Yeah...it pretty much is. IMO, the Greek Organizations are populated with people were popular kids in high school and need a place to feel that same importance and popularity at university...which mostly does not deal in such clicks and popularity contests. At most universities, Greek Organizations are only important to the people who are in them. They tend to only socialize among themselves.
Matt, these people tend to way overestimate their popularity. Turns out it was mostly just administrators kissing the parents asses for donating money or something. Teachers follow suit and then some of the students. It's all very embarrassing to watch!
UZIMike ! Yes, but you always fight against your own, because we are all human beings, and if we understood that we could achieve much more by working together toward a goal everyone involved can agree on or also wants to reach, we would already be living i a society like Star Trek. Competition isn't necessary, because if you strive vor something out of an intrinsic motivation, you don't need anyone throwing wrenches into your gears in order to reach your goal.
@@Max-lw2rt life where exactly? U.S? i don't see this culture of beauty contest practiced to this extent outside of sorority/fraternity life in the U.S. it's ridiculous. i get through my bachelor's without any frat life just fine, heck there weren't any fraternity (such as in U.S) to begin with. why? well it's got nothing to do with your academics. now i'm getting my masters and i can say, if i had the free time to be in such frat life, i'd rather take a holiday or spend it with loved ones.
@Qatrunnada Hanifah Hell yes without the help of scholarships and grants college in america is expensive. When i get out of high school i want to go to this one college in florida and its gonna cost more than $21,000 and for other colleges it's even more than that😣😣
@@jaaiimarie3770 I'm so sorry. In my country, there some kinds of college, but Universities are the most. We have Universities and Vocantional College. Some College fee are depend on parents/guardians income. You can also get Goverment Scholarship or private one. If you apply for scholarships you must be really smart. My friends got into workers class so they can work in weekdays and study in weekend.
+PotterheadGLeeK7 I can kind of understand why people would join. If you get in (and aren't confronted with a lot of horrible people), you actually get the chance to make lots of friends and have some kind of safe place to go to. I personally wouldn't join either, but the thought of having some sort of "family" from the beginning, does actually sounds pretty nice, if you ask me.
I am about to make a large post and state my own perspective. Since it's largely directed and not just at you but a lot of different commenters and the view in general, I will post it as a new comment, not a reply.
They are useful for making connections, helps with resumes, can teach you how to work as a team, helps you make friends, and also learn more about how businesses work.
As an actual Greek (the real ones, from actual Greece 😜) I feel quite offended that our name is being used for such a shitty purpose. Sororities sound horrible to me... Why not get out and make actual friends instead of buying them? Thanks Dana, very informative video as always 😊
+TheColumnistL You've never been in a frat or sorority, I see. The Greek system is an excellent way to introduce young people to independent living in a fun, social environment. As a fraternity member, I can say this from first hand experience.
Not all fraternities and sororities are that bad, as she explains. Also, being a part of one may not be all that bad when looking after college. Don't know why it's called Greek life or why the names of those frats and sororities come from Greek letters. That could help you not be as offended, but fraternities and sororities go back to ancient Greece, but back then, it wasn't school related.
This is a well articulated and informative video especially for non-Americans. I'm quite jealous that you can talk for that long in one take without stuttering or losing you train of thought.
My freshman year of college I joined a sorority. It was a horrible experience. There were weekly sorority meetings that were at 2pm every Sunday afternoon. I was paying my way thru college and worked most of my hours at my job on the weekends since I had class during the week. My sorority sisters were not very understanding that I couldn't make the weekly meetings due to when the meeting time was. Most of my sorority sisters weren't having to pay their own way thru school like I was. I always paid my weekly dues, which were expensive, and attended most of the sorority functions, parties, etc during the week. But I began getting nasty notes put on my car telling me to quit wearing my sorority letter clothing and to take the sorority sticker out of the back window of my car. I was so hurt. I wanted to have a good fun experience with the Greek life. I let my sorority president know what was going on and she was trying to help me but the harassment continued. All because I had to work Sunday afternoons to be able to pay for my college and missed so many meetings!! I was devastated. So I decided to get out of my sorority, which is NOT an easy task. Lots of paperwork and of course a big fat fee I had to pay.
Thank you for explaining, I think most of us learned about it in movies from the US. I dislike with all my being those kind of clubs, I find them really useless and mostly morally corrupted.
+Sochilinda You're laboring under some really bad misunderstandings, I'm afraid, if you base your perception and judgment about fraternities and sororities on what you see on television. Dana's explanation is pretty accurate, but I would stress that not all Greek organizations are alike. Not by a long shot. They vary greatly in personality and behavior from campus to campus, and the colleges and universities have greatly varying amounts and types of rules and oversight over them. My fraternity experience during the late 1960s was pretty good. It was a sort of home-away-from-home where I had a built-in bunch of friends whom you were pretty socially compatible with. Yes, there were rivalries with other houses, but nothing extreme. More good-natured competition. Yes, there are some that have bad reputations, but they're the exception. Right Dana?
joec0914 Well, I went to University to study. If I find a friend that's great but if not whatever. My studies where important to me not the people. And to meet people should be natural not like going into a special club where only "cool" people get in. I've seen some documentaries about it and I am not impressed. It seems something you would do in 1870's universities, not now in 2016. I find it really strange.
I was in a fraternity and paid less than my cousin, who lived in the dorms. Fraternity and sorority chapter houses often have "dining halls", where the members sit down for meals together, however, the only mandatory meals for us were on Monday evenings and special events - otherwise, we weren't required to eat there, and occasionally I didn't like what the chefs cooked, so I went out to eat.
At the University of Florida it was very expensive to be in a Sorority or Fraternity. Some men I knew in a Fraternity at U of F did it for the camaraderie and also they were all going to be lawyers and they could help each other down the line.
In the Netherlands "fraternities" are mixed (boy/girl) organisations with a central building where all the parties and drinks are held and where you can eat on the cheap. The biggest once are in the 1500 to 2000 member range and these student societies tend to have large organized structures offering a large range of activities and often owning houses throughout the cities where members can live. they often work closely together with universities signing contracts that make sure the party life doesn't interfere with academics. Which works because they are bigger more "professionally" ran organisations. The way it sounds the dutch student society system is basically a large collection of fraternities and sororities working together since you tend to join a society and then internally more closely nit groups are formed that are encouraged to organize activities and vacations together. And while nothing is manditory if you want to "move up" in the organization you would have to attend. There is also a range of intesity. Where some you can just join year round and some have a several week long initiation period and therefor, generally, a more brothers and sisters type connection to "the team"
Yeah Dana! Breaking it down for the masses! I'm glad you made a video to explain this.. I have so many conversations about this with some of my German friends.. it's a mystery to them
+cowglow Maybe it's a mystery to them because our types of fraternities (as in Burschenschaften, I'm not talking about general Verbindungen which are most often not that talked about since they are as a whole not that extreme in behaviour and appearance. A lot of them are also not divided in men and women.) are well known to be very right wing. There are some that aren't, but I live in a big university city with about 11 fraternities that are duelling and from experience I'd say to not engage with them. Last summer for example there was a Nazi convention at one of the fraternities against which a huge number of students and uni staff protested. It's a bit weird for a German person, especially one that went to uni, to understand the good reputation of fraternities and sororities in the US.
+ftlouim ich muss sagen ich komme auch aus einer Stadt mit vielen Verbindungen und ich kenne viele Leute aus Verbindungen und niemand davon ist ein neo nazi hab auch noch nie davon gehört das es solche Probleme geben soll
I started the rush process when I was in college. most sororities have a gpa requirement, at least where i went to school, and have mandatory study times. I did not go all the way through the joining process because I got sick and decided my health was more important.
I went to a school with a huge Greek system and for sorority rush it was four stages. The first stage you go to all of the houses. You find out who accepted you at each stage and can pick a certain number to go to. Fourth stage you can only go to three. I honestly wish I'd skipped out on sorority life because it wasn't for me.
Good overall video, but when it comes to the structure portion you mentioned, that is also very much dependent on the particular fraternity or sorority. Our fraternity never had meal plans, required meals together, or required social events. We might every now and then have a big BBQ at the house and call everyone up to let them know to grab some steaks and come over, but it was optional and didn't happen very often. Other than that, the kitchen at the house was for the guys who lived there. As for events, the only mandatory events were weekly meetings and pledge events where we needed to make sure we had enough guys there. Even those could be missed if you had a valid reason.
Don't get me wrong, college sororities and fraternities (some of them at least) do great work in the community. But I'll never understand them. It's more of a exclusive group than anything else. And it doesn't really fit my liking. I know quite a few college graduates who make such a big deal about the fraternity they were in, which I really don't get the hang up about it. No matter how much people try to explain it to me, they're still so weird. Don't really know why some are so desperate to join one.
Photoshop i know this is old but since a lot of kids on the US go to college far away from home all alone, it gives you a great way to make friends and a home. A lot of people stay friends with some of their frat or sorority sisters for life. Also, a lot of them organize lots of charity and community work.
Finally all those american highschool/university movies make sense. thank you dana! Stundentenverbindungen arent that common in the area where I live. Well, I don't know if that would work for me. It sounds like a community or a "WG" with certain ideas about life... I mean for some people it could be really helpful, cause its hard to make friends when youre now on the campus. So they are kinda lonely and don't get the best out of the time .... I mean eating alone in a crowded canteen isnt fun. Sometimes you just wanna share whats on your mind, and your parents wont understand your problems. Even your friends outside university wont understand it. So I think those communities could help. Thats why I sometimes miss school - we were a class of 30 people and we did everything together. That was really nice.
I had tons of fun during my fraternity days in college. Some of the best people I ever met and I'm still in touch with most of them a decade later. All the hate directed towards us was mostly based on assumptions on what they thought we were and misconceptions portrayed in movies like "Animal House" and "The Skulls".
In Latin, brother is fratris and sister is soror. Those Latin words help explain why fraternities are called fraternities and sororities are called sororities.
