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Okay here's a quick question...
what exactly do you do (if you can say), that makes it "multicultural", besides taking people solely on the color of their skin? Do you have events where you go out to eat Chinese food...or? |
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preciousjeni
You were typing as I was editing, so you may have missed it. I am truly interested in knowing if race is a factor in membership selection. And although he stated it crudely, EW's question about how multicultural GLOs go about BEING multicultural is an interesting one from the perspective of someone who doesn't know (namely me).
And if you've carefully read a lot of my posts you will know that I am an enthusiastic supporter of all greekdom. At least, I hope so. |
[quote=SWTXBelle;1633666]Then someone pointed out that none had gone through recruitment, which is important if you want to get a bid.[quote]
[quote=WannaB3;]I have never been aproached by the NPC sororities when they are out during pre-rush or freshman orientation. Why? [qoute] I am not the only one to experience this, and I've experienced it on more than one occassion, as rush happens twice a year. Also SWTXBelle, you need to take into account that when one, as an African American, looks from the outside, they will see a large group of white girls and whether right or wrong, will assume that if I try to come out for these groups I will either A) not get accepted or B) feel like I got accepted to be the "token" or C) Get in, but never feel completely accepted. I coud really want to be a Chi Omega or Tri-Delta but if I don't feel like I can get in or my cultural traditions will be accepted and NOBODY from those sororities enourages me to rush anyway, or talks to me about their organizations, tries to get to know me, etc... then of course not many African Americans will come out to rush. I have a black friend who is Delta Chi, he happy and I'm happy for him. Granted, on my campus, DX has the most non-white members, so maybe that again has to do with the people they promote too during pre-rush events. I don't know. |
Oh, I understand that it can be a bit of a vicious circle - there are no minorities in the groups, so none go out for membership, so the groups do not get a chance to make any minorities members, and so on, and so on.
I don't know what the answer is, but I do think it is a point that should be considered before accusing the groups of racism. Sometimes it just takes one brave person, or one brave group, to go against the status quo to open the doors for all. And sometimes it just may be that there already exist established groups with which pnms feel more at home with - if a campus has a strong NPHC presence, there may not be much interest in the black community in joining the NPC or IFC. Heck, if you look at NPC colonization threads, you'll see that campuses often get a new group when a number of girls feel that the existing groups do not offer what they need. |
Another question:
If the only people who want to join your sorority is a group of white girls, are you going to pledge them? Just 5 white girls, and that's all. They are multi-cultural, even more so than most of the group likely. I know I'm English, German, Dutch, a smidgen of French and likely some Cherokee somewhere in there. Isn't that a bit more multi-cultural than some girl from El Salvador who has a long line of Native-Latin American roots? |
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Is race a factor when you selecte your members? I would theink that you select people who are willing to uphold the vision of your founders. I still think Miss justanothergirl is a big fat TROLL. She hasn't introduced herself. Her statement has caused everbody to get into a big old pissing match. Already, people are playing the "My glo is better then yours. No, my glo is better then yours. Is not. Is too" game. Can't we all be mature adults and agree to disagree |
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I'll only speak for Theta Nu Xi on this issue, but we actively ferret out the issues that have been brushed aside by mainstream society in the interest of comfort for all. Programming depends on what our chapters perceive as issues on their campuses. For instance, if they see the Greeks are segregated to the point that they don't interact, they'll put together an event that incorporates all Greeks and encourages them to get a better understanding of each other. Theta Nu Xi is also currently tackling issues of gender identity and sexual orientation on a national level. We're very serious about "setting the record straight" and understanding the truth behind the way people act when they are confronted with situations that make them uncomfortable. We are a socially and politically active group of women. Our programming centers around our five tenets: Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood, Leadership and Multiculturalism. The composition of membership at each chapter is often reflective of the areas in which the chapters operate. For instance, our Atlanta, GA chapters have a higher percentage of African and black women, whereas our southwestern chapters have a higher percentage of Latina women. Members find that, while they may have thought they understood what a multicultural sisterhood should be, they are constantly challenged to see through the eyes of others. We debate each other and occasionally it gets heated. Our conversations often sound a lot like what you hear in general society (particularly regarding race). Membership in Theta Nu Xi is difficult but rewarding. |
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In all your defense, you haven't shown how it's "multicultural" other than it's based mostly on the color of the participants skin, which doesn't seem like a good way to define a sisterhood/brotherhood. |
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You're still focusing on membership composition rather than on the mission of the organization. We are seeking women who will uphold our mission and tenets. Ethnic background only becomes important once a woman joins the Sorority, because, at that point, she is in joining a larger conversation and her background will determine her opinions. EW, you do realize I'm white don't you? |
Thank you, preciousjeni. That clarifies a great deal.
