Hazing. It’s a touchy subject, and by “touchy” I mean one that we never want to touch on… or ever be a part of. I happen to come from a very anti-hazing chapter and university, both of which take ample precautions to eliminate hazing. Yet at colleges across the country, hazing still exists (and goes too far). And it exists in student groups and organizations that don’t have Greek letters in their names.

Why, then, are sorority and fraternity incidents the ones that are always making national news?

Most recently, two fraternities and one sorority at George Washington University were stripped of their houses on campus for hazing and underage drinking incidents. And of course, the story made it into the Washington Post. And this wasn’t the first time that’s happened.

In fact, it seems to me that the only time hazing stories get any media attention, they involve the Greek community. (It also seems that the only time the Greek community gets any media attention it’s for hazing, but that’s a whole different issue.) Should those who break the rules (and the law!) be punished for their actions? Absolutely. Should those who stand by and let it happen be punished too? Yes. But we all know that it’s not just the frat boys and sorority girls who partake in hazing rituals. Read More »

Like most things, the Internet is a haven for sorority girls. And I’m not talking about online shopping or Facebook stalking. Well, not totally. I mean, clearly my sisters and I are all huge fans (to the point of being broke and creepy) of those two lovely Internet pastimes.

What I’m referring to is a slew of sites and online resources that can help keep sororities organized and on track. Or in the loop. Or decked out in the latest, cutest chapter gear. Are you on your executive board? Want to save time, help your chapter and get even more accomplished on a weekly basis?  Well lookie here, I’ve got your back. Read More »

This week’s Greek Speak is powered by our pals at GreekGear.com. Whether you wanna stock up on new sweats for yourself or get an adorable iPhone case for your big sis, they’ve got all the latest and greatest Greek goodies. They even have fraternity poker chips for the BF. And right now you can get it all for 10% off by entering “Candy10″ at checkout!

It’s finals week and snowing here in the Midwest; what a lovely combination. I can’t think of a better way to take a study break than to snuggle up by the fireplace with a few pledge sisters and talk about our upcoming winter formal… the reason why I return to school second semester every year… the highlight of January!

Woof.
Who am I kidding? Faking it is not something I’m great at so I won’t even try.

Winter break is days away and that means literally only one thing for a sorority girl (OK, besides presents): winter freaking formal. It’s what every sorority girl looks forward to, right? What she spends her winter break thinking about and shopping for. The sorority event. The night that every potential new member dreams about and counts down to. The stuff sorority life is made of.

I guess.
I’m not going to candy-coat it: I kind of hate this time of year, and since we’re supposed to be getting in the spirit of the Christmas, I guess you could call me the Grinch of Holiday Formals. Ugh. Read More »

Dear everyone who has made this semester possible,

In light of all the Thanksgiving warm-and-fuzzies people are exchanging, I would like to take a moment and thank you for helping me strive for my goals, both academic and otherwise, and assisting me in my greatest endeavors.  Excelling this year is crucial, I understand that, and I’m just so grateful you all have decided to invest your efforts in my future.

And where would my manners be if I didn’t take the time to thank you all individually?

To my roommate: You.  You, you, you.  You’re one crazy mothereffer, you know that?  When we first met, I didn’t think I’d last thirty seconds in your lair of crazy.  Then you took me under your wing.  You introduced me to Jager bombs and insisted that it was only suggested that students attend 8 a.m. lectures.  You knew the entire men’s swim team.  Now we’re the best of besties.  Where would I be without you?  Probably in some library wasting my life away.  Or hanging out with the intramural chess geeks.

To my Poli-Sci TA: When I showed up forty minutes late to the midterm with a hangover and a severe case of sex hair, thank you for pretending not to notice.  Also, thank you for providing me with a No. 2 pencil, an extra ScanTron in case I threw up on the first, and seat right next to you.  You smell delicious and I really dig your beard. Read More »

If there’s one thing a sorority woman knows (besides the names of all her founding sisters/the words to every rush song/the rules to scoring the best room in the house) it’s a theme party. I don’t know if it’s in the official rules of Greek Life but sororities/fraternities and theme parties go together like cheating spouses and Hollywood. Only there’s way less drama. And magazine covers. And Barbara Walters interviews.

That being said, this week we asked our panel of sorority women to weigh in on the infamous theme party and share the best and worst they’ve ever been to.

Looking to throw a great party of your own? You might want to avoid a graffiti bash. Read More »

Admit it – even if you are in a sorority, you’ve wondered if Greek TV shows are anything like real Greek life. But first off, it goes without saying that whether you are Greek or not, if you have never seen an episode of “GREEK” then you haven’t lived. If for some reason you are living under a rock and have yet to indulge in this amazing show, stop reading immediately, go watch a few episodes online, then come back and read!  (P.S. Don’t tell your friends you’ve never seen “GREEK”; they’ll shun you.)

Moving on.

