US student fraternities: how the American elite is forged. Student associations

Student communities in the United States have been around for three centuries. And it's not just interest clubs. In the so-called "brotherhoods" and "sisterhoods" are the best of the best, the color of the nation and its future.

History of appearance

The tradition of creating student communities appeared in the United States along with the first universities. They were called "Latin societies" because the abbreviations of Latin letters were used as the name. The first such organization was the Flat Hat Club (F.H.C.), whose most famous member was the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, although in one of his letters published in November 2010 by The New-York Times, he called membership in the society meaningless.

The other oldest Latin fraternity was the Please Don't Ask (P.D.A.) group. The future American politician John Hiff tried several times unsuccessfully to break into both fraternities, which united the young intellectual elite.

On December 5, 1776, at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, he created the first "Greek" student society, Phi Betta Kappa, of which he assumed the presidency.

Since then, the use of a combination of two or three Greek letters as the name of communities has been a tradition. In this regard, the phrases "student fraternity" and "Greek society" have become synonymous. Often the abbreviation hides the secret motto of the brotherhood.

The first "sisterhood", called the Adelphic Society (today Alpha Delta Pi), appeared only in the middle of the 19th century, in 1851, at Georgia Wesleyan College. And from the beginning of the twentieth century, many men's societies began to accept women into their ranks. And if initially "sisterhoods" were created as opposed to "brotherhoods", today they sometimes unite, so now the term "brotherhood" is freely used both in relation to organizations of boys and girls.

Rite of passage

To be inducted into a community, one must first be approved by the members of that community. Talented athletes, excellent students, future leaders are those to whom interest is shown. But all these qualities instantly fade if there are no wealthy parents behind the candidate. Who you are and who your family are are the most important criteria for joining the student elite. An important role is played by the ability of a potential candidate to pay membership fees, which range from $ 2,000 per semester and beyond, the amount includes accommodation in a special, “Greek”, hostel and meals.

Becoming a "sister" is somewhat more difficult. In addition to all of the above, a successful candidate must have an attractive appearance.

But back to the rite of passage itself. Each community holds a so-called "hell week" - a hellish week, during which candidates for membership undergo a series of tests. Some of them are quite acceptable: an interview, a demonstration of knowledge of the history of the community, its traditions and values, checking that the candidate meets all the requirements. But among others, there are extremely wild tasks that are more like torture: walk naked around the campus, pour sour milk on yourself, spend the night on the cold floor in the basement in your underwear.

There is a legend that during the initiation into the Yale Skull and Bones community, candidates had to drink blood and tell the audience about their sexual preferences. Cruel rites are considered the most dangerous and frightening part of the "Greek" life, being the cause of terrible incidents, which sometimes even end in death.

So, in 2008, during an initiation into the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, an 18-year-old freshman from California Polytechnic University Carson Starkey died. Carson was forced to drink several bottles of strong alcohol, among which was 95-degree Everclear.

The young man fainted, and the members of the club decided not to take him to the hospital, so as not to incur problems. After the incident, the "brotherhood" was closed. But such stories continue to appear in the American press.

Their manners

Over the past few years, the hype around student communities in the American media has not subsided: homophobic, misogynistic and racist antics, cases of hooliganism, alcohol poisoning, beatings, drug trafficking, rape - this, according to Complex correspondent Ian Cervantes, is far from a complete list of what repaired by members of the "Greek houses". Bloomberg News journalists David Glovin and John Hechinger note that since 2005 more than sixty people, mostly students, have died in incidents involving fraternities.

Such incidents have become a constant practice, and the parents of the affected students prefer not to sue the university, but with the society itself. In the early 90s, an association of three student fraternities created the Franternity Risk Management Trust, an insurance fund designed to cover the costs of incoming lawsuits. Today, 33 fraternities work with the foundation.

