I know there are some frats/sororities that exist 'at Mac' but why wont the University 'recognize' them as organizations?

I think it's because Mac used to have a very wild reputation as an out of control party school and sororities and frats were an instigator of this...
They're around for sure though... I think having them underground is cooler to be honest

Besides, Frats and Sororities don't exactly send the best message to parents do they? Mac wants to promot the "Research School of the Year!" and "Inspiring innovation and discovery!" aspects.

A huge thing as well is, if Mac were to formally recognize frats or sororities that kinda makes their actions reflect on the school as a whole. Knowing what greek societies usually get up to... image conscious Mac doesn't want to have to deal with anything that might happen.

Very understandable I think.

Although I know the one greek society that is active at Mac is really well behaved. They do a lot of charity work as well.

Hey Everyone

I'm really glad this came up on here. My name is Aaron Wade, I am a member of the fraternity Phi Delta Theta here at mac. To give the short reason for why McMaster does not allow Greek Life groups (fraternities/sorority) is that they are not inclusive. Since they have a sex bias they can not permit them on campus. However they can not stop students for joining them due to the fact that the Ontario Human Rights Act approves them.

There unfortunately no sororities at McMaster (due to some logistic problems), but there are two fraterities, Phi Delta Theta and Alpha Epison Pi.

If you are interested in joining these groups, I encourage you to google the name of the fraternity plus McMaster. The websites should be one of the first two hits. I would not use the information from "Go Greek! Join Greek life in Canada" it tends to be wrong.

Thanks for you interest in greek life and I hope that the information I've given you has help answer your question.

Aaron

p.s. Greek Life has changed alot in the last ten years and we are held very accountable for our actions involving "hazing" or "alcohol" by our general headquarters and NPC (the governing counsell for Greek Life). So we really don't get up to the sterotype anymore.

Really?? Wow, I never knew mac had fraternaties! I thought that was an american thing.

So what do you do in a frat

Originally Posted by Kevin

So what do you do in a frat

No offence or anything....
But I can't believe you just asked that!!!!

Originally Posted by aj-maxx

No offence or anything....
But I can't believe you just asked that!!!!

Well then, why don't you answer?

What DOES one do in the fraternities around McMaster?

Actually that's a very common question.

What we do is, create a family a away from home. We do this through charity events, brotherhood activities (both during and after the pledge period), social events and simply just hanging out. Basically what a "brotherhood activity" is something that we do just with the brothers and pledges to help us become closer.

I can tell you that most of my best friends are my fraternity brothers.

Aaron

Originally Posted by DannyV

Well then, why don't you answer?

What DOES one do in the fraternities around McMaster?

You didn't know either?
This is shocking.

Well I don't know what Frats at Mac do...(I guess that just got answered above me)

But, if you have no clue about what frats basically do then I would suggest you watch a show on ABC....Greek.

I'm sorry, but I would like to get my information from someone who is in one - not from movies and TV shows that almost always skew the truth.

If we believed TV, we'd think canadians are always living in 300 feet of snow and in igloos, come on.

I was actually going to post about that. Greek is a great show, but it doesn't really show the "true" greek system (well at least not in Canada). Stuff like a pledge not doing homework so he can play beer pong isn't something that any pledge master/educator would make him do (unfortunately it does happen on its own like with any extracurricular). Most fraternities/sororities have mandatory study halls and minimum GPA requirements. Beside that, things like forcing new members to do degrading things only breaks him down, and no one really wants a broken man as a brother. I can only speak for the Phi Delts, but we prefer to take our pledge period as a time to build the man up.


Aaron

Originally Posted by micadjems

I'm sorry, but I would like to get my information from someone who is in one - not from movies and TV shows that almost always skew the truth.

If we believed TV, we'd think canadians are always living in 300 feet of snow and in igloos, come on.

Okay...
Greek shows somewhat of the Fraternity And Sorority stuff.(Not a lot of it is true somewhat of it is...I agree with the frat guy on that)

Fraternities & Sororities are brotherhood/sisterhoods. Some of them have membership based on religion/race. Others are simply open to everyone. Basically joining one of these means having a busy social calendar(depending on which one you join). A lot of themed 'social gatherings'. Brotherhood-Sisterhood exchange events.Opportunities to meet a lot of people. They also do 'philanthropy'(charit y for those not in the know) . In a greek system, you make brothers/sisters for life. Your older brother/sister(you're paired with one) is always there to seek guidance from.Imagine finding out your boss is from the same fraternity/sorority as you. Fraternities and Sororities have an elitist reputation. And no they are not elitist. But I'm quite sure everyone belongs to one. Everyone has a misconception that greeks party all the time. But infact, greeks actually have higher grades than you non greeks. They have a lesser drop out rate from school. Hazing is not banned. So you're safe while rushing(the recruitment process).
85% of the Fortune 500 have CEOs from the Greek System.

To cut the story short....
Greek life is one experience you should not go to college without. If you ain't greek you've missed THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE.

Ahh...I guess like showing 'Canadians are always living in 300 feet of snow and in igloos' should also include how living in igloos makes one alien to greek life :p

P.S. I have only been to a frat once(like a coupla days kinda thing). I am not part of a frat yet. I hope the guy in Phi Delta Theta doesn't mind me calling him a frat guy. Also information is to the best of my memory from visit.

I'm going to have to go ahead and say that youre wrong - its not the college experience.

And its University up here.

Personally, getting involved in clubs like Engineering and Society, groups like Engineering Musical and Redsuits has given me more lifelong friends than anything else would have. (Like being thrown together with people semi-randomly - hey that sounds a lot like rez.. from which i have very few friends..)