Why so different?

[33girl]

I hope I'm not opening a can of worms with this one, but here goes.

I was just rereading some of the threads and it got me to pondering. In your opinion, why do you think the recruitment/rush processes, alumnae chapter setups, etc. etc., of GLO's and BGLO's are so different? I'm not asking anyone to reveal information, and I don't want to know what your international office says about it...I'd just like to know what YOU think.

[shadokat]

Honestly, the processes are so different because the organizations nationally are so different. I know that I belong to a smaller national sorority, so resources are probably more limited when it comes to extension, recruitment, alumnae chapters and the like. The larger national sororities have more resources, so they are better able to handle these sorts of things in a quick and efficient manner.

Just a thought

[AKA_Monet]

Some of the reasons for the differences are due to traditions. Some are due to different points of view. Some are due to what the university requires from all GLO's.

My question to you is: Why do you care? And does it really matter? I'm not trying to sound sarcastic, but I really want know why you would make a post like this--REALLY I DO

[This message has been edited by AKA_Monet (edited March 27, 2001).]

[amycat412]

I can't answer for 33girl, but for myself I'm curious because--well, the BGLOs are so active and present on this forum and at my alma mater, and while the GLOs all have an opportunity to get to know one another thru inter-fraternity activities, the BGLO's didn't participate much in that. Its a natural curiosity. I've long admired the intense sisterhood of the BGLO sororities. I had two AKA roommates my freshman year and my Lord, they had so much fun and we so intensely bonded to one another.

I'm rambling, but those are some of my reasons. Simple admiration and curiosity.

[33girl]

amycat - you may say you can't answer for me but you just did! That is pretty much why I asked. I'm sorry if I've offended or upset anyone, that was absolutely not my intention. If I'm poking into things I shouldn't be, just come out and say so.

[Ideal08]

Well, I think that the reason the processes are different is because WE are different. We have a different history and a different culture. As much as people don't want to admit that, it's true. So it would make sense that anything that we create, for us and by us, would be different than anything created for and by white Americans. We are going to create for ourselves what works for us. We are different for the same reason that houses in Florida and Alaska are different: you won't see igloos in Florida. You have to create what works for YOU.

I, personally, don't think you're poking into things you shouldn't be. I hope this helps satisfy your curiousity a little bit.

[Tom Earp]

Remember ONE MAIN THING boys and girls WE ARE ALL GREEKS!! We are in the minority no matter who we are and what Greek Organization we belong to. We all have the same feeling about our FRAT/SORO.
I have a lot of fellow Greeks who are friends of mine and are GLO and BGLO.

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Tom Earp LX Z#1
Pittsburg State U. (Kansas)

[AKA_Monet]

I concur with my Soror Ideal...

Tom Earp, you're correct. We are all together in this situation.

However, all of are not so deluded to think that there is an intangible line of segregation that goes on in a predominately majority university. Don't ask me why some folks choose to segregate themselves, 'cuz we'd be here all day...

I guess sometimes when you are in a particular ethnic group, you do thangs that no other group does and sometimes other groups don't know about or the info is rather sketchy. It's very difficult to explain. But the best I can describe it as, at my Historical and predominantly Black College and University, HBCU, when the movie "Car Wash" was on, it was played on EVERYBODY's television. EVERYBODY was watching "Car Wash"...

At a predominately majority university, it's just a different flavor, some folks have never heard about the movie, "Car Wash" or "The Mack" or "Hollywood Shuffle". So, it's just not being aware of the variations and nuances of cultures.

IMHO, some African Americans--most of them college educated--are very sensitive and highly aware of these "variations" and "nuances" observed in cultures. Some of us try to understand these differences and reflect it back to our own culture. Whereas, some folks just don't care--but I don't call them educated anyway.

That's what is great boutAmerica, today. (I can't believe I'm saying this). Freedom of Expression is guarenteed by our Constitution. Even my own culture has some negative aspects of it. But for the most part, I choose to interact with my "own" during my off time 'cuz currently I am overstressed and I cannot relay the kind of day I'm having unless you have had similar experiences.

Like today, I got a touch up and the lady took 3.5 hours!!! But my hair is long anyway so that's why and it takes forever to dry!!! Then I have "bad hair" opposed to "good hair" so I have touch ups every 6-7 weeks if I can afford it. I don't know why I just don't go natural or lock it up...

Now if anyone other than my fellow BGLO understood what I just wrote, then explain exactly what happened to me... And not my GDI bruhs and sistas!!! No fair heppin' em out...

