Two weeks ago, I wrote about my first impressions on fraternity life. This week, I'd like to expose the side of fraternity life you couldn't see in Animal House.
I think one has to admit that when it comes to presenting our face to the world, greeks in general are consistently successful at one thing: putting our worst foot forward. Young men and women across the country come to know us not by what we stand for but by often overblown myths of debauchery.
This is quite unfortunate because properly run greek societies would be the perfect complement to Duke's increasingly serious academic environment. For those who value balance in their lives, a fraternity can serve as a valuable college experience.
At the risk of appearing like I am a shameless self-promoter, I'll offer up my own fraternity as an example.
Every Friday afternoon we meet for lunch with our faculty adviser, a professor emeritus of English, who gives us valuable perspectives on a range of topics broader and more diverse than you'd think possible. In addition to the regular weekly meetings that we use to run the group, we schedule a mid-week brother dinner to give everyone a chance to catch up and hang out in a relaxed setting.
Additionally, each semester, a dozen or so brothers field an intramural team in basketball or volleyball. A number of times during the year we participate as a group in a meaningful community service venture; last semester we bought and wrapped Christmas gifts for Durham families through Project SHARE.
The weekends are filled with events that range from going rock-climbing and playing pool to holding theme parties and taking road-trips. Speaking of weekends, I've always thought that the combination of semi-formals, mixers and a formal throughout the year are a perfect opportunity to ask out a girl you've been interested in since the beginning of the year.
A few times during the year, alumni who have graduated come back to visit and bring with them stories of the "real world." While some demonstrate the beauty of the corporate card, others offer valuable inside information and contacts for internships and full-time jobs.
But perhaps most importantly, fraternities allow you to meet diverse individuals you would never be able to meet otherwise. One of my best friends is a rower and another is in the marching band--not only do we never have any classes together, but we don't really hang out in the same places on campus either. If it weren't for our fraternity, the three of us would have never had a chance to get to know each other.
Does any of this sound like it would negatively impact the life of a normal college student?
These are the reasons a third of the campus is greek. In the end, the essence of a fraternity is not about drinking to the point of puking, completely trashing the commons room or even bragging to others about how hot your semi-formal date looked in a strapless red dress. Instead, it is about all the things I described in the above paragraphs--and I am sure that if you talked with members of other fraternities they would tell you similar stories of the utility and importance of the bonds of brotherhood.
Am I saying that all fraternities are great examples of brotherhood, citizenship and responsible behavior? No, there are always those that have somehow gone awry. Yet they are the ones who end up on the front pages of The Chronicle or featured in a new MTV series from the producers of Road Rules called "Campus Madness."
But in order to change this impression, greeks need to understand the days of unregulated and uncontrolled parties--if they ever existed--are now over. Norms of what is considered acceptable behavior have changed in the last 15 years; even if beer did flow freely from kegs on this campus once upon a time, it's not coming back in the same capacity. "Old Duke" is gone, and it will not return.
If fraternities are to ever reassert their presence on college campuses, the image that all we do is re-enact our favorite scenes from Animal House on the weekends needs to change. Because the only way that we will survive is by proving to the rest of the college community that we are indeed a valuable complement to students' lives.
Marko Djuranovic is a Trinity senior and former health & science editor for The Chronicle. His column appears every other Tuesday.
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