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Frequently Asked Questions
Do all fraternities haze?
Once you join a fraternity you can't associate with anyone
outside of it.
Fraternities are about drinking and
partying.
Most fraternity members
fail out of school.
Being in a fraternity may have a
negative impact on your chances for success.
Why are fraternity and sorority
members called “Greeks”?
What is an "LGLO”?
What is a
national fraternity?
Lambda Theta Phi claims to be the
first LGLO, but doesn’t another organization make the same claim?
Do all fraternities haze?
There is probably no activity or
characteristic that applies to every organization that calls itself a
fraternity. Hazing does exist, but not everywhere and not with every
organization. Lambda Theta Phi is committed
to a policy of no hazing. Read more about Lambda Theta Phi's
Hazing policy.
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Once you join a fraternity you can't associate with anyone outside of it.
This is absolutely not true with Lambda Theta Phi and
probably with all fraternities in general. Our members typically have
relationships with various people and no member of the organization is ever
asked to disassociate themselves from friends and family. In fact such behavior
would actually hinder a fraternity's chance to recruit new members and meet the
community service requirements imposed by its national leadership and most
universities. (top)
Fraternities are about drinking and
partying.
Alcohol has been a problem for many fraternities and
even a part of their traditions and rituals. However, not all fraternity
members drink or attend many parties. In the case of Lambda Theta Phi, alcohol
is not a part of any of our traditions. Alcohol is not allowed at on
campus parties and it is strictly forbidden while participating in our new member induction activities.
This
applies to both members and potential members.
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Most fraternity members
fail out of school.
Actually the graduation rate among fraternity men (or
“Greeks” as they are often called) is higher than among non-Greeks. In
fact, students who join fraternities and sororities are 28% more likely to
return to school the following year than students who choose not to join.
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Being in a fraternity may have a
negative impact on your chances for success.
Actually although only 2% of American males are in
fraternities they are as a group generally successful. Approximately 80% of the
top executives of Fortune 500 companies are fraternity men. The majority (71%)
of those listed in Who’s Who in America are fraternity men and 76% of current
United States Senators and Congressmen are fraternity men. Since 1910 more than
80% of the Supreme Court Justices have been fraternity men and 100 of 158 cabinet
members since 1900 have been fraternity men. Most noteworthy is the fact that
all but two United States Presidents since 1825 have been fraternity men.
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Why are fraternity and sorority
members called “Greeks”?
Sororities are basically female fraternities
(fraternities existed first). Members of both groups are called Greeks due to
the tradition of naming such organizations with Greek letters. This is a
tradition that dates back to 1776.
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What is an "LGLO”?
LGLO stands for Latino Greek Letter Organization. Like
the traditional “Black Greek Letter Organizations” this in no way implies that
membership is limited to individuals of a certain race, ethnicity or national
origin. It merely underscores a commitment to address previously unaddressed
issues in a specific community (Latino, Black, etc.) to promote equality and
inclusion in our society.
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What is a national fraternity?
Most universities define a national fraternity as one
having membership in one of the national umbrella organizations for Greek
organizations such as the North-American Interfraternity Conference, the
National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations or the
National Pan-Hellenic Council. Local organizations, which usually consist of
one chapter or a few chapters in a single state offer the kind of intimate
knowledge of the entire membership that is harder to find in larger
organizations. As one of the largest LGLOs in the country, Lambda Theta Phi
maintains fraternal bonds between our members through our induction process and
national activities such as conventions and conferences. We also encourage
members to utilize our “network” which connects members across North America to
business and social opportunities for life.
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Lambda Theta Phi claims to be the
first LGLO, but doesn’t another organization make the same claim?
We
maintain that although another
organization may have had individuals of Latino descent among
their founders, Lambda Theta Phi was founded as a Latin Fraternity. “Latin
Fraternity” is part of our legal name and in our papers of incorporation. Our
status as a Latin fraternity is and always has been stated in our constitution.
Our organization has existed continually since its founding with governing
authority passed down from founders to subsequent members without interruption.
In addition, we can document our founding as a Latin fraternity. In fact,
the first mention of a LGLO in the American newspaper was in 1978 where Lambda
Theta Phi was referred to as part of a coalition of Latin student organizations
protesting for better services at Kean University.
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