Running Head: Are Fraternities Really That Bad?

Are Fraternities Really That Bad?

Eduardo D. Salinas
University of Kentucky

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In this final draft, I have made many little minor changes in order to enhance my paper.
First, I went straight t the last page and fixed up my references. I listed them in alphabetical order
and used the hanging indent tool for the second line of the source. Second, I went to a couple
paragraphs near the middle of the draft and used better transition words to go from one paragraph
to another. I feel now that those paragraphs stand a lot stronger. And lastly, I went through the
entire draft and repaired every little grammar mistake I could find. I didnt find too many but I
definitely found more than though I would find.
Abstract
What are Fraternities? Fraternities are a culture or social organization that share the same
common value. Everyone has their own opinion on fraternities and its not always the most
positive opinions but I chose to dig deeper in this culture to find out what people truly thought of
them. Fraternities have its stereotypes and society tends to keep those stereotypes negative,
which causes people to believe that members in fraternities are all terrible people. With the
recent research and interviews I have done, the results concluded that not all members in
fraternities are as bad as people believe them to be.

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Are Fraternities Really That Bad?

Here, at the University of Kentucky there are 21 fraternities, while they may have their
differences, they all establish the same goal, (Kentucky IFC n.d. para. 2, Oct. 15, 2014). Some
of them maybe require more money to live in while others are cheaper. Some fraternities are
smarter than others and some throw more parties than others. Some fraternities are dedicated to
their schoolwork and others dont really have a system of balance where they can juggle school
and fraternity life. Every fraternity has its pros and cons but I think stereotypically, they are the
all the same. I think that you cant tell the difference between two people in two different
fraternities unless they were to tell you what fraternity they were really in. Stereotypically,
fraternities usually consist of men that dont really care about the people around them so much
and care about themselves the things only they worry about.
Ever since Ive been alive, fraternities have always had a negative connotation and it
feels like everyone wants to be in them, including me. In my opinion, it also seems like those
men are never failing in school. Not because they get extra help but because it seems like
someone does the work for them. When a man from a fraternity comes to mind, the words,
kind and caring never seem to come up in society. Unfortunately, it sounds more like
boastful and prideful. Its sad to say those things are very true because in society,
characteristics such as those are praised more than frowned upon. Personally, those are traits I
never want to have but yet I feel like I would have to have them just to try to become a member

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of a fraternity. However, I do believe there are some good guys out there who are members of
the fraternity who get stuck under the reputation but at the same time; the guys on the other side
of the personality spectrum just overpower the guys that are truly good.
According to the Frat-boy mentality on Eduniverse.org, Apathy in a fraternity sense
of course, is displayed through a lack of motivation towards the business side of the fraternal
organization. These students expect others to pick up their slack, and overall do not contribute
any good to the group at all. These are students who perpetuate the negative stereotypes of
fraternities nation wide, (Frat-Boy Mentality n.d. para. 1,
Oct. 15, 2014). So it sounds like from this website, all men in
a fraternity are apathetic to everyone around them. Their pride
is a lot higher than the average man it seems like. They tend to
come off as cocky as well as self-centered and a have a little
bit of a jerk attitude.
The picture on the left does a pretty good description
of what a typical Frat-boy looks like.
Josh was the first of the two that I interviewed. Because he
Photo by Kelci White

was the first person, I didnt really know what to expect. I didnt
know what fraternity he was in, or whom he hung out with or even

his last name. All I knew was that he was in my class and that he is a member of a
fraternity. When I first met him through class, he didnt resemble anything of what a
typical, Frat-boy would look like which threw me off. It wasnt until when he walked
in the classroom with a formal jacket and dark blue pants that I realized he was actually
in a fraternity. I figured he would be a great contribution to the project.

