Even Clint Eastwood was once quoted as saying, "Men must know their limitations."
As a Pi Chi during sorority recruitment, I was asked to respectfully refer to frat boys as "fraternity men." Even though we were being catcalled in Greek Village and honked at on the streets, we were supposed to look the other way and ignore the nonsense that followed us. One girl even asked me to walk with her to one of the houses because she was afraid of being harassed by those fraternity men.
As the PNMs lined up for their parties outside of the sorority houses and anxiously waited for them to begin, you could see groups of 10 to 15 fraternity boys crowding on their front porches. I won't call out the fraternity by name, but one chapter even started yelling out random female names to try and trick the PNMs into looking their way.
Not only was it disrespectful to the PNMs, but creeping on the women was also disrespectful to their own fraternities. as well. Simply put, the fraternity boys were embarrassing themselves. Rather than impressing the PNMs, the fraternity men were giving their own chapters questionable reputations.
"Do they really think they're cool?" one PNM asked me.
I threw the question back at her and asked, "Do you think they're cool?"
"Eww, no. Why would anyone hang out with creepy guys like that?"
As recruitment went on, it seemed like more and more fraternity men decided the process was designed to give them a show of the new women on campus. Driving around in the backs of pickup trucks and peering out of second story windows, the men lost all regard for respect and dignity and gave in to their most basic instincts and peer pressure. One "man" even started meowing at the women as they walked past.
Rather than encouraging the PNMs to dance while they waited for their parties to begin, we Pi Chis started having them repeat a new cheer we made up. It went:
Pi Chis: Hey PNMs! Do you want to talk about fraternity men?
PNMs: No way!
Pi Chis: Do you want to talk about your spirit?
PNMs: Okay!
What I don't understand is how men on this campus don't even try to be subtle with their creeping, anymore. With the growing popularity of social media, you'd think that they would depend on Facebook or Twitter to keep track of women. Rather, they take the time out of their day to sit on a front porch in 100 degree heat to watch us stand in line for 20 minutes at a time. What is so appealing about that? Don't they have anything else to do?
Fraternity men, I think it goes without saying that there are much better ways to meet us. First, and most obvious, is to talk to us. If you're interested in someone, be upfront and honest about it, and see where it goes from there. Women always appreciate honesty over front porch stalking.
Step away from your fellow fraternity men. If 20 of you are sitting there staring at us, you can bet we will never want to meet you or attend any of your functions. Don't even ask us to paint coolers for you, because it's not going to happen.
If we're supposed to call you, "men," then man up; act like real men. Stop meowing at us, stop staring at us and, maybe, we'll talk to you one day. Nothing is less attractive than a fraternity boy who is too much of a wuss to get off his stoop.
