For incoming freshmen, the college experience can be overwhelming at times. The same goes for parents. From academics to roommates to the GWorld system, there is a laundry list of concerns that both students and parents will inevitably face. For most parents and students, Greek Life will make that list somewhere down the line. So where does a fraternity fit in to your son's schedule?

When asked the question, "So, are you going to join a fraternity?" generally a student's response is, "maybe." End of conversation. We encourage you to discuss Greek Life with your son if he feels strongly about joining one of the numerous social fraternity chapters on campus. There is a myriad of issues that need to be discussed ranging from responsibility and time management, to dues and hazing. With the "frat" stigma always in mind, you need to come to an agreement about the best time for your son to think about joining a fraternity, and whether or not it will be beneficial to his college experience.

Our chapter of Pi Kappa Phi here at GW is focused on enhancing your son's college experience, not dominating it. We strive to break the mold of the typical "frat," and we pride ourselves on having done an excellent job so far. We are leaders both on and off campus. We are heavily involved with the Student Association (the student governing body), Program Board (GW's student events planning committee), other specialized service organizations and fraternities (including the International Affairs Society, Foreign Affairs Fraternity, and the Pre-Law Fraternity), and the University itself as House Proctors, Dean's Assistants, and members of Colonial Cabinet. In our four years here, we have accumulated numerous awards and accolades from the University, Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC) and our national organization. Our alumni have gone on to acquire positions at companies such as Accenture, as well as for the government at the State Department and White House. Others are also pursuing further education at places like GW Law, and a recent graduate has been awarded the prestigious Presidential Academic Fellowship (PAF) to continue graduate study, while concurrently working for the University. We have accomplished great things as a chapter and as individuals in a short period of time.

Two of the major concerns that everyone has joining any Greek organization are time commitment and hazing. Joining any chapter of any fraternity requires a certain time commitment. We do not have deferred rush at GW, which means first-semester freshmen may join. This may or may not not be beneficial; we do want potential members to be well-situated and settled before thinking about joining. If your son wants to join our organization, he will have bestowed on him all of the benefits of a full-fledged brother, with the only exception being our most secret things that are revealed during the ritual of initiation. We choose to call our new members 'associate members' rather than 'pledges' because of this fact. In turn, it is our hope that our associate members (AMs for short) will partake in our scheduled chapter activities. These include (and are not limited to) weekly chapter meetings, weekly associate member meetings (where AMs learn about our chapter, national fraternity, etc.), an array of community service projects and philanthropy events we hold or participate in both on and off campus, and any social events that we have. Obviously in cases where an AMs can't attend a meeting or two due to circumstances beyond his control, we don't hold it against him. Your son is a student of this University first and foremost. We expect him to act as such.

With regards to hazing, it is really simple: we don't haze. Most Greek organizations will project the exact same (or a very similar) message, and some will comply with their own message; we will never tolerate hazing, in any form, ever. It is our national organization's policy, and we go above and beyond in order to make sure that it doesn't happen. Our risk management has been outstanding, and we participate in programs provided by the University, our national organization, and other groups about risk management every semester.

Another large concern, with GW tuition where it stands, is the financial commitment. All members of the chapter, associate and initiated, are required to pay dues. This is the case with just about any Greek organization. As an associate member, your son is obligated to pay dues somewhere in the neighborhood of $400. This number is consistent semester-to-semester, as it covers insurance, pre-initiation and initiation fees to our national organization, associate member-specific materials (including membership pins and books). Once an initiated member, dues float in the range of $400-$500 per semester. These dues cover not only insurance, but everything else the chapter does. As this number may seem relatively high, finances can likely become an issue. We do our best to assist everyone's financial situation by providing monthly payment plans and opportunities to reduce dues through fund raising opportunities.

Joining a fraternity can be a big decision for an underclassman of any age. Pi Kappa Phi will not discriminate (unless you're female) in any situation. We encourage anyone and everyone to talk brothers and associate members about the benefits of Pi Kappa Phi and our chapter. Websites and advertising materials can give an idea of who we are and what we do, but having your son talk one-on-one to members of our organization will allow him to really get a feel for us. We also encourage you as parents to contact the Office of Greek Life, whose website link can be found in our links section, or me personally at asmiller@gwu.edu with any questions or concerns.

Andrew Miller, Former Vice President