OT: MSU Fraternities

[Dash Riprock.sixpack]

My advice based on me being in a fraternity 30 years ago (SAE) (edit almost 40 years ago, damn I'm old) and having 2 sons that were in fraternities at state, is to try to steer him to one of the old line ones, SAE, Sigma Chi, Kappa Sig, KA. They have a well established culture and identity and there wont be surprises. But whatever he does he will have the time of his life, make life long friends and contacts that will open doors for him the rest of his life. My two years living in the house were the greatest years of my life. Animal House came out the year before and that movie was our playbook for college.

 

[The Usual Suspect]

My advice based on me being in a fraternity 30 years ago (SAE) (edit almost 40 years ago, damn I'm old) and having 2 sons that were in fraternities at state, is to try to steer him to one of the old line ones, SAE, Sigma Chi, Kappa Sig, KA. They have a well established culture and identity and there wont be surprises. But whatever he does he will have the time of his life, make life long friends and contacts that will open doors for him the rest of his life. My two years living in the house were the greatest years of my life. Animal House came out the year before and that movie was our playbook for college.

Dash, that playbook would get you arrested and the house kicked off campus today....Of course it did in Animal House too!

 

[Dash Riprock.sixpack]

God, I know. We used to cut the bras off girls for paining the lions. Parchman would welcome you now for that. Let's not talk about Patty Murphy...

 

[WeHollaAtYa]

I was an E in the 90's...

I can neither confirm nor deny anything!...

Had some kick *** times and made life long friends all of which have done very well professionally.

It has cleaned up a great deal and most of that stuff went on in the early 90's before we built the new house.

And yes I am from the Delta...

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Being from out of state (I'm assuming he's from TX as well), he will actually have a fairly unique advantage. He won't have as much "hometown pressure" to join a fraternity he may not fit in with, just because his high school buddies were joining there. I know for in-state students, if you were from a certain area/town in the state, you pretty much pledged that same couple of fraternities as everyone from your hometown/area. I know when I was there (late 2000's), my fraternity (KA) had several Delta-area dudes and then a large Jackson-area contingent. On the other hand, 9 out of 10 buddies from home (Vicksburg) were Kappa Sigs, with a few more scattered at Sigma Chi or Pike. I had family in KA, but if I wouldn't have had that, I would have probably felt some pressure to join my HS buddies at Kappa Sig, even if I wouldn't have fit in there. Regardless, it seemed as if the membership to alot of the frats was geographically linked back then. Your son won't have that and may have an easier time really seeing which one he fits into, since I assume there's not a bunch of his high school friends at State with him.

Yes, we live in Austin. He was born in Starkville, but we moved when he was in the 3rd grade. He really didn't click in High School because he stopped playing ball because of his knee and wanting to take tougher classes, and we were not a BMW/Mercedez family.

He has hit me up every day since moving on campus excited as hell about college life. We were so lucky that MSU made him such a great offer. He lived there long and we made enough trips back to see family for things to still be familiar.

Just another time in my life where MSU has been very good to this old hillbilly boy.

 

[Spiderman.sixpack]

nm

I'd say Kappa Sig too. But seriously, tell him to go with the guys he likes best. Not one guy, but the MOST guys

 

[jethreauxdawg]

Push him toward Delta Chi. No need to worry about crowded parking on frat row. Also consider Lambda Chi. They always had the best parties
**

 

[mount lefroy]

Different strokes for different folks. Go through rush and figure out where you fit.

And leave open the idea that if you don't, life goes on too. Just fine.

 

[kakiDawg]

Best known attributes:
Pike: meatheads and roids and pimples
Kappa Sig: strong bamboo fences to keep other frats from coming in and whipping their tails after dark
F1J1: reporting stolen composites to the police after every weekend
Delta Chi: geeks but their parties are epic and one guy touched a girls boob one time
Sigma Chi: cooler than you in high school so they won't bother talking to you in college either
SAE: Delta boys know how to grow weed better
KA: rednecks, skoal, and lift kits
Phi Delt: nerds and one-uppers
Farmhouse: nerdy bearded fat rednecks
Sig Ep: most likely to be included in a list of sororities
ATO: online, every Friday night, playing WoW

 

[Mr Todd French]

I told a lady who was 50 plus one time what fraternity I was in. (SAE) and she looked at me and said "Oh no, not another drug E! We were no worse than all the others.

 

[Shmuley]

Didn't the E's pillow case that foreign pizza delivery kid and lock him in a closet in the mid to late 80s?

 

[Mr Todd French]

I wasn't there but that what we were told.

 

[Digging dog]

Didn't the E's pillow case that foreign pizza delivery kid and lock him in a closet in the mid to late 80s?

Yes. Pizza delivery guy of middle eastern decent was taken hostage by the Es. Happened when I was at State.
Funny how times have changed as to what would happen if it was done today.

 

[InTheIttaBenaHotSun]

Was fixing to ask about the pizza guy.....Remembered hearing they ordered 20-25 pizzas. He shows up - they throw him in the closet, eat the pizzas and then throw him out of the house.

Them boys weren't right*

 

[msu]

http://www.union.msstate.edu/student-activities/fraternity-and-sorority-life/new-members/

Might provide some useful information.

