University of Virginia Library

Fraternities At The University: Two Opposing Viewpoints

House Life Contributes
Worthwhile Advantages

By PARKES BRITTAIN

The fraternity system at the
University constitutes a unique
living experience, but the many
advantages to the system are
often not readily discernible.

Rushees unfortunately are
confronted with plastic smiles
and outstretched hands and the
same questions from every house
until one memorizes what seem to be
the right answers. The parties at
homecomings especially break
many of these apparent barriers.

The social life of the fraternity
does not, of course, stop with the
big weekend parties. Most houses
serve at least two meals a day,
usually costing 50 to 70 dollars a
month, which provides an ideal
time for the guys to meet and talk
with rushees on a more informal
level. Rushees are sent invitations
to these free meals after having
rushed a house for approximately
two weeks.

Sometime during these first two
weeks, the members hold their first
ball sessions. It is their job to cut
the rush lists from, for example, 150
names to maybe 75 before the meal
invitations are sent. This is a
difficult undertaking since the
sessions are long and tedious, and
they sometimes result in hasty and
arbitrary decisions.

After a period of meals and
parties at the houses, the final ball
session is held. The decision is no
longer arbitrary, and it must be
made. It is just as difficult to turn
an interested rushee down as it is to
accept the refusal. Most houses
have to eventually narrow the rush
lists down to 25 to 30 bids.

During the pledge period, the
members of most of the houses
encourage activity in the numerous
student organizations within the
University. A number of these
organizations draw their top
officers from fraternity houses,
thus providing a qualified pledge
direct access to a position in that
organization.

The Intra-Fraternity Council
athletic program offers those
perhaps not so inclined toward
varsity sports a chance to
participate in organized
competition, varying from football
to the stumblefoot derby.

Besides a large number of
fraternities, there is also one social
sorority on the Grounds.

Many first-year men enter the
University with a preconceived
notion that pledging a fraternity is
a social do or die. These people
often find themselves hurt by the
system. However, perhaps even
more tragic are those who enter
after being advised, 'Don't rush,
don't pledge,' and they never give
the houses a chance to prove
themselves worthwhile. They will
never know what they are missing.