THERE ARE SO many differences between high school and college: more classes, more people, more opportunities. As Uni students our first thoughts immediately shift to the academic aspect of a university, and occasionally the size or the athletic opportunities, leaving the social aspect to seem almost irrelevant.

But once you're accepted into college, socialization is crucial to surviving those all-nighters and long drawn-out lectures. Some students join intramurals and some join clubs, but have you ever considered joining a sorority or fraternity?

Many people think of those who belong to the Greek system as the rich, preppy Caucasian students who get drunk and party on a day-to-day basis; these among other stereotypes have, in essence, erased even the thought of belonging to a sorority or fraternity from the minds of countless students.

We decided to see if the stereotypes were really true: Was a sorority just a bunch of well-kept blonde girls? Did a fraternity mainly consist of tall muscular jocks? After several days of initial research, we e-mailed as many fraternities and sororities as possible and awaited responses.

After a day or two had passed we’d received responses from representatives of sorority Alpha Phi, Beta Alpha chapter (ΑΦ); fraternity Psi Upsilon, Omicron chapter (ΨΥ); and fraternity Phi Kappa Psi, Illinois Delta chapter (ΦΚΨ).

Each of the chapters was willing to aid us in our exploration. So we established our plan of action and prepared for what was to come.

THE MEMBERS

Kirstin Skurka, fall semester vice president of Alpha Phi, was the first member we met. At first glance she was what we had defined as the stereotypical sorority member.

Despite her claim that she had just rolled out of bed, she had her straightened blonde hair pulled into a neat ponytail, with perfectly polished blue fingernails, as well as nicely done makeup and pearl earrings.

Contrary to what we would have expected, she had her class notes and books lying out on the table in front of her, obviously engaged in studying. She informed us that she is studying to become a broadcast journalist and is interning at WCIA Channel 3, a Champaign television station.

Skurka explained how she came to be in her sorority: “I went through the process, and the whole time just I kept telling myself I’d see what it was like. I felt no pressure to join, and I ended up finding something I really, really liked: Alpha Phi.”

Kirstin Skurka, current member of local sorority Alpha Phi, was a primary interviewee. Gargoyle photo by Kelly Roemer (click to enlarge)

Mike Smith, member of fraternity house Psi Upsilon, was another primary source for information. Gargoyle photo by Deborah Ladd (click to enlarge)

Scott Thompson, current member of fraternity Phi Kappa Psi, was a crucial interview subject. Gargoyle photo by Michelle Warmowski (click to enlarge)

“It was just the right fit for me, and I really like it because there’s always something to do, I’ve gotten so much involvement out of the house …. And that’s really been beneficial. And the connections are really good, too. [For example] I’m interning right now at Channel 3 News, and one of the reporters was an Alpha Phi.”

Unlike the typical prissy vibes you may be expecting from a sorority member, you’d more so expect a fraternity member to wear his Lacoste polo around all evening while joining in on a game of lacrosse. When we first experienced the men of Psi Upsilon, though, it wasn’t necessarily what we’d expected, either.

Virtually no one was awake, although there were remnants of drinks and chips in front of the big-screen TV (even though it was 11), and definitely no one was playing lacrosse, for that matter.

Our interviewee, Mike Smith, a former vice president, seemed alert enough as he cheerfully answered our questions. He wasn’t really what you might expect from a “frat guy.”

He wore practical work boots and a comfortable T-shirt, and gladly helped us with our interview. He enunciated his words clearly and spoke very fluidly, quite obviously defying the dumb-partying-jock stereotype.

When exploring the house we even found rooms with lots of self-expression evident, such as posters, and some members had painted their own bedrooms. We even came across a member working hard at his computer, decked out in jeans and a baseball cap.

Phi Kappa Psi was similar to Psi Upsilon. Again, there was a large-screen TV with members gathered around it eating their lunch. Unlike what you might expect, though, they were all watching the Discovery Channel together. Our interviewee, Scott Thompson, looked more like a stereotypical fraternity brother, though, with a shirt that read, “DΘΣS THΦS SHΦRT MΔKΣ MΣ LΘΘK ΓRΔT?”

To our surprise, the first thing he said was that he volunteers at a church and is actively involved as a youth pastor. He went on to say that originally he didn’t even want to go out for a fraternity because of all the stereotypes (he mentions popped collars, partying, and buying friendships). The rest of the interview made it clear, though, that he doesn’t regret his decision to join.

