/family/study group atmosphere.

My daugher attends a small northeaset women's liberal arts college (Wellesley). I don't think they have sororities, although they do have some sort of groups that are similar. My daughter doesn't belong to one of these, but did get involved early on in a cooperative that runs a campus cafe, and the friends she made through that became her social group. The dorms are more house like than at a school like at MIT. Each dorm has a living room, dining room, kitchens, etc. and it feels more like a frat house than a dorm, perhaps another reason sorotities aren't necessary there.

[Crankin]

Trisk, I didn't know you went to Brandeis. I just ate lunch there Wednesday..

Nice climb to the Faculty Club dining room!

[uforgot]

I had to endure a pledge night where I had to get dressed up as a football player and do all sorts of weird things in the middle of Kenmore Square, in a crowd of BU students when I was 15.

I went to college in the 70's. As a freshman I was invited to a gathering for information on joining "social" sororities. When I heard about the ridiculous pledging things you had to do I said no thank you. Not that I care if others want to do it, standing on a chair reciting the greek alphabet on the whim of others, whose only credentials are simply being a year or two older, just isn't something I would do.

[Biciclista]

I went to college in the 70's. As a freshman I was invited to a gathering for information on joining "social" sororities. When I heard about the ridiculous pledging things you had to do I said no thank you. Not that I care if others want to do it, standing on a chair reciting the greek alphabet on the whim of others, whose only credentials are simply being a year or two older, just isn't something I would do.

me too, not to mention how prominent alcohol consumption was in all of their events. I never gave either of my sons a push in either direction and was pleased when neither of them showed any interest in frats either.

[Aint Doody]

I was a "sorority girl" from '67 to '71. I think if you read Mr. Silver's post, you can conclude that it was/is more important in the South. I loved it. Still communicate with some of my sisters. In spite of the "swaps" and other parties, grades were emphasized. Pledges had to attend supervised study hall. I loved living in the house with 3 meals a day except on Sat. and Sun. But I agree that it's not for everybody.

[andtckrtoo]

I was never in a sorority, but my sister went to NC State and was. She's still friends with the girls. I sometimes wish I would have pledged, but I was such a goofy geek that I felt I did not belong.

My oldest daughter is going to San Francisco State where they do have sororities, but no houses, so hardly anyone joins. Sororities cannot have houses because of an old law on the SF books against several unmarried women living together. I guess SF had some past issues with bawdy houses. *snicker*. I think it's about time to repeal that law.

[tulip]

Deb--St. A's?

[Tuckervill]

I was never in a sorority, but my sister went to NC State and was. She's still friends with the girls. I sometimes wish I would have pledged, but I was such a goofy geek that I felt I did not belong.

My oldest daughter is going to San Francisco State where they do have sororities, but no houses, so hardly anyone joins. Sororities cannot have houses because of an old law on the SF books against several unmarried women living together. I guess SF had some past issues with bawdy houses. *snicker*. I think it's about time to repeal that law.

I heard the same thing recently about another state, which led me to check it out on snopes.com. It's an urban legend. http://www.snopes.com/college/halls/brothel.asp

Karen

[indigoiis]

I was never in a sorority, but my sister went to NC State and was. She's still friends with the girls. I sometimes wish I would have pledged, but I was such a goofy geek that I felt I did not belong.

I also went to NC State and was a little sister in a fraternity. Although most of the guys were fairly studious / serious, being a little sister meant nothing more than helping coordinate parties and events.

[sundial]

I'm a *sensitive*, introverted artist so I'm not good sorority material.

[Triskeliongirl]

me too, not to mention how prominent alcohol consumption was in all of their events. I never gave either of my sons a push in either direction and was pleased when neither of them showed any interest in frats either.

Mimi, they are not just about drinking, at least not at MIT. At MIT they even compete for which frat has the highest GPA. I am not stupid, I know they have parties with alcohol, so do lots of student groups, but I think mostly its about supporting each other personally, academically, etc.

[Biciclista]

Mimi, they are not just about drinking, at least not at MIT. At MIT they even compete for which frat has the highest GPA. I am not stupid, I know they have parties with alcohol, so do lots of student groups, but I think mostly its about supporting each other personally, academically, etc.

Depends on the school, Trisk. The school I went to (Fairleigh Dickinson U) hahaha, they had keggers.

Washington State University, any alumni want to speak up?