The Dynamics of Fraternity Life

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As a High School senior ready to go College, I applied to only a few number of schools. I applied to TCU, Trinity, and Texas. I was tardy in my application process and missed the obnoxiously early entry dates for the West Coast California Schools. Oh well. They required full applications to be completed AND in by September.
So who wanted this young athletic, intelligent, vibrant, handsome, outgoing recent graduate and college seeker? TCU and Texas said yes. I rightfully choose the Texas Longhorns. I was admitted! Hook Em it was.
I recall my fraternity RUSH recruitment as the SUMMER OF FUN. RUSH as it is known, was a constant gift and flirtatious expensive recruitment. The process was driven by multiple big time established nationally recognized, Southern Greek Organizations. As a local Austinite, with the University Campus nearby, my fellow rush friends received all the perks of consistent fun, partying, trips, and attention. The Three Main Fraternity organizations whom spent time, energy, and resources recruiting me, were the Phi Gamma Deltas, the "FiJis", The Sigma Alpha Epsilon or "SAE's" and lastly the Kappa Alpha or "KAs".
Each Greek entity would invite my fellow rush friends to complimentary bar tabs downtown, loaded with smoking hot, sexy college girls, free booze, dancing and fun. Often, each house would invite us to their private estates for afternoon basketball games, day drinking parties, meals, craw-fish boils and more. We would hang, talk and converse with the RUSH CAPTAINS, whom had the job of screening, partying, and picking their ideal new PLEDGE CLASS for the new year.
One real extravagant adventure that occurred during RUSH was a road trip down to the Mexico Border Town of Acuna. In this less legal, and lawless zone of Acuna, Mexico our underage youth and desire for crazy fun was released. The Rush Captains purchased hotel rooms, as we strutted through Acuna, Mexico, riding mechanical bulls in bars, while simultaneously imbibing more liquor shots, than was necessary. As a youth it was lightly chaperoned, wild life debauchery. We all got after it! Another BIG TIME trip was an entire Greyhound Bus ride from Austin, Texas to New Orleans. Imagine and visualize with me, being on our youthful bus of capable dudes, getting amped with a full keg to party and let loose in New Orleans on Bourbon street. The excitement and anticipation hit max pitch as we rolled into New Orleans. The bus BLASTED the musical song, "Thunderstruck by AC/DC. We were teenagers ready to commence a party battle upon New Orleans. The joys of youthful exuberance!
As summer winded down and the expensive joyous free party was set to end, it was time to get a "BID" and make a choice. I ended up getting 2 bids, and eventually selected the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. They just felt right to me. I was honored to be awarded 1 of only 40-45 bids given out that year by SAE. It was a mutually fantastic marriage.
In general, my college days were those of study, athletic achievement, and privilege. I went to class, usually 12 hour semesters, played Lacrosse for the University, and spent LATE NIGHTS at the SAE Estate drinking Keystone Light, bullshitting with friends, and hoping that pretty college girls would love me.
The dark grueling, and low point of Fraternity life is called, "PLEDGE SHIP". Pledge-ship is the 3-4 months of the Freshmen Fall Semester. During pledge ship you and your fellow, "pledges" are basically the freshmen Bitches and servants of the house. Without describing these hardships, let me just tell you, it sucked. We had 2 pledge trainers to guide and protect us freshies from the older mean spirited active house brethren.
Was Pledge-ship worth it? ABSOLUTELY. The joy, fun, pride, social life, and comrades of the SAE Fraternity lifestyle was grand! We partied at downtown bar tabs weekly. We ate like kings for lunch and dinner at the house grounds. There was a full time kitchen staff just for our 142 member chapter. Overall we dominated the collegiate west campus scene! Being an active Fraternity member gave me credentials with the opposite sex too. One night a former super hot blonde cheerleader from Garland, Texas, specifically hooked-up with me at my freshmen dorm, JUST because I was an SAE. In her pretty blonde sexy eyes, I was a college ROCKSTAR!.
As an active SAE member, our biggest, most bad ass build and expensive loaded party of the year was named, "JUNGLE". As pledges it was our job to literally BUILD the party. It was a major ordeal. There was scaffolding, hammers, nails, power tools and real architectural construction going on. It was a legit BUILD. On top of everything, "Jungle" had to be completed in just 6 or 7 days. We did not sleep that week. The "JUNGLE" party is a sight to behold, with bright lights, sounds, staircases, levels and bamboo. We even had a real tiger and pet monkey at the party passing out cigarettes. There was also a LIVE BAND, Galactic, playing dance worthy grooves. It was EPIC.
Overall our Texas Rho membership was an excellent collection of collegiate, studious, forward thinking fellows. We truly had the sample spectrum of members. Most of our Fraternity brothers were originally from Texas. Some fellow SAE brethren were from Atlanta Georgia and nearby Louisiana. In so far as personality types we had humorous characters, experimental blow and go partiers, engineering introverts, athletes, rich kids, and ranch fans. We pooled our uniqueness into one powerful entity. I personally fit in somewhere in the middle.
As Junior and Senior year came to realization, the newness and wonder of Greek Life waned and began to fade. The future work life career ahead is enough to make most college kids uncomfortable and unhappy. The cloud-like, isolationist, theme park fun of Greek Life would eventually end. In my 3.5 years, I had a fantastic time. On a side-note, I graduated from the University of Texas in 3.5 years, yes I peaced out early. Unlike some of my friends, I did NOT have the "Van Wilder" experience of prolonging the college times.
Looking back on the Dynamics of Fraternity and Greek Life, I am glad I went for it and lived it up. I am also glad that it is over.

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