The information that I was looking for had to deal with the time of 1900-1999. During these times, fraternities were getting started and their laws were being written. I know that I had to determine my topic and when I narrowed it down I wanted to write about fraternities in general. They have been getting a bad reputation due to the movies and rumors spread between fraternities. All the information that I was looking for also has to be in English due to the fact that I can only speak English fluently. .
In 1979 there was a movie called "Animal House." This movie showed fraternities to be alcoholic, sexually active, and causing trouble. Movies show this and also show how dangerous a fraternity can be, but that is not true of all fraternities. I want to show that fraternities also care about education and scholarships. The main reason why fraternity members come to college is to get an education.
Harold C. Riker wrote a chapter in The Eighties: Challenges for Fraternities and Sororities called "Programming for Personal Development." It gives examples of problems that fraternities have had in the past and ways to correct, prevent, and eliminate them. This chapter also talks about the goals that fraternities have to better themselves. .
Despite the bad reputation of fraternities created by the media, I think that fraternities are very helpful organizations. Riker positively speaks about fraternities as a "great source of leadership and support for their respective colleges and universities" (50). With organizations come responsibility and leadership. Leadership is stressed among fraternities. They try to "organize leadership training programs which overlaps pledge training"(66) so when the new pledges become actives they can obtain leading roles on campus. In the fraternity, people make great connections and are offered services, which would not be there if that person were not in a fraternity.