It's my opinon - lighten up!

I believe it is an opinion that is insensitive. I hope you can respect my right to express my displeasure at that opinion, especially since it is relevant to the topic.

I would appreciate it if you didn't tell me to lighten up as I am merely participating in the conversation as you are.

That really opens up memembership possiblities then! But do you have to be in college to join - I mean, are there limitations? I know NPC orgs are only open to those who are attending/have attended 4 year universities - is it different for your org (or D9 orgs in general)?

To be invited to membership in a collegiate chapter of an NPHC organization, you must at least be a second semester freshman, matriculating at one of the campuses on the charter for that chapter.

For alumni initiates, you typically must possess a bachelors degree.

I'm surprised you didn't know this.

I just think you're reading too much into what I say and making this more personal than the discussion needs to be. I think the concept of eating clubs is strange (even the name sounds funny to me - it sounded like a club who prepares for hot dog eating competitions or something) but that's because my school never had such a thing. Heck, GLOs weren't even that big on my campus! If they're offended because I went to a different school and think a tradition on their campus is weird, so be it. Then they're too sensitive. I'm sure some GMU traditions might seem weird to them, and I wouldn't be offended if they thought so. I don't think weird has this hugely negative conotation anyway... :rolleyes:

LadyGreek said she had city wide chapters instead of collegiate chapters - so naturally that confused me a little. And how would I know this - I'm in an NPC org and I haven't been on GC that long so I don't know much about NPHC orgs - they exist at GMU but they're pretty discrete about their activities outside the step show by the clock.

I don't believe I'm reading too much into what you said at all.

I feel that we as members of fraternities and sororities can and should make every attempt to be as understanding and accepting of fraternal differences as we seek to be understood and accepted by the general public.

Freedom of association is under attack in many places and it doesn't help to have fellow greeks labeling other fraternal differences as "strange" or "weird."

They are different because you have not been exposed to them.

City-wide chapters are collegiate chapters.

Different, weird, potato, potata, whatever. Semantics. It's my opinion, that's all. I didn't call them freaks or some other negative label. I think the concept of eating clubs is strange but I assume it grew out of a need for some sort of Greek system that they don't currently have (recognized at least) so it makes sense that they exist in the first place.

It's a free country - I should be able to speak my mind without fear of getting attacked - does GC exist outside of the U.S. and someone forgot to tell me?? Oh wait, I forgot it's customary to jump on people on GC who have a different opinion than you...

to add on to this, but if there isnt a city-wide chapter, some ppl cross-pledge, if the school doesnt have a chapter, but there is a chapter near by. for example, my boy who is FA05, he crossed Syracuse's chapter cuz his school doesnt have a chapter.

You know, I like you, kid...but I really don't think you have thick enough skin for GC if you feel attacked in this discussion. http://forums.mg-rover.org/images/smilies/innocent.gif

This was cute. :)

We call those core chapters.

Actually, the eating clubs have roots as old or older than the Greek system in general. The Princeton version of eating clubs did take on a new dimension when Greek orgs were banned in the mid-1800s.

But the bottom line is that it's an Ivy League school and it's tradition.

If you enjoy this kind of book, The Rule of Four gives a reasonable glimpse of the eating clubs and their place at Princeton.

Ok, perhaps "attacked" was too strong a word. I just see people all the time getting argumentative about stupid crap - if I state an opinion, someone immediately has to jump on it and call me out as wrong because I disagree with something they think. I got news for everyone - hope you're sitting down... THIS IS AN ONLINE FORUM AND I'M ON HERE FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND DISCUSSION. Meaning, what you think about me doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things I call my life. So... if you disagree with something I say, so be it - no need to be nasty about it, just say it plainly is all. rationally and respectully. And if I say something that is definitely inaccurate or even incorrect, no need to jump on me, just PM me and tell me, no need to be mean about it. We are all adults, right???

Thanks to Mystic and BlueNYC for that clarification. See how easy that was, folks? :)