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From: levitin@elmer.DEC (Sam HLO2-2/G13 DTN 225-4135)
Newsgroups: net.college
Subject: A \"frat-boy\" takes exception...
Message-ID: <1511@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 25-Nov-85 08:42:35 EST
Article-I.D.: decwrl.1511
Posted: Mon Nov 25 08:42:35 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 27-Nov-85 01:23:54 EST
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In my last batch of net.college mail, fraternities got pretty well 
roasted by people observing/flaming that fraternities promote conformity
and believe that individual expression is second to social norms.
I must take exception to what these MIT students say about frats.

gerber@mit-amt writes:
>
>Every school has its conforming living groups, and its nonconforming living 
>groups....			    At MIT, the fraternities, are,
>in general, more conformist than some dorms.  The coed frats are, as a
>whole, less conformist than the single sex frats.  There are many
>local variations, but in general this is the case.

mit-eddie!mit-vax!csdf writes 
>
>Let's not forget the flip side of the coin. I don't think I've ever 
>heard of MIT (nerd heaven) referred to as a "Party" school. Most of us 
>have been know to go weeks at a time without partying (except in the 
>frats where social norms are more important tha personal expression 
>[flame intended]). 

Mr. Gerber, if fraternities are more conformist that some dorms, perhaps
that happens because people *choose* to join a fraternity and the fraternity
*chooses* to offer a student a place in their house; this choosing process 
tends, without effort to the contrary, to breed homogeneity, or else a few
small cliques. 

People outside fraternities viewing them seem to see stereotypes: a frat is
all-this or all-that. People inside fraternities see the tension,
cliques, conflict, and non-conformity. Outside, the fraternity is a unit;
inside, the fraternity is individuals, each exercising his own tastes.

I lived in a fraternity at MIT for four years, and I occasionally went weeks
at a time without partying; however, I also had all the social outlets I 
needed. My fraternity was large and *diverse* enough that there was always
someone driving where I wanted to go, or a large enough crowd to go out with.

An important point that I think the whole net.college discussion of 
fraternities has missed is that there is social life that doesn't revolve
around ethyl alcohol (or around drugs in general). The fraternity is an ideal
place to find other social activities besides drinking beer. In my four years,
I enjoyed events such as sporting events (both as a participant on a frat team
and as a spectator at Sox games), concerts,  movies, dances, and so on.
I also enjoyed parties every now and then. My fraternity might now have
been typical, but there's more to the conformity issue and to the 
frat=party=beer view previously expressed.

Sam Levitin	Levitin%Aruba.DEC@decwrl
(MIT '85)	POTAK@MIT-REAGAN.ARPA
Xi Chapter, Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity
DEC Hudson-LSI	77 Reed Road, Hudson MA 01749  (617) 568-4135
{My opinions do not necessarily reflect those of my employer, my college....}