I’m from England, and I don’t understand Tufts’ Greek life

I was told that Tufts wasn’t very “frat-based,” and honestly it’s one of the main reasons I came here.

Being from the UK, and having a few frat experiences while visiting my brother at UVA, I had a solid idea in my mind of going to a school with as little exposure to frats and sororities as possible. Yet, after being here for a week I quickly came to realize I had not been told the entire truth.

Being a freshman on the Tufts campus seemed to inevitably lead to going to frat parties. I made a deal with myself to not be the judgmental foreigner, of which I believe is a promise I have kept. I am often found at a frat party, and actually enjoying myself. However, just because I have begun to frequent these circles, does not mean that I find the whole situation normal.

At the beginning of the year my roommate was invited to hang out one night in frat house with her work friends. She, being a scared freshman, made me come with her. Everything seemed very normal until this guy started smashing beer cans against his head screaming “Frat life!” I just stared at him half-scared, half-amused by this statement. He repeated this dance a couple times before throwing the beer cans down the hall and telling the room “Man, I love living in a frat house. Frat life bro.”

I burst out laughing thinking this must be a kind of joke. I soon realized it wasn’t, and he didn’t like the fact I was laughing at him.

I do not want to generalize the characters you find in frats or sororities, as I have made many friends who participate in Greek life. It is just I can’t quite understand this whole system.

I can comprehend the parties. They are a great way of meeting people and having a good time. It is the aura that surrounds the “brotherhood” aspect that I find interesting. The fact that some of my friends now have a “dad” I find somewhat creepy. To a foreigner, it just seems to show a number of similarities to a cult; one that I do not entirely understand the compulsion to join. For example, the hierarchy within frats, which leads to brothers having to fight their way up the food chain. Furthermore, the way frats disguise themselves as philanthropic organisations here for the community.

Nonetheless, frats seem to make my weekends with parties, the consistent use of the word “bro” and drunk people attempting keg-stands.

So keep doing you frats. I’ll keep coming, until I have more friends who hold house parties.