August 27, 2003
Suggestive of Stupidity
Ah! Berkeley in the fall time. School's just started. Confused freshman running amock with their heads buried in campus maps. Old friends reuniting after a summer of being apart from each other. And amidst all this positive energy is the one downer that plagues year-round. The stupid people out recruiting for their stupid groups that no one but stupid people will join. Of particular note are the idiots from illicit fraternities and sororities walking around Sproul Plaza as if they were in a bad rap music video from the late nineties, projecting an image of "cool" that no longer exists. It is these dumbshits that I will choose to focus my rather concentrated anger on for today. This is a topic I've remained silent on for a couple of years now, primarily because the issue was nothing more than a minor annoyance that nagged me every autumn and then stopped as soon as rush week ended, but finally I decided that I could be taciturn no longer. Something had to be said!
First, let me make sure you all know exactly who I am referring to when I say idiots. I'm talking about the guys out there on Sproul Plaza with glossy fliers for parties that are only passed out to a certain type of person, with the expectation being that only a certain type of person will attend these parties. Know who I'm talking about? No? Let me add to the description. These guys also bring out crappy boomboxes and lines of motorcycles to Sproul Plaza to once again flaunt how wonderfully "cool" and masculine they really are. If you ask me, a 6 foot inflatable penis would probably serve the same purpose and be no less overcompensatory, but that's just me. And if you're looking for the truth, a pink child's bicycle with training wheels and streamers would probably be more indicative of reality anyway.
Ok, let's just forgive them for the crappy stereos, the cheesy rap music, and the ostentatious display of power. You still have to deal with the "representatives" themselves. Take today for instance. It was a nice day. By that, I mean it was around 80-85 degrees Farenheit around midday. When I walked onto Sproul Plaza around this time, I was greeted by the site of many such "representatives" wearing jeans, black boots, full-sleeve shirts, and BLACK JACKETS sporting the insignia of their respective organization. Now let me ask this: What exactly am I supposed to gather from this little spectacle? How cool you are, because you wear winter clothing during the height of summer (no pun intended)? Because for me, when I see someone wearing long-sleeves and a black jacket when it's 80 degrees out, it just indicates that they are so stupid, that they don't even realize that by removing the jacket, they will probably perspire less and thus, be less likely to dissolve all the gel in their hair. Furthermore, what purpose does having a woman dressed as if though she belonged in "Pretty Woman" serve, for either the fraternities or sororities? For fraternities, it sends a message that if you join, you can have sex with prostitutes! I'm sure every guy who sees this, is like "Awesome! Sex with prostitutes, without paying! Just what I was looking for!" For sororities, it says, "Join our organization and you can become a sexual object for many horny college age men." I'm sure most women see this and are like "Sweet! Being objectified and abused by men who need to bring motorcycles to Sproul Plaza to prove how masculine they are. Just what I wanted to do here at Berkeley!"
This display of utter stupidity then brings into mind a different question. What image, in fact, are these folks trying to project? Is it the "cool" guy look failing miserably because of incompetence, or are they in fact trying to attract morons into their organization. Looking at it from this alternate perspective sheds new light on the story. Now the bad stereos and the crappy music make sense. Now the long line of motorcycle and scantily clad women fits in completely. Maybe these guys aren't trying (and failing) to look cool at all! Maybe they are trying to ATTRACT idiots into their organizations. That would explain a lot, now wouldn't it?
Rohit! I just read your blog... I'm sorry that you feel that way about Greeks.
Some interesting Facts
*Although Greeks represent 12% of the population at cal, over 50% of all
alumni donations to this university are from former Greeks. Interesting? Read on…
*40 of 47 Supreme Court Justices since 1910 were Fraternity men
*All but 3 US Presidents since 1900 are Greek
*Fraternity and Sorority members have a higher rate of graduation from college than do their non-member Counterparts
*63% of US Cabinet members since 1900 belong to a Fraternity or Sorority
*85% of Fortune 500 Executives are former Greeks
There is much more to the Greek system than what you've seen on Sproul, even in among Greeks that hand out flyers about big parties and may exaggerate their self worth. Greeks develop a brother/sisterhood unrivaled by most other student organizations, not to mention extraordinary leadership skills, as evident from the statistics you've read above. How many times have your parents told that connects get you your foot in the door, connects bring you those golden opportunities after college? The Greek system not only offers you connections within your own chapter, but it also offers connections among alumni, national chapters, and other Greeks.