I will say this, every job that I have had, my interviewer has told me that it was my military experience or that I have been in a fraternity. I have also, in my career used those traits to narrow my field of qualified candidates. So, for me as an adult it has helped. Now, in college I didn't join with that in mind. I joined because they were a bunch of guys that I was hanging out with and having great times with, so I took the leap and it has been one of the best decisions in my life. I just turned 40 and I am still involved, and try to help the younger brothers as much as i can in getting them ahead in their career.
In Germany, there are Studentenverbindungen or just Verbindungen in short. But I wasn't in any of them and actually, I didn't anyone personally that was. But I looked into it as well, because they fished for students at some introduction courses, and it was a nice evening. But it wasn't anything for me, either.
A friend of mine was a member of a "Burschenschaft" and he told me that you don't just have to pay for it during your university/college time but for a lifetime! The more you'll earn the more you'll have to pay.
I wasn't part of a sorority myself. I went to a smaller college, so I didn't feel like it was necessary. However, I suppose I can see the benefit of being in a fraternity/sorority if you are going to a big school far from home, where you don't know too many people. It gives you a circle of friends and a network of people that you can rely on. I also know that there are fraternities and sororities that cater to certain groups of people. Example: fraternities/sororities that cater specifically to African-American students, to students who practice a specific religion, or to students pursuing a specific major. These can be beneficial because it helps students connect with people who are like them, so they don't feel like they're "the only one" -- and also, the fraternities/sororities that cater to students pursuing a specific major can be helpful in securing a job in that field after graduation.
Everything I've heard about those before were things in movies where someone died and they seemed like cruel people who were always partying. I didn't know there were different "personalities". I wouldn't want to join one though because it seems like something for quite wealthy students and the pressure to do certain things with them on a regular basis and of course the possibility of them being cruel doesn't seem appealing to me
+Just Exploring They will take up your time...you said regular basis and that is true...hard to be an individual...Some are not cruel, but will test you when you pledge to see if you can handle stress and take a joke...there is always that sadistic person that gets through the filters and when they become seniors and leaders can direct the club in a bad direction until he/she is called on it...if the others can not see something is going to far, they have not been learning anything during their time in college...
In Belgium we do have some kind of fraternities but they are mostly girls and guys mixed and most of the things are a lot less strict :P It's just about drinking and having fun with the people :D in some cities they also sell books you need for the lectures to a more affordable price and/or organize cultural events and parties :D
I also think it depends on what region of the country you are in. Here in the South Greek life is huge and a big deal. Whereas out West, from my experience, not so much. Also depends on the campus at the University of Alabama its a big thing for example.
This practice of hazing, no matter if it isn't bad, is something that is so utterly uncivilized that I don't know how people are willing to put up with it. Even worse, when they do they start thinking it's normal, and go on with it, instead of seeing that it is not something one should ever do to another person, no matter how harmless it is physically.
@@beatrizletras693 some Verbindungen in central Europe do it as well.. To various extends. Some have courage tests... And others just expect you to serve the older members their drinks, food etc 🤷♀️
i would be interested in the "history" of american fraternities. in germany they mainly formed because when the first universities were opened the students would leave their families for a whole semester, with all the money they needed for this time, so their needed to protect themselves. that's why they did train dueling and some frats do it still today, out of tradition.
My only fear of a fraternity is there being a fake vibe, like you can’t be yourself around the people, or petty stuff, fake friends etc, all of that isn’t worth being included if you don’t even enjoy it
Yes there are frats in germany. As a few comments say they are called Verbindungen and come in different sizes and shapes. These differences result in historical questions. To easy this up i will use the term Frat as a synonyme for Verbindung The first frats were communities for Students of the same origin, so they could travel together between home and university and help each other in their mother tongue. You could see this today at the names of the Frateernities, the have latinized names like Bavaria or Borussia. They sepereated in different times in multiple forms which differ in their global direction whih means the main activities besides partying. So you have Religious Frats (mostly catholic i guess, there were jewish frats in Germany before WW2 just a interesting foot note) , more political frats (the Burschenschaften belong to this group, they played a role in the union ovement of germany), frats who go back to the help thought who are mostly a few years older, (these should describe the so called Landsmannschaften), frats who like to sing, frats who like to do sports and many more. The main key to understand germany's frat system is to know that each frat has a direction as mentioned and each frat has a few forms how it acts. These forms are stuff like mixed or same sex, fencing, wearing the colors of the frat. There are way more frats in germany than sororities, but it seems like sororities get founded more often in the last few years. If there are any questions let me know, perhaps i can answer them.
german frats, called "Studentenverbindung", are hard to explain. But there are some English videos about them on TH-cam. Would be nice if you could go and visit a German frat in Munich and make a video about your experiences there! I joined a mixed one for a year and loved it but didn't had enough time to spend with them.
The college I went to had some strange Greek life dynamics. I was too much into my books and too much of an introvert to feel compelled to participate in rush. Most sororities at my college seemed to attract the ditzy party girl type and that was definitely not me. And the chapter of Alpha Phi Omega (service oriented coed fraternity) struck me as being quite clique-ish for the nerd/geek/dork set. Plus I didn't have a lot of spare cash and I'd rather spend that on grocery shopping.
Not all of American social Greek Letter Organizations fall within your generalization. There are different fraternities and sororities such as Black Greek Letter Organizations or Multinational Greek Orgs. The process for joining these social Greek org. is very different than that described in the video. These organizations, also, have graduate and alumni chapters to allow those to be active after college/university. Those who did not join in college have the potential to join a graduate chapter afterward.Their focus is on brother/sisterhood, servicing the community, and scholarship.
Makes sense that people go to all those lengths just to join a fraternity or a sorority, lot of people just want to be a part of something and feel included, even if it’s dumb
yes, they do exist in Germany. They're called "Studentenverbindungen" I don't know that much about them but they tend to have negative reputations. I was dragged to a party of a german fraternity not long ago by a friend of a friend who's boyfriend is in it. and I felt very uncomfortable there, but I just don't really like those kind of parties. a lot of guys tried to chat me up and wanted me to drink , they were all getting drunk. no one was really being horrible to me but I didn't like it
+Monirelinie I assume it's the same here in Austria. However, it's not really possible to compare Verbindungen here since they also vary a lot. For example, I know some that are far more radical than others but most of the catholic ones are pretty chill :)
I would be very interested if non-sororities/fraternities people get insulted by these groups or if other 'factions' get harassed by them as seen in many tv shows? Is there a benefit in being in a sorority other than participate in activities?
+Marcus Netz Actually it has increasingly been the opposite for the last 20 to 30 years or so. When I was at university, my crowd would routinely insult 'frat-rats' to their faces and sometimes would do a bit more than merely insult them. (I regret it now, and I can't imagine that I would do it again.) I think that the movies and tv shows actually helped make the Fraternities/Sororities weaker by showing the common people the unpleasantness and elitism associated with them. Benefits from being in a Sorority or Fraternity ? maybe there still are benefits to be had later in life with connections and such, but it is nothing like it used to be in years gone by. (Some employers might even think of it as being a minus on one's record.)
Yes we actually have something similar in Germany. There's the Studentenverbindungen which is probably like the Fraternity's and Sorority's and we have the Burschenschaften which are sexist (only men can join), racist (only white men can join) and really right wing with politicians from Germany's and Austria's most right wing party's being in Burschenschaften. The Dachverband Burschenschaften which most Burschenschaften are part of also organizes the so called Akademikerball in Vienna every January which is considered to be the biggest fascist meeting in Europe. There are pretty huge protests against it every year and generally spoken, most of the leftist political scene despises the Burschenschaften and there are even some punk pubs in Germany where you can get a free beer for every Burschenschaftsfarbe (Hats and Scherpen) you give them. Some Burschenschaften are more right wing and more politically active than others but almost all of them are despicable. Feel free to ask questions and I'll try to answer them.
+Sebastian Ernstlos You should also mention that the Burschenschaften make about 1% (or 5%, depending on the source) of german Studentenverbindungen. Most of them are left-wing. Also, restricting women from joining is not the same as being sexist: The german Studentenverbindungen have the so called "Lebensbundprinzip", where they pledge to be a member of the fraternity for the entire life. If you have a man and a woman in a frat, they could become a couple (awesome!) but they might eventually break up (not so awesome). If this happens, there might be conflict in the frat, which is to be avoided at all cost. Also, most of the Studentenverbindungen allow women on almost all their acitivities. In the example of the frat i belong to, women are welcome on every occasion except meetings (where important matters are discussed, so only members are allowed to come) and two special drinking nights per semester.
JojoSelti Ok well I'm from Bavaria and there, the Burschenschaften are probably about 90% of all Studentenverbindungen, at least in smaller cities. And yes, generally restricting women from joining a group is sexist. Sexist is literally treating one sex differently than another. Also you didn't even mention homosexual relationships which disprove your point completely.
I don't care what you call it. Maybe making a difference between men and women is a good thing sometimes. It's a private organisation anyway. Don't want to join? Then don't. But don't go messing in something you know nothing about. Traditional student clubs are something deeply beautiful in my opinion.
Not all Burschenschaften are racist. At least not in Switzerland. Glanzenburger had a black man from Uganda as a "full" member in the 60ies (and they visited him in Uganda as soon as it was safe due to the political situation) who was thereby also a SchwStv member. My Verbindung (couleur, avec comment etc) is mixed. We're 60 plus years old (so still young!) and were mixed (men and women) from the very beginning :) We also have very good relationships with many all male and pretty much all the strictly female (just because there are very few of those) Verbindungen. As long as there's a place for everyone it's all good imo. But it is my understanding that Verbindungen in Switzerland are on average a bit more leftwing than in Germany or Austria. But there are obviously also historical reasons for that... Edit: many of us don't date within our Verbindung and *definitely* not in our close beer family (beer parent, grandparent etc). But if there is an issue you can also just challenge someone to a beerduel. They'll be forced to respect that due to beer honour... 🤷♀️
There are "Studentenverbindung" in Germany. Many get a bad rep because they are pretty backwards and/or traditional. Some call themselves "Burschenschaften". Those have names like "Germania", "Franconia", "Saxonia" or stuff like that and are usually exclusively for Christian (often even a certain confession e.g. catholic), "German" (meaning people whose families aren't immigrants) males. Traditionally they do certain sports like rowing or fencing (in some really old-fashioned ones that's mandatory). They often have very luxurious dorms with rooms that cost not a lot of money, so you usually stumble across them when you're looking for a room. They have certain traditions, often involving drinking. There are other, more liberal Studentenverbindungen. But they are often associated with that kind of stuff. There are some "Studentenvereine" that are usually really open and want to distinguish themself from the Burschenschaften.
