This NY Times article takes an in-depth look at the cost of sorority membership, even past the initial chapter and pledge fees. Personally, I've never really considered myself a "sorority" type, and don't plan to rush sororities in college. However, since college is (probably) looming in the nearby future, I thought this might be an interesting subject to touch on.
According to the article, sorority members are fined for various membership "obligations," like "non-resident house and parlor fees, " dues, and required sorority merchandise (pin and "letter jersey"). Adding on the pressures of chapter social events and the stigma (and sometimes financial cost) of not attending these events, greek life seems to take its toll both time-wise, energy-wise, and money-wise. From what I can gather, the average sorority sister can spend a couple thousand dollars per year just on additional fees. This article from the Daily Pennsylvanian gives good charts and images breaking down this cost. Honestly, this "attend-or-pay" kind of obligation freaks me out a little, almost as if sorority members are being forced into this image of socially active, charitable, happy members of society. I guess most members want to participate in these activities anyway, but I would feel restricted if I was required to attend and fined for being late or not showing up. Maybe I'm being too cynical because I tend to reject anything that I feel impedes on my freedom of choice in any way... but then again, maybe not?
For 18-24 year old students (introduced to the greek scene as "'starry-eyed' freshmen"), especially those who are financially needy, this sorority system seems a little discriminatory. Plus, from the language of the NY Times article, it seems like many student put this financial burden on their parents. However, the benefits of joining sororities should also be accounted for as part of this "cost." "Big" sisters spend a good chunk of money on "little" sisters, and having an almost automatic community and support system at a big university sounds pretty appealing to young students. From what I've heard from friends and family, greek life can be a pretty great way of transitioning into college, and many life-long friends come out of living with your "sisters" for years and years.
Do you think joining a sorority is worth it, considering the costs and benefits?
Should fees for not attending events be allowed?
Some chapter have instituted caps on the money allowed to be spent on "little" sisters... what are your thoughts?
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6 comments:
I have never considered nor intend to join a sorority, mostly due to the mentioned financial costs of being a part of one. But, as Regina mentioned, it is a good way to build a network of friends and support during a time of transition for many people. Due to this network of people, it would be easier for someone involved in Greek life to get connections for important things such as jobs or internships. These connections can pay off in the long run, but I think you have to think about the present consequence of joining as well. As for the fees, I think they're ridiculous. I think that if you go to college, you're there to learn, not party. So I think it's unfair to charge those who don't show up to events.
I'm not sure that this article is giving a representative view of sororities as a whole, but of a more extreme case. Though news article comments are generally less reliable than articles by qualified journalists, the general consensus in the comments paints a vastly different picture than the one painted by the author. Given the larger sample size of the comments, they can paint a more accurate picture of sororities as a whole.
Yes, only those who hold their opinions more strongly tend to make comment posts. However, that applies to both ends, and given the vastly higher concentration of comments that paint sororities in a more positive light, instead of a money-draining, schoolwork-interfering, commitment, I don't think it would be accurate to broadly characterize sororities in the way the author of the article does.
Yes, some sororities on the more extreme end may end up being like what the author describes. However, they seem to be the exception, not the norm. Researching sororities and talking with past and present members would still be necessary to ensure that the sorority fits you, and that it doesn't fall into the extreme of the spectrum described in the article.
I think the cost of joining a sorority (or fraternity) really depends on whether the school has a big greek presence or not. If there are plenty of alternatives to joining a sorority, then the cost must go down in order to attract people. However, if greek life is really the only viable way to have a social life at a school, then they can obviously charge whatever they like (within reason). Also, if sororities and fraternities are responsible for creating the social life, they obviously need to raise more funds to pay for parties and events.
This is one reason why I didn't want to go to a big sorority school. I didn't want one group of people have that much influence over the social scene.
Truthfully I don't really see the point of a sorority/fraternity. If you want to meet new people, there are many other ways, such as joining sports or clubs. Dorm roommates often become like a family, too. I would prefer meeting people through common interests. It seems that the only benefit of joining a sorority is making fast friends, but there's no guarantee that they will even become good friends or that the friendships will last. And the always-present topic of money. As the article states, many sorority members have had to drop out due to overbearing costs. It demonstrates that even the most dedicated of sorority members thought their academics and funds were more important than sustaining their sorority membership. I believe that college students should put academics first when making such decisions, but that sororities should be required by the university to detail the possible fees that a membership entails, so at least the potential members are aware how much they would gain and lose.
I definitely agree with many of the comments made. I think that Greek life can help people who need adjustment whether it's a big or small school. Greek life does take over some schools, such as USC, and thus makes not being in Greek life at that school "social suicide" which is of course ridiculous. There is definitely a stigma around Greek life of it being for dumb jock and cheerleader types which is think can be misleading because I know plenty of people in great and intelligence focused sororities. However, I think that the Greek life can also be very toxic because the parties and events that the members are sometimes required to attend are often full of alcohol, drugs, and other potentially dangerous activities that can be brought to a level that new members arent used to from high school. Also, there are a lot of issues with serious and disgusting hazing that happens in both sororities and fraternities. Of course, this does not happen in all of them and it can be a very positive experience, when thinking about Greek life one shouldn't just think about the monetary costs.
Greek life can really suck for a multitude of reasons. One thing that I think should be added is that there has been an issue with racism in Alabama at some sororities, so there is racial discrimination present too (though, I think the southern big state university greek culture (like LSU, UGA, U of Alabama) is different from the greek culture of the colleges that most AHS students attend). I think that joining a frat or sorority is worth it if there is no viable other option (there are many places (see here: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/most-sororities) where over 65% of the student body is in greek life, and when you consider the fact that most freshman aren't in fraternities, if you don't join one at some point at these places, I feel like there is a social disadvantage). Furthermore, I read an interesting article in the Atlantic (I believe they also did a pretty extensive article on this last year) a while ago (http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/02/18-us-presidents-were-in-college-fraternities/283997/) that argues that Greek life has certain benefits for its members beyond college, like leadership capabilities. Did you know that 85% of SCOTUS justices since the year 1910 have been involved in Greek life? Think about that when you think of the stereotypical frat bro next time. So, in all, I don't think that I personally would choose to go Greek, but I think that it makes sense for some people. That isn't to say the way frats operate doesn't need to change -- I really think it does -- but you can't say some people shouldn't be allowed to join. I think the fees are stupid and breed this culture where partying is mandatory.
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