Greek houses are something special. Living with a multitude of your brothers or sisters is an amazing experience. But many people have interesting memories when going to hang out at a fraternity house. They are the complete opposite of sorority houses, especially in cleanliness. As a sorority woman who has been to a fraternity house before, here are some of the things that I've picked up about Frat House culture.
1. Imagine a football locker room but worse.
Fraternity houses smell and the floor is always sticky with beer. There is also a subtle hint of Grizzly Wintergreen haunting you as you walk through the house.
2. Toilet paper is nonexistent.
If you’re a girl trying to use the bathroom at a fraternity house be weary. You might have to get creative when it comes time to wipe. If you’re smart you will bring your own TP. I would suggest washing your hands, but there aren’t paper towels either.
3. There is always a social gathering of some sort.
The guys in the house are always hanging out. There is no discrimination of pledge class or age. The good thing about fraternities is that there aren't cliques like you can sometimes see in sororities.
4. Kegs and hunch punch…not at MTSU.
Hunch Punch at many universities is extremely common with parties. Except for at MTSU. Here there is a strict policy on open sources of alcohol. So no hunch punch or jungle juice at the fraternity houses on or off campus at Middle.
5. The music is always on.
As a neighbor of the only fraternity house still on Greek row, we can definitely hear their music. It is never really that bad of an issue, even when it is a single text will be enough for them to turn it down to a reasonable level.6. The Frat Hound
There’s always a dog somewhere that you can play with if you get bored. Frat hounds have always been prominent in fraternity life. They even get their own picture in the composite.
7. Speaking of composites, they cover holes in the walls.
It’s an easy fix for that one clumsy guy who fell into the wall a couple years ago.
8. There’s always that one guy that almost falls out of a window at parties.
The clumsy guy makes another appearance, but this time, it is out the window. You can't help but feel nervous for him and the people below that he's trying to talk to.
9. What’s that smell in the kitchen?
The sink is nasty; it smells of mold and mildew. Girls wonder how they function without a kitchen. A couple years ago some of my sisters felt so bad that they donated some sponges.
10. There are beer boxes taped to a wall somewhere.
If you follow Old Row or TFM you have seen old beer boxes creatively taped on the wall.
11. Spitters…spitters everywhere.
I don’t know why but some guys just don’t know how to let go of their spit bottle. It’s almost like there is some kind of connection between them. But sadly one day they set down that beloved spit bottle and forget where it is. It’s a tragic story really.
12. Fraternity chants
Every time that one particular song comes on they all start singing along. Then in the middle of the song, they start doing a fraternity chant on top of the chorus. It's striking that they took the time to come up with one that even goes along with a song.
13. Group huddles
Whether it is Rocky Top or Dixieland Delight, fraternity guys love getting into huddles in the middle of their home while singing songs like these at the top of their lungs. A special song that resonates with everyone is Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks.
Regardless of their messy houses and loud chants, us sorority women can't get enough of our male counterparts. Despite the faults that usually get publicized with fraternity houses, there is still so much good that their organizations do for campuses nationwide.
