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Success can be found all around Chapel Hill. But unexpectedly, the group of Chapel Hill students that tend to succeed the most are fraternity members.
I always wondered what the big appeal was for male students to join a fraternity as it can be time consuming. The balance between academics and fraternity social life sounds overwhelming. Before starting my observations and interviews, I did some background research on the benefits of being in a fraternity and why it may be engaging for over 20% of UNC students to do so. I assumed that there may be a big appeal due to community involvement, meeting new people, and lifelong brotherhood. But one thing that surprised me was the drastic wage increase that members of fraternities experienced later in life compared to those who were not in one. I collected this information from a study which concluded that members of a fraternity often have a substantially decreased grade point average, but in return have an income that is 36% higher than those who do not participate in Greek life. This made me wonder what it is about fraternities that allow them to succeed despite lack of academic presence.
My observations surrounded the research question: What are the potential benefits of joining a fraternity on student success during their years in college and beyond?
Since the fraternity houses are placed in close proximity to one another, I knew it would be easy to observe multiple chapters at once and really understand the truth behind their success. My first observation took place on Saturday, October 1st, the day that UNC football played Virginia Tech at a parents tailgate. As students and parents gathered outside the house, I noticed that by the way that everyone was dressed in Carolina blue dresses and polos, they had a lot of UNC spirit. They also seemed to have a lot in common as well as have many mutual friends. Not only were they extremely close, but parents there seemed to have a lot to talk about. These close social ties are a good indication of broad connections which lead to success.
My next observation was an interview that I had with a brother at their house. Through the time I spent in the house and the questions that I asked him, I gathered a lot of information about some fraternity brothers being highly involved in their major. They recommended some clubs to me and internships that they participated in, and how to build my resume which made me realize how helpful it may be to be part of a fraternity since there is always someone to ask advice from. They seemed to promote other member’s interest in majors by giving them input on past experiences and telling them how to prepare for the future.
There are so many details that I could include about my welcoming interactions with fraternity members, but to summarize, I found that being in a fraternity at UNC gives brothers a family away from home. It provides them with a support system and strong social connections that last a lifetime. Brothers even told me that they are still in contact with alumni and probably will be for the foreseeable future. The time that members within a chapter spend with each other and even other chapters leads them to have the social closeness that not a lot of groups at UNC have. Even though they are close, they are fast to reach out to others and introduce you to someone that can put you in a better position.
Now I understand why people say “brotherhood lasts a lifetime.”
Explication of Research
Preface:
Greek life is extremely common at big universities, especially in the south. About twenty percent of the University of North Carolina student body are part of a fraternity or sorority. For most male students, I know that they were drawn to a fraternity because of what it stands for, for the brotherhood and lifelong friendships, for the constant social interaction, for the involvement in the community, and the most important, for the chef who makes food for the members every day. I wanted to know what went on behind the scenes when they weren’t throwing parties or going to class. I wanted to know what type of extracurriculars they were involved in. Ultimately, I surrounded my research around the question: What are the potential benefits of joining a fraternity on student success during their years in college and beyond?
Background Information:
As I began some preliminary research on the topic of fraternity success, I came across an article that discussed the balance of academic and social life for Greek members. I realized how overwhelming it must be as both activities are time consuming. The article emphasized that although fraternity members often make substantially lower grades than non-members, they have an income approximately thirty-six percent greater than nonmembers later in life (Mara, Davis, and Schmidt, 2017). As I began my observations and interviews, I considered these findings and gathered information that could answer my questions about what it is that seems to lead them to succeed at work. I also questioned if the proximity of fraternity houses to each other and their location on campus had anything to do with increased social interactions with not only other chapters, but with non-members. Research at the University of Waterloo examined what effect walking distance had on how often neighbors interact and the strength of their social ties. They hypothesized that the closer houses are situated, the more spontaneous people will be and eventually get comfortable interacting with each other daily, leading to close-knit neighborhoods (Glover, Todd, and Moyer, 2022). I considered the proximity of the houses in the big fraternity court and little fraternity court, which are named after the way they are all situated in a courtyard. I also considered their proximity to Franklin Street which is a popular spot for students and visitors on campus.
Observational Data and Analysis:
Observation 1: Saturday, October 1, 2022
It is lightly showering football gameday in Chapel Hill. Students, alumni, and Carolina fans are gathered in fraternity court which is the area that all the fraternity houses reside, located on north campus. The proximity to Franklin Street, to Kenan Memorial Stadium, to fraternity court is ideal as they are a short walking distance from each other. I, too, herd to fraternity court to attend the parents tailgate with my family. As we are approaching Sigma Nu built in 1924 and located in the center of fraternity court, it begins to drizzle. As I get closer, I can hear a band playing throwback music and the sounds of congregated families. The drowsy weather is not stopping Sigma Nu from celebrating gameday. As I look around, there is a common trend in the type of clothes people wear to UNC tailgates. Men are wearing jeans or dress pants along with a button up Carolina blue shirt. They top this off with vests or half zip jackets. Women are wearing baby blue dresses with sneakers. The students are the most festively dressed in their Carolina gear, temporary tattoos pasted on their face, and white cowboy boots. The style and price of this popular clothing leads me to believe that parents of fraternity brothers are well off. Most parents give off the vibe of old money, but humbly so. This shows through their sons as well. Immaculate UNC pride is directly shown through the UNC colors they wear.
