Do you wish australia had Fraternities / Sororities? (1 Viewer)

[Lexicographer]

You probably haven't been to an American College and has have been said, the movies dealing with them are more than likely unrealistic and over the top, so you don't know what the behaviour really is like. University is the last time you can be a bit crazy and have fun before you go out into the working world and are expected to conform to society's expectations.

I think developing loyalties are a good thing. I think developing an environment where you know you will always have someone to fall back on and support you is a great thing.

You're right, I haven't been to any American college fraternities. But I haven't watched any movies about them either.

I'm basing my opinions on the studies conducted and the anecdotal evidence that I have read/skimmed in the past (yes REAL PEOPLE not actors). It's still filth.

 

[bubz :D]

i've read about the pledging that goes on in american unis, and some of them are horrible.. it's like an accepted form of bullying - some sororities get pledging girls to strip off, and get the others to circle her flabby bits with a biro.... i read about it ages in a magazine article, where it included other stories about getting people to go to the beach at night and stand in the waves, blindfolded...

 

[LazyBoy]

although alot of political contacts can be made thru frats and serority. So beeing a member of a high prestigue frat/ser can get yu places.

 

[neeja]

thats not so bad

apparently theres a college at usyd where you have to shave your head and they drive you out to middle of no-where and you gotta find your way home.

another one where you gotta wear a wizard robe and hat and hold a brick for the entire first week of uni

 

[LazyBoy]

lol that is complete bullshit. Its a foundless rumour lol.

 

[neeja]

then explain the skinheads and the harry potter clones holding bricks i saw the other day?

 

[LazyBoy]

your an idiot? lol. Trust me ive been told that its completely un true.

 

[Lexicographer]

Yes! I will gladly trust someone who has been "told that its completely un true". But will he trust me if I told him that it is completely true?

Just for perspective, my college at UWA (the quietest one) has a tradition where all of the Student Club (about 15 people) take a jug of water, gargle the contents, brush their teeth and spit back into it. Then they pass the jug to the next person in line to repeat. At the end of the line is the president, who swallows the contents of the jug.

Obviously this isn't so much a torturous activity (like stripping, blindfolding and abandoning a person in the wilderness) but it's still quite disgusting (I say this having witnessed it myself).

 

[Not-That-Bright]

I wish someone would strip...

 

[LazyBoy]

Drill a hole in your mothers wall, wait i bet youve already done that.

 

[xeuyrawp]

thats not so bad

apparently theres a college at usyd where you have to shave your head and they drive you out to middle of no-where and you gotta find your way home.

another one where you gotta wear a wizard robe and hat and hold a brick for the entire first week of uni

An there's the other one with the lady putting her cat in the microwave. Or the story of the stormy night, your car breaks down and your husband goes to get help, then suddenly, his skull comes CRASHING down on the windshield BANG!!!

among other urban legends.

But seriously, none of this stuff really happens here, most hazings include alcohol, nowhere near as bad as in the US (where hazings are now semi-illegal), saw on the news a couple of days ago that kid was recently found dead in the boot of a car- "scream when you've had enough and want to chicken out" was apparently told to him.

 

[Korn]

Yeah for sure, that would be extremely useful, for all the contacts you make, and creates a unity amongst students that are members of a specific frat. It also can help one in a career, cause say u got to get a job with a company who the perosn hiring is a member of a certain frat, and u and someother candidate have same qualifications and grades and equally competant, who will get the job?

 

[ziggyboy]

An American fraternity, the Alpha Phi Omega, opened for the first time in Australia in the University of Wollongong campus this February 2005. The's an informal group of APO members (mostly immigrants from various countries with APO) in NSW who decided to formally introduce the fraternity to Australia. Incidentally most of them are in the Wollongong area so they decided to register it as a club. My friend's dad is part of the organising committee.

More info here: http://www.apo.org/

That's the logo. I was told that they're looking for more members and even non-UOW students are welcome.

 

[Ranger Stacie]

i've read about the pledging that goes on in american unis, and some of them are horrible.. it's like an accepted form of bullying - some sororities get pledging girls to strip off, and get the others to circle her flabby bits with a biro.... i read about it ages in a magazine article, where it included other stories about getting people to go to the beach at night and stand in the waves, blindfolded...

i read about that as well didnt 2 girls die in the beach one

 

[doe]

thats not so bad

apparently theres a college at usyd where you have to shave your head and they drive you out to middle of no-where and you gotta find your way home.

another one where you gotta wear a wizard robe and hat and hold a brick for the entire first week of uni

that is st andrews

you can read the book "finishing school for blokes" by Peter Cameron who was in charge of the college for a while. he doesnt mention the wizard robe but the other stuff he does. interesting book and an interesting guy, he has also been excommunicated and convicted of heresy by the presbyterian church in australia.

 

[Lexicographer]

Haha that's pretty funny actually. I didn't know the protestant churches excommunicated, I thought it was only the Catholic Church.

 

[Iron]

I was worried that there might've been some strange initiation ceremony, but it was ok. I just woke up on parliament house lawn nude with my head shaved and teeth abstracted.

 

[doe]

Haha that's pretty funny actually. I didn't know the protestant churches excommunicated, I thought it was only the Catholic Church.

you're probably right, i thought it was just a generic word for kicking people out of the church. he was the first person in 200 or something years to be declared a heretic though! the presbyterian church sounds crazy

teeth ... who needs teeth anyway! thats why they make blenders!