“I always try to break the stereotypes,” commented Thompson about being a fraternity member. I mean, you hear, ‘Oh, I’m a frat guy.’ Well what do you think? With girls I’ve started dating, I’ve had to talk to their fathers, and they hear I’m in a frat — well, boom, they’re already thinking something. And that’s the biggest thing. But then they get to know me, and they also find out that I work for a church, leading the youth ministry. So that counteracts that.”

Although these are just three representatives from their houses, each of these houses has also produced many notable alums. For example, Johnny "Red" Kerr, who played and coached in the NBA (and is now a broadcaster for the Chicago Bulls) was a member of Phi Kappa Psi.

Nan Robertson, a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, was a Pulitzer Prize winner and featured writer in The New York Times. And many more famous politicians, award winners, activists, etc. have come from these Greek houses.

When asked how much of the concept of the stereotypical Greek member is prevalent in houses, these three interviewees agreed on one thing: Greek members don’t always fit the stereotype.

“The stereotypes exist for a reason,” said Smith, “but I’ve found in my four years here that there are different things that are true for [different] houses. Like, this house over here might have a really low GPA, or this house might just base all the brotherhood events off of alcohol, and that’s where the stereotypes come from.”

“I’d say in general the Greek system doesn’t do anything really that much different than the rest of the people on campus. Everybody goes out to the bars and drinks; it’s just that everybody also goes to the parties at Greek houses and drinks. Some people have low GPAs, whether it be normal people, Greeks, athletes, whatever. It’s just that due to their lifestyle, people in Greek systems tend to come to light a little bit more often.”

Thompson added: “Then [some people say], ‘Oh so you’re not a typical frat guy?’ Well, first off there is no such thing a typical frat guy. There’s people of all nationalities in here. We have exchange students from England, and we have people who are actually here from Hong Kong in this house. There is no typical frat guy, so once people realize that and move beyond stereotypes there’s not really too much of a stigma attached to it.”

THE HOUSES

Each house, whether it be fraternity or sorority, has a unique appearance yet nonetheless is distinguishable as “Greek.” As we walked throughout campus it became easier and easier for us to distinguish between fraternity and sorority houses versus an apartment building, even from a distance.

From far away we began to recognize how the members try to make the houses actually look like houses, not buildings. We found that all the houses we came across were made of brick, and from the outside gave an old, yet warm appearance. Most had signs out front or above the door proclaiming which chapter they belonged to as well.

The Psi Upsilon members display their school spirit on the house roof. Gargoyle photo by Deborah Ladd (click to enlarge)

In general, every house was very welcoming and allowed for us to explore the inside, taking pictures and meeting members. The only exception to this was Delta Delta Delta, whose members — despite our having a planned interview with the president — continually denied us entry and repeatedly asked us to return at a later time. However, aside from that glitch, we were allowed to tour the houses and get a better feel for what it was really like inside a Greek house.

Although not all houses had a lawn, they tended to have a lot of space. Psi Upsilon had a basketball court outside as well as clean-cut grass leading up to the doorway. Phi Kappa Psi had a large porch area, and a large living room when you first entered. Considering that there are approximately 30 to 60 people per Greek house, this spaciousness would appear to make the living arrangements more comfortable.

Not only are the houses large, but inside they are filled with relaxing rooms. The sorority houses, which tended to be very clean, had various rooms with couches, pianos, and occasionally a fireplace to sit by. The fraternities had things such as pool tables, pinball machines, poker rooms, etc. In every house we visited, a TV seemed to be the focal point of at least one room, if not many more.

Each house emphasized wanting to promote brotherhood and sisterhood, so members were encouraged to live in the house. Each person had his or her own room, or shared a room with one other person.

A view of one section of the Alpha Phi living room. Gargoyle photo by Lizzy Warner (click to enlarge)

According to the representatives we spoke with, living fees within the houses are very reasonable and often similar to the cost of living in campus dorms. Kirstin Skurka from Alpha Phi said the house was even cheaper than her former living arrangements in dorms.

Skurka has enjoyed her experience living in the Alpha Phi house.

