Issue date: 9/29/05 Section: editor's picks

Versus Magazine Online [Image based format]

Greek life has a huge impact on Vanderbilt, whether you are talking about service to the community or the party scene. People may have heard Greeks throw around the word "fratty", but does anyone know what it really means? Fratty.net, a website dedicated to discussing all things Greek offers this definition: "Fratty - there is no one definition of this word, it is [a] mere state of mind." The page includes discussion of Fratty fashion, the best Fratty Games, Fratty awards, and even a section on the proper use of frat grammar - "Fratty should be used as an adjective or verb, but not as a noun."

The most popular and controversial parts of the site are the message boards labeled Non-specific frat, Schools/Frats, Style, and Sorostitutes-look it up in the fratty dictionary. The discussions range from friendly inquiries about rush and people's thoughts on the rankings of frats and sororities to more brutal and offensive posts like "Heil Hitler! Die Jews die. ZBT sucks." and "It is true there are coloreds in the [KA] Order. I can't figure it out...These are shitty northern chapters that shouldn't exist at all." Now, of course, Vanderbilt, being one of the top 20 ranked universities in the nation would never have such coarse, racist, southern elitist posts, right? WRONG. Here are some of the more disturbing Vandy posts:

* "KD is not tier one by any stretch. They have several blacks and Jews."

* "Betas at Vandy are the worst ever example of gay yankee gel heads."

* "We will get the most southern hardasses at Vandy, beat the hell out of them, send some to ICU, and then all [can] be members of the society."

Now, there are some posts that combat these ignorant statements, like the one that quoted Cornelius Vanderbilt. "'Vanderbilt's founding should contribute to strengthening the ties that should exist between all sections of our common country." The post goes on to say, in the guest's own words, "Fuck you guys with your north-south bullshit!"

So what have learned today? Is fratty.net a fun website full of ridiculous posts that will give you a chuckle thinking about the idiots who wrote them? Or is it a disturbing display of the youth of today who obviously haven't matured or been introduced into the 21st century? You be the judge, check it out yourself, but make sure to heed the warning about being a gel-head or a GDI (God damn independent).

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