Week 7 Story: Rivals for Life

(Frat house; Source: Flickr)

Being in a greek affiliated group at the University of Hastings was a must. Tommy was a freshman getting ready to make the biggest decision of his life... deciding which fraternity he would join. You had the brothers of Psi Phi Pi or the brothers of Kappa Rho.

Sitting atop of the food chain of Psi Phi Pi were 5 men: Yuri, Blake, Arvin, Nate, and Sage. Yuri was the president of the frat as he was a born leader and had the most virtuous personalities and characteristics. He always wanted to deal with conflict and settle disputes through dialogue rather than getting physical. Blake was second in command as he was well respected thanks to his strength and devotion to his friends. That being said, his strong devotion sometimes opposed Yuri's decisions if he did not agree with them, but he was always loyal to his brothers. Arvin was the most popular in the house. He was the person all the guys wanted to be friends with, all the girls wanted to date, and all the professors wanted to teach. Arvin avoided unjust acts and was known for his concentration, determination, and devotion in all things he did. Nate and Sage were twins although they could not be more different from each other. Nate was the attractive, diplomatic, humble, and helpful brother while Sage was book smart, mysterious and introverted.

Kappa Rho was led by their 3 most capable leaders included Drew, Drake, and Vinny. Drew was the favorite among every member of Kappa Rho. When Drew came into the university as a freshman, he dreamed of becoming a Psi Phi Pi but they rejected him because he did not "fit" in with them physically, socially, and financially. For the past 3 years, Drew had been bulking up, working on his social skills, and working countless hours to gain the respect of anyone who judged him. Drake was Drew's right hand man. Drake was loyal to Drew in the way that he was always scheming of ways to take down Psi Phi Pi. However, Drake was not strong willed enough to be a sole leader in the house. Finally, there was Vinny. Vinny didn't listen to anyone when they told him what to do, but he was always listening in on people to find their weaknesses and learn their secrets.

The rivalry between the houses had existed long before any of the current members were even born. This rivalry was inbred from past stories and competitions, but the men of Psi Phi Pi were always cordial. Kappa Rho's were notorious for wanting to use action to get what they wanted. Although the action was not always physical. One night, the Kappa Rho's heard the music coming from the Psi Phi Pi's party. In order to claim the coined term "top" house on campus, the Kappa Rho's knew they had to do something to knock the Psi Phi Pi's down a peg or two. The Kappa Rho's called the cops on their neighbors and ended up getting them suspended for 13 weeks.

~13 weeks later~
After laying low for 13 weeks, the men of Psi Phi Pi were off of their suspension and worked hard within the campus communities to regain the respect of their peers. They were always well-liked guys so earning back the support and the "crown" of best frat on campus was not hard. Upon learning that the rivalry would live on forever no matter what either house did, the leaders of both houses decided to call a truce and be civil with each other.

Author's Note: Above is an interpretation of the relationship among the Pandava brothers and their cousins, the Kauravas, from the Mahabharata. The relationship between the 2 groups was always fueled by jealousy, mainly on Duryodhana's part. Throughout the Mahabharata there was a dynamic struggle of power between the Pandavas and the Kauravas which led to many battles for the throne of Hastinapura. In the end, they were pulled together of the grief of Bhishma's death. In my adaptations, I made big changes to make the story more relatable for college aged students. I used the basis of the original relationship struggle between the Pandavas and the Kauravas.

Bibliography: The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie (1921).