Interested in a sorority (no sorority at my campus)
 

hi my name is Ashley and i am currently attending Lehman college. this will be my sophomore year and at my campus there isn't any sorority so i was wondering how can i possibly join one even if its not with my school

If it's an NPC sorority membership you're seeking, you're out of luck.

What kind of sorority are you interested in?

NPC? (Traditional, recruitment-based sorority)

NPHC/BGLO? (Predominately African American)

NALFO/LGLO? (Predominately Latina)

NMGC/MCGLO (Sorority based in actual multiculturalism)

Thanks. You know why.;)

Not that saying "traditional" is less problematic, but I ain't feel like hearing no lip today! lol

Who, us?:D Nah.

You can say "predominantly white" if you're going to say "predominantly African American" and "predominantly Latina."

"Predominantly white" is more accurate than "traditional."

But that's not what I meant.

If she is at Lehman, the NPC sororities there may not even be predominately white.

They remain predominantly white nationally, just like the NPHC sororities and NALFO sororities are still "predominantly" regardless of how diverse a small amount of chapters are.

"Predominantly" is about demographics and not organizational foundation. Why should demographics be the theme for NPHC and NALFO sororities but "traditional and recruitment" is the theme for NPC and "...based in...." is the theme for NMGC. That's inconsistent.

Shut up.

LOL. No. If demographics are the theme, demographics are the theme.

Anyway, there was a thread many moons ago about Hunter College and Lehman College and the small and fleeting Greek Life. The only reference I have seen to Greek Life at Lehman has been Delta Sigma Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and a sorority that I have never heard of. Don't quote me on this but I would not be shocked if they only have a couple of NPHC, a couple of multicultural, and a couple of local sororities.

:)

But I have a serious problem calling my sorority "predominantly white", even IF if we are looking at the percentage of members across the country. I feel like the main difference between, say, mine and Lambda Theta Alpha, is that they pride themselves on being the "First Latin Sorority in the Nation" and, taken from their website, "The year 1975 saw the birth of what started as a vision - an idea of an organization, a sisterhood that would cater to the needs of Latinas and the universal woman." But if any of the NPC sororities said anything about catering to the white woman, it would be absolutely ridiculous.

Then don't call your sorority "predominantly white." ;)

Ha, touché!

Ridiculous in what way?

Well, mainly, that it's completely false. I don't see how any NPC sorority furthers any causes of (specifically) white women. Rather, simply *women*.

I completely disagree.

This has been discussed on GC over the years so I won't rehash that.

I apologize- I don't mean to offend or to try to bring up something that has been discussed before. I guess I just thought that while I know that there are certain issues that affect women of some ethnicities, but I can't think of a single issue that only affects white women. And so I'll just leave it at that, as I really don't want to start any sort of argument.

If NPC organizations represented the needs and desires of all women, there would be no need for any other type of sorority. NPCs offer an experience that is valued by their members, who are--and have been throughout history--predominantly white. Some non-white women also appreciate what NPCs offer, so there are non-white members. However, when you get a group of predominantly non-white women together in a sorority, the organization looks different in terms of focus, opportunities, etc.

Proposing that whiteness has influenced the formation of NPC sororities and that NPC organizations are not universally and equally appealing to all sorority women shouldn't have to be ridiculous. And, it in no way diminishes the importance of NPC organizations to the progress of Greek organizations over the last century (plus).

Exclusion from certain issues can also be a factor in determining the direction, purpose and activities of a sorority.

However, if an NPC sorority were to advertise itself as serving the needs of white women, it would be labeled as blatantly racist. Not to dredge up a whole different argument, but there are many reasons the NPC cannot and does not label itself as such.

My take: NPC sororities offer a "traditional" sorority experience, one that began with affluent white women but is now open to all women who are looking for the specific type of sorority experience that the NPC can offer. While that may appeal predominantly to white women today, it is by no means strictly limited to white members, and NPC chapters vary in their ethnic, economic, and geographic diversity, depending on the location and demographics of the school the chapter is located.