Good explanations Dana. Keep in mind that the character of each chapter of these national organizations is dependent upon upon the social milieu, leadership, university oversight of each chapter on each campus. The national organization provides general structure and the local chapters must adhere to that organizational structure and pay chapter dues (money) to the national. Fraternities and Sororities are naturally exclusionary organizations that differentiate themselves by their professed creeds usually having to do with brotherhood or sorority sisterhood. The amount of exclusion depends on the chapter. The overall key is that of a ready made common interest single sex group that will provide home away from home support for young people as well as future business and social networking opportunities. One cannot stress enough though that each chapter is characterized by its individual membership and leaders as to how they fit into the local university scene.
+buciallstar In the US, the words are often used interchangeably to refer to any institution of higher learning. But historically, colleges are often smaller and offer degrees in a limited number of majors or focus on a particular area, like art. A university is usually much larger and offers degrees in a comprehensive series of studies. A university sometimes comprises several colleges. For instance, a college of law, or a science and engineering college, or a college of medicine. And simply from tradition, some institutions that have the size and broad offering of a university are still called "colleges". For instance Darmouth College and Wellesley College are really universities in terms of their degree programs, but retain the name out of tradition.
+buciallstar No, I attend the University of Georgia, but I study engineering at the Driftmier College of Engineering. Same place, different names depending on what you study. There's also the Terry College of Business, Warnell School of Forestry, and the Franklin COllege of Arts and Sciences. I was in Franklin when I was a Biology major. I switched majors at the end of my freshman year to mechanical engineering and german. So that means within the University of Georgia, I study under the Driftmier College of Engineering. I hope this helps you in understanding the difference between a University and a College.
+buciallstar Americans will often use the two terms to mean the same thing, especially when speaking. The British tend to make more of a distinction between the two terms.
+buciallstar Smaller, local campuses, are often called community colleges. They're often 2 years worth of study, good for taking basics, night classes, learning a trade, etc. Universities have quite large campuses, similar to small towns, and you can get a 4 year degree +. Hope that helped.
Sounds like a way to make people get in line... Which is exactly what fraternities are like here in the Philippines. They're likely to be very similar due to the fact that fraternities are an American import from the commonwealth era. The biggest difference here is that we don't have any sororities as far as I know due to the fact that "fraternities" take both men and women (the Filipino word isn't gender specific and Philippine society is much more feminine than the US).
Burschenschaften in Germany are often very elitist and conservative and often have a very very long history and tradition. In some of them (around 300 Schlagende Verbindungen) you have to learn academic fencing and get a dueling scar during during your "Mensur". The good thing about them is that many have established business men as ex-members and it's a good place for networking and to prepare your career.
Burschenschaften in Austria (im Allgemeinen aber besonders die schlagenden Verbindungen) are the Birthplace of the Hitlers and Göbbels from tommorow. Many of the FPÖ-Politicians are members of Burschenschaften, they are Nazi-Assholes.
That was super interesting! Thank you for sharing your experiences. Are there special requirements to join a sorority? Like I'll live in America for a year but I doubt that I can join one. I have heard some hazing stories and man that's just crazy! But I think in the end you're just happy and proud of yourself that you got through it.
In Germany, we also have fraternities, but not at every university. At more traditional, older universities, you can find "Burschenschaften". They also engage in social life and bonding. I remeber one in Kiel had their own boat and they were sailing regularly on the Baltic sea. Also, they do some sort of fencing - but without any protection for the face. Therefore, it's members can easily being spotted by the scars in thier faces. :O
In Austria, as well as in Germany there are different kinds of associations. They divide up in male and female associations (as far as I know, there are no mixed ones) and in fencing and not fencing associations.
I feel like this is a limited explanation of Greek life. Many colleges/universities have Greek life. At some schools, there are fraternity/sorority houses that are owned by the group and allow for some members to live off-campus together, often in "Greek Row" if the houses are located near each other. You rush a few weeks into the start of your first year. Perhaps this is kinda buying friends, but more accurately, you are paying for membership in a group. During rush, you find a group of people, in various stages of their journeys, who share likes and interests with you. You get hooked up with a group of potential mentors right from the start. Each sorority/frat is a local chapter of a national group, with national oversight and permission from the college to operate. In the long term, Greek life is very beneficial for networking. In the same way that @NotEvenFrench describes Grand Ecoles, you immediately have contacts throughout all disciplines and all over the country (if not the world) who are willing to give you a shot because you come from the same place -- even if it is not a physical place, but just the same club.
There are fraternities/sororities in Germany. They're called "Verbindungen". There are different types of them.. so for example some are focussed into sports, singing, religion(mostly catholic) or nationalism.. Since some of them are kinda political.. and some are pretty extreme (right winged) they got a lot bad publicity... well it's a big topic.. if you walk around munich or other cities with big university's just watch out for houses with flags.. if it's not an embassy, there is a high chance it's a fraternity..
+Vinh Tran Yes, they soundet pretty similar to our "Verbindungen". But I guess germanywide there are even less people applying nowerdays, Where I used to study there were a few small ones, but I ever met only people from one. I was once at a party, where only one person was left. Even the person giving the party only lived there but was no member himself.
oggi mog yeah in cities with older universities with a lot tradition like heidelberg, aachen there are still a lot fraternities (Aachen got around 40) but in other cities they nearly vanished (Duisburg got 1 with I think 2 members or something..) Nowaday they recruit members by offering really cheap rooms so people get to learn about the fraternity.
Omg thank you girl I needed basic understanding of what this whole thing is and no ones doing that. Everyone goes too deep into it. I need to know the basics first to understand the criticisms lol
Hey. I generally like your video :3 But found this one really interesting. For me as a German student, my only knowledge of "Greek life" was of movies and tv-series. And it seems, that it's displayed maybe not wrong, but not entirely. Keep up the good work. :)
I still don't get why they exist?? What do they provide?? Why do you need them?? Why would you even want to be in one?? I've been trying to understand this for a while and I still don't get it because no one really talks about why would you want to be in one.
There are lots of reasons as to why someone may want to join. Some join because they want a home away from home. Others join for networking, making friends or academic motivation (a lot of the organizations require a high GPA to be able to stay in the org so it’s not all partying like people believe/make it out to be). They also provide leadership opportunities that look great on a resume. There are a lot of other reasons but these are the ones that come to my mind at the moment. :)
There are actually loads of German fraternities and a really much smaller number of sororities but they differ greatly from what you know in the US. Well first of all, like US fraternities, there are many different sorts, I think they are even more differentiated than in the US but they also have a kind of social stigma that just doesn't apply to most fraternities (or sororities) but still makes potential members really wary. From what I know, they actually have the same origin, but whereas the US fraternities developed to something somewhat more modern, the German ones are still pretty traditional (in my profile picture you see me in the traditional uniform of our fraternity). So I'm kind of surprised that you didn't know anything about German fraternities (or sororities, but as I said, those are pretty rare) but I think the last count was that only about 1% of German students are actually in fraternities, so yeah, they struggle a bit with membership, other than in the US
Thank you for this explications ! I'm French and I'm part of a french sorority (Zeta Lambda Zeta). There are sororities and fraternities in France but we are "cooler" (if I can say that xD) We are quiet new, we don't have houses or big organisation but it's really fun to be part of this !! :)
Puisque vous êtes française, je me permets de vous écrire en français. Pourquoi avez vous choisi une fraternité de type "americaine" plutôt qu'un autre type de groupe étudiant ?
I much prefer the system the uk universities has. We have societies based on different subjects or hobbies or sports. You can join multiple if you like but usually people stick to just one or two. Anyone can join and it becomes quite a community. It’s usually only about £20ish a term for a membership (could be a bit more for sports or less for smaller societies). I’m on the committee for one of my university’s societies and I love it and have made so many friends because of it. For me I have a problem with the American Greek life because it seems discriminatory in terms of its exclusiveness - the bidding process and the sheer amount of money ($2000 ish avg. and all the extra costs is insane).
Is there just like an unless amount of Greek letter combinations? Or is there just a set amount of frats or sororities? I’ve heard of different chapters in different universities of the same frat/sororities, but they have different names which confuses me lol
In Germany there are "Burschenschaften", but they are usually considered to be right-wing organisations, with many contacs to the RCDS and neo-nazi organisations. They also recruit young university students, have houses in town, with flats, kitchens, dining rooms and stuff and do often even wear their own uniforms. Some of them do this crazy fencing thing, called "Mensur".
wow that sounds really crazy, sadly I don't know a smilie with the eyes popping out! I remember that I saw a documentation once with a little "studentenverbindung" but it was definitely not that big/important ... as far as I know!
One word to describe a sorority is literally a cult. It’s a cult I never knew what sororities were but I got bad vibes. I just know people have done some messed up things during initiation… it’s a click or sorts it’s weird because it’s literally like a high school experience all over again.
My view especially on fraternities is shaped by the documentary "The hunting ground" from Kirby Dick. You can find it on Netflix (english audio, german subtitles) and it paints a pretty disturbing picture of how frat members treat women and how little effort many universities make to investigate rape and harrassment or to punish those who do this.
We do have Studentenverbindungen (most well known are Burschenschaften) in Germany, they're generally pretty conservative and love their tradition (seriously, they really do). Some more, some less, which is why sometimes they're all generalized as being pretty far right on the political spectrum and nationalistic. They're also mostly male. There's also a difference between "schlagende und nicht-schlagende" Verbindungen, which means they duel or don't duel (via swordplay/fencing). Just look it up on Wikipedia if you're more interested in them. There's all sorts of controversy around them. Also, it's not as popular as fraternities/sororities. I only know of one person who's part of a Studentenverbindung. I think they're more "underground" as there's that stigma around them. Sometimes students also join only to have a cheap room since they offer cheap (aka student-friendly :D) living space.
