Quote:
Originally posted by Marie
This is a very good topic, and there are a couple of things that I have observed from other GDIs at my school.
#1. More Blacks are pursuing majors in the maths and sciences, which does make it impossible to even consider pledging and graduating in 4 years. With the hectic schedules that many engineering and pre-med students have, it is difficult enough to stay afloat even w/all your time dedicated to school. Let alone trying to pass all your subjects, while dedicating all of your time to an org.
#2. Many of the UG chapters don't seem to have very much to offer. At my school the avg. chapter GPA for BGLOs is around 2.5. I think only one org. even breaks the 3.0 line. This is compared to an avg. chapter GPA of around 3.5 for WGLOs. That fact might be a deterent for a student w/a 4.0. Also, many of the UG chapters are not doing very much community service or quality campus programing. So many blacks students seem to feel that they can join the Student Government or Black Students Association or the local NAACP, and still get to network w/other dedicated students while also participating in community/campus involvement. Lastly, going Greek is known for building bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood. However, when you see chapter members fighting with each other at parties, stabbing each other in the back or stealing from the house, it makes all the bonding stuff less believable.
Now I really feel that students who come to college w/the intention of joining an org. are able to see past the negatives on their campus or work through the difficulties of their hectic college lives. However, students who ordinarily may have gotten to college and then decided to go Greek, are choosing other alternatives that work much better for them.
Marie
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AKA2D I do see and respect what you are saying, but I think Marie may have said it better than I did. Especially with number one. Not everyone can be THAT organized in undergrad to fully commit to the goals of that organization along with the majors they have along with other OUTSIDE commitments that people on campus may not be aware of. There are people in organizations that have "float" or "easy" majors that don't do anything for their orgs. and people see that too.
Now I didn't mean to imply that just because your major is more "challenging" then others that you can't pledge an undergrad chapter. I am saying that a B. S. or a B. A. in some degrees are not the same as they were maybe four or five years ago. Many schools are updating and changing their degree requirements for some majors, therefore making them more rigorous now than they ever have been. This is done in part to receive the Accreditations and make their programs worth more on paper. I think that some students who can do undergrad and balance the responsibilities that come with it with their studies should definitely do it. But to the others who KNOW THEY CAN’T, then they need to be fair to the organization, other prospective and themselves and wait until a “better” time comes along.
As far as the disagreement about being closer to older and grad chapter members, well, that is how many people get their first impressions of what the org is supposed to be about. That is what a "lifetime commitment" is supposed to be right? Join undergrad if you can (and Lord knows there are obstacles in the way to prevent that from happening if you know what I mean) and stay active in Grad. I think the question is are people doing that now? I know of people who spend X amount of dollars just for the “right” to wear three or four letters, which I think is Ludacris and they don’t give a damn about what the organizations are supposed to be about.
I guess that goes to say that the perceived “Greek Decline” is two fold:
1. The prospectives not being interested or able to devote the time they know the org of their choice needs.
2. Actions by the current members who make the org (because they are members) unappealing at times.
Neither or which should be a deterrent, that is true. But I think people do what they feel is best in their current situations.