“Living in [the house] has been a really great experience,” she said. “I lived in last year, and … it’s just really fun. You’re always with someone. I feel like when I go ask someone to borrow a calculator, I’m gone for 45 minutes because I end up talking, or seeing someone in the hall.”

One particular difference between sororities and fraternities is the concept of a “house mom.” This is a woman who stays at the house to help keep it clean, enforce rules, and make sure that the fridge is stocked with enough food for 30 to 60 hungry college students. At Alpha Phi, the girls all look to the house mom for advice and for small favors such as making them a snack.

House moms are not necessarily people who were in the sorority. They are just women who help with a minimal amount of the cleaning (other people still have chores) and make sure that everyone is reasonably comfortable.

At fraternities, you are likely to see more disorder and crumbs than class. All of the brothers have expectations in keeping the house clean, but from what we witnessed, the fraternity houses tend not to be as spotlessly perfect as the sororities.

THE RULES

Each house has the right to enact its own rules. By comparing different sororities and fraternities, we discovered some anomalies.

At the Alpha Phi house, as at most sorority houses, no boys are allowed upstairs or at the house from midnight until 9 a.m. The reasoning implied was that they didn’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable and thought that having boys present late at night could be seen as encouraging sexual activities.

With the fraternities, the rules seemed to be less prominent. When Scott Thompson of Phi Kappa Psi was asked if such a rule existed at his fraternity, he simply said: “No. Sororities are bogus.”

Phi Kappa Psi members eat and watch television together. Gargoyle photo by Deborah Ladd (click to enlarge)

In fact, the fraternity brothers seem to find that particular rule amusing, responding with chuckles and a shaking of their heads, and implied that each person should have the right to do as he wishes.

Another rule, which varies between houses, requires members to have to maintain a certain GPA. In 2006, most houses nationally had GPAs between 2.5 and 3.2 on a 4.0 scale. If a brother’s or sister’s grades are slipping, other members or officials will often step in and warn them that they need to raise their grades.

Getting the highest average GPA in the Greek system on a campus is often a coveted prize, which showed when the first-semester Alpha Phi vice president declared that she was very proud of her sorority’s third-ranked status.

Engaged in her homework even during the interview, Skurka felt strongly about maintaining a solid GPA.

“I think it’s up to a person if [the sorority is] going to interfere with their school work,” she explained. “We’re assuming you’re all at U of I for a reason, and you can put your academics before everything else. We have 20 or something libraries here, and if you’re that distracted then you need to leave.”

Phi Kappa Psi members relax in their bedroom, watching TV and getting on the computer. Gargoyle photo by Lizzy Warner (click to enlarge)

She continued: “I mean, we don’t have any girls failing, and what’s nice about that is that the sorority does keep an eye on your grades, and if you fall below our 3.0 requirement then you’re required to do study hours and sit out on a few events until your GPA gets back up.”

Minimum GPAs are determined by the individual university, and some don’t have a minimum. If your GPA doesn’t match that of your house’s requirements, you can be asked to participate in a “study-hall” type of activity, or in some cases you aren’t allowed to participate in social events until your grades have improved.

However, aside from the living fees previously mentioned, there are other fees that are required. Typically for the first year or so new members are obligated to live within the house, and therefore must pay the house fees.

On top of that there are social fees which help to pay for the events that the house organizes, as well as dues to help maintain the local and national chapter. Fees vary from house to house, and rules regarding fees differ as well. A Knox College graduate and former Pi Phi said that by missing a social activity in the sorority you had to pay an additional fee of approximately $25.

Regarding rules in general, though, Thompson in particular felt that fraternities had a better sense about necessary rules (like cleaning up and paying your dues) versus overbearing rules as is the case in some sororities.

“Sororities have much more rules,” he said. “Like, if a guy in the house has a problem … we stand by our guy. We lift our brother up in his time of need. Sororities, you know … they kick her out. That’s ridiculous. If someone needs your help you don’t just throw them out onto the street.”

He continued: “I think fraternities are different in that respect. We don’t have a bunch of rules designed to kick you out if you’re not holding up your end of the bargain. It’s rules about helping each other out. It’s a brotherhood. If a family member of mine needed something I would help them out; I wouldn’t go, ‘Oh, you’re no longer my family.’”

Note: Part 2 of this series, looking at how students get into the Greek system and what happens after they become members, will be published on Wednesday.