Tnxbutterfly, I don't know that anyone has played the "my glo is better than yours" card - the "my glo is more multicultural/diverse card" has been played, but I believe at this point everything has simmered down. We need to be able to discuss issues if we are ever going to reach a point where we aren't constantly misunderstanding one another. From my perspective it would just be nice to have our (NPC groups) efforts to be inclusive acknowedged, and not be subjected to this belief that we are all white glos. From yours, I imagine you would like to be taken as a glo who has more to offer than just a variety of races and cultures represented. The best way to achieve that goal is by dialogue, which is hampered when someone or some group feels disrespected. So rather than just agree to disagree, I think we should ALL take the time to admire what we can about the other GLOs, and bear in mind that ultimately we are all interested in developing members of character. Is that fair? |
It seems like PJ already answered a lot of you all's questions in her above post:
----- Originally Posted by preciousjeni View Post We've seen many, many threads that ask this question and have it answered, but I wanted to see a thread that is easily searchable. Why were multicultural organizations started? What is the purpose of multicultural organizations? Feel free to offer your comments, positive or negative. Multicultural GLOs did not start in an environment in which membership, in the current GLOs, was unavailable for "multicultural people." We recognize this. We have a different purpose altogether. We are not here because we were rejected by our desired organizations, nor are we here to hurt other orgs - and we certainly do not exist because we believe that other organizations are not open to diverse membership! How audacious it is to me for some to assume that we discourage people from checking out ALL GLOs to find their match, simply because we "think" that other GLOs are discriminatory. As a general rule, this is not the case. We were started by and for multiculturally-minded people. If you want to join an org that caters to needs of all people and actively works toward equality across the board, you can find that in a multicultural organization. Other organizations do offer those qualities, but multicultural orgs are set apart in that they exist with the primary function of promoting multiculturalism. In theory, even if a "multicultural" organization were all-white/black/latino/asian/etc. but the members worked toward equality of ALL people, the organization could potentially be considered multicultural. If, however, the thrusts and foci of that organization were primarily directed at a particular interest, that organization by definition cannot be "multicultural." It can have multicultural membership but it cannot be a "multicultural organization." ---- She specifically said that it isn't the race of the members that is important, it is the mission and vision of the organization - promoting multiculturalism. Not that how any organization chooses its members is anyone's business but their own, but based on what Jennis is saying here, a scenario of an all-white (or all-black, or all-Asian, etc.) pledge class would be entirely possible. Any organization that has focii puts on events towards those goals. If a sorority's primary focus is multiculturalism, then they would put on events toward that end. I really don't get what's so offensive or hard to understand about that, but maybe the term "multicultural" means something else to some people that I don't get? |
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It may be that the term "multi-cultural" is really subject to a variety of interpretations, one of which could be simply a variety of races and cultures in the membership. I don't know that I can think of a better term, but I think some of the confusion is based on the exact definition of "multi-cultural".
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I don't want to get into the whole argument, but I am interested in what activities Theta Nu Xi does that are multicultural. You said you have conversations about it, but what else do you do? Like, my sorority went ice skating a few months ago and we had a brunch for our families today, would a chapter of QNX do that, or are all your activities multicultural in nature?