I slowly integrate into the Sig Nu house to get out of the rain. The wide-open doors welcome me. Although there are hundreds of people packed into this three-story house, it is not chaos. My ears are filled with the sound of laughter and the fading reminisce of music playing outside. As I scan the spacious living room that consists of multiple couches and a large television displaying the game, I overhear multiple conversations between parents and fraternity members.. The girls are standing face to face along with their parents beside them. By these interactions, I can tell that most people here get along easily and probably form relationships that last throughout college and beyond. The comradery between families allowed me to sense some warmth within the fraternity culture. As it got closer to game time, groups of people ventured to the stadium while others stayed back to watch the game at the house. The way that groups left together allowed me to realize that fraternity life provides you with a family away from home. Studies suggest that fraternities provide students with a culture that may enhance their undergraduate experience, facilitate social integration, and form influential friendships (Asel, Seifert, and Pascarella, 2015). All of these findings were apparent in my observation. Not only are the brothers close, but their families as well. The way the dads got along made me think that they were also in a fraternity and that Greek life is something that is encouraged to be passed down by generation. The connections formed are lifelong.
Observation 2: Wednesday, October 3, 2022
I headed over to another well-known fraternity house on campus to interview a brother that I met through mutual friends. As I walk in and see everyone watching football around the television, I feel welcome and the nervousness of being an intruder slips my mind. The atmosphere when stepping into the house led me to believe that fraternities are groups that are eager to meet new people and make genuine connections. Students are probably excited to join to be part of a team and have people to support them. Especially being a first-year student, being in a fraternity may give you helpful advice on what you should expect for the next four years here. Researchers in a recent study referred to fraternity houses as “socialization sites” which are a great place for freshmen to observe the behavior of upperclassmen and learn the norms on campus (Biddix, Matney, Norman, and Martin, 2014).
The brother that I am interviewing leads me to the second floor living room. There are more brothers and another television streaming America’s favorite pastime. He leads me to an empty leather couch facing the television. Before I started my interview, I talked to some of the other brothers shortly. I introduced myself and got to know them a little bit better. When I asked about their majors, they told me that they were business majors in the Kenan Flagler School of Business. I was impressed by this as it is competitive to get into the Business School. I asked them what type of clubs they were in since the business school is very particular about you engaging in opportunities not only through the university, but in the outside community and during the summer. They told me that they were part of a few clubs, including the undergraduate real estate club which I had been interested in. They also told me about some internships that they did last summer. The number of things that the fraternity brothers had on their resume and their involvement in the community made me realize that being in a fraternity gives you the opportunity to learn about different events and opportunities from people that have common interests.
I was eager to know why he joined a fraternity and what his experience has been like since freshman year. He made it obvious that he loves the time he spends in the house and all over Chapel Hill with other members of not only his chapter but other chapters. This made me realize that being in a certain chapter does not limit you to only making connections through them. Being in a fraternity allows you to mix with other fraternities just as easily as your own, broadening possible opportunities.
When I asked him what it was like to be a freshman in a fraternity, he was slightly defensive about the stigma around “pledging” which is a process that all new members must go through. He says that there are a lot of stories that go around about pledging, both true and false. I questioned the extremity of some of the things that freshmen must do which made me uneasy. He expressed that the whole point is to make new members closer with their pledge class and that in the end, they are grateful for it. I was content to hear that he felt that pledging made him a better person. People seem to not take fraternities seriously, but I would say that there is an abundance to the process of joining a fraternity and how they build their brotherhood. Studies say that participation in Greek life results in an income thirty-six percent higher than non-fraternity members and higher success later in life and this must be why (Mara, Davis, and Schmidt, 2017). Although you must be a member to know the specifics of their operation behind closed doors, they are very welcoming of new people. There are many advantages to being in a fraternity that the public isn’t aware of.
Conclusion:
From my observations and analysis, I find fraternity membership to be much more beneficial than people think. There is a stigma around fraternity culture that does not reveal what goes on behind the scenes. Although you have to be a member to know what really happens within a chapter, they are very welcoming to new people as long as you have been invited. Being in a fraternity gives you the opportunity to make strong connections and develop skills that will introduce you to a wide range of success. The time members spend together and commitments that they make have direct ties to the amazing things that they do in the future. This is something that cannot be found anywhere else at Carolina.
References
Biddix, J., Matney M., Norman E., Martin G. (2014). The influence of fraternity and sorority involvement: A critical analysis of research (1996–2013). Higher Education Report, 39(6), 1-156. https://doi-org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1002/aehe.20012
Glover, T. D., Todd, J., & Moyer, L. (2022). Neighborhood walking and social connectedness. Frontiers In Sports and Active Living, 4, 825224. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2022.825224
Mara, J., Davis, L., & Schmidt, S. (2017). Social animal house: The economic and academic consequences of fraternity membership. SSRN. 1-31. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2763720
Teal, M. (2022). Movement raises questions about ethics of fraternities and sororities on campus. Ethics and Policy. https://ethicspolicy.unc.edu/news/2020/11/30/movement-raises-questions-about-ethics-of-fraternities-and-sororities-on-campus/
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Google Images, Creative Commons License
Google Images, Creative Commons License
Google Images, Creative Commons License