College-bound freshmen face personal decision to Greek
by Randy Johnson, reporter

    Many students transferring to larger universities this fall will consider joining a fraternity.

    Fraternities have been a part of university life for generations, and for generations, they have been the focus of mixed views and ideas.
    Started during the Civil War at the University of Miami (Ohio), fraternities were created as a way to rebel against the strict authoritative codes of the University.

    Fed up with the school’s laws and restrictions, an elite group of students sneaked out of their dorm rooms one night and barricaded the doors of all the buildings with giant mounds of snow, trapping the faculty inside. Called the Snowball Rebellion, this action triggered the start of the first fraternity.

    Since then, fraternities have rapidly spread across the country becoming a giant part of university life, promoting such values as integrity, honor and brotherhood. Many believe, however, that these groups are promoting no such thing.

    At the forefront of dissatisfaction with the Greek system is the practice of hazing. Hazing has been a part of fraternities in the United States since their beginnings. It originated as a bonding activity among pledges and between pledges and fraternity brothers.

   Hazing began as harmless pranks or requirements to recite mottos, sing special songs or answer questions posed by an active.
    In the last several years, the practice has turned to outright public humiliation and, sometimes, dangerous requirements.

    According to several Greek organizations and governing bodies, hazing is basically any act that someone would be embarrassed to take part in or that degrades another human being.

    The hazing has become so severe in recent years that 42 of the United States have passed anti-hazing laws (which define hazing and activities that are considered hazing and name the legal ramifications if the person doing the hazing comes before a court of law).

    Although many states and Greek organizations have banned hazing, the practice still exists. Pledges may be sent on scavenger hunts in which they are required to perform humiliating actions, hold hands in pairs as they walk across campus, run rough trails in the dark or interrupt academic lecture classes by singing songs or teaching golf lessons. Some groups deprive pledges of food and/or sleep.

    According to research by journalist Hank Nuwer in 1990, hazing has been associated with more than 50 deaths in college fraternities and countless physical injuries including paralysis.

    In the last three years, the Texas Greek system has been the center for many controversies. In 1999 the Phi Delta Theta Chapter at The University of Texas at Austin was closed because of hazing incidents where pledges were allegedly given electric shocks.

    Last year, Theta Chi fraternity at the University of North Texas (UNT) was closed down because of a hazing incident that resulted in serious injury for one student.

    Earlier this year Kappa Alpha Chapter at UNT was also closed when fraternity members shouted racist comments at high school football players who were touring the campus with their parents.

    Despite the criticism fraternities have been getting, many students still believe in the Greeks and believe that the criticism has been undeserved.

    “I think that fraternities are taking such a hard jolt lately because the media only wants to report on the Greek system’s negative points,” Matt Allen, UNT Phi Delt president, said.

    “Where are they when we are doing positive things around the community?” he asked.

    Even though fraternities were developed to promote brotherhood and integrity, many students get into fraternities for other aspects.

    “All I ever got out of a fraternity were a good party, a lot of alcohol and hot looking chicks,” Ryan Johnson, Tarelton Delta Chi, said.

    “The rest of it was a bunch of cheesy lies made up to get the community and school off our backs,” he said.

    As many students leave high school or community colleges this fall for four-year universities, they will be forced to deal with the complexities of that all-too-familiar universal question: To go Greek or not to go Greek?

    “I can’t tell you whether or not a fraternity is a good or bad choice because in my experiences with the Greek system, I’ve dealt with both sides of the issue,” Johnson said.

    “Basically, however, it just depends on who you are and how well you know yourself,” he said.