Collins is a sophomore English major and can be contacted at [email protected]

If you can’t stand the fratmosphere, get off the street.

Since the first fraternity was founded in 1776, members have pledged their lifelong loyalty to organizations like Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Delta Gamma and, thankfully, for me, Kappa Alpha Theta. But since we’ve been joining them, pledges and members alike have also been quitting them.
It’s a hard question with no definite answer–what does Drake do with those (rare and few) individuals who decided Greek life wasn’t for them? In every good relationship things can turn sour, but, based on a foundation of love and brotherhood, the bonds between us are meant to be unchanging. If I respect someone as my sister, I hope that respect will remain evident in the halls of Meredith, the middle of Zumba class or even vying for the attention of the nearest Dublin bartender.

While they may not be my sisters, I hope to still call them my friends. Whatever reason a member has for leaving his or her fraternity, the decision was probably a hard one and could have been made for a thousand reasons. Parents, outside friendships and probably the most common factor, money, can play a huge role in abandoning fraternity ideals that were once so sacred.

If you don’t agree with me on the friendship part, then still try and shoot for respect. If that isn’t happening either, then it’s probably best to agree to disagree. The odds are probably against you in a West End bar fight or soccer house showdown, and if you do manage to outnumber your ex-sorority sister or fraternity bro (Greeks to GDIs), chances are you won’t have the support you count on. Not all of us are so eager to turn against someone who, albeit a long time ago, was still one of us.