+phénix This "underground" part differs from University to University. The more conservative places like Tübingen have really a lot of "Burschenschaften" and many of them are "schlagend". It was a common thing to see sb with a batch on the cheek where he was stiched-up. But they are similar to very conservative fraternities. They also have some kind of uniform (or at least some kind of scarf or hat) that has to be worn on special occasions. As you mentioned, 90% of them are male exclusive and very much on the right wing. The basic advantage for people joining a Burschenschaft is, that the alumni are financing a lot and are compound of people in higher offices, politicians or judges, etc. these alumni make sure that the fraternity members are getting the best education to raise the next generation of "elite". So a lot of favoritism... :/
+Ecstasia1 I might be totally wrong, but I think Tübingen might be kind of a exception in this case. As it's one of the oldest Universities in Europe where the whole "Studentenbewegung" has started it might be kinda obvious that they still have a lot of those traditional things. But I've never really heard a lot about "Studentenverbindungen" and I don't even know if there's one at my University (Saarbrücken).
Marööön Yes, but it's different from city to city. I'm currently in Mainz, and there are very conservative Burschenschaften as well, but not as many as in Tübingen. You're right it's mostly the older universities.
And it's possible from the name to say what is what? Like if I had for example Lambda Kappa Gamma Pi Theta Delta It's possible to know what one is a sorority and which one a fraternity? Or like I have to guess while applying? :DD
OMG I never realized how foreigners have gotten such a bad image of Greek life!!!!! Most of all of this crap that y'all have heard is because it is 1. so horrible and 2. so RARE! I guess all of the philanthropic work they do is not news-worthy. If you could have seen all the times sororities have "study sessions" where older sisters would help me study for classes, or the times we spent raising money for charities, or the countless HOURS we spent volunteering with children at hospitals or for girl scouts, etc. It's sad all the good and wonderful things that are overlooked!
I never was in a fraternity, mostly because i quit school after the mandatory schooltime and did an apprenticeship as an electrician. Just be glad that you missed the rushing and hazing and don't wonder what else you missed. That shit is just made because those who are already members of the group love it to play the big bosses. A true brotherhood would never treat its members in any bad way. Extreme or not, they are useless at their best and dangerous at their worst.
You have covered the responsibilities of members but you don't know what they get in return of all that hard work... its most probably confidential information but i would say some of sororities and fraternities provide you with life long support in different fields during university and after.. because the members and their families could be or could become powerful politicians, business owners, entrepreneurs, employers, millionaires, billionaires, doctors, scientists or any powerful role in society... having said that it's easy for some people to say such clubs are useless but to ambitious people who are aiming for the stars and want to achieve great success in the future sororities and fraternities are the way to go if you choose the right one.. you just need to keep your eyes on the prize!
We have Greek life here in Canada but it is frowned upon. Most people see it as paying money to have friends. It exists on campuses but it really isn't a big deal.
In Germany it's quite komplex with a larg variety. At first we distinguish between different typs of "Verbindungen": Verbindungen (mixed or only male) Burschenschaften (only for males so kind of Fraternities; conservative; partial right wing), Corps (only male; ultraconservative; right wing)), Landsmannschaften (only male), Turnerschaften (sport/exercise; only male), Sängerschaften (singer; male partial mixed), Damenverbindungen (only female like Sororities), and Katholische & Christliche Verbindungen (religious mostly catholic).(I hope i don't forget a type) So next point , what are the differents in colour and fencing: most of them are traditional so they have Couleur (colours) that means they have banners, coat of arms and also kind of a uniform called Wichs or Vollwichs if complet which includes for example sashes and hats, also a part of that is the so called Zirkel, it's their symbol, the counterpart of the Greek letters in America. But not all wear colours, some of the old and mostly the newer and modern ones are so called Schwarze Verbindung which means black because the have no colours. Now let's move on to fencing, in general their are three typs of Verbindungen: pflichtschlagende what means you have to train and take part in duels, some even have a minimum number which you have to face during your time as a student, fakultativ schlagend which mean you have the possibility but it's not your duty so you can make your own choice and of course nicht schlagend so without fencing and nowadays thats the most common of all. Well thats only a few points, as i have stated out at the beginning it's quit a large and complex topic, there is so much more but I hope it will give you a slight hint about the German tradition of Verbindungen. Oh and at the end I also have to mention that not all of them are conservativ or in the right wing or weird, at least some of them could be quit cool.
The swiss ones (yep, as a belgian, i don't see big differences betweenn all theses types, i call them "germanic fraternities" even if they are not from germany) are usually cool (at least, the few i've met).
Sounds like a rich exclusive club I don't get it's appeal now considering we have many ways to network apart from such frats/ sororities as well as I am not American but I think globalization has already done quite a lot of work for them plus I think finding clubs is a better option.
I heard about sororities and fraternities when I started watching a show called "Greek" and it was really interesting for me as a german because I don't think you really have those here. But I think that has to do with the structure american and european universities have.
+The Anna Burschenschaften gibt es hier auf jeden Fall auch. Wobei man heutzutage wohl eher von Verbindungen sprechen würde, vor allem wenn sie für beide Geschlechter sind.
Was für ein Quatsch... Die amerikanischen Studentenverbindungen sind nach deutschem Vorbild gegründet. Im deutschsprachigen Raum gibt es Studentenverbindungen noch und nöcher. In so gut wie allen Universitätsstädten sind welche ansässig. In vielen zwischen 20 und 30 Stück. In Danas Heimatstadt München gibt es mindestens 50 Verbindungen. Die meisten Verbindungen sind im übrigen deutlich über 100 Jahre alt, manche sogar über 200.
+DJOetti über 200Jahre ist Quatsch die Urburschenschaft wurde 1815 in Jena gegründet und die gibt es immer noch. Diese tragen auch nach wie vor die Farben Schwarz rot Gold. Jedoch von unten gelesen wie es in Jena bei den Verbindungen üblich ist.
there is a similar thing in Germany actually there are two types: " schlagende Verbindung" or "nicht schlagende Verbindung" or alternatively "Burschenschaft" instead of "Verbindung" but it's for guys only - no women allowed. Wikipedia has a rather lengthy article if your german is good enough: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studentenverbindung
On a completely diffrent not. What do you think about TTIP? It is a hot topic at the moment and it would americanize Europe. Big Companies could then do whatever they want here. What is your opinion on that?
Two points still unclear to me: Are these local or national institutions (say, is Phi Upsilon Kappa at a Californian university "the same" as Phi Upsilon Kappa at a New York university? And do the Greek letters have any meaning behind them (such as abbreviation for some Greek motto)?
Hagen von Eitzen it is a national organization with chapters throughout the world. The Greek letters have a meaning but you won't find it out unless you go through initiation.
you have to look it up - there are a lot of fraternities in Germany (not so sure about sororities) and from what I know it sounds pretty similar, except that the guys also fight? Not sure about that.
Honestly I don't see the appeal of it. There's no such thing in my country, but in my uni we have dorms that every freshman had to stay in for a year, they coat this dorms system with some sort of sorority/fraternity shenanigans. And it was hell to me, I couldn't wait to move out, there's too many pointless activities while I had tons of more important things to do. The only positive side of it is that I found my bestfriends through it, but you also have to deal with tons of shitty people and much more negative points, I just don't think it's worthy. Maybe it is appealing for some people, but I just can't see it.
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
Oh my God, that sounds horrible to me from beginning to end. No thanks.
Patrick Bateman gdi fuck
Yeah...it pretty much is. IMO, the Greek Organizations are populated with people were popular kids in high school and need a place to feel that same importance and popularity at university...which mostly does not deal in such clicks and popularity contests. At most universities, Greek Organizations are only important to the people who are in them. They tend to only socialize among themselves.
I am the real Patrick Bateman
Matt, these people tend to way overestimate their popularity. Turns out it was mostly just administrators kissing the parents asses for donating money or something. Teachers follow suit and then some of the students. It's all very embarrassing to watch!
agreed
when I hear those stories, I always think of "Monsters University"
Halbtonschritt LoL ooozmaa kappa!
same lol
I think of cults to be honest
No offense
I learnt of fraternities from 22 jump street.
That really sounds like a culture of exclusion and rejection. Nothing for the poor guys and girls! How despicable....sorry, I had to say it.
UZIMike ! Yes, but you always fight against your own, because we are all human beings, and if we understood that we could achieve much more by working together toward a goal everyone involved can agree on or also wants to reach, we would already be living i a society like Star Trek. Competition isn't necessary, because if you strive vor something out of an intrinsic motivation, you don't need anyone throwing wrenches into your gears in order to reach your goal.
You’re forgiven
Also as a nonbinary person it would be hard for me to join even if I wanted to.
@@ons7944 maybe u should use ur gender then
popularity/wealth contests should not be a part of educational life
Welcome to life, Snowflake
M LH, nah. Time's up on greek life too. :)
@@Max-lw2rt life where exactly? U.S?
i don't see this culture of beauty contest practiced to this extent outside of sorority/fraternity life in the U.S. it's ridiculous. i get through my bachelor's without any frat life just fine, heck there weren't any fraternity (such as in U.S) to begin with. why? well it's got nothing to do with your academics.
now i'm getting my masters and i can say, if i had the free time to be in such frat life, i'd rather take a holiday or spend it with loved ones.
So obviously sororities and fraternities are for the rich kids...
+Bivalvinchen lol College is for the kids whose parents can afford to send them :)
ETA: OR a very intelligent kid with a scholarship ♥
@@mrscop Thats insane america needs to fix that...
Is college very expensive in America?
@Qatrunnada Hanifah Hell yes without the help of scholarships and grants college in america is expensive. When i get out of high school i want to go to this one college in florida and its gonna cost more than $21,000 and for other colleges it's even more than that😣😣
@@jaaiimarie3770 I'm so sorry. In my country, there some kinds of college, but Universities are the most. We have Universities and Vocantional College. Some College fee are depend on parents/guardians income. You can also get Goverment Scholarship or private one. If you apply for scholarships you must be really smart. My friends got into workers class so they can work in weekdays and study in weekend.
Sororities and fraternities sound pretty useless to me. I don't understand the appeal at all.
