The "football frat" at one school just may be the "academic" organization at another -- a clear example of how nationally-affiliated Greek houses, including some at Dartmouth, have reputations that are very different than chapters at other schools.
Psi Upsilon fraternity is a single-sex organization at Dartmouth. However, Psi U co-ed societies exist at other colleges and still fit under the national organization's umbrella.
At Georgia Institute of Technology, the Psi U chapter claims it is different because "if you're like the majority of our brothers (male and female), you have already vowed never to 'go Greek,'" according to an informational website.
But Dartmouth Psi U president Jon Wakelin '04 stated that having certain chapters in the national Psi U organization be co-ed didn't pose a problem for the local chapter of the fraternity.
Any move to become co-ed would have to be made by the chapter's board of trustees, who are alumni of the fraternity, Wakelin said.
"If you talk to the other presidents that are part of a national organization, Dartmouth chapters seem to be the anomaly. I think the physical nature of our houses is the biggest difference; our houses are dirtier," Wakelin said, "We have the basements, other chapters don't normally have that."
In North America, Sigma Alpha Epsilon holds the highest rank for membership in "social fraternities," according to their national organization.
However, SAE isn't the largest fraternity at Dartmouth, demonstrating a gap between Dartmouth and national chapters of this organization.
Nationally, SAE promotes the "True Gentlemen Initiative," a standard national education process for new members.
However, "un-gentlemanly" violations have occurred nation-wide, such as one chapter's suspension due to hazing violations at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, which garnered significant media attention.
"I guess SAE could be considered a good-looking and cool frat, they're the 'big men on campus,'" said Tina Nguyen from the College of William and Mary.
"Most of the guys I know there are fairly good guys, I know they've had some problems, two years ago their house burned down because of a flaming snowball fight," added Richard Howell from the University of Texas-Austin about SAE's chapter at the school.
Nationally, Sigma Nu fraternity holds pride in its no-tolerance hazing policy.
According to the national organization's website, the founders of Sigma Nu attended Virginia Military Institute and wanted to change the system of "underclassmen abuse." Sigma Nu Corp. states they were founded as the first "honor" fraternity.
While many chapters across the United States hold onto this fundamental policy, organizations vary widely in general spirit.
For instance, Sigma Nu at Bradley University in Illinois features, among others, a photo of what they labeled "Girls of Sigma Nu." The caption reads: "Making the Months 'Fly' By," since the women were dressed in camouflage and arranged around a helicopter.
Sigma Nu chapters throughout the South are also known for their affiliations with football teams.
At the College, Sigma Nu and SAE did not return calls from The Dartmouth concerning how they perceive themselves on campus.