 

[ShrubDog]

Best known attributes:
Pike: meatheads and roids and pimples
Kappa Sig: strong bamboo fences to keep other frats from coming in and whipping their tails after dark
F1J1: reporting stolen composites to the police after every weekend
Delta Chi: geeks but their parties are epic and one guy touched a girls boob one time
Sigma Chi: cooler than you in high school so they won't bother talking to you in college either
SAE: Delta boys know how to grow weed better
KA: rednecks, skoal, and lift kits
Phi Delt: nerds and one-uppers
Farmhouse: nerdy bearded fat rednecks
Sig Ep: most likely to be included in a list of sororities
ATO: online, every Friday night, playing WoW

Those damn delta boys.

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

Gamma Delta Iota

 

[rem101]

Different strokes for different folks. Go through rush and figure out where you fit.

This is the correct answer. I think Rush is great for everyone, just for the number of people you meet.

On grades, most require some sort of study hall for pledges. On drugs, it's college. He's going to be exposed to them regardless unless he sits in the dorm playing Nintendo. Will a fraternity enhance his exposure? Possibly. Still doesn't have to partake.

i have lifelong friends that I still talk to every day from my fraternity.

Senf him him through rush. He doesn't have to join - and if he doesn't, he probably wasn't worthy anyway.**

 

[HeCannotGo]

Bernard the Shoe Shine Man told me that my fraternity (FIJI) was his favorite.

I'm sure he didn't say this at any of the other houses as he walked around fraternity row.**

Echoing others in this thread, formal rush with an open mind (including being open to not pledging at all) is the best route. I'm sure things have changed, but based on my experience from the 1990s, pledging in the fall is better than the spring. The fall pledge class is a major focus of the fraternities. Spring pledges are sometimes a bit of an afterthought.

Although time-consuming, pledging a fraternity my first fall had the unexpected benefit of providing structure and time-management lessons that have stood the test of time. Too many freshmen drift aimlessly through the year.

 

[PaddyMurphy]

I'm sure he didn't say this at any of the other houses as he walked around fraternity row.**

Echoing others in this thread, formal rush with an open mind (including being open to not pledging at all) is the best route. I'm sure things have changed, but based on my experience from the 1990s, pledging in the fall is better than the spring. The fall pledge class is a major focus of the fraternities. Spring pledges are sometimes a bit of an afterthought.

Although time-consuming, pledging a fraternity my first fall had the unexpected benefit of providing structure and time-management lessons that have stood the test of time. Too many freshmen drift aimlessly through the year.

SHOE SHINE MAN IN THE HOUSE! Shine always called us the EAEs.

 

[Dash Riprock.sixpack]

Kidnapped him and were going to trade him for the Iranian hostages. He was a middle easterner of some sort. Sounded like reasonable and thoughtful idea at the time. History will judge us favorably

 

[Allday.sixpack]

"I'm a **** fish, I'm a **** fish,
I'm a **** fish of the sea...
But I'd rather be a **** fish than a ******* SAE!"

KA born, KA bred, when I die, I'll be KA dead!

 

[jmac.sixpack]

Which ones are the best? Pi Kappa Alpha has reached out to my freshman son and I have zero knowledge about the fraternity scene. I was an old fart when I attended State. Any information is appreciated.

First, I had friends in most frats but made life-long friends in my frat; I would certainly recommend it. Second, I would recommend going thru formal rush and finding the best fit. I have had a daughter at State for the past 9 years, and they would say that Sigma Chi is the best (leaders, grades, largest, best house, win top Sigma Chi national awards, largest retention thru college, etc) and most consistent (Starkville, West Point, Tupelo, Columbus are strongholds and send a lot of boys to State) - but they also say the Kappa Sigs and SAEs are the other top ones. My youngest did say that the Pikes were trying to clean up their act and kicked all the bad apples out.

 

[coach66]

Sigma Chi's, we use to call them the friendly

300, gave everybody a bid. More like 500 now.

 

[Maroonandwhite]

I Had a great experience in ΦΔΘ at state. I built a network of friends in my fraternity and through the IFC, had a blast playing intramurals, and loved the parties.

One of the funniest things I saw while at state was at the ΣAE house. During Greek Week one year, all fraternities & sororities were all supposed to make themed signs w/ tissue paper on framed chicken wire. The E's made one probably 30' tall with what was allegedly a giant condom pointing towards the heavens. It read something like, "GrEEK WEEK '94: The Trojan will Rise Above All Else!" The IFC adviser wasn't amused and disqualified them. Still classic.

 

[Joe Schmedlap]

Your son should go through rush with an open mind as others have said. He should not feel pressured to join in the fall. If the bid is sincere, the chapter will allow your son to wait until spring to join. That gives your son a semester to focus on grades and to discern the truth from the ********.

Oh, and if the university honestly wanted to do the right thing, formal rush would always be held in the spring. At least the fraternities wait until September. The sororities don't even wait for classes to start. That's dumb to me. Kids are indeed "rushed" to make a decision without knowing all the facts. That is definitely a disadvantage to the students from out of state.

 

[BoomBoom.sixpack]

Your son should go through rush with an open mind as others have said. He should not feel pressured to join in the fall. If the bid is sincere, the chapter will allow your son to wait until spring to join. That gives your son a semester to focus on grades and to discern the truth from the ********.

Oh, and if the university honestly wanted to do the right thing, formal rush would always be held in the spring. At least the fraternities wait until September. The sororities don't even wait for classes to start. That's dumb to me. Kids are indeed "rushed" to make a decision without knowing all the facts. That is definitely a disadvantage to the students from out of state.

The flip side of that is that the Frats would have to recruit thru every Fall semester. That's not good for anybody.