Dial ‘G’ for Greek: Fraternity, not a Frat!

When many students first enter college, they have an immediate formed opinion in regards to the Greek system, especially when it comes to fraternities. Sometimes these views are extremely negative, painting the male side of the Greek system as a bunch of drunken, sex-starved jerks whose one goal is the search for the next big party. While I cannot deny that these individuals exist, let me make it clear that these people are not true members of a fraternity. They are members of a frat.

I suppose at this point you may think I’m an idiot. I mean come on, aren’t a fraternity and frat the same thing? No, they are not and never will be the same thing. They may be similar in certain ways but upon closer inspection the differences couldn’t be clearer. As a man who considers himself a part of a great fraternity I will attempt to illustrate the key factors that separate the two.

First and foremost, a fraternity is not just a bunch of guys living together; it is a brotherhood. The members of a fraternity are composed of fun but responsible college students. They are driven to succeed in their majors and meet their fraternity’s social and charity goals. These experiences help draw them together and form a bond that goes beyond mere friendship.

A frat, on the other hand, is merely a bunch of guys living under the same roof, using their status as a “fraternity” to have a party house. They rarely participate in campus or Greek activities, and are more likely to host unsupervised parties. Don’t get me wrong, fraternities are known to have fun from time to time, but they handle it in a manner that keeps their guests safe as well.

In essence, a fraternity is the kind of place you’d tell your parents about with pride, whereas a frat you keep quiet about for fear of shaming them. So from now on, I hope you’ll be careful in regards to which houses you assign the label of “frat”. True members of a fraternity hate it with a passion.