what? an NPC/NPHC hybrid retro thread??

[tld221]

bwhahaha, i stopped posting cause i didnt think anyone was reading. not a cliffhanger at all!

[AlwaysSAI]

We quit reading because you quit updating. See, it's this vicious cycle that keeps going round and round.

SO JUST STOP THE MADNESS AND UPDATE ALREADY!

[tld221]

alright... lemme get my head together and i'll post something after lunch.

[AlwaysSAI]

YESSSSSSSSSS! I WIN! I WIN!

I hope you had fun soaking up the sun, but seriously, it's time to get back to business here on GC! (hehehe )

[tld221]

Okay, not much more happens with this part of the story so ima try to speed through.


As I mentioned, NYU's rush isn't formal at all. So after day 2, there really wasnt anything else "structured" to attend. More social get togethers, either at the house or out on the town. There was a guy that was rushing on my floor and the guys always did cooler stuff (watching "the game" at the house, going to Hooters, 3 on 3 basketball - vs. "hey lets go to times square" or "let's talk about pop culture while we paint our nails and pretend to get to know each other"). he was really intent on TKE (which i thought was the "popular" frat but apparently not according to upperclassmen. :Confused: )

Anyway, the end of the week is near and I decide i'm only gonna hang out with Theta Phi Beta - they're cool and I felt like they had the most diversity of all the orgs. I wasnt sure about how getting a bid worked. I wasnt sure if they would give me one. I started to panic - how do they decide? What if they don't like me as much as i like them?

Thursday nite, Mona calls - she wants me to come over for a meeting. She says, not to panic, and just wear something nice, but not dressy. Great! i think. i throw on some (nicer) jeans, boots and a green blouse (i think that was when peasant tops were in for a millisecond, with the big bell sleeves at the cuff?) and head over to 3N the next day - nervous of course!

Friday nite, all the sisters are wearing business casual. Mona and the President, Patrice are wearing suits and talk to us PNMS about the "seriousness" of being greek... its not all fun and games, there is actual work, there are dues (which weren't expensive in retrospect, esp. because it was a local, but as a freshman with a work-study job and lots of loans i was like WTF?

Then they get to the "new membership period." They stress their no-hazing policy but do mention more than once that the membership period will be challenging and will "show them if we have what it takes to be in a sorority." Again, i don't know what this entails, but i'm still indifferent as they havent given any REAL info to go on.

There's a Q&A period. So awkward moment: one PNM asks, "what happens in the summer? do you guys hang out even when there's no school?" the president says "well, we live in different areas, so unless were closeby, then not really. i, personally may call the girls to see what's going on towards the end of the summer, but its up to the individual sister."

THEN another girl asks, "well, let's say i decide to transfer (a big possibility, as many students transfer in/out NYU first year) what happens, am i still a sister?" All the sisters looked around for a long time... and finally someone says, "well, WE would, but once you get to your new school you're free to do what you want with the greek life there."

and then the president jumps in really quick like "well of course we encourage you to keep your loyalty to us, but since we're a local, we can't tell you not to pledge another sorority if you left NYU."

food for thought... if i up and left, i MIGHT get a phone call from a sister, and i could just as easy go to another school and be in another sorority. actually that appealed to me, that TPhiB was non-binding (i mean, now, i'm like WTF!)

The girls sing a song, which was a little too long for my comfort (and the other PNMs, we were just looking at each other like, arent they finished?) they give us lavendar roses and chocolates, and send us on our merry way. They say to stay by our cell phones and that they would call us if we got a bid.


I went to bed but of course couldnt really sleep. not only was i stressed about getting a bid, but i hadn't done schoolwork or reading in days. I sat my rose and chocolates on my windowsill (the building puts the heat on at night, so hot that we have to open the windows and find some happy medium). In a somewhat depressing ending to part 1, my chocolates had melted into a mess from the heater, my rose mustve fallen out of the window, and my phone had not rang when i woke up the next morning.


Ok, i gotta get back to work but next post will fast forward to Summer 2003, where i work at a summer camp with some interesting people... me and Chris will be no more... and my pursuit in greek life will continue on.

