“Fraternal relations can lead to success?” How so, exactly?
As reported, 52 percent of US presidents, 58 percent of US senators, 70 percent of US congressmen, and 60 percent of US Supreme Court justices have no fraternal ties.

In other words, most successful people (in all careers, not just politics) are non-Greek.

Not surprising when one considers that, consistently, only approximately 20 percent of all US college students belong to any one of 101 social fraternities/sororities recognized by the Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council and Pan-Hellenic Council.

Given that there is no significant difference in graduation rates between Greeks and non-Greeks, this means that when you go out in search of a job, there’s an 80 percent chance the person making the hiring decisions was not Greek and quite frankly doesn't care that you were.

If, on the other hand, he/she is one of that 20 percent who did go Greek, there’s a better chance that his/her fraternity/sorority didn't like yours than that you two are brothers/sisters. (See the numbers of national social fraternities/sororities above.)

So the 2nd ranked fraternity in the nation for producing CEOs boasts a whopping nine alumni who have made it to that level? What’s first place…10?

Let me write out my $1,000 check right now!

Or wait…I think we’re missing the “out of” factor.
Nine out of how many alumni…50,000? Nine out of how many CEOs…500?

Your best bet for future success: study hard, earn top marks, and do community service through inexpensive, nonexclusive organizations like Circle K.

But hey, if you have a thing for bad odds, play the lottery; the payoff is better.

Earl Hassett is a Management Information Systems major from Clarksville.