Frarority appeals to students
By Andrew Donovan
Staff Reporter

Freshmen Jimmy Williams and Jamey Ice were in their last days of rush earlier this fall when they said they decided that fraternity life was not for them.

“We just had a lot of bad experiences,” said Ice, a premajor. “We only really did it because we thought it was the best way to meet people here.”

The two eventually dropped out of rush, but Williams, a business marketing major, said they were still interested in meeting as many people on campus as possible. He said the two of them had always joked about starting a organization like a fraternity or sorority, just without the mandatory meetings, community service, dues or restrictions.

“We just wanted to create a new way to get students plugged into the campus without taking up so much of their time,” Williams said.

The joke eventually became a reality. Their newly instated student organization, the Frarority, is already creating quite a buzz among students on campus.

The group held its first meeting last Thursday, and about 40 students attended. Williams said he could not have been happier with the turnout.

“The most important thing for us right now is getting people involved,” he said. “We are going to try to make this club as inclusive as possible.”

At the meeting, the two founders explained the only requirement to be in the club is to have a passing GPA. The only other rule, Ice said, was “just to have a good time.”

Angela Stodieck, a junior middle school education major who attended the meeting, said she is excited about the new club and the possibilities it could bring. She said the organization definitely appeals to a lot of different students.

“I just really liked the basic idea of the group,” Stodieck said. “I mean, why wouldn’t someone want to be a part of something that encompasses the whole campus?”

She said the organization has a lot of potential to bring together several groups on campus, hopefully even fraternities and sororities.

While they may have nothing against Greeks, Ice said they are already receiving some slack from several fraternity and sorority members. He said hopefully, though, they will see the Frarority as a friend, rather than a foe.

“We are not trying to be threatening at all,” Ice said. “We are just trying to have some fun.”

For more information on the club, visit the group’s Web site at (frarority.com).