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As I met with Josh at the library to interview him, he seemed pretty confident in what he
wanted to say and I was ready to listen with all ears. Josh Cox is a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon
here at the University of Kentucky. He explains to me that it was founded in 1901 and their main
motto is, This Fraternity is going to be different. He continues to elaborate how his fraternity
really is different. He tells me that they have this so-called, Balanced Man Program where they
have a policy of no hazing, no pledging. Josh didnt really do a good job of delineating this
balanced man program because as someone who knows almost nothing about fraternities, this
can be hard to comprehend so I went to find a source that can explain a little better of what this
program is. According to the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity National Page, they stated this as to
what the balanced man program really is, The Balanced Man Program is designed to provide a
sufficiently structured, supportive experience with a brotherhood of high achievers, close friends,
and mentors to provide personal and professional guidance, (Balanced Man Program, n.d.,
para. 4). Based on that statement, you could say that some stereotypes have been debunked
because some people may believe that men in fraternities are apathetic to everything and
everyone when in reality, fraternities such as this one actually have programs and policies that
can give you support and balance between school and other aspects of your life. Not only does
this prove some stereotypes wrong but also this exceeds many peoples thoughts on what they
think Frat-Boys care about.
As the interview goes on, I begin to ask Josh questions that are a little bit more on the
personal level. I asked him, What motivated you to be a frat? and I was thinking he was going
to say some stereotypical answer like, Parties and girls and other things of that nature but he
said things that I was never expecting. He said, well it helps me with like links like if I go to a
job interview and the guy thats interviewing me is also a Sig Ep, then that might give me a little

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bit of an edge I guess. Its just a lot of connections, (J. Posey, personal communication, Oct. 9,
2014). Josh started to look like a kid that really cared about his future and thats the shocking
thing with fraternities in general. You dont see that in men like that. It was so intriguing to me
for some reason that you could be in a fraternity and still keep your focus on your long-term
goals even with all the distractions that come with being a member.
Already only a few questions deep in the interview, he has already hooked me in and had
me wanting to hear more and more of what he had to say. I didnt want to stop asking him
questions but I knew the interview had to come to an end at one point or another. One of the last
few questions I asked him was a question of his personal opinion on what his thoughts on other
fraternities were. I blatantly asked him, What are your opinions on other fraternities? What do
you think of them? Is it competitive? With that, he replies, I guess there are like feuds between
fraternities but I mean I know a lot of people from different fraternities and I like em I mean I
dont think differently of them because theyre in a different fraternity. Some fraternities might
think themselves higher than others but I dont like that. I dont do that. Josh not only cares
about himself and his future but also doesnt hate on other people especially in guys in other
fraternities. He gives the fraternity culture as a whole a better look and it makes the culture seem
enjoyable. Sigma Phi Epsilon is only one of many different chapters around the country that have
men like josh the give the culture a hope and a better name.
Now that I got through the first interview, I was quite satisfies with the insight I got from
Josh, but my job wasnt just done yet. I needed just one more interview to get just enough
knowledge about this culture but I honestly didnt really have an idea who to interview. Sure,
there were tons of guys in suits out on campus walking around that I couldve randomly asked to
interview but how many wouldve honestly accepted my offer? How many of them wouldve

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just ignored me or even just blow me off? I had to find someone that was genuinely willing to sit
down and talk to me about their culture, but who? I thought of asking another of the guys that are
in the class but then I realized that I was trying to get the easy and lazy way out. I didnt want my
teacher to think I was a lazy student. So instead of being lazy, I tried looking around for guys on
my floor to see if any of them just happened to be in a fraternity and eventually, I was right! I
found a gentleman named Jared Posey who just happened to be just three rooms down from me. I
didnt want him to think I knew nothing about fraternities so I had to research some more
stereotypes to act like I knew something about the culture. Jared actually looks like someone
who would be in a fraternity unlike Josh so I felt like Jared had more knowledge than he did.
When I offered to interview him, he was more than willing to. Im glad I asked him because he
gave me lots of great information about himself and his fraternity.
Now, before I interviewed Jared, I had to wait to interview him because he was going to a
fraternity meeting which was ironic obviously, thats what I wanted to talk to him about. Jared
became my second interview and he gave me a lot more detail about his fraternity than Josh. It
was quite comical to me because I realize that the two people I interviewed, were both in the
same fraternity. I really enjoyed the fact that they both said different things about their fraternity
and both put it into two different perspectives, which was really interesting to hear. One said
more than the other but both gave really good points. Both men also said some similar things as
well but explained differently which was also very interesting to hear.
As I begin to interview Jared Posey, I asked him a couple of questions on what he
thought of when he thinks of a typical frat guy. This is what he stated, I think the stereotype is
Sperrys, and khaki shorts but not cargo and then a polo shirt or button up. I think the typical
Frat guy walks around like he knows everything and hes the king of it all, (J. Posey, personal

