Is there an echo in the room?

To Those of you who condemn greeks as occult organizations. The fact that we choose to adhere to a code of conduct that is a part of the organizations which we are members of does not make us evil. It simply means that we choose to hold ourselves to a set of principles which we perceive to be proper and beneficial to our lives. How that choice can be viewed as evil or dangerous is beyond me. I have been a member of a fraternity for many years and at no time have I witnessed a situation in which a persons faith, whatever it may be, has ever been challenged.

I've read many of the replies sent by members of various organizations and none of them highlight the positive aspects of sororities. Whether you are a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., or Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., the purposes of these organizations are the uplifting of ones community, scholarship and sisterhood. Instead of highlighting the stereotypes that surround each organization you should be embracing and promoting the positive work that each one does for her community. To each is own. Every organization has something unique about them. That is why each organization attracts certain types of people but for one to say that this person belongs to a certain organization because she acts a certain way you're wrong. Organizations don't make the person, the person makes the organization.

Fred:
I want to comment on your "cult" message. A cult is simply a New Religious Movement ocurring in the last 150 years. There are satanic and non-satanic cults. The Church of Latter Day Saints is considered a NRM because it follows the description: a founder, a leader that inspires and a doctrine the REPLACES the bible. My sorority (Phi Sigma Sigma) does follow the teachings of Christ and incorporates pray in our ceremony. I do agree with you in that just because you go to church does not mean you are saved. I can honestly say I am save as are most of the women in my sorority. Fraternities and sororities are not cults unless their doctrines replace the bible in some way.

I agree about the stero types. When I crossed the burning sands in 1996, some peopl said that I should have went Zeta because I am a big girl, but my attitude says that I should be an AKA, because some say that I feel that I am very pretty, but should all women have that feeling about themselves. I am proud to be a member of my sorority, Delta Sigma Theta. All sororities are not the same. But the different variety of people is what makes a sorority what it is. I have many friends in all of the perspective sororities and I have met some snobby, some ghetto and no class. But God made us all different and we as a people need to do away with the stereotypes.

OO-OOP to all of my Sorors!!!!!

testing!

I think this discussion is very interesting. The Organization of Black Students (OBS) is doing a program om my campus concerning stereotypes. Our AKAs also did one. It was very productive and informative. As the President of my chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho, I teake much pride in who I am; therefore, I woudl not join in organization that woudl demean MY character.

It is sad to say that yes, some of the stereotypes may have been true way back when, but as for now ALL AKAs are not lighter than a brown paper back, ALL Deltas are not ghetto, ALL Zetas are not ruthless, and neither are all Sigmas ugly nor enjoy partying more than achieving and maintaining a good academic record.

I don't know why peoepl even buy into these stereotypes. Isn't it apparent that in this world there are no certain rules nor any set standards. Look at my chapter for instance, no one would have guessed that you would have a "should have been" AKA (according to the stereotypes) 2 "should have been" Deltas, 3 "should have been" Zetas (myself included) and the others just happened to fall into the right category as a Sigma. I think this is sad.

It bothers me that when I say that I am in a sorority, everyone either says Delta or Zeta. When I ask them why, they say because you just "fit". Well, welcome to the real world, as a Sigma woman you are who you are. We do not change you nor mold you to be anything other than yourself. That is why we want you. Why would we want anyone that we can change or mold? (I pray that my other Greek sisters choose for that reason also.)

Because I "talk" to a Sigma man does not make me automatically his soror. Because I choose not to associate myself with a few Kappas, does not mean that I "should have been" anything else or that I do not love the bruhs!

Stereotypes will and have destroyed this world. Don't let it continue to destroy Greek love and life.

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I go to school on a small campus and the sterotyping is fierce. Im not in a soro, but because some of my guy friends are in Sigma, I get stuck with the "frat girl" label. The people I know in various soros and frats are all great people. I wish that by the time people got to college, they would learn to ignore the labels and look at the person- but I guess that is an age old problem there is no solution for.

ttt
 

I felt like an archaeologist reading this post...so primitive!

That is the most awesome thing I've ever read. I am the antichrist! I mean, I'd always suspected, but now I know it's true!

Just become Catholic, you'd be surprised how often the "antichrist" label gets thrown around.

You people CAN'T be serious?

What people?

Did you read the date on the first post?

Reading is fundamental.

I want back the 10 seconds of my life I spent trying to have a serious dialogue with Fred Hatchett.