Nostalgia without the guilt

Tonight I decided to visit my campus, specifically a frat party, but not as a geezer, shamelessly trying to "hook-up" with those younger with me, but as an observer, of what it feels like to be the insider of a frat-house.

I came to the realization that a fraternity was much more than a monopoly on the college pussy and a bastion of power over the non-initiated and the individualized masses who yearned for an environment to drink and have fun on the expense of others. It truly was a brotherhood of people who supported one another, and ensured the maximum possible enjoyment and utility for all the members and partakers involved. As much as I opposed being chained to a single organization for enjoyment and experience of the college environment, I found myself a little jealous of the intimacy and general camaraderie enjoyed by the members of the frat. I think if I could experience college all over again, I would make an attempt to join a frat, despite the stereotypes and general connotation associated with the fraternity environment. It was something that couldn't be explained through a logical argument or through monetary concerns. The bond between members was more than the general association experienced between workmates or even friends in a collegiate environment. It was the fact that they had the same set of Greek letters which described their affiliation and the intimacy (in a non-sexual way as far as I can tell...) they shared. There truly was something indescribable from my limited vocabulary or my inept choice of words.

My role was strictly as an observer; of the experience I oversaw as a member of Penn's undergraduate student body. As much as I share an appreciation for a group that supported me both in academic and non-academic pursuits, I was always independent, relying on my own skills and a fair amount of luck to pull me through any endeavor I faced. This is how I came to the realizations above. I did my best (and succeeded) in observing the side of college I never faced...the role of a fraternity insider, one of the "bros" -if you will. Despite all the negative connotations associated with the average fraternity brother, there is a degree of moral standard that they follow, and while it is not in correspondence to the moral standard that society as a whole follows, from an outsider's perspective, it can be ordained as "good", at least for the members of the respective fraternity as a whole.

This is the impression I was left with. All in all, it was an experience in a good context. Eventually I would have to come to accept that college was over. The carefree attitude associated with the college experience had to come to an end, and the realization that I had to decide what to do with my life was to come. And the experiences and observations I made this weekend only emphasized this. I am no longer the undergrad. It is the opportunity for me to make my mark and make the world truly a better place.