EXPERIENCE
Boys II Men:
OSU Fraternity Members Share Their Experiences WRITER: JAMES FLECK PHOTOGRAPHER: JACOB LE
When you think of Greek life, what’s the first movie that comes to mind? Animal House? Neighbors? 22 Jump Street? Lots of people get their first impressions of fraternities and sororities from movies like these, and while they’re fun, they’re far from an accurate portrayal of what Greek life is truly like. “My perception of Greek life was ‘80s movies, jocks, the daddy’s money, a bunch of wild hooligans always battling the dean, wacky adventures and they never go to class,” said Theta Chi member Mason Crawford. “And then, very quickly, that changed. I realized that that’s not realistic because obviously no one could survive in college and have educational success in any sense, socially as well, acting like that.” Of course, there certainly are cases of bitter fraternity rivalries, conquests against the dean and never going to class, but that’s just scratching the surface—much of the true Greek experience is what you don’t see in the movies. Right off the bat the biggest thing going Greek provides is an introduction to new people. “Meeting people and getting out of my comfort zone is a big thing for me,” said Delta Chi President Chase Pettibone. “I didn’t want to go to a fraternity where I wasn’t going to
40
meet new people. I didn’t have a crappy high school experience, but I didn’t want to be stuck in high school.” Most Greek organizations boast a long list of histories and traditions, especially at older schools; there’s no shortage of stories and wisdom for older members to pass down to younger members. “It was cool getting to be a part of something that had such a rich history, I didn’t realize I was gonna get that opportunity,” said Crawford. “Being able to explore the house and go through our old history books and see past brothers and alumni who’ve sat in the same study chairs I did or were doing the same thing as me is really humbling, and it made me realize, ‘Wow, college is definitely the right spot for me and I know I can be extremely successful, as well.’” Lots of students enter college not planning to participate in Greek life, only to have a chapter stand out to them when they least expect it. “I wasn’t really big into fraternities in the first place, it was kind of like, ‘free food, why not go there?’” said Sigma Nu Vice President AJ Grover. “I went to Sigma Nu and played a couple video games with the guys and I really
