[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by agzg

I don't think it's a viable alternative. I think, especially in cases where a woman attended a school that had GLOs, that the best way to join is through collegiate recruitment. It bothers me when someone says "oh well there's AI." Is it good in those cases from time to time? Sure. I don't pass judgement. But it's overwhelmingly THE EXCEPTION, not the RULE. If it were the RULE we'd be the freaking Junior League, not NPC sororities.

Obviously there are exceptions in every case, and there are some fantastic heartwarming stories about Alumnae Initiates which make me glad to have it. Also, I'm not sure my group does AI similarly to any group, so there's that.

I'm just saying, AI is fine, but don't act like your membership experience is 100% the same as my membership experience. Until you've locked yourself in a room with 40 other 18-22 year olds for 24 hours and argued out many of the issues in your chapter, your experience is not the same as mine. Until you've gone through changing a collegiate chapter from the inside out, and dealt with issues like underage drinking and hazing and bad recruitments and perceptions on campus and issues between yours and other chapters, your experience is not the same as mine. And it doesn't need to be, as long as you don't act like it is.

I love you for saying this.

I recall a certain AI member actually BASHING collegians in one of the hot topic AI threads back when I was a new collegian on GC.

She was congratulating a recent AI on helping with a philanthropy project. Her words: Good for you and your new alumnae chapter! Alumnae are the ones getting out there and helping while the collegians sit in their cozy little houses paining their nails all day!"

Everyone else in the thread was just like "WTF!?"