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Fraternities/Sororities

MusicBokonon

MusicBokonon

Jul 8, 2009
387
3
Sioux City, IA
www.youtube.com
#1
So I'm in the process of becoming a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, along with some of my friends. It's a small chapter (Gamma Xi), with only about 15 members. I've already gotten to know a lot of the members and I think that I'll make a lot of good friends. And to top it all off, it looks really good on a resume that you're part of a fraternity.

Does anybody have any good memories/stories to recall about fraternities?
 
#3
Stanley Design said:
It looks good on a resume?

I thought it was just a bunch of social elitists picking the coolest kids and shunning the uncool kids.
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Who let you in here, nerd?

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I've never understood the "it looks good on a resume" bit. Unless it's an academic fraternity or you run into an HR person that was in the same fraternity I don't see how. I've never put it on my resume that I was in a fraternity.

The bottom line is that the only reason to join a fraternity is that you like the guys in it.
 
#5
I didn't join a frat when I was in college. I made friends with people, hung out with them, drank, met girls, etc, all without living in a pit that smells like stale beer and sweat, packed 5 guys to a room.

And sorry, a high GPA looks good on a resume, a good school looks good on a resume, a prestigious job or internship looks good on a resume; A frat, does not.
 
#6
Jared Lash said:
Who let you in here, nerd?

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I've never understood the "it looks good on a resume" bit. Unless it's an academic fraternity or you run into an HR person that was in the same fraternity I don't see how. I've never put it on my resume that I was in a fraternity.

The bottom line is that the only reason to join a fraternity is that you like the guys in it.
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Its a music fraternity, and I'm a music major. So it makes sense to put it on a resume. And we're not the beer drinking pot smoking kind of frat, there's a lot of community service involved.
 
#8
I was in academic honor societies that used Greek letters, but made sure to distinguish that on my resume. Fraternities in the Animal House sense might help to you network with former brothers already in the field, but unless you can explain why large amounts of your time/money went to them (ie your fraternity did community service every weekend, held fundraisers, etc), I wouldn't bring it up on the resume...
 
#10
As a former president of a fraternity, I think I ought to weight in here. We're largely self governed organizations, or at least that's how it is at Mizzou. This allows a great deal of freedom in planning events, whether they be social, philanthropic, service or sports. The downside is that if you screw up, you stand to lose a lot.

Let me tell you, managing an $100,000+ budget and an 80 man house taught me more about the way the world works than any class. I know everyone automatically thinks of "Animal House" when the word fraternity is brought up in conversion. Obviously the movie was a comedy and not the gods honest truth, but you can imagine the negative stereotypes that come with that image.

I'm not going to lie to you and say that we don't party, drink, etc, but at the same time you have to weight that against the literally thousands of dollars and thousands of hours devoted to philanthropy and service in the community. Realize too, that as several others have mentioned, you join a fraternity because you like the people in it and you like what the organization does. You party with your friends, and your friends happen to be part of the fraternity you joined.

Whether or not it's good for you resume can really depend on who you're applying for. I've put it on there before, but mostly because I was the president. I seldom use it anyway. I also happen to be a Freemason, though I typically don't include that on a resume either. There are more important things I can put in that valuable amount of space.

It's true that there's a great deal of networking that comes with being in fraternity. I've met brothers all over the country and beyond,and each one is always willing to lend me a hand. It's a good feeling knowing that I can travel virtually anywhere in the country and I will know someone there. I travel a lot and I've made a habit of visiting brothers and chapter houses if there happens to be one near where I'm visiting. It's a rewarding experience and I've met some amazing people along the way.

I don't mean to stand on a soapbox and preach to everybody. Since the OP mentioned talking about experiences and memories, I felt it appropriate to chime in.
 
#12
Hey, my future Sinfonian brother!

I was/am a Sigma Alpha Iota sister. I was treasurer of my chapter. I really wanted to be president of the chapter, and one year I could have been it, too. But, the person we were eyeing for that left, and they re-elected the previous president who wasn't even a music major. Obviously, it gave me such disappointment that I still remember it and tell the story.

As for good stuff about it, yes, there's the resume boost. To clarify for those who don't know, there are different types of fraternities and sororities. Some are professional (as Sinfonia and SAI are), and some are social. So it's not a bad thing to put the fraternities on the resume, such as a professional music one when applying for a music-related job. By the way, Sigma Alpha Iota IS a fraternity even though it's for women because of the professional aspect involved.

I have felt real kinship with some of my sisters, though I think that's also to do with individuals within the group more than the group itself. I always wear my fraternity badge when I perform in a classical setting, which is usually me singing as a mezzo-soprano or being a percussionist. (My bass playing came much later and is primarily in church.)

I think like any organization or activity in some ways, you get what you put into it. For example, if you don't interact much, then it won't be of great value to you, and it's fine to be that way.
 
#13
Scarlet Fire said:
I was actually under the impression that fraternities are not something that you want to include in a resume. Animal House did a lot of damage to the view of fraternities, and that image is not going to help you in the job application process.
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The way I see it is that if they get that view of all frats from watching a movie, then they should re-examine their values and I should re-examine why I'm applying to them in the first place.
 