The same goes for how other ethnic groups talk about things in their families and cultures. Especially if English is their second language... There are just some words in their language that don't translate to English. So if they chose never to speak their language to describe their living, how to they maintain their self-esteem? Just asking. 'Cuz there's a whole discussion here on GC about the French Canadien issue called "Quebuequoi" which by no means am I an expert, but I am perplexed by the discussion.

[This message has been edited by AKA_Monet (edited March 28, 2001).]

[Ideal08]

Originally posted by Tom Earp:
Remember ONE MAIN THING boys and girls WE ARE ALL GREEKS!! We are in the minority no matter who we are and what Greek Organization we belong to. We all have the same feeling about our FRAT/SORO.
I have a lot of fellow Greeks who are friends of mine and are GLO and BGLO.

This is exactly what I meant in my post when I said that people don't like to admit it. Yes, we are ALL Greeks. BUT WE ARE DIFFERENT!!! This issue spills over into everything, I see. We can NEVER move ahead if people continually to ignore the fact that we are different. There is nothing wrong with that. IT'S OK! We can be different and learn from each other's differences and still respect each other's differences. Please don't blow it off by saying we are all Greeks. That does not mean that we are all the same. In the words of Stuart Smalley, "And that's Okay."

On another note, Tom Earp, about Greeks being in the minority. I used to be a tour guide at my school (Wittenberg University), and we would tell the prospective students about Greek life on campus. When I started giving tours my sophomore year, campus was almost 60% Greek. By the time I graduated, it was only 40% Greek. Did anyone else experience anything like this on their campus, a decline in Greek life? Do you think it will turn around? I know this is kinda (well, really) off topic, but I just wanted to know how it was across the board.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally posted by Ideal08:
When I started giving tours my sophomore year, campus was almost 60% Greek. By the time I graduated, it was only 40% Greek. Did anyone else experience anything like this on their campus, a decline in Greek life? Do you think it will turn around

I think part of the reason for the decline is things like the ever-rising cost of tuition. When that goes up, other things fall by the wayside, such as Greek Life.

[RedAngel]

Iotanet discussed covered this subject very well on "But why are the NPHC groups so different" on Greek Life Sept. 20, 2000.

[Crimson Diva]

I think it boils down to the fact that NPHC organizations don't recruit potential members. The history is there and an individual decides which organization they want to pursue.

[ahhkbah]

IotaNet dropped this knowledge a few months back:
In my travels in Greekdom, I often find that members of non-NPHC organizations are surprised at how the NPHC groups can be so different than others. I have been thinking about putting together this post for a while to explain (in a non-condescending fashion) how some of these differences came to be.
Hopefully this will shed some light and add some value to the experiences of all the members of this forum. If I make any errors here, please charge them to my head and not to my heart!

The first thing that must be realized is that Black Greekdom is an integral part of Black society. For better or worse, if someone is an "Alpha Man" or a "Delta Girl" or whatever, this immediately conjures up a set of images in one's mind. From the time many Black people are able to read, they are exposed to these images. It is extremely common to hear comments like, "The new Pastor at the Church is a Kappa," or "The principal at my son's school is a Sigma Gamma Rho." These organizations are woven deeply into the fabric of many Black Communities and their collective existence is an accepted fact of life.

Much of this comes from the fact that there are only Nine "Major" Black Fraternities and Sororities. (And until 1996, only 8 were considered "Major." Iota Phi Theta is sort of an "x-factor" ... and the subject of a whole different post! That post can be found here: Question for BGLO Members)

With such a small number of groups, the different organizations were easily categorized and (oftimes unfairly and inaccurately) labeled. It became (and remains) very common to hear people say,"All Alphas are Bookworms," or "All Omegas are wild and crazy." Like any stereotypes, these tend to be very broad characterizations and usually miss the mark. Be that as it may, this typecasting serves to help one mentally categorize the organizations.

To get a deeper understanding of how and why these groups became such a part of the Black experience, one has to take a look at the history of Black America.

Slavery was officially outlawed in the United States in 1865. While there had been many free Blacks in this country prior to then, this was when Blacks in this country became (ostensibly) free of bondage. In the following Reconstruction period, Blacks in America began to seek education in greater numbers and to also address remaining injustices. It is no coincidence that the first 8 major NPHC groups were founded in early 1900's. This was a time when African Americans were beginning to attend college in larger numbers and once there, they began to seek places of academic / social refuge and support.