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communication, Oct. 9, 2014). Clearly, Im not the only one to think this. An actual member of
an actual fraternity believes the same idea that the typical frat-guy is perceived to be, the
king of it all as Jared puts it.
Jared also gave me a lot of general insight on his fraternity, I think we are first founded
here in the early 30s at the University of Kentucky, we are the alpha chapter. We are the first
chapter I think started in Kentucky, (J. Posey, personal communication, Oct. 9, 2014). I asked
Jared about the same amount of questions as Josh and the questions varied just a little bit as well.
Already after the first question I asked him, I knew, right then and there, he knew what he was
talking about. By the end of the interview, I was so intrigued by his values and by his fraternity
in general, but there were still some things after both interviews that I still wondered about. I
always wondered how important the hazing tradition is to fraternities and how bad does the
hazing gets. I guess now that I know about their no hazing policy, that fraternity wouldnt be
the right on to ask. However, I did find out that the hazing for pledges gets pretty insane
According to an article on hazing dangers, there were three types of hazing: Subtle, harass and
violent. Subtle hazing leaves pledges feeling ridiculed, embarrassed and humiliated. Some
examples include social isolation and drills on nonsense information. Harassment hazing causes
emotional anguish or physical discomfort. Not letting pledges take showers, depriving pledges
of sleep, and forcing pledges to perform sexually degrading skits would all be examples of
harassment hazing. Violent hazing is the kind you usually hear about in the media -- forced binge
drinking, abductions, beatings and brandings, for example, (The Dangers And Consequences
of Hazing Dangers n.d. para. 2).
This picture on the left is a good example
of subtle harassment. This incident was definitely

Photo by Jared Freid

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not an accident and was meant to ridicule, humiliate and embarrass the victim. This victim not
only has more than likely decreased his self-esteem but he has to go through an entire week of
these kind of torturing acts. This week is known as Hell Week. This week consists of all three
stages of hazing which I dont really understand why incoming pledges would want to deal with
all that just to be in a fraternity. Im not even sure if I want to be in a fraternity anymore now that
I have more knowledge because of all the processing that has to come with it. Is being in a
fraternity even worth going through all the embarrassment and humiliation? Is it worth losing a
little bit of self-respect to join the cultural group? Its questions like these that can determine your
decision of becoming a member or not.
Fraternities, overall, can be a great lifetime experience full of memories, brotherhood and
laughter, but it all takes commitment. It takes one, who is committed to connections in the
business world. It takes commitment to go though the hazing process. The culture of fraternities
is an interesting culture to be a part of. It may have its negative connotations and negative
stereotypes, however, it seems apparent that fraternities embody a rich and fulfilling bond
between brothers. It is this bond that drives members to the commitment and dedication they
have in their hearts to keep them alive in the culture. Many people may have their opinions on
fraternities but I know one thing is certain, my opinion and my perspective have changed
forever. Fraternities will always be a culture that will keep me interested, and influence my
perspectives on university life.

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References

Balanced Man Program. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sigep.org/about/what-wedo/BMP.html

Freid, Jared (2012). Retrieved from http://totalfratmove.com/richie-incognito-and-the-state-ofhazing/
Lambert, Katie. (1998-2014, n.d.) HowStuffWorks. Retrieved from
http://people.howstuffworks.com/fraternity3.htm
Novosad, Derek. A. (2014) Kentucky Inter Fraternity Council. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://fraternitysororityaffairs82160.orgsync.com/org/kentuckyifc
Quinn, P. (n.d.). The Frat-Boy Mentality: An Informal Theory. Retrieved from
http://eduniverse.org/frat-boy-mentality-informal-theory
White, Kelci. (2013) Stereotypes. Retrieved from
http://kelciwhite.wordpress.com/2013/01/24/187/