AHH, THE fraternity party. It has become the ultimate symbol of the debauchery possible in a parent-free environment. Kegs kills, drunk frat boys chanting "toga" and rave-like dance floors are the icons of the college social life. The hallowed walls of the University fraternities houses have housed fun for many of our parents and grandparents.
Chances are that unless you grew up in Charlottesville or some comparable college town your only knowledge of the fraternity party is in its distorted, satirized form as portrayed in movies and television. As a point of reference, let's place the University party somewhere in between "Animal House" and "Saved by the Bell: The College Years." No one's going to ride a motorcycle up the staircase but A.C. Slater could lose his wrestling scholarship to binge drinking and Zack and Kelly probably aren't waiting until marriage to have sex.
The Greek system isn't the only social outlet on campus. If you're like the majority of students you'll probably make it through the door of at least one house during your first year at school. The fact is that love them or hate them, fraternities are providing a service for the University. Brothers pay dues so you can have some place to go on Saturday nights with free beer, music and other students. Don't go into your first year categorically denouncing frats. Realize that with 30 plus houses on Grounds, they run the gamut from those where a Lacoste shirt is required for entrance to one where baggy ripped jeans flourish. Before you stumble blindly into a fraternity next fall to experience it yourself, let me give you the blow-by-blow while you're sober enough to digest it: the unofficial and completely subjective guide to the University fraternity party experience.
The University differs from most institutions in the exclusivity of their parties. By Inter-Fraternity Council regulations, each house will technically have a guest list, which may or may not be strict depending on the night, the fraternity, and the brother at the door. If you're not on the guest list and it's a popular party, you may be in for a scene from "Studio 54." Understand that no matter how long you wait, no one is required to let you in. Those allowed to cross the sacred threshold are handpicked by whatever brother on a power trip is working the door.
There's nothing so much like god on earth as a brother in his home fraternity. For the ladies, if you're not too bad to look at you'll probably have an easier time. First year guys may initially be on the bottom of the food chain, but don't worry -- when dirty rushing starts you'll be better off than any girl in a tube top. Spare yourself some of the degradation of waiting at the door by getting to know NoVa kids on your hall -- they'll know upperclassmen from high school to help you out with invites.
The beer line is a different story. While yes, the pecking order is similar, you will learn to remember one essential rule: "bros before hos," as in no matter how short your skirt you will never receive alcohol before a brother. At most parties, prepare to put up a good fight for a beer. The organized queue does not exist within a Greek house. There will usually be a substantial wait for beer and unless you want to spend the entire night getting elbowed in a crowd to obtain the proper buzz, you may want to some pre-gaming before you leave the dorms. It will make waiting in that line less painful as well.
So you're in with a Solo cup in hand, we're halfway there. You will have to look very hard to find love walking around a fraternity house. Sex, however, will likely come up and smack you in the face before you make it to the basement. For better of for worse, stereotypes about horny drunk males are largely true. According to modern sociologists, our generation has actually created a "culture" out of the hook-up. If you want an escort home, this is the surest place to find one. If you want to, go ahead and engage in a "cultural" experience. Of course, the old mantras stand: play safe and don't let your ten beers do the decision making.
Also, always assume that everyone in the fraternity will know about your behavior within 24 hours, which may help you get a beer faster but could also get your name carved on some bed posts. At least attempt to take your pleasures discreetly, nothing except stretchy black pants will label you as a first-year girl more than going at it with someone in the middle of a fraternity dance floor. Take your pleasures as discreetly as possible unless you want to be that girl from Saturday night at Sunday brunch at O-Hill. It's not that big a school.
One quick word of caution: Binge drinking can be dangerous. There have been many Greek-related incidents that ended in the hospital or worse. The line between fun intoxication and alcohol poisoning is minute. If you didn't drink in high school, take time to learn your limits before diving head first into a keg stand. Seriously, first-years believe they're invincible. Well, you're not.
Lastly, live it and love it while you can. You've only got a couple years before you'll have to start weaning yourself off the keg and pretending you have something better to do.
(Kimberly Liu can be reached at kliu@cavlierdaily.com.)
Read More
PATEL: Personal development courses support students beyond the gradebook
By Heer Patel | YesterdayThe University must rethink its approach to education beyond traditional major-specific requirements and mandate personal development courses.
EDITORIAL: Commercialization threatens U.Va.’s educational mission
By Editorial Board | 2 days agoAfter all, measuring the University’s worth in terms of accrued capital, operational efficiency and numerical rankings molds this space into just another cookie-cutter institution.
YOUNIS: Why every U.Va. student should say yes to English
By Ayat Younis | January 9, 2025Every student at the University, regardless of their primary field of study, can professionally and academically benefit from engaging with the English department.
