Unfortunately.....
 

Recently an underground line was exposed at my school and it looks like the graduate chapter will be taking over the Intake Process meaning a lot of the rituals and secret traditions may not be taught. In addition, all of the current members of the chapter are seniors. I really would like to ask what suggestions any of you who are already in the organization may have about how members who (hopefully) get in through this process could go about getting the same value of sisterhood and sense of the organization? I'm not asking for secrets (so don't take it that way please). It's just that many who take this route for intake are often not respected (I was told this by many members) and are considered - well I am sure you know. All replies would be greatly appreciated.

[This message has been edited by AlwaysDivine (edited September 09, 2000).]

Each chapter, whether it be undergrad or grad, share the same "rituals and secret traditions." The only other "rituals" that the grad chapter will not share will be the hazing that this particular undergrad chapter chooses to participate in. What you get out of your experience depends on what each individual (and their line sisters) put into it. You can not live your life constantly wondering what others think of you. Whatever you were told by those "many members" does not represent the opinions of the thousands of other sorors. If AKA is what you want, then go for it. As long as you are legitimate, know the necessary information backwards and forwards, willing to make the lifetime committment to AKA and work hard, I don't see what the fuss is all about. If those undergrad sorors played by the rules then there would be no discussion about the "paper" or "underground" issue.

[This message has been edited by AKAtude (edited September 11, 2000).]

AlwaysDivine, I am not a member of a sorority, but as a graduate of Spelman College I can speak on the sisterhood issue. Sisterhood is, I believe, what you put into it. As a 'freshwoman' at Spelman we were told by the upperclassmen that every other Spelman woman was our Spelman sister. I took this to heart and tried to embrace every Spelman woman I came into contact with. Twelve years after my graduation from Spelman I still do. I give (with my time, talents and money) back to the college that I love so much and helped mold me unto adulthood. My love for Spelman and my sisters did not come because of any "process". My friends and I (some who are in sororities) laughingly say that we 'pledged' Spelman for four years. Our 'process' was studying for tests together, staying up late talking in the dorms, crying together when a sister's parent died, boycotting a football game together (a long story) and just simply having the shared Spelman legacy to draw on. A legacy of newly freed slaves who had a yearning for education. My connection with Spelman goes beyond the girls that were in my class, or even the ones that were students while I was. It reaches back to the 7 students in 1881 to the graduate of the class of 1928 that I recently met to the new alumnae in the class of 2000. There is no way that I could compare my experiences to those 7 women or to an alumna in the class of '28 or heck, even 2000 (those girls are down right spoiled I tell ya. Air conditioners in all the dorm rooms and no curfew! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif), but we are all Spelman Sisters never the less! It truly become about your mindset and your outlook. If you decide to pursue and if you are chosen you can decide that you will embrace all of your sisters no matter what, you can decide that you will continue to learn and to grow in the organization or you can decide that what others think is more important or that the bad overshadows the good.

Sorry for the book, but I could talk about Spelman all day!!

If you are reading this, Hi WenD08!! She's my Spelman Sister, y'all!! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif



[This message has been edited by Eclipse (edited September 11, 2000).]

Soror Akatude,
Your message was right on target. I have much love for all my Sorors. The real issues of becoming a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha are community service, setting high goals, achievement, high moral standards, etc. I work very hard for AKA. It is not about stepping, skeeweeing, how much nalia one has nor the process. It's about service to all mankind. This issue of paper and plastic is not a part of the thinking of any Sorors I have personally met--including old old school. The real issues become clear with maturity and dedication. Always search your heart before making a decision. Know that it's right because it is what you believe and if you are the only person standing on the left for what you believe to be the right thing--just simple stand there.
Much Love

I agree with my sorors and I love them for what they are saying. I also want to add that no matter how you have been taken in, a soror is a soror and it isn't my concern whether she pledge the dinophyte way, the ol' skool way or the process. When it comes down to it, what colors do we wear? And when is the last time you hit our website and read about our founders!!! It would behoove you to re-read about our founders, especially the Sophmores of 1908!

Eh Eclipse! When did you graduate! I pledged Sweet Mu Pi on the Aesop's Fables line! It's amazing who you'll find at these boards!

Monet #49

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

Monet,
I think I ran into at the old Sorors & Sisterfriends site a while back. I'm a little before your time....I graduated in 88.
I have several friends that pledged in '86 and '88.

You mean the Halley's Comet and the Incandescent 56 lines? Both of those were my big sisters when I pledged in 1989! So I was there by the time you graduated! What was your major? Oh, yeah, I had Mrs. Gebre-Hewit and Dr. Gore...

Yep! Those are the ones! Do you mean Dr. Gore the math professor at Morehouse? ((shuttering as I remember my DE class!!)) I was an Econ major. Feel free to e-mail me!

soror Monet you better keep dropping words of wisdom on em. SkeeeeeWeeeeeeee.

Hello All,

I have to agree with my Sorors on this one. It doesn't matter how you came into AKA. What is important is how committed you are to carrying out our sorority's goals and how effective you are in your work. Being made in a graduate chapter, I have been faced numerous times with the "paper/real" and "paper vs. sands" issues. But as Soror AKAtude stated, you cannot live your life constantly wondering what others think of you. There is no way that I am going to let others, greek or non-greek, steal away the joy that I feel as a member Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Skee-Wee Sorors!