As a member of my chapter, I have had the opportunity to manage a $60,000 budget (and that's a small one compared to most chapters). After learning how to budget $60,000, managing a family of four seems a bit easier. I've learned how to install my own plumbing, wire electricity, and work with city officials from UCPD, the Fire Department, and the University. I could write a book longer than Harry Potter #5 telling you what I and many of my brothers have learned, but I'll stop here. The Greek System allows you to learn from the mistakes you've made when you are young so that you won't make them when you enter the real world. Living in a fraternity has taught me more than how to tap a keg and chug a beer... We work hard and we play hard.
One of the most amazing aspects of the Greek System at Cal is that our Alumni own our houses, which means they charge us dirt cheap rent. They only charge us enough money to maintain our house. While most other Cal students are paying $600 a month to live in double near campus, we pay $600 a month for a double, internet access, dinners 5x a week, $400 on Costco a week, brotherhood trips (skiing, tahoe, vegas), parties, our rush event, and more. This alone makes being a greek an affordable experience available to everyone.
Why does recruitment seem so trivial? Look at it from our perspective. How do you attract members to your organization? We could put more emphasis on brotherhood and leadership, but that's not going to attack a many members. Instead, Greeks throw parties, offer free food, and maybe even have scantily clad women. The point is to show the fun aspect of greek life. Only once you have become a member do you see the more valuable aspects of greek life, namely developing confidence and friends for life.
I'm not just speaking for my organization, I speak for all fraternities and sororities--even those ones on Sproul that you may annoy you. Part of the reason why people look, act, and dress that way is that they have developed a new found confidence. I feel that the most valuable skill that the Greek system teaches its members is confidence. Whether that is confidence to speak up against another brother during a meeting, confidence to go dance with a girl, or confidence to start up a new business in the future, the Greek system has developed a way producing successful men and women. There must be something beyond the leather jackets and hard pledging that makes turns these seemingly trivial young men and women into successful adults in the future.. Who knows, those "idiots" that Greeks attract may be the next Fortune 500 CEO.
Posted by John | August 28, 2003 00:05:14 -0700 | Permalink
"We could put more emphasis on brotherhood and leadership, but that's not going to attack a many members. Instead, Greeks throw parties, offer free food, and maybe even have scantily clad women. The point is to show the fun aspect of greek life."
====but wouldn't you rather admit the kind of pledges that WOULD be attracted to things like brotherhood and leadership? why would you be willing to take whoever is lured in by the beer and food and barely dressed women? For a defense of the Greek system, this could have been done much better.
Posted by Lora | August 31, 2003 20:45:41 -0700 | Permalink
I couldn't agree more with your comments about fraternity/sorority life. Most of the guys belonging to fraternities are socially inept morons and mindless drones who wander the world lost and confused about who they really are. Did I mention that they're also flaming imbesoles with the IQ of room temperature? Sororieties on the other hand, are full of stupid, shallow, sleazy women who will throw themselves at any guy/girl/farm animal they see. They think that life is all about going to parties so they can get wasted and take part in some ritualistic orgy full of people that I often refer to as "walking STD's" and unfortunately, going to theses lame social gatherings and getting intoxicated is their only way of filling the empty void in their meaningless, pathetic lives. Eventually, these bastards will graduate (keyword: "eventually")and be forced to face the world outside these protective shells they've created for themselves and realize that their social cliques don't mean anything to people that actually matter.
Posted by Manjula | October 11, 2003 15:52:39 -0700 | Permalink