+PotterheadGLeeK7 I can kind of understand why people would join. If you get in (and aren't confronted with a lot of horrible people), you actually get the chance to make lots of friends and have some kind of safe place to go to. I personally wouldn't join either, but the thought of having some sort of "family" from the beginning, does actually sounds pretty nice, if you ask me.
I am about to make a large post and state my own perspective. Since it's largely directed and not just at you but a lot of different commenters and the view in general, I will post it as a new comment, not a reply.
PotterheadGeeK7 Sounds like someone didn't get a bid
They are useful for making connections, helps with resumes, can teach you how to work as a team, helps you make friends, and also learn more about how businesses work.
Sororities and fraternities are only important to people who were in sororities and fraternities. :P
As an actual Greek (the real ones, from actual Greece 😜) I feel quite offended that our name is being used for such a shitty purpose. Sororities sound horrible to me... Why not get out and make actual friends instead of buying them? Thanks Dana, very informative video as always 😊
+TheColumnistL You've never been in a frat or sorority, I see. The Greek system is an excellent way to introduce young people to independent living in a fun, social environment. As a fraternity member, I can say this from first hand experience.
Not all fraternities and sororities are that bad, as she explains. Also, being a part of one may not be all that bad when looking after college. Don't know why it's called Greek life or why the names of those frats and sororities come from Greek letters. That could help you not be as offended, but fraternities and sororities go back to ancient Greece, but back then, it wasn't school related.
I'm not American or Greek, but I can honestly relate to this and understand why you're upset. If I were Greek I would feel very offended by all this.
το ίδιο σκεφτόμουνα
I just got back from Greece and I’m an American..... the “Greek Life” doesn’t represent Greek culture AT ALL
I was always confused by the frat system, Dana, Thanks for explaining it.
this video is a complete misrepresentation of Greek life.
Vartan Davidian I definitely agree. She’s just saying all the negatives, and a lot of the negatives aren’t even a thing
wtf is your playlists you weird old man
The whole Greek thing added into it kinda sounds horrible tbh, if I were Greek I wouldn't really want stuff from my home associated with this
@Ramadan Steve You're probably an American if you're offended on what a foreigner said
Eh we don't care we don't even know about it
I'm so happy I was born in the UK
Same
Hey fellow Brit , I have no clue about this
I think you have a choice not to go to these cults if you were planning on going to college in america though, thankfully..
Bet your not now...
This is a well articulated and informative video especially for non-Americans. I'm quite jealous that you can talk for that long in one take without stuttering or losing you train of thought.
My freshman year of college I joined a sorority. It was a horrible experience. There were weekly sorority meetings that were at 2pm every Sunday afternoon. I was paying my way thru college and worked most of my hours at my job on the weekends since I had class during the week. My sorority sisters were not very understanding that I couldn't make the weekly meetings due to when the meeting time was. Most of my sorority sisters weren't having to pay their own way thru school like I was. I always paid my weekly dues, which were expensive, and attended most of the sorority functions, parties, etc during the week. But I began getting nasty notes put on my car telling me to quit wearing my sorority letter clothing and to take the sorority sticker out of the back window of my car. I was so hurt. I wanted to have a good fun experience with the Greek life. I let my sorority president know what was going on and she was trying to help me but the harassment continued. All because I had to work Sunday afternoons to be able to pay for my college and missed so many meetings!! I was devastated. So I decided to get out of my sorority, which is NOT an easy task. Lots of paperwork and of course a big fat fee I had to pay.
Thank you for explaining, I think most of us learned about it in movies from the US. I dislike with all my being those kind of clubs, I find them really useless and mostly morally corrupted.
+Sochilinda You're laboring under some really bad misunderstandings, I'm afraid, if you base your perception and judgment about fraternities and sororities on what you see on television. Dana's explanation is pretty accurate, but I would stress that not all Greek organizations are alike. Not by a long shot. They vary greatly in personality and behavior from campus to campus, and the colleges and universities have greatly varying amounts and types of rules and oversight over them. My fraternity experience during the late 1960s was pretty good. It was a sort of home-away-from-home where I had a built-in bunch of friends whom you were pretty socially compatible with. Yes, there were rivalries with other houses, but nothing extreme. More good-natured competition. Yes, there are some that have bad reputations, but they're the exception. Right Dana?
joec0914 Well, I went to University to study. If I find a friend that's great but if not whatever. My studies where important to me not the people. And to meet people should be natural not like going into a special club where only "cool" people get in. I've seen some documentaries about it and I am not impressed. It seems something you would do in 1870's universities, not now in 2016. I find it really strange.
@@Sochilinda Yep. sounds like a satanic cult you have to pay for, idk why anyone would do that stupid shit.
I was in a fraternity and paid less than my cousin, who lived in the dorms. Fraternity and sorority chapter houses often have "dining halls", where the members sit down for meals together, however, the only mandatory meals for us were on Monday evenings and special events - otherwise, we weren't required to eat there, and occasionally I didn't like what the chefs cooked, so I went out to eat.
What the heck is Hazing? I am afraid Dana forgot to mention what hazing means in the video..
Doing abusive things like forcing them to drink or saying abusive things.
I understand they spank each other with paddles, but I was never in one.
hazing is humiliation rituals for ppl who want to join. in Swedish we call it "nollning"
At the University of Florida it was very expensive to be in a Sorority or Fraternity. Some men I knew in a Fraternity at U of F did it for the camaraderie and also they were all going to be lawyers and they could help each other down the line.
In the Netherlands "fraternities" are mixed (boy/girl) organisations with a central building where all the parties and drinks are held and where you can eat on the cheap. The biggest once are in the 1500 to 2000 member range and these student societies tend to have large organized structures offering a large range of activities and often owning houses throughout the cities where members can live.
they often work closely together with universities signing contracts that make sure the party life doesn't interfere with academics. Which works because they are bigger more "professionally" ran organisations.
The way it sounds the dutch student society system is basically a large collection of fraternities and sororities working together since you tend to join a society and then internally more closely nit groups are formed that are encouraged to organize activities and vacations together. And while nothing is manditory if you want to "move up" in the organization you would have to attend.
There is also a range of intesity. Where some you can just join year round and some have a several week long initiation period and therefor, generally, a more brothers and sisters type connection to "the team"
Yeah Dana! Breaking it down for the masses! I'm glad you made a video to explain this.. I have so many conversations about this with some of my German friends.. it's a mystery to them
+cowglow Maybe it's a mystery to them because our types of fraternities (as in Burschenschaften, I'm not talking about general Verbindungen which are most often not that talked about since they are as a whole not that extreme in behaviour and appearance. A lot of them are also not divided in men and women.) are well known to be very right wing.
There are some that aren't, but I live in a big university city with about 11 fraternities that are duelling and from experience I'd say to not engage with them. Last summer for example there was a Nazi convention at one of the fraternities against which a huge number of students and uni staff protested.
It's a bit weird for a German person, especially one that went to uni, to understand the good reputation of fraternities and sororities in the US.
oh.. that's interesting..thx
+ftlouim ich muss sagen ich komme auch aus einer Stadt mit vielen Verbindungen und ich kenne viele Leute aus Verbindungen und niemand davon ist ein neo nazi hab auch noch nie davon gehört das es solche Probleme geben soll
I started the rush process when I was in college. most sororities have a gpa requirement, at least where i went to school, and have mandatory study times. I did not go all the way through the joining process because I got sick and decided my health was more important.
I would love to join one because you get a "family" and you also get better opportunities for jobs later on
I went to a school with a huge Greek system and for sorority rush it was four stages. The first stage you go to all of the houses. You find out who accepted you at each stage and can pick a certain number to go to. Fourth stage you can only go to three. I honestly wish I'd skipped out on sorority life because it wasn't for me.
Good overall video, but when it comes to the structure portion you mentioned, that is also very much dependent on the particular fraternity or sorority. Our fraternity never had meal plans, required meals together, or required social events. We might every now and then have a big BBQ at the house and call everyone up to let them know to grab some steaks and come over, but it was optional and didn't happen very often. Other than that, the kitchen at the house was for the guys who lived there.
As for events, the only mandatory events were weekly meetings and pledge events where we needed to make sure we had enough guys there. Even those could be missed if you had a valid reason.
Don't get me wrong, college sororities and fraternities (some of them at least) do great work in the community. But I'll never understand them. It's more of a exclusive group than anything else. And it doesn't really fit my liking. I know quite a few college graduates who make such a big deal about the fraternity they were in, which I really don't get the hang up about it. No matter how much people try to explain it to me, they're still so weird. Don't really know why some are so desperate to join one.
+erickofspirit I could've typed this comment myself.
The concept sounds really moronic to me tbh. I don't get the appeal at all.
Photoshop i know this is old but since a lot of kids on the US go to college far away from home all alone, it gives you a great way to make friends and a home. A lot of people stay friends with some of their frat or sorority sisters for life. Also, a lot of them organize lots of charity and community work.
OpticObsidiaN Why divide the genders?
lazyperfectionist1 it's not always divided, but it usually is so people just don't try to move in girlfriends or booty calls or whatever
Finally all those american highschool/university movies make sense. thank you dana!
Stundentenverbindungen arent that common in the area where I live.
Well, I don't know if that would work for me. It sounds like a community or a "WG" with certain ideas about life... I mean for some people it could be really helpful, cause its hard to make friends when youre now on the campus. So they are kinda lonely and don't get the best out of the time .... I mean eating alone in a crowded canteen isnt fun. Sometimes you just wanna share whats on your mind, and your parents wont understand your problems. Even your friends outside university wont understand it. So I think those communities could help. Thats why I sometimes miss school - we were a class of 30 people and we did everything together. That was really nice.
I had tons of fun during my fraternity days in college. Some of the best people I ever met and I'm still in touch with most of them a decade later. All the hate directed towards us was mostly based on assumptions on what they thought we were and misconceptions portrayed in movies like "Animal House" and "The Skulls".
In Latin, brother is fratris and sister is soror. Those Latin words help explain why fraternities are called fraternities and sororities are called sororities.