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As I mentioned, most of our activities have a multicultural emphasis. A family BBQ might include food and activities related to one or more cultures. Here are some of the activities that one of our undergraduate chapters recently put on: ----------------------- Interracial Relations Part II (With Delta Theta Psi Sorority, Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., and Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.): This is a forum for people of different genders, races, and backgrounds to talk about interracial intimacy and sexual stereotypes. While most people will readily recognize that there is a certain “type” that they are attracted to, they rarely examine the societal influences on this seemingly personal feeling. Through dialogue about personal experiences and the broader social context surrounding issues of intimacy and sexuality, you'll gain insight into otherwise unrecognized stereotypes you might hold. ----------------------- Deaf Culture 101 (With Hearing Impaired Students Organization (HISO) and Michigan Sign Club): Join us for a screening of "Breaking Through the Silence," a film which sheds light on the lives of students at U of M with hearing disabilities. Check out technology geared towards Deaf individuals, learn some American Sign Language, and talk with hearing impaired students about what Deaf culture truly is. ----------------------- Paranormal Phenomena: Famed Psychology and Religious Studies professor Dr. Richard Mann will be discussing personal experiences and research on ESP, remote viewing, telepathy, and other paranormal phenomena. Get a chance to experiment with spoon-bending and other "out of the ordinary" experiences. ----------------------- A Taste of Diversity Come enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet with foods from around the world, and top it off with chocolate fondue for dessert! Get a chance to spend time with people you wouldn't necessarily otherwise meet, and bond over a meal. Recipient of our $200 TNX Scholarship will be announced! ----------------------- The Art of Interconnection: View artwork created by student and local artists all reflecting themes of inclusiveness, multiculturalism, and celebrating diversity. Work in a variety of mediums will be displayed, including sculpture, comics, poetry, drawing, photography, and painting. Select pieces will be available for purchase through a silent auction, and food & drink will be served. ----------------------- Pollution Prevention: Join us as we help beautify Ann Arbor by cleaning up West Park, located at Huron & Chapin St. ----------------------- And a write-up about a rather unique event...the chapter brought a filmmaker to campus for a private screening of Akira's Hip Hop Shop: More here: http://www.popcultureshock.com/akira...egorized/feed/ |
Chocolate fondue knows no cultural boundaries!
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Wow this thread went boom!
And though this has mostly been talked about and I disagree with Kevin's statement as a general rule, there are orgs out there, multicultural, non-traditional, etc. that market specifically from a mentality of "unlike those other sororities we actually care about service/diversity/friendship instead of money/boys/parties." Those are the organizations that should be getting the bad rap, IMO. /Late to the game but something that I wanted to say nonetheless. |
well said, drole. And I still believe in building bridges through a mutual love of chocolate.
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I'm just kidding.... but I'm also just sayin'. |
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I felt the need to post this now that we are on the topic of sweets:
I...drink...your...milkshake! |
Wow. It was interesting reading this thread. I JUST found out about Theta Nu Xi in August when I met a law school classmate who joined Theta Nu Xi at Carolina. I was told that Theta Nu Xi was founded because some women wanted to join DST, but were turned away because they weren't black and so they formed Theta Nu Xi to incorporate ALL races and cultures. Is that what really happened?
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You don't say! |
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This deepimpact character doesn't seem to be too bright :o
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The rumor (which is a new one on me too) does serve to perpetuate the idea that historically-multicultural organizations were founded simply to claim racial diversity rather than to promote the concepts of multiculturalism and social justice.
As many people have said before, all Greek organizations have varying levels of diversity. However, only historically-multicultural organizations were created with the purpose of promoting multiculturalism and facilitating the movement from tolerance to deep respect for the beauty in our differences. |
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*woooooosh*
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Who We Are - Our National History In the spring of 1996, Founding Monarch Melissa Jo Murchison-Blake was in search of sisterhood. She wanted to be part of a family that openly embraced all women and crossed cultural boundaries. As a bi-racial woman, she did not want to choose between historically Caucasian or African-American sororities. Founding Monarch Murchison-Blake felt that if she did choose one, she would be denying half of her heritage. Still wanting to be part of a strong sisterhood, Founding Monarch Murchison-Blake recruited six other women to join hands in her quest to found Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc. At first, the Founding Monarchs were discouraged from fulfilling their vision. The Director of Greek Affairs advised them to consider joining an existing organization, expressing his concern that a new Greek organization, based on the principal of multiculturalism, would not survive at UNC-CH. However, the Founding Monarchs believed there was a need for such a sisterhood. Their efforts set the stage for Theta Nu Xi's presence in the Greek, non-Greek, and surrounding communities. After much work and dedication, the Founding Monarchs built the foundation for Theta Nu Xi. Finally, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill officially recognized Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority as the Alpha Chapter on April 11, 1997. With the collaborative efforts of the Founding Monarchs and the Sisters of Spring 1998, the organization grew beyond our expectations. The Sorority incorporated on April 29, 1999, and with the participation of the Alpha Chapter and Beta and Gamma Colonies, the National Organization was founded at the first annual National Convention on August 21, 1999. |
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