To control the situation, the communities themselves create certain rules for themselves. For example, on the campuses of most "sisterhoods" it is forbidden to drink alcohol. However, this law is easy to get around by going to a party with the "brothers" in the neighborhood. Also, in 44 states, hazing (in our opinion, hazing) is prohibited at the legislative level in student communities. But ritual humiliations and wild customs still exist, only secretly.

Today, journalists and analysts predict the death of student communities due to a decrease in trust, and many universities are making futile attempts to close them on their territory - usually Greek houses exist independently from universities, being independent organizations, or in the event of another scandal they enlist the support of their influential graduates.

Why is it so important to be in "brotherhood"?

According to The Atlantic journalist Maria Konnikova, 18 of the 44 presidents of the United States were in fraternities. William Howard Taft, Secretary of Defense under Truman Robert Lovett, media tycoon Henry Luce, both Bushes, current Secretary of State John Kerry - all were members of the already mentioned Yale University Skull and Bones Society, and even Jen Psaki, known in Russia for her pearls, studied in that Yale University, was a member of the Chi Omega sorority.

The statistics relating to this issue are, in principle, very tempting - 42% of all US senators and the heads of 85% of large companies in the states were in "brotherhoods".

Professor Alan DeSantis, in his book Inside the Greek W: Brotherhoods, Sisterhoods, and the Pursuit of Pleasure, notes that only 8.5% of US students are in fraternities, and they are the first contenders to rise to the top of power. So who would turn down the opportunity to be among the future political and economic elite?

In the modern view, a member of the community is the ideal student. He is successful in his studies, he attends the loudest parties, participates in organizing the best events at the university, knows interesting people. An image that fits perfectly into the notorious "American dream". Membership in the student community is even indicated in the resume when looking for a job, and the company will be more favorable to such a candidate.

A member of the "Greek house" will never disappear. After all, one of the basic rules of any student society is to “pull up” your own. There are no "former brothers".

Student editions of Autodesk software products are intended for use for self-education purposes. They can only be installed on personal (home) computers.

Student versions are fully functional. Working in these versions, students can fully master the functionality of the software product.

Projects created in the student version cannot be used for commercial or professional purposes. Drawings and drawings are marked as "Created in educational version" when they are not printed.

5. Are there any restrictions on student versions?

Student editions of Autodesk software have all the functionality of our professional software, but when printed, a warning text is displayed on every page to prevent professional, commercial, and profit-making use of the software. Student editions of Autodesk software may not be used in schools or labs for educational purposes, or for commercial or profit purposes. Autodesk annual student licenses do not entitle you to upgrade the program or obtain a license to commercially use the product.

6. What software products are available for free download on the Autodesk Student Community site?

Student versions of the following Autodesk software products are available for free* download from the Autodesk Student Community website:

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Do you think that having received a higher education, you will immediately become in demand in the labor market? But employers need initiative, active, aspiring people with management and organizational skills.

Do you think that you will begin to actively “show yourself” after studying at a university, but now it is only important to study, study and study again? But the formula for career and life success is made up not only of excellent knowledge of subjects, but of the ability to translate your dreams into reality. This is not taught in class.

Do you think that you will start making business contacts after your studies, when you start working? Maybe. But you need them now. They will help you both in finding a job and in building a career. And in general, in life, the one who has a wider social circle and richer experience of interacting in various situations with different people achieves greater success.

You do not know why extracurricular work is needed within the walls of the university? And what does it give useful to you personally? By participating in extra-curricular life, you will gain invaluable communication skills and attract attention. The life of the largest universities and institutes is not limited solely to study and recreational activities. All sorts of traveling seminars, scientific conferences, excursions and meetings with interesting people fall into the same category.

Do you think that extracurricular activities will not affect your career trajectory in any way? A serious hobby can become a matter of a lifetime. Many well-known showmen, musicians, and athletes were given the road to life not by a specialist diploma, but by classes in student sections and circles. Perhaps it is participation in KVN teams, a student theater or a university musical group that will determine your future fate.

