OT: Rutgers Frats

[Ole Cabbagehead]

If you want strong fraternities, you need tort law reform. The entire system is broken, at the fraternity organizational and university level. As a result, national fraternity organizations have morphed into strange captive insurance models, driven solely by recruiting as many "brothers" as possible. They need big numbers to spread the risk. If a particular chapter is perceived as either not raising enough dues (premiums) or as a liability risk, they are jettisoned. No fraternity today is anything like what they were 20 years ago. They are risk assessors, who are selling an idea to students.

For the schools, they will never be popular, because they are a liability. They add nothing to the school but risk. They add no profit to the school. The only benefits are intangible. Rutgers, specifically, has been appallingly bad at understanding the value of intangibles - student experience - and what that means for financial support 10, 20 or 30 years in the future.

As another poster said, fraternities form a weak group that is easy to attack. When a student drinks himself to death, people say the student should have known better. When a fraternity student drinks himself to death, people looking to make a name for themselves start saying "ban the fraternities." People watching the financial bottom line seize that opportunity. Kill 2 birds with one stone - save money, get rid of a headache.

Only when there is no liability exposure will you see schools take a more ambivalent approach.

 

[JerseyShoreKnight]

I was discussing the most recent purge with a coworker of mine. Both of our fraternities were booted this year. I believe the removal of fraternities from their houses or from campus completely is leading to a totally different problem for Rutgers.

Rutgers fraternities must register parties that they’re having in their lettered house. RUPD will send a vehicle that will supervise from across the street. Once they see a large crowd grow outside, they’ll usually tell the fraternity to shut the party down before anything happens (fight, House gets overcrowded, etc)

Now that there are less fraternities with houses, they’ll throw parties in off campus housing, at one of their “satellite” houses. College students are going to party, no matter what the school does. If they’re under the legal drinking age, they search for the nearest fraternity party.

Less fraternities in lettered houses means more drunk students wandering around downtown New Brunswick at night going from satellite house to satellite house. We all know there are sketchy parts of NB. That’s when the trouble is. The on campus parties may have actually prevented incidents. Unfortunately, this purge may lead to more of them.

Whether or not it was right to kick off certain fraternities is a totally different discussion. But the reasons OFSA had given for many of the removals were dubious at best.

 

[Randal7]

Correct. Sororities do not have parties in their houses so there is less risk of any incidents in those lettered houses now. I believe sororities actually have rules that forbid any men inside their house unless there is a charity event or mixer going on.

As a Ugrad I was in a couple of sorority houses. The bathrooms were something to behold. Thongs on the ground, left there from god knows when. Hair extensions in the sink. Jeans, skirts, blouses covering the floor. In alot of ways, groups of women live in more disarray and filth than men.

There was a girl I know who spraypainted "F*CK LIKE A PORNSTAR" across her wall in her room at the sorority. That was simultaneously sexy and scary.

 

[1873]

See the latest issue of the Rutgers Alumni magazine. It's open season on straight white males. Way back in the 1980's the administration had to use codewords to attack fraternities, no longer have to bother with the camo.

 

[Randal7]

My take is -- fraternities will always exist. They may not be greek lettered houses -- perhaps they'll be social clubs or 'Final Clubs".

Harvard banned Final Clubs in the 1850s and they thrive till this day as unrecognized and unofficial fraternities.

The reason they persist is because the "cloak and dagger" aspects of secrecy play right into the fraternity atmosphere -- so where there are men, there will be a desire to form "elite" groups, and there will be the willingness to be tight lipped and secret about those groups. Ban fraternities and there is something in it's place in a week.

 

[Randal7]

My take is -- fraternities will always exist. They may not be greek lettered houses -- perhaps they'll be social clubs or 'Final Clubs".

Harvard banned Final Clubs in the 1850s and they thrive till this day as unrecognized and unofficial fraternities.

The reason they persist is because the "cloak and dagger" aspects of secrecy play right into the fraternity atmosphere -- so where there are men, there will be a desire to form "elite" groups, and there will be the willingness to be tight lipped and secret about those groups. Ban fraternities and there is something in it's place in a week.

AND, I should add, there are a whole generation of Greeks who have very fond experiences that will have sons going off to university, and they'll be encouraging and funding those escapades. I know I will. So maybe 2-3 generations from now the idea of a fraternity will be but a long-lost one, but until then the allure is very much alive

 

[JerseyShoreKnight]

Correct. Sororities do not have parties in their houses so there is less risk of any incidents in those lettered houses now. I believe sororities actually have rules that forbid any men inside their house unless there is a charity event or mixer going on.

As a Ugrad I was in a couple of sorority houses. The bathrooms were something to behold. Thongs on the ground, left there from god knows when. Hair extensions in the sink. Jeans, skirts, blouses covering the floor. In alot of ways, groups of women live in more disarray and filth than men.

