A fraternity is a men's student organization, formed chiefly for social purposes having secret rites and a name consisting of Greek letters. Fraternities get a lot of bad publicity, as with the hazing problems at U.T. Many people think of guys involved in fraternities as stupid, drunken fools running around pulling pranks and partying, but there is another side to fraternities that many people do not see. Fraternities do have plenty of social events, but they also participate in a lot of philanthropy, service projects, and other school and community related events. In order to join a fraternity, you need to sign up for rush in the first weeks of school. During “pre-rush,” there are many parties and events put on by all fraternities so you can get to know them better. Then, there is a week called formal “rush”, when you go to all the different fraternity houses and decide where you want to go and find out who wants you. After formal rush, the fraternity calls you and gives you a bid. If you accept, you are now pledging that you want to join that fraternity. Pledgeship is different for all fraternities. Some have a longer pledgeship, a harder pledgeship, and some have none at all. After you complete pledgeship and get initiated, you then become an active member.For a long time, fraternities have faced three main social issues: hazing, alcohol, and sexual harassment. The national fraternity organizations and individual schools have been cracking down on violations for hazing. There have been many reports of death or serious injury due to excessive hazing. Sometimes, the rules are ridiculous. Take SFA for example; carrying a pledge book around campus is considered “hazing”. Also, members of fraternities drink substantially more alcohol than non-members. Even though there are more opportunities to do so, I would say that is mostly the fault of the individual, because they are choosing to...
