1Teller's Silent Fraternity Act
Teller, one half of the duo Penn & Teller, adopted silence as part of his performance routine while entertaining college fraternities during his youth. He discovered that maintaining silence diverted attention away from disruptive behavior, such as beer throwing, allowing the audience to focus on his act.
2Elon Musk's Fraternity Nightclub
During his tenure at the University of Pennsylvania, Elon Musk purchased and transformed a ten-bedroom fraternity house into a nightclub.
3Jon Hamm's Hazing Consequences
Actor Jon Hamm, renowned for his role in "Mad Men," faced consequences when his fraternity was disbanded after a hazing incident involving the torture of a pledge's genitals with fire and a hammer. According to reports, the pledge's failure to address Hamm as "MC Hammer" was what precipitated this brutal act.
4Greek Affiliations in Leadership
An overwhelming majority of Fortune 500 CEOs, nearly all U.S. presidents since 1825, and a significant portion of U.S. senators have affiliations with either sororities or fraternities, constituting approximately 85% of these prominent figures.
5Discriminatory Practices in Greek Life
Historically, certain black sororities and fraternities enforced discriminatory practices such as the "brown paper bag test," which prohibited individuals with skin darker than a paper bag from joining.
6Sigma Alpha Epsilon's Hazing History
Sigma Alpha Epsilon, an American college fraternity, has been associated with at least nine deaths linked to hazing, excessive drinking, or drug use since 2006.
7Monopoly Marathon Record Breakers
A University of Pittsburgh fraternity set the record for the longest Monopoly marathon, which lasted five days. On the fourth day of the game, the bank ran out of money, prompting the fraternity to request assistance from Parker Brothers. In response, the company sent over $1,000,000 in Monopoly money via Air Express.
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8Fraternity Hazing in the Philippines
During the Marcos regime in the Philippines, the son of a political journalist endured brutal torture and was subsequently dropped from a helicopter to his death. Police investigators concluded that his demise stemmed from fraternity hazing, leading to the sentencing to death of implicated fraternity members.
9Lambda Lambda Lambda Reality
Inspired by the movie "Revenge of the Nerds," the fictional fraternity Lambda Lambda Lambda transitioned into a real-life fraternity, establishing at least six different chapter locations.
10Zach Galifianakis' Fraternity Affiliation
Zach Galifianakis was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, an African-American fraternity, during his time at North Carolina State University.