Do you not like everything in the system of teaching, university management, work with students? Would you like to make student life brighter and more interesting? Would you like to change the world around you, or at least a small part of it?

Would you like to find your calling in life? or you do not know where to direct your creative energy?

Would you like to become the best in your business, find like-minded people and achieve success?

You do not know where to gain experience in negotiating, drafting documents, holding events?

The solution to all these questions is student association. It is student associations that are the institution, the laboratory where the personality of a young person is formed, the necessary leadership qualities, the ability to work in a team, identify the main problems and find the best ways to solve them are acquired.

Not only your career, but also, without exaggeration, YOUR life depends on how you show yourself now, during your studies!

student association is a voluntary association of university students with the aim of jointly solving issues to improve the quality of student life. Such an association gives them the right to take part in the management of the student life of the university and use the opportunities for self-realization and development. Student public associations operating in accordance with the Federal Law of May 19, 1995 No. 82-FZ (as amended on July 20, 2012) “On Public Associations”.

Goals and objectives of creating student associations:

- creation of a set of conditions conducive to self-determination and self-realization of the individual through inclusion in the socio-cultural environment;

- the formation of students' practical skills and abilities in the framework of their professional activities;

- identification of the creative and managerial potential of each student and its implementation through participation in the work of student associations;

- assistance in the implementation of socially significant youth initiatives;

– preservation and development of corporate traditions of the university.

Student associations build their activities on the following principles:

voluntariness student participation in

consolidation university students in order to jointly address issues to improve the quality of student life;

targeted activities of student associations;

consistency activities of student associations.

partnerships in the interaction of student associations and the university administration;

equality all members of the student association;

electivity governing bodies of student associations;

publicity activities of student associations;

openness in the activities of student associations.

"The Student Council is the main form of student self-government and ensures the interaction of all student associations of MGSU. The Student Council unites students of all levels of higher education (bachelor's, master's, specialists and graduate students). The Student Council should have representatives of the student councils of all MGSU institutions. The student councils of the institutes MGSU should be representatives of students of all levels of education, training for which is carried out at the institute.

Student communities in the United States have been around for three centuries. And it's not just interest clubs. In the so-called "brotherhoods" and "sisterhoods" are the best of the best, the color of the nation and its future.

History of appearance

The tradition of creating student communities appeared in the United States along with the first universities. They were called "Latin societies" because the abbreviations of Latin letters were used as the name. The first such organization was the Flat Hat Club (F.H.C.), whose most famous member was the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, although in one of his letters published in November 2010 by The New-York Times, he called membership in the society meaningless.

The other oldest Latin fraternity was the Please Don't Ask (P.D.A.) group. The future American politician John Hiff tried several times unsuccessfully to break into both fraternities, which united the young intellectual elite.

On December 5, 1776, at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, he created the first "Greek" student society, Phi Betta Kappa, of which he assumed the presidency.

Since then, the use of a combination of two or three Greek letters as the name of communities has been a tradition. In this regard, the phrases "student fraternity" and "Greek society" have become synonymous. Often the abbreviation hides the secret motto of the brotherhood.

The first "sisterhood", called the Adelphic Society (today Alpha Delta Pi), appeared only in the middle of the 19th century, in 1851, at Georgia Wesleyan College. And from the beginning of the twentieth century, many men's societies began to accept women into their ranks. And if initially "sisterhoods" were created as opposed to "brotherhoods", today they sometimes unite, so now the term "brotherhood" is freely used both in relation to organizations of boys and girls.

Rite of passage

To be inducted into a community, one must first be approved by the members of that community. Talented athletes, excellent students, future leaders are those to whom interest is shown. But all these qualities instantly fade if there are no wealthy parents behind the candidate. Who you are and who your family are are the most important criteria for joining the student elite. An important role is played by the ability of a potential candidate to pay membership fees, which range from $ 2,000 per semester and beyond, the amount includes accommodation in a special, “Greek”, hostel and meals.