You definitely aren't being offensive. :) These discussions are par for the course as far as I'm concerned.

Whether people like to admit it in "mixed company," there are issues that are considered as primarily (there's no need to say "only" as though life is so formulaic) affecting white women. Women's suffrage, women's labor rights, and women's liberation were once considered among those issues. When groups of predominantly white women (look at the photos if you don't know that) marched and spoke out for these rights, they were doing so based on their experiences and their perspectives with little consideration to what racial and ethnic minority women (and poor women) were experiencing. Some have claimed they were doing so for "all women" but that wasn't the case. I agree with people like Angela Davis and bell hooks in that regard.

The same applies to what happened with predominantly white GLOs (and nonGLOs). Organizations don't become predominantly (insert group) by accident and with no consideration to the concerns and perspectives of the majority membership. You especially don't persist in being predominantly for 50-100+ years without the concerns and perspectives of the majority being a focal point--whether blatant and based on founding purpose or just by "coincidence" and outcome.

Indeed.

Traditional as in oldest and most prevalent.

Easy solution: Then don't advertise yourself as that.

Not wanting to formally acknowledge that isn't the same thing as not being predominantly white and not understanding that our organizations are not removed from our histories and membership demographics.

None of us are restricted to "insert group." Just like my prolific and highly acclaimed Sisterhood (and other NPHCs) has so much more going on than "predominantly African American."

Indeed.

There is no stigma or insult in this discourse. NPC sororities still kickass.

Which makes sense, but from another perspective, "traditional" is problematic. As you know, the perceived lack of Greek realness of organizations that are not "traditional" continues to feed into the segregation of GLOs.

Yup, didn't sat it wasn't still problematic. :)

Yeah, yeah. I know you acknowledged the potential inappropriateness of the term "traditional." lol

Right, that's my point. And If I were explaining what being a member of an NPC sorority was like, I would not say I was a member of a "white" sorority. I am not denying that NPCs were founded by white women, but for me personally, that has not been an integral part of my NPC experience.


Of course not! All of our orgs have so much more to offer than an association with an ethnic/religious/academic/whatever group. While our founding principles are important to all of us, we shouldn't ever be limited to one aspect of our ritual/history. What I meant is that a black woman, for instance, is more than welcome to join an NPC group (officially, anyway, I realize that on some campuses that might still taboo) if that is the sort of sisterhood and sorority experience she is looking for. If an NPHC group better suits what she is looking for, then she should by all means look into NPHC intake. I guess I mean that PNMs/interests should not be limited to the greek council that predominantly shares their ethnicity, but rather should look for the type of sisterhood they want to be part of. Does that make sense? Of course, I can't speak for any org/chapter other than my own, but from what I understand and have seen in my limited experience, there are non-black members of NPHC groups, and they sought those groups out because that was the greek experience they wanted.

I am definitely not trying to say anything inflammatory/offensive, I am only trying to explain my experience and understand where other greeks are coming from! Please correct me if anything I am posting is out of line or incorrect.

Shut up. ;)

Again, there is nothing inflammatory/offensive about this topic and this discussion. I really want people to stop thinking that the world will end if such topics are discussed.

There's nothing to correct. You know that the NPC is predominantly white. LOL.

Maybe the world won't end, but DrPhil could open a can of infamous whoop-ass and tell us what's what! ;)

(still heart you!)

;) Everything works both ways including the bolded.

Well now you're just ruining the infamy of our legendary GC race wars. :p

It's not a race war until someone's race card is revoked, pj.

Furthering causes (i.e. the philanthropic endeavors your group chooses to pursue -at least that's how I'm reading it) and meeting needs of members are two very different things.

Yep. I realized only after subsequent messages that she was restricting her comment to philanthropy. I initially read it as tenets, thrusts, goals, etc. and I was speaking of the combined power of the membership to determine the direction of the organization.