I will say this, every job that I have had, my interviewer has told me that it was my military experience or that I have been in a fraternity. I have also, in my career used those traits to narrow my field of qualified candidates. So, for me as an adult it has helped. Now, in college I didn't join with that in mind. I joined because they were a bunch of guys that I was hanging out with and having great times with, so I took the leap and it has been one of the best decisions in my life. I just turned 40 and I am still involved, and try to help the younger brothers as much as i can in getting them ahead in their career.
Also, there are fraternity-like organizations out of America in colleges.
In Germany, there are Studentenverbindungen or just Verbindungen in short. But I wasn't in any of them and actually, I didn't anyone personally that was. But I looked into it as well, because they fished for students at some introduction courses, and it was a nice evening. But it wasn't anything for me, either.
A friend of mine was a member of a "Burschenschaft" and he told me that you don't just have to pay for it during your university/college time but for a lifetime! The more you'll earn the more you'll have to pay.
I wasn't part of a sorority myself. I went to a smaller college, so I didn't feel like it was necessary. However, I suppose I can see the benefit of being in a fraternity/sorority if you are going to a big school far from home, where you don't know too many people. It gives you a circle of friends and a network of people that you can rely on.
I also know that there are fraternities and sororities that cater to certain groups of people. Example: fraternities/sororities that cater specifically to African-American students, to students who practice a specific religion, or to students pursuing a specific major. These can be beneficial because it helps students connect with people who are like them, so they don't feel like they're "the only one" -- and also, the fraternities/sororities that cater to students pursuing a specific major can be helpful in securing a job in that field after graduation.
Everything I've heard about those before were things in movies where someone died and they seemed like cruel people who were always partying. I didn't know there were different "personalities". I wouldn't want to join one though because it seems like something for quite wealthy students and the pressure to do certain things with them on a regular basis and of course the possibility of them being cruel doesn't seem appealing to me
+Just Exploring They will take up your time...you said regular basis and that is true...hard to be an individual...Some are not cruel, but will test you when you pledge to see if you can handle stress and take a joke...there is always that sadistic person that gets through the filters and when they become seniors and leaders can direct the club in a bad direction until he/she is called on it...if the others can not see something is going to far, they have not been learning anything during their time in college...
In Belgium we do have some kind of fraternities but they are mostly girls and guys mixed and most of the things are a lot less strict :P It's just about drinking and having fun with the people :D in some cities they also sell books you need for the lectures to a more affordable price and/or organize cultural events and parties :D
OMG when she said it has gone too far, I though she meant some had breakdown or something, but DIED?! Yeah the other is shitty too, BUT DIED!?
I also think it depends on what region of the country you are in. Here in the South Greek life is huge and a big deal. Whereas out West, from my experience, not so much. Also depends on the campus at the University of Alabama its a big thing for example.
miss my idahome the whole concept is stupid, when i went to usa for school. whole spring break and frats and sco were retarded
This practice of hazing, no matter if it isn't bad, is something that is so utterly uncivilized that I don't know how people are willing to put up with it. Even worse, when they do they start thinking it's normal, and go on with it, instead of seeing that it is not something one should ever do to another person, no matter how harmless it is physically.
Portugal has a huge culture of hazing which is very little know in the rest of the world. It's crazy, kinda culty, the way Greek life is in the us
@@beatrizletras693 some Verbindungen in central Europe do it as well.. To various extends. Some have courage tests... And others just expect you to serve the older members their drinks, food etc 🤷♀️
i would be interested in the "history" of american fraternities. in germany they mainly formed because when the first universities were opened the students would leave their families for a whole semester, with all the money they needed for this time, so their needed to protect themselves. that's why they did train dueling and some frats do it still today, out of tradition.
My only fear of a fraternity is there being a fake vibe, like you can’t be yourself around the people, or petty stuff, fake friends etc, all of that isn’t worth being included if you don’t even enjoy it
Yes there are frats in germany. As a few comments say they are called Verbindungen and come in different sizes and shapes. These differences result in historical questions. To easy this up i will use the term Frat as a synonyme for Verbindung
The first frats were communities for Students of the same origin, so they could travel together between home and university and help each other in their mother tongue. You could see this today at the names of the Frateernities, the have latinized names like Bavaria or Borussia.
They sepereated in different times in multiple forms which differ in their global direction whih means the main activities besides partying. So you have Religious Frats (mostly catholic i guess, there were jewish frats in Germany before WW2 just a interesting foot note) , more political frats (the Burschenschaften belong to this group, they played a role in the union ovement of germany), frats who go back to the help thought who are mostly a few years older, (these should describe the so called Landsmannschaften), frats who like to sing, frats who like to do sports and many more.
The main key to understand germany's frat system is to know that each frat has a direction as mentioned and each frat has a few forms how it acts. These forms are stuff like mixed or same sex, fencing, wearing the colors of the frat.
There are way more frats in germany than sororities, but it seems like sororities get founded more often in the last few years.
If there are any questions let me know, perhaps i can answer them.
german frats, called "Studentenverbindung", are hard to explain. But there are some English videos about them on TH-cam. Would be nice if you could go and visit a German frat in Munich and make a video about your experiences there! I joined a mixed one for a year and loved it but didn't had enough time to spend with them.
The college I went to had some strange Greek life dynamics. I was too much into my books and too much of an introvert to feel compelled to participate in rush. Most sororities at my college seemed to attract the ditzy party girl type and that was definitely not me. And the chapter of Alpha Phi Omega (service oriented coed fraternity) struck me as being quite clique-ish for the nerd/geek/dork set. Plus I didn't have a lot of spare cash and I'd rather spend that on grocery shopping.
Not all of American social Greek Letter Organizations fall within your generalization. There are different fraternities and sororities such as Black Greek Letter Organizations or Multinational Greek Orgs. The process for joining these social Greek org. is very different than that described in the video. These organizations, also, have graduate and alumni chapters to allow those to be active after college/university. Those who did not join in college have the potential to join a graduate chapter afterward.Their focus is on brother/sisterhood, servicing the community, and scholarship.
Makes sense that people go to all those lengths just to join a fraternity or a sorority, lot of people just want to be a part of something and feel included, even if it’s dumb
yes, they do exist in Germany. They're called "Studentenverbindungen" I don't know that much about them but they tend to have negative reputations. I was dragged to a party of a german fraternity not long ago by a friend of a friend who's boyfriend is in it. and I felt very uncomfortable there, but I just don't really like those kind of parties. a lot of guys tried to chat me up and wanted me to drink , they were all getting drunk. no one was really being horrible to me but I didn't like it
+Monirelinie I assume it's the same here in Austria. However, it's not really possible to compare Verbindungen here since they also vary a lot. For example, I know some that are far more radical than others but most of the catholic ones are pretty chill :)
I would be very interested if non-sororities/fraternities people get insulted by these groups or if other 'factions' get harassed by them as seen in many tv shows? Is there a benefit in being in a sorority other than participate in activities?
+Marcus Netz Actually it has increasingly been the opposite for the last 20 to 30 years or so. When I was at university, my crowd would routinely insult 'frat-rats' to their faces and sometimes would do a bit more than merely insult them. (I regret it now, and I can't imagine that I would do it again.) I think that the movies and tv shows actually helped make the Fraternities/Sororities weaker by showing the common people the unpleasantness and elitism associated with them. Benefits from being in a Sorority or Fraternity ? maybe there still are benefits to be had later in life with connections and such, but it is nothing like it used to be in years gone by. (Some employers might even think of it as being a minus on one's record.)
Yes we actually have something similar in Germany. There's the Studentenverbindungen which is probably like the Fraternity's and Sorority's and we have the Burschenschaften which are sexist (only men can join), racist (only white men can join) and really right wing with politicians from Germany's and Austria's most right wing party's being in Burschenschaften. The Dachverband Burschenschaften which most Burschenschaften are part of also organizes the so called Akademikerball in Vienna every January which is considered to be the biggest fascist meeting in Europe. There are pretty huge protests against it every year and generally spoken, most of the leftist political scene despises the Burschenschaften and there are even some punk pubs in Germany where you can get a free beer for every Burschenschaftsfarbe (Hats and Scherpen) you give them. Some Burschenschaften are more right wing and more politically active than others but almost all of them are despicable. Feel free to ask questions and I'll try to answer them.
+Sebastian Ernstlos You should also mention that the Burschenschaften make about 1% (or 5%, depending on the source) of german Studentenverbindungen. Most of them are left-wing.
Also, restricting women from joining is not the same as being sexist: The german Studentenverbindungen have the so called "Lebensbundprinzip", where they pledge to be a member of the fraternity for the entire life. If you have a man and a woman in a frat, they could become a couple (awesome!) but they might eventually break up (not so awesome). If this happens, there might be conflict in the frat, which is to be avoided at all cost.
Also, most of the Studentenverbindungen allow women on almost all their acitivities. In the example of the frat i belong to, women are welcome on every occasion except meetings (where important matters are discussed, so only members are allowed to come) and two special drinking nights per semester.
JojoSelti
Ok well I'm from Bavaria and there, the Burschenschaften are probably about 90% of all Studentenverbindungen, at least in smaller cities. And yes, generally restricting women from joining a group is sexist. Sexist is literally treating one sex differently than another. Also you didn't even mention homosexual relationships which disprove your point completely.
I don't care what you call it. Maybe making a difference between men and women is a good thing sometimes. It's a private organisation anyway. Don't want to join? Then don't. But don't go messing in something you know nothing about. Traditional student clubs are something deeply beautiful in my opinion.
greyhounds in the slips as long as you are a member and in the group they,consider worth being accepted...
Not all Burschenschaften are racist. At least not in Switzerland. Glanzenburger had a black man from Uganda as a "full" member in the 60ies (and they visited him in Uganda as soon as it was safe due to the political situation) who was thereby also a SchwStv member.
My Verbindung (couleur, avec comment etc) is mixed. We're 60 plus years old (so still young!) and were mixed (men and women) from the very beginning :)
We also have very good relationships with many all male and pretty much all the strictly female (just because there are very few of those) Verbindungen. As long as there's a place for everyone it's all good imo.
But it is my understanding that Verbindungen in Switzerland are on average a bit more leftwing than in Germany or Austria. But there are obviously also historical reasons for that...
