And just because someone doesn't like Greek Life (also known as persistent inebriation ) doesn't mean they don't have a social life. Not everyone enjoys the testicular saber rattleing that dictates most of the frat philosophy.
It's this kind of thinking that skews many's initial dealings with fraternities. There are many different fraternities out there on any given campus; each will be comprised of a number of guys. Not all fraternities are for everybody; each individual must decide for himself. What is this 'frat philosophy' you speak of?
I also understand that it is very easy to go through college and have a great social life without being a member of a fraternity. This also means that one can go through college as a member of a fraternity and also have a great social life.
Yes, there are Greeks who flunk out of college because they drink too much; there are also non-Greeks who do this. In fact, on my campus, the Greek retention rate is greater than the all-college retention rate.
I was down at U of I this weekend; everywhere you looked on the ground, someone had written an advertisement for a club (or fraternity) in chalk, or taped a piece of paper to the ground. The point I was trying to make with this is that Greek organizations are not the only ones who advertise.
There are many benefits of being in a fraternity. As I said before, our house bill is less than room and board in the dorms. In addition, what money we do pay does not go exclusively to room and board; we spend money on parties, trips, and house events in general. As students, we may also participate in any events the school throws for students.
Finally, yes, you can be friends with a fraternity and go to their parties. But parties are such a small part of what we do. There is a lot more to see, and many people miss out on this.