The Wake

Stereotype. It’s almost a four-letter word, so dreaded in our politically correct culture. Yet somehow everyone has one. There’s the computer major who likes to play Dungeons and Dragons. The self-righteous journalism student convinced their pen will uncover the next Watergate. The rich frat boy with a closet full of plaid shirts, white hats, and custom-made beer bongs. The sorority girl swathed in pearls, spending Daddy’s money to buy her friends.

I recently had the chance to challenge these last two stereotypes by sitting down with some University of Minnesota students involved in the Greek community and proud of it (pearls and white hats were nowhere to be found). Talking with them gave me a chance to take a closer look at what being a Greek means and where my stereotypes come from.

Myth #1: Pearls and Sweater Sets

Abby Weinandt, a junior at the “U” and a member of the Panhellenic Council (governing body for “U” sororities) said the women she has met through her sorority are a lot different than the stereotypical sister in pearls.

“There is every type of girl in sororities,” Weinandt, who preferred not to disclose the name of her sorority during rush, said. “I’ve learned that people who aren’t just like you have a lot to offer, some of my best friends are people I probably wouldn’t have hung out with if they weren’t in the sorority,” Weinandt added.

Myth #2: Friendship Dues

Paul Horner, president of the Interfraternity Council on campus said that it bothers him when people think members of fraternities are paying for their friends.

“You’re paying for programming and pooling your resources together,” Horner said, “not paying for friends.”

But doesn’t that mean you have to be rich to join a fraternity or sorority?

Horner and Weinandt both emphasized there are ways to ease the cost including scholarships from the individual chapters as well as from the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Council.

“There are always ways around financial difficulties,” Weinandt said.

Myth #3: Wanna go upstairs?

Aren’t all frat boys and sorority girls hooking up all the time, each weekend bringing with it chances of new conquests?

Horner explained that Greeks are often very visible because they might wear a hat or sweatshirt with a chapter name it. Horner said he thinks people see one situation and make generalizations about the entire Greek community.

Horner assured me that Greeks hook up no more than the average college student, or at least he doesn’t.

Myth #4: Animal House

“There is a myth that all Greek life is, is people with a lot of money sitting around drinking all the time. I don’t really have time for that. There probably are people like that in frats and sororities, but there are people who are like that who aren’t in frats and sororities as well,” Weinandt said.

Sororities can’t have parties and have a no drinking on or near campus for the first two weeks of school during recruitment, she added.

Horner agreed with Weindandt that it is not all about drinking.

“If a guy wants to specifically join for the alcohol we don’t want him. He wouldn’t be good for the fraternity or the community,” Horner said.

Giving back to the community is listed in almost any fraternity or sorority bio and the newly revamped Begreek website boasts that last year the University of Minnesota’s Greek organizations gave $52,000 and 6,400 hours of community service to different causes.

So next time you see a frat boy chugging beer at the bar take a closer look, maybe he’s just blowing some steam off after a long day of giving back to the community.