Now ... think for a minute. The Blacks who were attending college were the "Best and the Brightest." People like W.E.B. DuBois, Mary McLeod Bethune and a host of others. These were the people who were leading the charge of Black education and thought leadership in America. And in many cases, these people were members of Black Greek organizations.

As these people were leading the charge, the (Black Greek) organizations they created became both vehicles and supporters of this charge. Indeed, the people that many Blacks listened to, looked up to, and emulated were members of these groups. Furthermore, these groups had a deep philanthropic bent. From the "Go to high-school, go to college" movement to the Mobile Book projects (where actual libraries on small trucks were driven from town to town), these Black Greek Groups were being heard, seen and felt in Black Communities.

In all fairness, there is another reason that surfaced in those times. From their very inception, more than a few members of these groups tended to be members of "Black High Society" (and make no mistake, there has ALWAYS been a Black High Society in America. Our people could write books on Social Climbing!) If one had aspirations to be a part of this society, joining one of these groups could be seen as a "ticket" into that world ... assuming one could pass the muster of entry.

Lets fast-forward a bit ... into and through the Harlem Renaissance ... the War Years and beyond. As Blacks in America continued to make strides, there was a constant: Many of the thought-leaders were members of each of these Groups. People like James Weldon Johnson, Duke Ellington, Zora Neale Hurston and many, many more were members of Black Greek organizations. And as they moved and shook, they proudly proclaimed their membership in these organizations.

One last point to be made is this: Black Greek organizations have always allowed and encouraged joining their organization at the Alumni level as well as the undergraduate level. This was because the "community building" work that was needed was best done by people who had experience and resources ... political, financial, and otherwise.

Obviously, college students may have had the zeal but they didn't have the means. Alumni chapters provided this. If a Black Greek organization were to sponsor a national convention in a city and it was to serve as a forum for furthering the Black Political/Social Agenda of the day, that agenda was best articulated by members of the organization who had money and clout (e.g. Adam Clayton Powell or Rev. Samuel Proctor).

What developed out of this was a system by which members joined at the undergraduate level and participated in "student oriented" pursuits. Upon graduation, they moved into "Graduate" chapters and began contributing to more far-reaching efforts of the organizations. This transition also served to foster the notion that one is a "Member for Life" because the reason for existence of these groups is one that transcends the college experience.

The upshot of all of this is that Black Greek-Lettered organizations are an integral part of African-American culture and society. In many ways, they form a base for political, social, and economic mobilization in the Black community. This does not make them any better than any other kind of fraternity or sorority - it just makes them much more central to the experience of their total community.

AND ... if you've made it this far in the post, I'm sure you have some questions and/or comments. I look forward to reading them!

[This message has been edited by IotaNet (edited October 06, 2000).]


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...I am standing on the shoulders of giants...

[Little32]

Ideal08,
You ain't never spoke a truer word. (That's just something my granny always says that essentially means AMEN. But, I digress.) A huge problem in this country is sort of a refusal to recognize differences and then, what's worse, to pervert those differences as to illustrate the superiority of one thing over the other.
If everyone could just learn to accept that there we are all different, in the
Greek community as well as in the community at large, and that as you said it's okay, we would be able to begin resolving many deep-seated issues that this nation has.
We are different, let's celebrate that. Let's not efface our differences for the sake of "unity". Unity if it is true, will recognize those differences, those strengths, and understand that they make the whole stronger.
I just restated your whole post, but I just felt that it was something that needed to be reiterated. I really have nothing to say towards the original post, because I am not Greek and can not speak to the way different orgs are run.

[MIDWESTDIVA]

Originally posted by AKA_Monet:
Like today, I got a touch up and the lady took 3.5 hours!!! But my hair is long anyway so that's why and it takes forever to dry!!! Then I have "bad hair" opposed to "good hair" so I have touch ups every 6-7 weeks if I can afford it. I don't know why I just don't go natural or lock it up...

[This message has been edited by AKA_Monet (edited March 28, 2001).]

You go 6-7 weeks? I get mine every 4 weeks without fail. Yesterday was a 4.5 hour day for me and that was without a touch-up. It was a good thing I took a good book with me. (I read "Like Water for Chocolate" and finished it in about 3 hours) But those days are coming to an end because I am going to go natural.

Hoping to look like Roshumba sometime in the near future......LOL.

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"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth." ~Mohammed Ali

[This message has been edited by MIDWESTDIVA (edited March 31, 2001).]