Greek life in Canada

Golden stars lit the sky above the $3 million historic estate where excited fraternity brothers gathered in front of a large-screen television during a football party at the Toronto chapter house of Delta Upsilon (DU).

Each of the 15 brothers had a role in ensuring the party ran smoothly and had been trained how to handle cases of intoxication. Three brothers guarded the large wooden front door and refused to let in anyone who looked questionable or was underage. A sober brother occasionally roamed the house to ensure that everyone was OK, the house was not overcrowded, and no one was smoking indoors. He walked past several brothers keeping an eye on the 15 bedrooms, the game room, the library, the basement’s bar and exercise room and the coach house behind the backyard basketball court.

“People’s perceptions of fraternities are always from parties, so [the party scene] is all they [consider] when judging them,” says Dan Wootton, the chapter’s public relations officer. But partying isn’t all that goes on at fraternities, Wootton says.

The image
Students from across Toronto’s university campuses are calling the 41 fraternities and 26 sororities across Canada dangerous, sexist and elitist. But members from this Greek society claim the gossip is just myth. After numerous encounters with members, I was surprised to find that fraternities are no longer the wild raves movies portray, but rather enriched societies that are too often overlooked.

DU brothers take extra precautions when throwing house parties. They do so to avoid incidents like the one in 1965, when one 26-year-old participated in a seven-hour drinking contest sponsored by three unofficial fraternities at Ryerson University. His dead body was found later that night in a car crash, with at least 25 pints of beer in his veins, and the fraternities soon disappeared from campus. “If leadership isn’t there and the chapter president isn’t strong, [dangerous incidents] like this can happen,” says Wootton.

Initiation
What really sends shivers through students is what is rumored to go on during recruitment. Initiation rituals, dating back usually hundreds of years to a fraternity’s founding, are celebrated at the start of every school semester. These rituals, among a few other things, are kept secret.

“We have a high level of trust in the fraternity,” says Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) Pi Rho chapter president Victor Volfson. “If it wasn’t for secrecy, [this element] would lose its importance. Secrecy is the one thing that keeps the brothers united.”

Once a brother joins one fraternity, he is forbidden from joining another. Volfson assures me that the initiation is nothing like I’ve pictured: a chilly swim in the local pool in nothing but one’s undergarments. “Just think ritual,” he insists.

“The rituals are usually beautiful ceremonies that reaffirm one’s commitment to the fraternity,” explains University of Toronto Panhellenic adviser Shala Berry. “If initiation involved anything disagreeable, then you wouldn’t see fraternities around.”

Even if fraternity leaders wanted to exercise their burning creative powers, fraternity associations and headquarters across Canada have strict anti-hazing policies that must be followed if chapters want to remain in existence. The Panhellenic Association at U of T, which has been policing the seven sororities on campus since 1887, does not tolerate any form of hazing—not even answering the phone a certain way or parading in public in conspicuous attire. “I wouldn’t have joined Alpha Omicron Pi if I had to do anything I wasn’t comfortable with,” says Berry.

Selection and requirements
Some students fear rejection from fraternities if they don’t fit a certain image. But nowadays, fraternities and sororities are cultural mosaics. “I can walk into any (Canadian) men’s or women’s fraternity house and see a slice of society,” says Berry. Besides, the selection process is mutual. Prospective members get to know those already in the fraternity through several social events held prior to initiation and decide for themselves if they’ll fit in.

There are, however, some standards that potential new members must meet. Most fraternities require members to join with, and maintain, a minimum GPA of 2.5. With the aid of study nights and scholarship offers, fraternity members tend to maintain higher GPAs than non-fraternity members.

Inspired and unable to resist those charming Pi Rho men, I’ve made numerous attempts to convince Volfson to let me join his fraternity. But he refuses, because fraternities are gender exclusive. The rationale for this dates back in history. When fraternities began forming in the late 1700’s, women were just being allowed to enroll in university. It wasn’t considered lady-like to participate in many co-ed activities, Berry explains. But instead of sitting pretty, the women soon decided that they could do things just as well as men and formed sororities. Another reason for this exclusivity is that Greeks also learn etiquette and attend seminars concerning gender-related health issues.

Dues
I was delighted to discover that my chances for eligibility into a sorority were still intact, but wasn’t sure how I’d afford to join. Volfson spares some of the salary earned from his part-time job to pay for AEPi’s dues—$114 per semester. That seems like nothing when compared to the whopping $385 membership fee he spent when first joining AEPi in the fall of 2000 as one of 14 founding fathers of the Pi Rho chapter. But fraternities operate like nonprofit organizations. Most of the money for AEPi goes to its Indianapolis headquarters for administrative and insurance purposes.

Fees change depending on the chapter’s events, and payment plans are offered. Unsure of whether I could dig that kind of money out of my pocket, Volfson reminds me that I’d have to pay a similar fee, if not more, for the fitness club I’m thinking of joining. The fees also guarantee that members show up to events.

Besides, once Volfson becomes an alumnus of AEPi upon university graduation, he won’t have to pay a cent. He’ll have a lifetime membership, as well as everything else he got out of the fraternity at university.

Berry says the benefits of fraternity life are priceless. Members become more involved in their communities. Due to the chapter’s religious affiliation, Pi Rho brothers drive around Toronto to donate packages of food to the needy on Hanukah and other Jewish holidays as part of their philanthropy. Fraternity members also attend workshops on career guidance, personal development, health and leadership. They put these skills to use through leadership roles in the chapter, including treasurer, vice president or master.

To my disappointment, my “Bachelorette”-like moment came to an end as I left DU’s Toronto chapter house. Once outside, I looked back at the front of the house and, feeling envious, I thought, “This is worth paying for.”

Shlomit Kriger is a writer for www.onthewallnow.com and a third-year student at Ryerson University.

Learn the lingo
You may hear some lingo during your first days around the Greek system that sound like another language. There are a ton of unique words that are involved with a Greek organization. Here are some.
Active: A fully initiated member who has completed pledging and initiation.
Alumnus: An initiated member of a fraternity or sorority who is no longer an undergraduate.
Associate: An individual who has not yet been initiated into a fraternity, but who has full active rights.
Bid: An invitation for membership into a fraternity or sorority.
Chapter: A branch of a local or national fraternity or sorority.
Greeks: Another word for fraternity and sorority members.
Pledge: An individual who has accepted a bid into a fraternity or sorority but has not yet been initiated.
Rush: The formal period in the fall when fraternities and sororities may offer a bid.

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