συσπουδασωμεν τα ανωτατα

I know, two posts in less than twelve hours, what is the world coming to, right? But I was reading back through some of my older posts and I realised I've been promising this Greek life post for a while, so here it is.

Greek life -- fraternities and sororities -- are something Australians just don't seem to understand at all. I suppose from an outside perspective they are a bit odd; before going to uni I didn't know much about them aside from what I'd seen in movies and media and such either, and Aussies draw a lot of their knowledge of American life from films. The question I always get asked is "Is it like it is in the movies?!"

No. No, it's really not, but I've started to realise that even I can't really explain it. I thought I would be able to -- and sure, I can spout facts about NPC and IFC and NPHC and social vs. service fraternities and sororities, and all sorts of numbers and examples -- but it's much, much harder to explain than I thought, largely because Greek life is a very American thing. I think I read an article a while back about a historically Jewish fraternity becoming the first fraternity to establish a chapter in Israel, which is fantastic for them, but for the most part, sororities and fraternities are limited to the US. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few which had colonised Canadian universities since they are so close, but that's about it.

But despite their not understanding it, as soon as an Australian spots my letters on my necklace, they always ask "is that your sorority?" and then proceed to grill me about Greek life. It's this never-ending source of fascination for them. It's something so foreign to them, and I suppose the portrayal of Greek life in films hasn't really done anything to make it more accessible, or to make it seem real. They're always shocked to find out that we spend heaps of time doing philanthropy and running events. Some Aussies get it more than others, but the one thing that gives them the most trouble is the concept of the bond, and the sisterhood that exists within a sorority (or the brotherhood that exists within a fraternity, for that matter).

Of course the Aussies understand the concept of sisterhood, but they don't understand choosing your sisters, especially when it's impossible to meet a chapter of a hundred women over the course of recruitment. "What if you make the wrong choice?" they ask, or "how can you just decide to be sisters with someone? That's not how it works". Several people I've talked to are most sceptical about the part where, despite the mutual selection process, you suddenly are basically bound to love and be supportive of large numbers of women whose names you barely even know yet. And they're right, it does sound rather daunting when put that way -- and the only response I really have is, "you have to be there. It's not really that terrifying." It's really the bonding element; spending time together, learning ritual and traditions before initiation, doing projects and getting to know one another. But they think it's backwards. Why would you choose sisters before you got to know them?

And then the dues. Never have I seen more shocked faces when they ask me if it costs money and I quote them numbers for dues at Denison. I would imagine they can be (and are!) much higher elsewhere. Even AXΩ's relatively low dues draw looks of horror! It's almost funny, because it's something I basically take for granted and don't really bat an eye at, but I do remember being a PNM (prospective new member) and thinking "oh shit, those dues are ridiculous".

Aussies just don't really get it, and that's okay. It's not a societal norm for them, and that's totally fine. It's just interesting to see these women who would make incredible sisters, who I imagine would even want to go through recruitment if they were American and went to American unis, and they're like "it sounds...interesting, but it's probably not for me. I just don't get it."

As much as I love Oz, I love and miss my sisters so much, and that bond is just something you can't replace, or describe.