#14
It's completely different at every school and no two fraternities were the same even at colleges less than 50 miles apart.

I had a blast, extremely positive. Dave Matthews played many times in the back yard as did many other bands that went on to greater things. I had my band at the time open up for them and 17 years ago I paid us $1200 bucks (they got 3K, up to 7k when they got a bit bigger)!!

Just like stated above, I learned more about budgeting, committees, respect, responsibilities, community service, brotherhood, etc, and yes, at times (days ending in "y") a little animal house fun was had. It was great always having a crew to go out, go camping, play sports, have mixers, etc. Some colleges, no way, I would have never joined. I'm still friends with many of them today and have many free places to stay across the country at their homes...that's just how we are.

Virginia Tech Sigma Chi here
 
#15
ADbassman said:
As a former president of a fraternity, I think I ought to weight in here. We're largely self governed organizations, or at least that's how it is at Mizzou. This allows a great deal of freedom in planning events, weather they be social, philanthropic, service or sports. The downside is that if you screw up, you stand to lose a lot.

Let me tell you, managing an $100,000+ budget and an 80 man house taught me more about the way the world works than any class. I know everyone automatically thinks of "Animal House" when the word fraternity is brought up in conversion. Obviously the movie was a comedy and not the gods honest truth, but you can imagine the negative stereotypes that come with that image.

I'm not going to lie to you and say that we don't party, drink, etc, but at the same time you have to weight that against the literally thousands of dollars and thousands of hours devoted to philanthropy and service in the community. Realize too, that as several others have mentioned, you join a fraternity because you like the people in it and you like what the organization does. You party with your friends, and your friends happen to be part of the fraternity you joined.

Weather or not it's good for you resume can really depend on who you're applying for. I've put it on there before, but mostly because I was the president. I seldom use it anyway. I also happen to be a Freemason, though I typically don't include that on a resume either. There are more important things I can put in that value amount of space.

It's true that there's a great deal of networking that comes with being in fraternity. I've met brothers all over the country and beyond,and each one is always willing to lend me a hand. It's a good feeling knowing that I can travel virtually anywhere in the country and I will know someone there. I travel a lot and I've made a habit of visiting brothers and chapter houses if there happens to be one near where I'm visiting. It's a rewarding experience and I've met some amazing people along the way.

I don't mean to stand on a soapbox and preach to everybody. Since the OP mentioned talking about experiences and memories, I felt in appropriate to chime in.
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+1. Thank you for your input. I was an active member of two academic fraternities (Phi Eta Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi), as well as one social fraternity (Phi Delta Theta) back in the 80s, and it still bothers me when I hear ignorant people spew sweeping (albeit misinformed) generalities about them and the people in them (paying for friends, social elitists, bunch of drunks, etc.).

Yes, we knew how to have a good time, but we also gave quite a bit back to the local community through organizing charitable events and performing community service (without being ordered to do so by a judge :p). I made many lasting friendships during my time in the Fraternity within my own chapter as well as with those in other fraternities, and talk to/visit these Brothers/friends on a regular basis. I also visit other chapter houses when I am able, just like ADbassman, and have had many similar experiences.
 
#17
Phi Mu Alpha is a music fraternity, as you've said, not a social fraternity. There's a difference. Some of my former students are members of the Phi Mu Alpha chapter at Mansfield University, and I've seen it as a valuable professional connection among band and chorus directors. Sadly the chapter at my alma mater at the time I attended was not held in anything remotely approaching high esteem. A friend of mine who graduated a couple of years ahead of me had been in the chapter and was transferring schools warned me away from rushing, and after seeing how the chapter was being run, I was glad I listened. It was rather interesting to see them hazing their pledges worse than most of the social fraternities. It seemed that was the primary function of the chapter rather than advocating musical excellence. Had I attended a different university I'd have been a fellow Sinfonian, and any that I've met professionally have been pretty good people.

I ended up in a social fraternity, and while we did our fair share of partying, we also did quite a bit of philanthropic work, and actively supported the philanthropic efforts of other Greek organizations at our school. Plus, the IFC sponsored Dance Marathon broke over $1,000,000 in donations for the first time while I was a member. The words of previous posters mentioning the various benefits contrary to the sterotypes ring very true. The misinformed generalizations didn't apply to my house when I was there or that of any other house I visited during my undergrad days.
 
#19
I used to get in fights with a bunch or roided out douches in Alpha Sigma Phi.
Good times.
I remember one time grabbing ones arm and pulling it back as he was hitting my friend and feeling 20 hands on my shoulders pulling me to the ground and start punching me in the head, they didn;t hit hard I got right back up, not saying I'm a badass but I didn't spill a drop of my beer.
Most frats at my college were wanna be movie frats.
 
#20
Welcome, potential future brother! I did Phi Mu Alpha in school at Susquehanna University and it was a great time. Musicians tend to have a sense of fellowship and brotherhood/sisterhood already, my expierience just took that to the next level.

Being a Sinfonian taught me many important lessons about music, but I think the most important was about NETWORKING, which becomes so important later in life. Don't let it dominate your social network though... My college band had only one "brother" in it.

OAS, AAS, LLS
 

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