There was a girl I know who spraypainted "F*CK LIKE A PORNSTAR" across her wall in her room at the sorority. That was simultaneously sexy and scary.

I think the days of seeing those things are over. A fraternity brother of mine almost got his gf in trouble because he waited inside the house for her before they headed to the bars. The next time a couple of us went out we had to wait on the sidewalk until she was ready to go. They’re really strict about those things.

 

[Randal7]

I think the days of seeing those things are over. A fraternity brother of mine almost got his gf in trouble because he waited inside the house for her before they headed to the bars. The next time a couple of us went out we had to wait on the sidewalk until she was ready to go. They’re really strict about those things.

Wow. I'm surprised they can regulate that. Good for them.

 

[i'vegotwinners]

I think this fall will be the first time, in basically 100 years, that there will not be a fraternity on Union Street. In my day, 22 fraternities had houses on the College Ave campus. I believe there are 8 frats with lettered houses now, after the purge last year. Several unofficial houses are scattered off campus, however, those locations typically change frequently.

Personally, as an ex frat guy, it was a fantastic experience. It had value in so many ways. Still today, 30 years later, I have many fraternity friends. We still get together at each others homes, golf outings, McSorleys meet-ups, RU games, vacations etc. Happy to say my daughter is a Rutgers sorority girl and hope the system will be there for my son.

i've never been to the RU campus.

so what has taken their place on Union St?

perhaps some answers lay therein.

 

[Randal7]

i've never been to the RU campus.

so what has taken their place on Union St?

perhaps some answers lay therein.

Some houses have become multi-apartment style buildings for off-campus students. Some have become sororities.

 

[koleszar]

There was a girl I know who spraypainted "F*CK LIKE A PORNSTAR" across her wall in her room at the sorority. That was simultaneously sexy and scary.

Did she?

 

[RUBigFrank]

Since Rutgers entered the B1G sororities have become quite popular.
My daughter was part of 50 girl pledge class.

It ha become quite competive and heart breaking for some coeds.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

I just thought of another angle to boot fraternities at Rutgers.. New Brunswick real estate on the College's side of the tracks.

The Zeta Psi story I was told mentioned an attempt to get the alumni organization to sell the house... I can't remember the details.. but it came to a few million that would be put into a scholarship fund for the children of alumni (which would have a natural end date, right? As alumni pass the age to breed to make candidates for the scholarship). The house would be refurbished as an apartment building but the common areas downstairs would be accessible to alumni on occasions.. I assume homecoming, alumni day.. perhaps for a few meetings a year.

The story I heard said they were close to accepting this when a few key alumni decided the current officers were off their rockers... and good for them. They are the ones doing all the work now to rebuild and renew the brotherhood.

My own thought on it is that they should hit up the honors college people who cannot get housing there. Let them build a new membership and focus on academics.. since that's what is acceptable today. Become the nerd frat. Nerds Rule! Having the wildest parties worked for awhile.. but ended up attracting the worst element.

 

[Randal7]

I just thought of another angle to boot fraternities at Rutgers.. New Brunswick real estate on the College's side of the tracks.

The Zeta Psi story I was told mentioned an attempt to get the alumni organization to sell the house... I can't remember the details.. but it came to a few million that would be put into a scholarship fund for the children of alumni (which would have a natural end date, right? As alumni pass the age to breed to make candidates for the scholarship). The house would be refurbished as an apartment building but the common areas downstairs would be accessible to alumni on occasions.. I assume homecoming, alumni day.. perhaps for a few meetings a year.

The story I heard said they were close to accepting this when a few key alumni decided the current officers were off their rockers... and good for them. They are the ones doing all the work now to rebuild and renew the brotherhood.

My own thought on it is that they should hit up the honors college people who cannot get housing there. Let them build a new membership and focus on academics.. since that's what is acceptable today. Become the nerd frat. Nerds Rule! Having the wildest parties worked for awhile.. but ended up attracting the worst element.

Yup. Ive heard through pretty reliable sources it is the goal of the University to acquire all the land between easton and college ave, from hamilton to mine st. The close proximity to scott hall and the bus stop and voorhees mall makes that a no brainer. It would also unify the easton ave apartments further with university buildings

 

[Randal7]

Yup. Ive heard through pretty reliable sources it is the goal of the University to acquire all the land between easton and college ave, from hamilton to mine st. The close proximity to scott hall and the bus stop and voorhees mall makes that a no brainer. It would also unify the easton ave apartments further with university buildings

I think the fraternities need to buy up the properties adjacent to buccleuch. But em all in a row on lafayette and sicard and change the game

 

[Scarlett88]

First rule I learned when I pledged: “ do not call your fraternity a frat. Do you call your country a __________?”