The Best Way to Break Stereotypes About Each Other
 

I found that the most humbling experience you will have after spending your pledge semester making fun of other GLOs is to either:

1) Get on IFC or NPC council

2) Go to a Greek Leadership Conference

you'll learn that at the end of the day we're not so different and maybe you'll focus your anger at anti-Greeks instead of your neighbors.

I'm currently in the process of visiting all 26 NPC (Inter)National Headquarters. It is a very inspiring thing to do - I can't tell you how much more I value my NPC "cousins" after having toured their headquarters.

Now that's very interesting. What prompted you to do this? Who have you visited so far? Tell us more! (and I am in the Alabama part of the Tennessee Valley!).

Ditto! (Reminds me of my friends who wanted to visit all of the major league baseball stadiums!)

Have you been to Memphis yet?

I'm on a quest to go to a football game at every Big12 Venue. Does that count????

Please say you started with the rest of the Syracuse Triad!!!! <3!

For the ladies, add being a recruitment counselor to your list. Our Rho Gammas were often much more "Panhellenic" in their view on GLOs than some of the women that served on Panhellenic Council (although they were pretty good, too!).

Um, no, but thanks for playing.

I am actually thinking of becoming a rho gamma i havent made up my mind yet it seems like such a hard choice to make

It's hard because you have to disaffiliate, but you learn a lot about yourself, your organization, and the other chapters on your campus when you do it.

It's great experience and helps develop leadership skills, as well. I put it on my resume.

Greekchat has actually helped me a lot in this regard. I've met women that I like and respect and wouldn't hesitate to call a sister if it were not for the fact that we wear different letters. GC has gone very far to break my personal campus stereotypes.
For every bad chapter you know there's a great sister out there (on GC!) waiting to break your pre-conceived notions.

That sounds like a great plan! Except I've only been to 2. Damn.

Agreed! As weird as this may sound, you know there are certain chapters that are 'strong' on your particular campus but you don't realize that they may have a 'weak' chapter somewhere else because you're in a bubble, and vice versa. Suddenly the girls who are known for never accepting a minority on your campus have a very diverse chapter elsewhere, etc. It reminds you not to stereotype a national organization based on one chapter or an entire chapter based on a few people!

It is always a plus to learn about fellow greek organizations and makes the meaning of being a greek more well rounded.

Not every chapter is on top nor on the bottom. But, we are all in it together as it seems many times to a fight between non greeks or the schools themselves.

LOL - it was seeing a feature on some men who were visiting MLB stadiums that gave me the idea. I needed programming for my alumnae panhellenic, and so decided to start there. It has now grown - into a program for panhellenics (alum and collegiate), an article in the current THE CRESCENT magazine and a column in my paper (I'm a weekly columnist - you can read it in the archives for Feb. 26th under editorials on www.parispi.net) ). I am in the process of planning a BOOK - how about that? It's to be called "Legacy" - and will be a positive look at the NPC.
I've been going kind of geographically - have visited Chi Omega, Kappa Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Delta Delta Delta, Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Mu. I'm getting my Trip Tik for my swing into the midwest - and I'll get another 13 done by the end of April. I'm saving mine for last - there's no place like home!

I agree with the "being a PX" suggestion. My second PX term was an eye opener. Especially since I had grown in my maturity and ability to deal democratically with people since the first time I did it (soph. year). It was great to be able to see how the other girls see us, and to see the actives of the chapters "in their natural environment" as it were.

GC has also taught me a LOT about wider greek membership. Being on an all local campus, my greek experience has been miles different than most people's, so its nice to get a very very different experience. I think the Ole Miss girls would have a heart attack at our recruitment hehe.