JI Semester: Don’t blow it (Throwback Thursday)
13 years ago

It goes without saying that the newly initiated feel an instinctive and unconscious desire to constantly remind every GDI on campus that they are inferior. The feeling of superiority and competition between your fraternity and other frats on campus begins to develop as well. Nightmares of lineups and other brotherhood building activities and the general malaise from the pledgeship hangover are still fresh in the JI’s mind. All things considered, maintaining a level head after initiation is important, because the JI semester can be disastrous for a fraternity man if handled incorrectly.

One of the first evils that a JI may be diagnosed with is know as trying-too-hard syndrome. There is a right and wrong way to distinguish yourself from the common GDI once you have become a member of a proud Greek organization. Don’t get me wrong, when it’s party time I’ve got nothing against neon t-shirts or plastic sunglasses. BUT if you’re wearing nothing but neon frocket t-shirts and plastic imitation wayfarers with your fraternity or random sorority’s letters inked on the side, you’ve fallen victim to a tacky routine that many JIs are prone to. This can only go on for so long. Get off your JI ass and purchase a new wardrobe that reflects positively on yourself and your fraternity. You should have a group of older members that have set a positive example for you. If not, you probably weren’t cool enough to be rushed by a respectable organization, or you attend a university with a less-than-stellar Greek system. Time to transfer before you become a permanent JI shit stain on the undergarments of top-tier fraternity men across the country.

Another problem that JIs often encounter is loss of responsibility. Following initiation, nothing else in the world other than frat life matters to the JI. Raging and hunting for slampieces become the central goals in day-to-day operation. These are all good things. Just don’t forget that maintaining the minimum GPA to remain a part of your fraternity (and university) is vital to your existence. We all remember that guy who forgot that he was in college, and ended up being forcibly removed from school by his parents because they found out he developed a horrendous dependence on booger sugar and didn’t attend a single class, achieving a zero…point…zero.

Lastly, JIs tend to poorly acclimate themselves to the newfound level of raging that occurs at parties. Drinking too much too often to the point of developing a reputation for bed wetting or throwing up on slams at parties can be very, very disastrous. While stories from such activities can become quality entertainment for everyone around you, they will also keep you from getting laid when you develop a reputation as a sloppy piece of shit. There is a fine line between raging responsibly and shattering your image as a functioning human being.

The JI semester is a critical stepping-stone to becoming a full-fledged frat machine. Don’t embarrass yourself, and more importantly, don’t embarrass your fraternity. Frat with class. Maintain an appearance and demeanor that keeps sorostitutes looking forward to the walk of shame from your place of residence. Keep yourself in school, and your parents happy enough to continue funding the nonstop party that is your life.