Edit: many of us don't date within our Verbindung and *definitely* not in our close beer family (beer parent, grandparent etc). But if there is an issue you can also just challenge someone to a beerduel. They'll be forced to respect that due to beer honour... 🤷♀️
There are "Studentenverbindung" in Germany. Many get a bad rep because they are pretty backwards and/or traditional. Some call themselves "Burschenschaften". Those have names like "Germania", "Franconia", "Saxonia" or stuff like that and are usually exclusively for Christian (often even a certain confession e.g. catholic), "German" (meaning people whose families aren't immigrants) males. Traditionally they do certain sports like rowing or fencing (in some really old-fashioned ones that's mandatory). They often have very luxurious dorms with rooms that cost not a lot of money, so you usually stumble across them when you're looking for a room. They have certain traditions, often involving drinking.
There are other, more liberal Studentenverbindungen. But they are often associated with that kind of stuff. There are some "Studentenvereine" that are usually really open and want to distinguish themself from the Burschenschaften.
Good explanations Dana. Keep in mind that the character of each chapter of these national organizations is dependent upon upon the social milieu, leadership, university oversight of each chapter on each campus. The national organization provides general structure and the local chapters must adhere to that organizational structure and pay chapter dues (money) to the national. Fraternities and Sororities are naturally exclusionary organizations that differentiate themselves by their professed creeds usually having to do with brotherhood or sorority sisterhood. The amount of exclusion depends on the chapter. The overall key is that of a ready made common interest single sex group that will provide home away from home support for young people as well as future business and social networking opportunities. One cannot stress enough though that each chapter is characterized by its individual membership and leaders as to how they fit into the local university scene.
I want to ask an american: Is a college and a university the same?
+buciallstar In the US, the words are often used interchangeably to refer to any institution of higher learning. But historically, colleges are often smaller and offer degrees in a limited number of majors or focus on a particular area, like art. A university is usually much larger and offers degrees in a comprehensive series of studies. A university sometimes comprises several colleges. For instance, a college of law, or a science and engineering college, or a college of medicine. And simply from tradition, some institutions that have the size and broad offering of a university are still called "colleges". For instance Darmouth College and Wellesley College are really universities in terms of their degree programs, but retain the name out of tradition.
+buciallstar No, I attend the University of Georgia, but I study engineering at the Driftmier College of Engineering. Same place, different names depending on what you study. There's also the Terry College of Business, Warnell School of Forestry, and the Franklin COllege of Arts and Sciences. I was in Franklin when I was a Biology major. I switched majors at the end of my freshman year to mechanical engineering and german. So that means within the University of Georgia, I study under the Driftmier College of Engineering. I hope this helps you in understanding the difference between a University and a College.
+buciallstar Americans will often use the two terms to mean the same thing, especially when speaking. The British tend to make more of a distinction between the two terms.
+buciallstar Smaller, local campuses, are often called community colleges. They're often 2 years worth of study, good for taking basics, night classes, learning a trade, etc. Universities have quite large campuses, similar to small towns, and you can get a 4 year degree +. Hope that helped.
A university consists of multiple colleges.
I’m with you, I like my free time for myself and I wouldn’t want to be under obligation to do stuff. Definitely not for me!
hazing is the rich kid version of a street gang JUMPING IN a new member.
Sounds like a way to make people get in line... Which is exactly what fraternities are like here in the Philippines. They're likely to be very similar due to the fact that fraternities are an American import from the commonwealth era. The biggest difference here is that we don't have any sororities as far as I know due to the fact that "fraternities" take both men and women (the Filipino word isn't gender specific and Philippine society is much more feminine than the US).
Burschenschaften in Germany are often very elitist and conservative and often have a very very long history and tradition. In some of them (around 300 Schlagende Verbindungen) you have to learn academic fencing and get a dueling scar during during your "Mensur". The good thing about them is that many have established business men as ex-members and it's a good place for networking and to prepare your career.
Burschenschaften in Austria (im Allgemeinen aber besonders die schlagenden Verbindungen) are the Birthplace of the Hitlers and Göbbels from tommorow. Many of the FPÖ-Politicians are members of Burschenschaften, they are Nazi-Assholes.
I heard the German ones had an aristocratic element?
That was super interesting! Thank you for sharing your experiences. Are there special requirements to join a sorority? Like I'll live in America for a year but I doubt that I can join one.
I have heard some hazing stories and man that's just crazy! But I think in the end you're just happy and proud of yourself that you got through it.
In Germany, we also have fraternities, but not at every university. At more traditional, older universities, you can find "Burschenschaften". They also engage in social life and bonding. I remeber one in Kiel had their own boat and they were sailing regularly on the Baltic sea. Also, they do some sort of fencing - but without any protection for the face. Therefore, it's members can easily being spotted by the scars in thier faces. :O
In Austria, as well as in Germany there are different kinds of associations. They divide up in male and female associations (as far as I know, there are no mixed ones) and in fencing and not fencing associations.
"I probably just made those up."
I wouldn't be too sure. The world is a big place. They probably have those somewhere.
I feel like this is a limited explanation of Greek life.
Many colleges/universities have Greek life. At some schools, there are fraternity/sorority houses that are owned by the group and allow for some members to live off-campus together, often in "Greek Row" if the houses are located near each other.
You rush a few weeks into the start of your first year. Perhaps this is kinda buying friends, but more accurately, you are paying for membership in a group. During rush, you find a group of people, in various stages of their journeys, who share likes and interests with you. You get hooked up with a group of potential mentors right from the start. Each sorority/frat is a local chapter of a national group, with national oversight and permission from the college to operate.
In the long term, Greek life is very beneficial for networking. In the same way that @NotEvenFrench describes Grand Ecoles, you immediately have contacts throughout all disciplines and all over the country (if not the world) who are willing to give you a shot because you come from the same place -- even if it is not a physical place, but just the same club.
Wow so you are saying businesses want to hires whoring men.
How do they pay for the house
Are there fraternities/sororities that dedicate themselves exclusively to the research of financial aid?
There are fraternities/sororities in Germany. They're called "Verbindungen". There are different types of them.. so for example some are focussed into sports, singing, religion(mostly catholic) or nationalism..
Since some of them are kinda political.. and some are pretty extreme (right winged) they got a lot bad publicity... well it's a big topic..
if you walk around munich or other cities with big university's just watch out for houses with flags.. if it's not an embassy, there is a high chance it's a fraternity..
+Vinh Tran Yes, they soundet pretty similar to our "Verbindungen". But I guess germanywide there are even less people applying nowerdays,
Where I used to study there were a few small ones, but I ever met only people from one.
I was once at a party, where only one person was left. Even the person giving the party only lived there but was no member himself.
oggi mog yeah in cities with older universities with a lot tradition like heidelberg, aachen there are still a lot fraternities (Aachen got around 40) but in other cities they nearly vanished (Duisburg got 1 with I think 2 members or something..) Nowaday they recruit members by offering really cheap rooms so people get to learn about the fraternity.
that also explaines some adult movies I.... ehhm my friend told me
also, what do you do if you don't join a sorority
Omg thank you girl I needed basic understanding of what this whole thing is and no ones doing that. Everyone goes too deep into it. I need to know the basics first to understand the criticisms lol
Hey. I generally like your video :3
But found this one really interesting.
For me as a German student, my only knowledge of "Greek life" was of movies and tv-series.
And it seems, that it's displayed maybe not wrong, but not entirely.
Keep up the good work. :)
I still don't get why they exist?? What do they provide?? Why do you need them?? Why would you even want to be in one?? I've been trying to understand this for a while and I still don't get it because no one really talks about why would you want to be in one.
There are lots of reasons as to why someone may want to join. Some join because they want a home away from home. Others join for networking, making friends or academic motivation (a lot of the organizations require a high GPA to be able to stay in the org so it’s not all partying like people believe/make it out to be). They also provide leadership opportunities that look great on a resume. There are a lot of other reasons but these are the ones that come to my mind at the moment. :)
There are actually loads of German fraternities and a really much smaller number of sororities but they differ greatly from what you know in the US. Well first of all, like US fraternities, there are many different sorts, I think they are even more differentiated than in the US but they also have a kind of social stigma that just doesn't apply to most fraternities (or sororities) but still makes potential members really wary.
From what I know, they actually have the same origin, but whereas the US fraternities developed to something somewhat more modern, the German ones are still pretty traditional (in my profile picture you see me in the traditional uniform of our fraternity).
So I'm kind of surprised that you didn't know anything about German fraternities (or sororities, but as I said, those are pretty rare) but I think the last count was that only about 1% of German students are actually in fraternities, so yeah, they struggle a bit with membership, other than in the US
Welcher Bund?
so what are the advantages if you joy such a youth club? it all just sounds like one big disadvantage! xD
Metal Guitar Covers networking, experience, charity work, lasting friendship, and having a family away from home
@@jackhatcher4579 and having women drop their panties for you because of being "affiliated".
Thank you for this explications ! I'm French and I'm part of a french sorority (Zeta Lambda Zeta). There are sororities and fraternities in France but we are "cooler" (if I can say that xD) We are quiet new, we don't have houses or big organisation but it's really fun to be part of this !! :)
Puisque vous êtes française, je me permets de vous écrire en français. Pourquoi avez vous choisi une fraternité de type "americaine" plutôt qu'un autre type de groupe étudiant ?
In India we call such things hostels and the rushing thing is known as ragging
I much prefer the system the uk universities has. We have societies based on different subjects or hobbies or sports. You can join multiple if you like but usually people stick to just one or two. Anyone can join and it becomes quite a community. It’s usually only about £20ish a term for a membership (could be a bit more for sports or less for smaller societies). I’m on the committee for one of my university’s societies and I love it and have made so many friends because of it. For me I have a problem with the American Greek life because it seems discriminatory in terms of its exclusiveness - the bidding process and the sheer amount of money ($2000 ish avg. and all the extra costs is insane).
Is there just like an unless amount of Greek letter combinations? Or is there just a set amount of frats or sororities? I’ve heard of different chapters in different universities of the same frat/sororities, but they have different names which confuses me lol
Sounds like a club but with extra steps.
