Thank you all for taking the time to reply!
UVA17 - The D9 members in my family have told me to stay away because of hazing, too. D9 sororities and fraternities have such rich history as well. I just hate that they don't have formal or informal recruitment information avaliable. Were I to skip rushing for a Panhel in hopes of some type of NPC winter recruitment, I'd be really disappointed if it didn't work out. I guess when you think about it, some of the traditions aren't that different (stepping vs. skits?) and I definitely understand why D9s are historically important. I'm just drawn to the other more because I like being able to see exactly how involved they are on campus, exactly which philanthropies they represent, what the chapter GPAs is, etc.
I get what you mean about being a chameleon! For me that switch has always been around my latino friends vs everyone else, though. All of my black and white friends (especially the girls that were like sisters growing up) are basically the same in every way except for their opinion on Justin Bieber and One Direction.
Old_Row I'm assuming you go to 'Bama, and if so, I'm jealous. I actually posted this thread because of an article I read about a girl like me that rushed at your school. The last thing on my mind when it comes to getting involved with greek life is dating. However, if I found out that greeks didn't want me to date a white guy because "it didn't look right" I'm not sure if I could handle that. I have strict parents, and some of my older southern family is/was pretty set in their ways. None of them ever gave me a problem for dating a guy of a different race, though.
Katmandu and Missouri Ivy I'm a little worried about my age, but like I said in my first post, if people ask me why I'm a little older, sharing won't be a problem at all. Oh! From reading around, I've figured out how smart you GC users are. I've probably given enough away by now, but oh well.
At my current school I hold office in a very time consuming and involved organization. Again, this is why I'm drawn to Panhels! Being a leader/involved is something I actually care a lot about. I just don't talk about what I do at school a lot because it feels arrogant and self-absorbed. Other people out there do much more amazing stuff than me.
tld221 It is the type of hazing that I've (personally) been warned against that has me kind of scared of D9. You're right about PR and connections, though. I guess physical violence isn't limited to one race over another. But I'm a kickboxer. Literally. If you hit me, I'm going to return the favor faster than someone can say "sisterhood". Fighting outside of the gym just feels classless and detrimental to my education/future on all levels though, which is why I want to avoid that situation entirely. I have never been in a physical altercation at school or anything like that, and that's something that shouldn't change!
KDCat thank you! You're sweet. Being sheltered isn't a problem for me at all. I've had a girl come up to me before at camp and ask me where I got my tan because she was sick of being orange. People have a heart attack when they see my hair after I go swimming/get caught in the rain/shower and don't blow dry it. And of course, I've seen people say things that were harmless but not in the best taste in general. The way I see it, we're humans, and we all make mistakes. I don't pretend to know everything! Before I was 18, for example, I didn't have any Muslim friends. Life is a learning process. I just hope I'm lucky enough to find a sorority that is open enough ask me anything they might be curious about, you know? I wouldn't want my future sisters to feel as if they have to change who they are around me.
Happy 4th, everyone! I hope you all have an amazing day