The Technician

           As a non-traditional student attending Kettering University, I never thought that I would be interested in getting involved with the “Greek Life”. Not only had I seen myself as being outside of the usual age group, but the thought of all the hazing that the media portrays in connection with fraternities nationwide just didn’t seem very appealing to me. 

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, hazing is “an initiation process involving harassment”, commonly associated with physical pain and emotional stress. It is not unusual to come across news headlines under the subject of “hazing”—“7 New England College students arrested in hazing” in March 6, 2009 of the Boston Herald, for example, or “Death in Underground Frat's Hazing Ritual Shakes a SUNY Campus”, published in September 15, 2003 of the New York Times, or “Hazing still widespread at colleges, survey finds,” as reported by MSNBC on March 11, 2008. The list goes on and on. With all the bad press, one would be inclined to question both the safety and the validity in getting involved with a local fraternity.

In seeking advice from Prof. R. Bell of the Chemistry Department towards how I could get more involved with the community at Kettering, he told me that “fraternities are a good way to foster support and camaraderie among students”. As it turns out, Prof. Bell is an advisor to the Theta Xi as well as being close to other fraternities on campus. He asked me if I would be interested in “meeting with the guys”. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to think with all the negative preconceptions that I’ve gathered through the media over the years. On the other hand, I know that Prof. Bell is very wise and he is definitely someone I can trust. I replied “yes” with some reservation, and then half jokingly asked if I would somehow end up in a “big tub of jello” as a fraternity prank. Prof. Bell assured me that I would be treated with the utmost respect, which put me at ease.

The next day, Prof. Bell introduced me to Mr. Craig Meree, President of the Kappa Sigma Chapter. Craig kindly invited me over for dinner with the brothers later that week at their fraternity house.  My arrival was greeted with a warm welcome that I wasn’t expecting. I was further introduced to each of the brothers and was placed in a prominent seat at one of their many tables. The dinner was most enjoyable, with an interesting round of conversation concerning both school and the wider community. The meal started with a Salem prayer of thanksgiving and concluded with the ceremonial tossing of chocolate covered cookies that seemed to be easy enough to catch, but many ended up on the floor and triggered a house full of laughter amongst the brothers.

            As if the wonderful dinner wasn’t hospitable enough, I was further guided to a tour of the entire fraternity house. I was impressed by the mid-century architecture of the house along with the history that it seems to contain. Generations of brothers have made their marks through their contributions to the fraternity and volunteerism in the community at large. It was also surprising for me to learn that the Theta Xi was once blessed by the pope with documentation from the Vatican. Not least of all, as I was walking through the vast hallways, I saw a picture of Prof. Bell from the 1970’s. I couldn’t help grinning and commenting to one of the brothers—“Prof. Bell never had hair”.

 After a nice meal, an interesting tour and many discussions with the brothers of Theta Xi, I came to the conclusion that my negative preconceptions of what fraternities are about is baseless. It is nothing more than a stereotype perpetuated by the media out of a few bad examples. I learned that hazing is strictly against both house and campus policies and that the vast majority of the brothers don’t even drink. I saw young men caring for each other through mutual respect and responsibility. They help each other keep on track with their studies and stay out of trouble. It is a camaraderie that is nurtured though a tight knit subculture.

With my limited experience, I can’t vouch for other fraternities. But my personal encounter with the Theta Xi has shown me that there are exceptions to the prevailing stereotypes. The brothers are upstanding students banding together for the common good. I enjoyed my visit and am looking forward to participating in their future events.

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