Some of you may recall a letter to the editor that was sent in response to my last article. Though my article was primarily focused on smoking etiquette, the letter, sent by a fraternity member, was focused on how “disheartening” it was that I was poking fun at the fraternity members who inspired the article by acting, quite frankly, childish.

For the past few days, I have been weighing the many different ways to approach the subject for this week’s column. For example, I considered pointing out that my column was directed at that particular group of fraternity brothers, not fraternities as a whole; or perhaps that regardless of whether we share the same air or not, smoking is still a right, especially in designated areas on campus.

I could have pointed out that the writer’s attempt to prove how smart he is was undermined by the fact that the particular section was riddled with comma-splices, and I could have even indicated how hypocritical it is to write in and say how “cowardly” it is to write in, instead of being a “man” and confronting someone (that was tickling).

To be honest, I even considered apologizing; I happen to know a few fraternity members myself, and I would hate to have offended them.

That plan was nixed when I found out that the frat members I do know were all already aware that I wasn’t attacking fraternities as a whole.

So, with Huntleigh making all my points for me, there was only one thing I could write about. You see, the one sentence that intrigued me in Huntleigh’s letter was, “Don’t become what you hate.”

As lyrically defunct as those words sound in light of my column’s true intentions, they were the inspiration for the source of this week’s column. I admit fraternity life is something that has always been a mystery to me. I come from Tuscaloosa where life at the University of Alabama is pretty much run by the Greeks. Don’t believe me? Look up The Machine.

Greek Life around here is somewhat different, as I’ve come to find out over these past couple of years, but even so, I am at a loss to define what Greek Life is really about. I have been curious about it for a long time, and Huntleigh’s article was the final bit of inspiration that has led me to finally step up and apply to pledge for a fraternity here at Loyola.

I fully intend to take every aspect of pledging (should I be accepted) seriously, as this was something I’d been considering for years. Sometime in the future, perhaps as my final column for the semester, I will report back (fraternity members allowing) and let you know what I have learned.

I will not be able to divulge some details, especially the ones considered “secret,” but I will approach the subject strictly from a general Greek Life perspective and offer a fair and balanced view of the Greeks as a whole in restitution for the words in my last article. Hopefully, I can somehow redeem all that darn respect Huntleigh said I lost as well.

Chad Carlile can be reached at [email protected]