In Germany there are "Burschenschaften", but they are usually considered to be right-wing organisations, with many contacs to the RCDS and neo-nazi organisations. They also recruit young university students, have houses in town, with flats, kitchens, dining rooms and stuff and do often even wear their own uniforms.
Some of them do this crazy fencing thing, called "Mensur".
wow that sounds really crazy, sadly I don't know a smilie with the eyes popping out! I remember that I saw a documentation once with a little "studentenverbindung" but it was definitely not that big/important ... as far as I know!
In my Fraternity the house bill and meal plan were cheaper than the dorm.
One word to describe a sorority is literally a cult. It’s a cult I never knew what sororities were but I got bad vibes. I just know people have done some messed up things during initiation… it’s a click or sorts it’s weird because it’s literally like a high school experience all over again.
Yeah, just a bunch of youngins trying to hold onto that "want to feel special" phase they've felt in highschool
My view especially on fraternities is shaped by the documentary "The hunting ground" from Kirby Dick. You can find it on Netflix (english audio, german subtitles) and it paints a pretty disturbing picture of how frat members treat women and how little effort many universities make to investigate rape and harrassment or to punish those who do this.
Lukas Jacob they punish them greatly actually by expelling members of the fraternity and report them to police.
We do have Studentenverbindungen (most well known are Burschenschaften) in Germany, they're generally pretty conservative and love their tradition (seriously, they really do). Some more, some less, which is why sometimes they're all generalized as being pretty far right on the political spectrum and nationalistic. They're also mostly male. There's also a difference between "schlagende und nicht-schlagende" Verbindungen, which means they duel or don't duel (via swordplay/fencing). Just look it up on Wikipedia if you're more interested in them. There's all sorts of controversy around them.
Also, it's not as popular as fraternities/sororities. I only know of one person who's part of a Studentenverbindung. I think they're more "underground" as there's that stigma around them. Sometimes students also join only to have a cheap room since they offer cheap (aka student-friendly :D) living space.
+phénix This "underground" part differs from University to University.
The more conservative places like Tübingen have really a lot of "Burschenschaften" and many of them are "schlagend". It was a common thing to see sb with a batch on the cheek where he was stiched-up.
But they are similar to very conservative fraternities. They also have some kind of uniform (or at least some kind of scarf or hat) that has to be worn on special occasions.
As you mentioned, 90% of them are male exclusive and very much on the right wing.
The basic advantage for people joining a Burschenschaft is, that the alumni are financing a lot and are compound of people in higher offices, politicians or judges, etc. these alumni make sure that the fraternity members are getting the best education to raise the next generation of "elite".
So a lot of favoritism... :/
+Ecstasia1 I might be totally wrong, but I think Tübingen might be kind of a exception in this case. As it's one of the oldest Universities in Europe where the whole "Studentenbewegung" has started it might be kinda obvious that they still have a lot of those traditional things. But I've never really heard a lot about "Studentenverbindungen" and I don't even know if there's one at my University (Saarbrücken).
Marööön
Yes, but it's different from city to city.
I'm currently in Mainz, and there are very conservative Burschenschaften as well, but not as many as in Tübingen.
You're right it's mostly the older universities.
And it's possible from the name to say what is what?
Like if I had for example
Lambda Kappa Gamma
Pi Theta Delta
It's possible to know what one is a sorority and which one a fraternity?
Or like I have to guess while applying? :DD
Great videos; I enjoy each episode. Do you have any info or comparisons on medical and dental care in Germany as opposed to America? Thanks. Jmc
OMG I never realized how foreigners have gotten such a bad image of Greek life!!!!! Most of all of this crap that y'all have heard is because it is 1. so horrible and 2. so RARE! I guess all of the philanthropic work they do is not news-worthy. If you could have seen all the times sororities have "study sessions" where older sisters would help me study for classes, or the times we spent raising money for charities, or the countless HOURS we spent volunteering with children at hospitals or for girl scouts, etc. It's sad all the good and wonderful things that are overlooked!
I never was in a fraternity, mostly because i quit school after the mandatory schooltime and did an apprenticeship as an electrician.
Just be glad that you missed the rushing and hazing and don't wonder what else you missed. That shit is just made because those who are already members of the group love it to play the big bosses. A true brotherhood would never treat its members in any bad way. Extreme or not, they are useless at their best and dangerous at their worst.
I think the fraternitie Skull and Bones is a very big thing xD.
Hazing has gone way overboard. Whatever happened to swallowing a goldfish?
You have covered the responsibilities of members but you don't know what they get in return of all that hard work... its most probably confidential information but i would say some of sororities and fraternities provide you with life long support in different fields during university and after.. because the members and their families could be or could become powerful politicians, business owners, entrepreneurs, employers, millionaires, billionaires, doctors, scientists or any powerful role in society... having said that it's easy for some people to say such clubs are useless but to ambitious people who are aiming for the stars and want to achieve great success in the future sororities and fraternities are the way to go if you choose the right one.. you just need to keep your eyes on the prize!
I like your positivity :)
We have Greek life here in Canada but it is frowned upon. Most people see it as paying money to have friends. It exists on campuses but it really isn't a big deal.
Thank you for placing Greek letters on the video's display image!!!
In Germany it's quite komplex with a larg variety. At first we distinguish between different typs of "Verbindungen": Verbindungen (mixed or only male) Burschenschaften (only for males so kind of Fraternities; conservative; partial right wing), Corps (only male; ultraconservative; right wing)), Landsmannschaften (only male), Turnerschaften (sport/exercise; only male), Sängerschaften (singer; male partial mixed), Damenverbindungen (only female like Sororities), and Katholische & Christliche Verbindungen (religious mostly catholic).(I hope i don't forget a type) So next point , what are the differents in colour and fencing: most of them are traditional so they have Couleur (colours) that means they have banners, coat of arms and also kind of a uniform called Wichs or Vollwichs if complet which includes for example sashes and hats, also a part of that is the so called Zirkel, it's their symbol, the counterpart of the Greek letters in America. But not all wear colours, some of the old and mostly the newer and modern ones are so called Schwarze Verbindung which means black because the have no colours. Now let's move on to fencing, in general their are three typs of Verbindungen: pflichtschlagende what means you have to train and take part in duels, some even have a minimum number which you have to face during your time as a student, fakultativ schlagend which mean you have the possibility but it's not your duty so you can make your own choice and of course nicht schlagend so without fencing and nowadays thats the most common of all. Well thats only a few points, as i have stated out at the beginning it's quit a large and complex topic, there is so much more but I hope it will give you a slight hint about the German tradition of Verbindungen. Oh and at the end I also have to mention that not all of them are conservativ or in the right wing or weird, at least some of them could be quit cool.
The swiss ones (yep, as a belgian, i don't see big differences betweenn all theses types, i call them "germanic fraternities" even if they are not from germany) are usually cool (at least, the few i've met).
Sounds like a rich exclusive club I don't get it's appeal now considering we have many ways to network apart from such frats/ sororities as well as I am not American but I think globalization has already done quite a lot of work for them plus I think finding clubs is a better option.
I heard about sororities and fraternities when I started watching a show called "Greek" and it was really interesting for me as a german because I don't think you really have those here. But I think that has to do with the structure american and european universities have.
+The Anna Burschenschaften gibt es hier auf jeden Fall auch. Wobei man heutzutage wohl eher von Verbindungen sprechen würde, vor allem wenn sie für beide Geschlechter sind.
+The Anna Burschenschaften gibts hier aber schon.
+Panteria Es gibt vieles: Burschenschaften, Verbindungen, Landsmannschaften, etc. (auch als Studentenverbindung und nicht als Vertriebenenverband).
Was für ein Quatsch... Die amerikanischen Studentenverbindungen sind nach deutschem Vorbild gegründet. Im deutschsprachigen Raum gibt es Studentenverbindungen noch und nöcher. In so gut wie allen Universitätsstädten sind welche ansässig. In vielen zwischen 20 und 30 Stück. In Danas Heimatstadt München gibt es mindestens 50 Verbindungen. Die meisten Verbindungen sind im übrigen deutlich über 100 Jahre alt, manche sogar über 200.
+DJOetti über 200Jahre ist Quatsch die Urburschenschaft wurde 1815 in Jena gegründet und die gibt es immer noch. Diese tragen auch nach wie vor die Farben Schwarz rot Gold. Jedoch von unten gelesen wie es in Jena bei den Verbindungen üblich ist.
there is a similar thing in Germany actually there are two types: " schlagende Verbindung" or "nicht schlagende Verbindung" or alternatively "Burschenschaft" instead of "Verbindung" but it's for guys only - no women allowed. Wikipedia has a rather lengthy article if your german is good enough: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studentenverbindung
On a completely diffrent not. What do you think about TTIP? It is a hot topic at the moment and it would americanize Europe. Big Companies could then do whatever they want here. What is your opinion on that?
I like yoar videos I'm from germany and because your videos I can look at my language from the your side and its rally funny thx
Two points still unclear to me: Are these local or national institutions (say, is Phi Upsilon Kappa at a Californian university "the same" as Phi Upsilon Kappa at a New York university? And do the Greek letters have any meaning behind them (such as abbreviation for some Greek motto)?
Hagen von Eitzen it is a national organization with chapters throughout the world. The Greek letters have a meaning but you won't find it out unless you go through initiation.
you have to look it up - there are a lot of fraternities in Germany (not so sure about sororities) and from what I know it sounds pretty similar, except that the guys also fight? Not sure about that.
Not everybody fights there arme two different categories some fight some sing
+Hauke Holst exactly
So sororities and fraternities are basically high school in uni 🤔
Honestly I don't see the appeal of it. There's no such thing in my country, but in my uni we have dorms that every freshman had to stay in for a year, they coat this dorms system with some sort of sorority/fraternity shenanigans. And it was hell to me, I couldn't wait to move out, there's too many pointless activities while I had tons of more important things to do. The only positive side of it is that I found my bestfriends through it, but you also have to deal with tons of shitty people and much more negative points, I just don't think it's worthy. Maybe it is appealing for some people, but I just can't see it.
Maybe you can make a video about German frats( Burschenschaften, Corps etc.), I think that would be funny for the American viewers😂