Becoming a "sister" is somewhat more difficult. In addition to all of the above, a successful candidate must have an attractive appearance.

But back to the rite of passage itself. Each community holds a so-called "hell week" - a hellish week, during which candidates for membership undergo a series of tests. Some of them are quite acceptable: an interview, a demonstration of knowledge of the history of the community, its traditions and values, checking that the candidate meets all the requirements. But among others, there are extremely wild tasks that are more like torture: walk naked around the campus, pour sour milk on yourself, spend the night on the cold floor in the basement in your underwear.

There is a legend that during the initiation into the Yale Skull and Bones community, candidates had to drink blood and tell the audience about their sexual preferences. Cruel rites are considered the most dangerous and frightening part of the "Greek" life, being the cause of terrible incidents, which sometimes even end in death.

So, in 2008, during an initiation into the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, an 18-year-old freshman from California Polytechnic University Carson Starkey died. Carson was forced to drink several bottles of strong alcohol, among which was 95-degree Everclear.

The young man fainted, and the members of the club decided not to take him to the hospital, so as not to incur problems. After the incident, the "brotherhood" was closed. But such stories continue to appear in the American press.

Their manners

Over the past few years, the hype around student communities in the American media has not subsided: homophobic, misogynistic and racist antics, cases of hooliganism, alcohol poisoning, beatings, drug trafficking, rape - this, according to Complex correspondent Ian Cervantes, is far from a complete list of what repaired by members of the "Greek houses". Bloomberg News journalists David Glovin and John Hechinger note that since 2005 more than sixty people, mostly students, have died in incidents involving fraternities.

Such incidents have become a constant practice, and the parents of the affected students prefer not to sue the university, but with the society itself. In the early 90s, an association of three student fraternities created the Franternity Risk Management Trust, an insurance fund designed to cover the costs of incoming lawsuits. Today, 33 fraternities work with the foundation.

To control the situation, the communities themselves create certain rules for themselves. For example, on the campuses of most "sisterhoods" it is forbidden to drink alcohol. However, this law is easy to get around by going to a party with the "brothers" in the neighborhood. Also, in 44 states, hazing (in our opinion, hazing) is prohibited at the legislative level in student communities. But ritual humiliations and wild customs still exist, only secretly.

Today, journalists and analysts predict the death of student communities due to a decrease in trust, and many universities are making futile attempts to close them on their territory - usually Greek houses exist independently from universities, being independent organizations, or in the event of another scandal they enlist the support of their influential graduates.

Why is it so important to be in "brotherhood"?

According to The Atlantic journalist Maria Konnikova, 18 of the 44 presidents of the United States were in fraternities. William Howard Taft, Secretary of Defense under Truman Robert Lovett, media tycoon Henry Luce, both Bushes, current Secretary of State John Kerry - all were members of the already mentioned Yale University Skull and Bones Society, and even Jen Psaki, known in Russia for her pearls, studied in that Yale University, was a member of the Chi Omega sorority.

The statistics relating to this issue are, in principle, very tempting - 42% of all US senators and the heads of 85% of large companies in the states were in "brotherhoods".

Professor Alan DeSantis, in his book Inside the Greek W: Brotherhoods, Sisterhoods, and the Pursuit of Pleasure, notes that only 8.5% of US students are in fraternities, and they are the first contenders to rise to the top of power. So who would turn down the opportunity to be among the future political and economic elite?

In the modern view, a member of the community is the ideal student. He is successful in his studies, he attends the loudest parties, participates in organizing the best events at the university, knows interesting people. An image that fits perfectly into the notorious "American dream". Membership in the student community is even indicated in the resume when looking for a job, and the company will be more favorable to such a candidate.

A member of the "Greek house" will never disappear. After all, one of the basic rules of any student society is to “pull up” your own. There are no "former brothers".