Dear Phi Kappa Tau Parents:

During the first few months of the academic year, we normally see several articles in major publications that discuss fraternity and sorority life on campus.

In many ways, students find a fraternity or a sorority to be a "home away from home" – a place for peer acceptance and important friendships, an opportunity to find a bit of smallness within the university expanse, and an avenue to get involved on campus. On this last point, there was recently an article written for the Huffington Post that outlines how schools often depend on fraternities and sororities when they want to involve students in events and activities. Because we don’t always see positive things written about fraternities in the media, we thought this was a refreshing case for greek life:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-asghar/want-to-build-a-better-wo_b_918291.html

For a contrasting view, we would also like to offer an op-ed from the president at Cornell University. Cornell has experienced a series of incidents concerning fraternities and sororities that have, in some cases, been tragic. In this article, Dr. Skorton explains his rationale for abolishing “pledging:”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/24/opinion/a-pledge-to-end-fraternity-hazing.html?_r=2

As a parent of a Phi Kappa Tau member, you might be interested to know that Phi Kappa Tau abolished pledging in the 1960s. Although the term “pledging” is often used to describe what we call “associate membership,” we have a specific program that chapters administer locally. Hazing is prohibited, as is the use of alcohol in any form.

Any additional questions or comments about our associate member program can be shared by e-mailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Dear Phi Kappa Tau Parents:

Have you ever sat quietly and anxiously, biting your lip, trying to hold back the urge to "guide" your young son in decision making? You say to your spouse, “I know that we want him to learn from his own mistakes, but just how bad of a mistake does it take to teach a lesson?”

Take heart, it’s not just your adult-style judgment that’s kicking in, but it may also be biology at work. According to Carl Zimmer, (http://discovermagazine.com/2011/mar/24-the-brain-the-trouble-with-teens), teenagers may be inclined to take larger risks in return for something desirable due to the timing of their brains’ development. As teenagers grow into adults, the portion of their brains that is more focused on cognition (executive thinking) becomes more developed and active. Perhaps making good decisions is not just the result of experience (read: being old) but is related to physiological changes that occur during one’s life.

Zimmer quotes Neuroscientist B.J. Casey: “From an evolutionary point of view, the daredevil impulses of adolescents can be beneficial. Once a young mammal becomes sexually mature, it needs to leave its parents and strike out on its own. It must find its own supply of food and establish its place in the world of adults. In some mammal species, adolescence is a time for individuals to leave one group and find a new one.” 

Interestingly, if we flip to the “nurture” argument, this point is similar to a notion being discussed by social scientist Roy Baumeister in his new book "Is There Anything Good About Men?" In the book, Baumeister outlines the cultural circumstances that have promoted risk-taking, particularly for young men, as critical for the flourishing of the species.

Resource links:

• Discover Magazine, "The Brain: The Trouble with Teens"
• A lecture from Roy Baumeister, "Is there Anything Good about Men?"
• Buy Baumeister's book