(i'll definitely update - dont wanna leave yall hanging)

[FuzzieAlum]

Yeah, I'm tired of holding my e-horses!

[NinjaPoodle]

Originally Posted by tld221

(i'll definitely update - dont wanna leave yall hanging)

Yeah Soror! dont leave us hanging!

[tld221]

Summer 2003

I work at a summer camp with a bunch of college students, most of them from NYU, others from overseas. and guess who works there... Mona and a couple sisters from Theta Phi Beta, including two of her sisters, Ali and Persia. The actual summer at the camp isnt essential to the story, but hanging out with them you'd think would be awkward, but it wasnt. I never felt left out when i hung with them, and figured, "hey, i don't need to be greek to have greek friends and share in the fun right?"

Fall 2003
I return to school, still without letters. The beginning of the school year is abuzz with a new rush season. I figure, maybe second time will be a charm, and since im cool with a few members of TPhiB, i've got a better chance of getting a bid?

Fast forward through rush, cause there isn't much to tell. OH! actually there is one "thing" (LOL)

One of Theta Phi Beta's events was an Alumnae Night. Considering theyre a young local (mid-80s), theyre oldest alums are at most early 40s. not bad. I can tell from their composites they went through waves of diversity - and that's cool to me - and i start to match composite pics to the faces in the room. stories are shared, songs are sung, fun is had.

Anyway, i start talking to one alum (i forget her name) but we hit it off and she was really pushing me to join. She could tell my apprehension, so i told her, i didnt get a bid last year, this is my second time, etc... we talk some more and she says to me "have you ever considered NPHC?"

I don't know what that is - Huh?

She explains what it is, how her sister is an XYZ, how theyre this and that and how more black people feel like its more worth their time. I kinda sorta figured that there were black sororities, but out of common sense (if there are sororities for white girls, there would have to be for other races right?). I ask her, "well why didnt you join one then?"

And her answer was so perfect: she says, "Well, it's good to have options and you should go where you feel is for you. Theta is for me, XYZ and ABC, not so much. and i'm fine with it."

Anyway, more social events, another pref (didn't realize that the year before, i had actually attended one). this year it was more formal - dinner and drinks, their answers to PNM questions were stronger, met more alumnae members, which was a plus). and this year i clicked more with the PNMs - i could definitely see myself being their sister.

So yeah, another rose, more chocolates... but no phone call. They had distinctly said, "If you don't hear from us by 1AM, dont be discouraged, you're still welcome to hang around the house and still be friends..." whatever.

1 turned to 1:30, then 2, and i was like screw it. I'm good - because I was newly fascinated with this NPHC business...

(more to follow - Spring 2004 comes and goes, as does the summer, and i'll come back on Fall 2004 - complete with code names!)

[Senusret I]

This is REALLY cool!

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by tld221

(more to follow - Spring 2003 comes and goes, as does the summer, and i'll come back on Fall 2003 - complete with code names!)

Do you mean Spring 2004 comes and goes and you come back in Fall 2004 with code names? I'm confused because I thought attempt #2 was Fall 2003.

[AlwaysSAI]

Originally Posted by tld221

(more to follow - Spring 2003 comes and goes, as does the summer, and i'll come back on Fall 2003 - complete with code names!)

You mean Fall 2004, right?

Is there any reason why you didn't begin pursuing NPHC in the spring of 2004?

I AM SO EXCITED YOU'RE BACK!

[tld221]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

Do you mean Spring 2004 comes and goes and you come back in Fall 2004 with code names? I'm confused because I thought attempt #2 was Fall 2003.

Originally Posted by AlwaysSAI

You mean Fall 2004, right?

Is there any reason why you didn't begin pursuing NPHC in the spring of 2004?

I AM SO EXCITED YOU'RE BACK!

My bad - Yes, Fall 04 - that's where the next installment will pick up.

As for not pursuing NPHC in Spr 04 - it was just how things panned out. more detail to follow when i get back from lunch.

[treblk]

Wow, this was a great read! tld221 you are a very good writer..keep it comming..you've helped my afternoon go by faster!!

[sigtau305]

Keep it coming.

[jojapeach]

I just found this thread, but I'm with the people: Keep it coming! And make it snappy.

Great writing, Soror.