Quote:
Originally posted by PM_Mama00
You can't really roll your eyes on that. I barely knew anything about any type of Greek organization before I joined Phi Mu. Our campus is a small commuter campus, so Greek life isn't huge and non-Greeks don't know much about us. I wouldn't be surprised that many of our Greeks didn't know that historically Black GLOs are not only for African Americans. Alpha Phi Alpha and Alpha Kappa Alpha are on our campus (I think Delta Sigma Theta and Sigma Tau Gamma? are too but I'm not sure), but they are never around and only sometimes have booths up at Student Org day, so many people don't even know they exist on our campus. I know they are, but I've never seen them try to recruit non-African American students, so if I hadn't learned this on Greek Chat, I never would have known.
Please don't be surprised or disgusted with things that we do not know. The thing is to educate us if you want us to know, let people know what you're about. It's the same with any kind of Greek member, if a GDI doesn't know what sororities or fraternities are about, we tell them. We don't roll our eyes, because that would just add to the negative perception of us. (not saying that there is a negative perception coming from me, just people in general)
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I think that a PWI, much of the study body doesn't get to see the work that is being done by NPHC groups, because a lot of our community service in done in the larger community, instead of on the campus directly. Also, compared to NPC sororities, NPHC groups are smaller, so if you attend a large school, its difficult to see those members out and about on a regular basis. At my alma mater, there were maybe a total of 30 women in all four NPHC sororities, and maybe 30 men in three NPHC fraternities. So our numbers are much smaller than those traditionally seen in NPC/IFC, especially at our school, which has 50,000+ people.
Finally, people tend to gravitate towards people they have something in common with. I know for myself, it was a bit intimidating to be one of 4000 minority students in a total population of 50,000. I don't think that initially (as a freshman) I would have been comfortable enough with myself to branch out and interact with a new group of people. Eventually I did get more comfortable with my surroundings and meeting new people, but it would have taken some time.