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Who missed me?!
Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 7:28 am
by Charles256
Did anyone notice the eerie silence from me? If so, good! I've been pledging T.K.E. the past 9 weeks and as such have not had time to <span style='color:blue' title='I'm naughty, are you naughty?'>smurf</span> properly. The good news is I am officially done pledging, very shortly I will be a brother in Tau Kappa Epsilon. The bad news, I'm back to haunt these forums! Beware!

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 7:55 am
by onion2k
I was pining for you.
Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:03 am
by Charles256
bout damn time.I was bout to get ill if no one noticed.

heck, i got my post count to where it is in like two months...i.e. someone had to see me running my mouth all the time.

I even wetn toe to toe with Roja once or twice..the good ole days...
Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:27 am
by JayBird
errrr....do we know you?

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:33 am
by Charles256
: pimp smacks a pimp : i see how it is...

Re: Who missed me?!
Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:49 am
by Roja
Charles256 wrote:Did anyone notice the eerie silence from me? If so, good!
Yeah, noticed.
Charles256 wrote:I've been pledging T.K.E. the past 9 weeks and as such have not had time to <span style='color:blue' title='I'm naughty, are you naughty?'>smurf</span> properly. The good news is I am officially done pledging, very shortly I will be a brother in Tau Kappa Epsilon. The bad news, I'm back to haunt these forums! Beware!

Well now that means I'm gonna have to petition the mods to allow one specific exception to the "No personal attacks, show respect" rule. I mean, otherwise I'm gonna get blasted for all my comments about mouth breathing, alcohol-poisoned, sport-fanatic, testosterone-junkie, mindless Frat Boys.
Not that you fit that description. Yet.

Re: Who missed me?!
Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:56 am
by Charles256
Roja wrote:
Well now that means I'm gonna have to petition the mods to allow one specific exception to the "No personal attacks, show respect" rule. I mean, otherwise I'm gonna get blasted for all my comments about mouth breathing, alcohol-poisoned, sport-fanatic, testosterone-junkie, mindless Frat Boys.
Not that you fit that description. Yet.

We are Fraternity men my friend.

T.K.E. is honestly like no other fraternity I've ever seen. I still hate sports

Now that I'm done pledging I can get some honest coding in. I'm about to get me another project followed up by yet another one next month...hell my skills might actually be worth a damn.

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:19 am
by onion2k
Could someone explain to me what a fraternity actually is? What does it do? We don't have them in UK universities.
Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:21 am
by Maugrim_The_Reaper
People get drunk a lot, and well, get drunk a lot.
Of course that's probably stereotyping based on those horrible US teen movies...

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:25 am
by Roja
onion2k wrote:Could someone explain to me what a fraternity actually is? What does it do? We don't have them in UK universities.
Its a community, for want of a better word. A group of college students collectively gather for their common interests. I'm using very general terms, because Fraternities ("Frats") have expanded over the years in scope:
- Some are co-ed, some are female only, previously the sole realm of Sororities
- Some do communal living arrangements, with a building near the school that houses all members. (Some don't)
- Some are focused on social events, while others are focused on academics. Some do it all.
Its a group, a gathering, a collection of students working together.
At its worst, however, its a gang of the worst possible demographic in America - young, frequently intoxicated male college students. I won't bash them too much, but they have a reputation as being a non-positive demographic, hence my commentary in my first post.
As a general statement, when you hear that someone is ex-military, you know they have (at some point) learned discipline. As a general statement, when I hear that someone is ex-Frat, I know that they've spent substantial portions of their college career destroying brain cells, mistreating women, and generally acting like idiots.
But I admit a bias on this point.

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:41 am
by Charles256
: sighs, shaking his head:
No. We are a group of men that are essentially there for eachother. We do a lot of community service, raise money for national disasters, make sure all of us are making the grades to continue on in college, helping eachother to make sure we graduate. we also have a house where a lot of us do live. we're essentially there to help make these the best years of our lives. I'm sorry a few of you have negative views bout farternities, all I can say is stop watching movies. I'll leave it at that. I was wishing at least Roja would know me well enough to know I wouldn't join a degenerate society. My mistake there. That's all I'm going to say on the issue.
Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:50 am
by shiznatix
I watched a thing on the history channel a bit ago about frats and it was quite interesting. Although some of them do make you do stupid things like drink a case of beer yourself but the most of them are not like that. They are a community of people who are very close and care a lot for eachother. It is generally not easy to get into a frat because generally everyone that is already in the frat has to vote 'yes' for you to join so you must be good friends with everyone in the frat to even get in yourself.
This kinda stuff with the movies makes me laugh. Being one of the only Americans in this city I get asked often 'are the parties really like they are in the movies!?' and I always laugh. People are idiots if they believe this garbage.
If you really want to know what a frat is all about google it. There is loads of history behind them that is quite interesting.
With all that said, I still would not join one but then again, I am more of a loner and don't really care for all these people around me all the time. I like my space.
Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 12:37 pm
by Roja
Charles256 wrote:I'm sorry a few of you have negative views bout farternities, all I can say is stop watching movies. I'll leave it at that. I was wishing at least Roja would know me well enough to know I wouldn't join a degenerate society. My mistake there. That's all I'm going to say on the issue.
Its important to note that I did include plenty of commentary about the wide (huge) disparity and differences present in the Frat system. There are good apples and bad apples.
But my experience is in no way limited to movies. I count several ex-Frat members as friends, family, and have had good friends impacted by Fraternity members in ways that no one - Frat member or not - would joke about.
Do notice that your comment about you not joining a degenerate society requires the assumption that in fact some Frats are just that, which is the point I made (fairly).
Even in "good" Fraternities, there is a substantial overfocus on drinking - and not just in movies.
http://www.ericdigests.org/2000-3/binge.htm
"...Greek membership and living in Greek housing is the strongest single predictor of binge drinking."
People die because of that correlation. So please, if you want to argue that your Frat is the exception to the norm, feel free. I don't know your Frat, and I can't speak to it. But please don't belittle that serious, real, life-ending correlation by saying it only happens in movies.
We're way off-topic, and I joked with you in IM before about Frats. If you happen to be in a good Frat, more power to you. It doesn't change the
fact that many Frats aren't something to be proud of.
Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 12:55 pm
by Charles256
bah.i'm a little intensely proud of my accomplishment, hence low tolerance for joking. Sorry. I still luv ya !

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 3:31 pm
by hawleyjr
It’s amazing how a few rotten apples can spoil the barrel…Negative opinions about frats (INHO) are typically caused by a few houses that are known to party and binge and by people who have never been in one. *just my opinion* However, signing up with a frat is a good accomplishment (GJ Charles) Frats create a brotherhood and are a good way for new freshmen to meet new people. They also do positive community projects; frats and sororities spend time and money helping NPO’s and churches…It’s not all bad…Also, many frats are dry. Yes, no alcohol allowed.
I spent a semester at a frat and really enjoyed myself. As for the binge drinking….well, that will be there frats or no frats.