After every episode I find myself more and more emotionally attached to the characters. (Let’s face it, I want to be Casey Cartwright and live happily ever after with Evan Chambers.) I think the reason why myself and thousands of other sorority girls are addicted to “GREEK” is partially because it is so true. From the parties, to frat boy break-ups, to in-house sorority drama, the show covers it all. We all love the show because it is relatable and probably the most realistic portrayal of sorority life in the media. Unlike Legally Blonde or Sorority Boys, the issues going on with Ashleigh and Casey in ZBZ are ones that we as sorority girls face every day. And it’s fun watching someone else deal with it. Read More »

To say that frat guys don’t have the best reputation is like saying that that I only kinda like Diet Coke. From movies to TV shows to their very own indiscretions (like the most recent events at Yale), on a scale of douchebaggery, they fall somewhere between Spencer Pratt and Tiger Woods.

But is that a fair assessment or have we been judging these guys wrong all along? Could there be an unfair stigma against fraternity boys? It’s hard to tell when you’re looking in from the outside, so we thought we’d ask the people who know best: a group of sorority women.

Unlike most college students whose only interaction with frat stars is at a Pimps and Hos party, sorority women know these men on a deeper level. So what do they have to say about frat guys? Read More »

[We scoured the country to find the ultimate sorority girl to share her sisterly expertise with you. After reading through tons of applications followed by hours Facebook-stalking all the candidates (which proved difficult thanks to FB's privacy settings....), we found her. She gave you the lowdown on rush and now that you're sitting pretty in your new house, she's moving on to more important topics: date functions.]

It seems like every year ALL the fraternities try to cram their date functions and formals into two weekends in the fall and spring. For a socialite like myself and the rest of my pledge class, juggling all these events can be a bit overwhelming for a girl! (Who am I kidding? The BF is a Pi Kappa Alpha, so unless it’s his fraternity’s function I sit on the sidelines and watch my friends get dolled up while I wish I was, too, desperately throwing together a toga!)

Speaking of toga, who doesn’t want to get asked to a fraternity date function? FINALLY you get to go to your date’s house without worrying about a drunken slew of GDI girls ruining the mood. Just you, your date, his brothers, and their dates – perfect. BUT there are plenty of ways to make the night not-so-perfect.

Everyone has had that “OMG I’m so glad I’m not that girl” moment at a party, and Greek events are definitely no exception. News travels at lightning speed through the Greek community so for your sake (and your sorority’s sake) heed my advice and don’t be that girl! And, believe it or not, ALL the things I am about to advise you NOT to do I have seen first hand. And it’s not a pretty picture. Read More »

Hello future, present, and past college sorority women (and creepy guys trying to get in on the juicy sorority gossip)!! My name is Megan, I’m a Junior, I go to Purdue, and I am so excited to be CollegeCandy’s Ultimate Sorority Girl! (Also, I like exclamation points.)

Being the official voice of Greek Life on this very (fabulous) website, I’m sure a lot of you are wondering about my sorority experience…. and I’m sure a lot of you aren’t. But too bad -  here it is:

I wasn’t far into my senior year of high school before I began creepily stalking the Purdue sorority websites and dreaming about what sorority I would soon be in. I registered for sorority recruitment the first possible day online and counted the days until it would all actually begin (while also researching every last bit of information I’d need to know to succeed and become the best sorority sister these girls could ever meet). Embarrassing, yes, but a steady form of entertainment for the summer before my freshman year of college

When I got to campus, I jumped into recruitment head first (with a totally new wardrobe for the occasion) and  when it was all said and done, I was an official ‘Baby Owl’ for Chi Omega’s 2008 pledge class. Hoot, hoot!! Read More »

I’ve done it all. I’ve been to clubs, bars, frat parties, porches…you name it, I’ve been drunk there. And my favorite of all party scenes? The infamous house party.  Maybe it has something to do with being a freshman last year, or maybe because I befriended these guys who threw major parties that were the talk of campus come Monday?  I’m not sure, but in my opinion nothing quite beats a house party and its laid-back atmosphere.

And as a seasoned house partier, here are some tips to help you survive the first big house party of the year:

Do show up fashionably late.  Nothing in the college party scene starts before 10:30pm.  And nothing says freshman more than showing up at the party at 9pm eager for the festivities to start.  You are not in high school anymore!  So please, if you want to look like you know what’s going on, pre-drink in your room don’t show up until after 11pm.  Trust me, you won’t miss a thing. In fact, you’ll get there just as the party gets pumpin’.

Don’t wear heels! If you’re going to a house party, you will be way overdressed.  House parties attract all types of people and there will most likely be hundreds of them there.  Large amounts of grinding people means hot temperatures.  You will be sweating…profusely! So for those back-to-school bashes, leave your new skinny jeans at home and wear shorts, a cute flowy tank top or even a sundress, and sandals. You’ll thank me later, when the floor is filled with mud (or questionable bodily fluids) and your favorite suede pumps are ruined!

Do get your creative juices flowing. Theme parties are super popular in college.  Whether you’re attending a Toga party, ABC party, the Beer Olympics (the list goes on and on…), get creative with your costume.  I’ll guarantee you’ll be the talk of the night (and for the right reasons).   That’s not such a bad thing, eh? Read More »