African American going through recruitment at Alabama?

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

LOL at assuming that the OP has a low GPA because she used "wanna" on an internet forum, while you have your modifier dangling all over the place in just this one sentence.

Sen is not, as far as I know, an NPC member who attended Alabama.

I only have an MA in English, but I didn't find the OP's grammar terribly atrocious. She also had strong word choice in her posts with her adjectives and adverbs. Much stronger than many other posts I've seen on GC.

The realistic answer is that there isn't enough data to give you an answer. To the best of my knowledge only about 4 AA women have ever gone thru at Alabama. One was actually1/2 AA and she pledged a group. The others either dropped out or were released. Grades and recs are necessary at Alabama so it's possible the remaining 3 were lacking in one or more of those respects - but no one will ever know as membership selection is private.

So, seeing as during those 4 years some 6,000 women total went thru recruitment, it's hard to say why 3 didn't make it to bid day. Too small a sample.

Also, Titchou...it's "through" not "thru." Or is it only OK for you to truncate words in your posts? The comma should also be your friend.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by Titchou

Since you didn't say anything about your GPA (must be well over a 3.0) nor that you have 2 recs for every house and since your grammar would lead one to believe that your grades are not at the appropriate level ("wanna" used repeatedly), I am assuming that you don't meet the basic requirements anyway....no matter the color of your skin. You've already outed yourself here if anyone wants to figure it out once recruitment begins.

Um, wow. Jump to conclusions much?

To the OP, if you do decide that you want to pursue NPC recruitment at Alabama, I would definitely give you the advice that I would to all PNMs considering Alabama. Alabama recruitment is ultra competitive; I'd be willing to bet that it's going to be more so this fall since they've just won the national championship (which tends to increase the number of students who want to attend). Grades are super important; multiple recs for each org are too. Keep your online presence in social media super clean. (I don't think you've done anything wrong here by asking a perfectly reasonable question.)

Good luck no matter what you decide.

[AlphaFrog]

I'm amused by the username...that came from even before I worked at Taco Bell when I was in high school, so like mid-late 90s. Probably around the time this person was born.


This could be one of those self-fulfilling prophecies....very few AAs have rushed, so there's this big question mark, so AAs continue not to rush, which doesn't give NPCs the chance to prove the outcome.

[HQWest]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

I'm amused by the username...that came from even before I worked at Taco Bell when I was in high school, so like mid-late 90s. Probably around the time this person was born.


This could be one of those self-fulfilling prophecies....very few AAs have rushed, so there's this big question mark, so AAs continue not to rush, which doesn't give NPCs the chance to prove the outcome.

I think this is important point Alpha Frog, and there are additional factors as well.

Very few AAs have rushed at Alabama, which makes them nervous about being the first. AAs (particularly from out of state) may not know many women in chapters already - which we have seen time and again makes things more difficult for OOS women in a competitive recruitment like the SEC. (Its not that they don't like you - its that they already have 100 best friends from high school coming through recruitment.) AA women that would be awesome candidates are actively recruited and encouraged by friends and family in the Divine Nine.

All I can tell you is that some of those big, southern schools now have some great Hispanic and Asian women in their chapters. I am guessing if a young lady with good recs and good grades goes through recruitment, they would find a home.

What would be a waste of time would be tearing your hair out over whether or not it is a waste of time. At the very least, if you did go through and decided not to join, it would be a good way to meet people especially if you are OOS, and you won't have to worry about the "What ifs?"

[OPhiAGinger]

Those are good points about the challenges an out-of-state PNM faces at a big SEC school, but did I miss something? I don't remember seeing anything that would indicate the OP was OOS.

[Low C Sharp]

very few AAs have rushed, so there's this big question mark, so AAs continue not to rush, which doesn't give NPCs the chance to prove the outcome.

I think it is important to add "Most of the NPC groups had exclusionary policies a few decades ago that barred Jews as well as non-whites. These chapters no longer have explicit policies, but they have not taken action to promote inclusion equivalent to the actions taken to ensure exclusion in the past." That's the context within which AA women choose not to rush. Diversity rarely, if ever, happens simply because you open a door that used to be closed. You need to give people reasons to walk through that door. Memories die hard, especially on a campus, and within a Greek system, that takes enormous pride in its long traditions.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by OPhiAGinger

Those are good points about the challenges an out-of-state PNM faces at a big SEC school, but did I miss something? I don't remember seeing anything that would indicate the OP was OOS.

My assumption (and you know what happens to people who assume) would be that the OP is out of state. I would think that African Americans who live in Alabama are already intimately familiar with the state of diversity and inclusion there.

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

I think it is important to add "Most of the NPC groups had exclusionary policies a few decades ago that barred Jews as well as non-whites. These chapters no longer have explicit policies, but they have not taken action to promote inclusion equivalent to the actions taken to ensure exclusion in the past." That's the context within which AA women choose not to rush. Diversity rarely, if ever, happens simply because you open a door that used to be closed. You need to give people reasons to walk through that door. Memories die hard, especially on a campus, and within a Greek system, that takes enormous pride in its long traditions.

This is an excellent point, but I also wouldn't discount the appeal of the Divine Nine. Most people are going to gravitate to that which is familiar, and it is my opinion that the NPHC organizations do a much better job than NPC and NIC organizations of making themselves known beyond the collegiate population and community involvement across generations. YMMV.

[AnotherKD]

Aside from your race, there are issues everyone rushing at one of those hardcore schools need to consider. What is your GPA like? Have you researched getting recs? Do you have any extracurriculars that will help you stand out? No matter who you are, if the answers to those questions are less than favorable, that would help you make your decision to possibly not go through.

[DrPhil]

I know this is not what amIblue? is saying but I'm throwing this out there before the thread goes there:

The OP wants to be in an NPC sorority. She should not come knocking on the NPHC sororities' doors just because she is afraid to try NPC recruitment. That is not the role of NPHC sororities in the 21st century. Besides, if the OP has not brought up the NPHC on her own, it should not be recommended to her. That is insulting and is not how we operate.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I know this is not what amIblue? is saying but I'm throwing this out there before the thread goes there:

The OP wants to be in an NPC sorority. She should not come knocking on the NPHC sororities' doors just because she is afraid to try NPC recruitment. That is not the role of NPHC sororities in the 21st century. Besides, if the OP has not brought up the NPHC on her own, it should not be recommended to her. That is insulting and is not how we operate.

Oh, no, that is definitely not what I was suggesting. If the OP wants to join an NPC group, then I hope she is successful in finding her home. (See my earlier post wishing her well.) I am proud that my organization has sisters of all races and faiths.

I was just trying to give another possible reason for why there are not many AA PNMs at Alabama. It's a complicated situation. It's not just one thing is all I was trying to say.

I have nothing but the highest respect for NPHC organizations, and I would never consider them a "valid alternative" (remember that train wreck) to NPC groups.

Thanks DrPhil, for explaining what I mean.

[fascination]

Ole Miss definitely has some blacks in NPC sororities, based on the sororities' website bid day and sisterhood pictures. A very few, but I haven't seen more than that on average the bid day pictures from schools in most other parts of the country. It is certainly not exclusively a Southern thing to have 95%+ White chapter makeup. Assuming all Southerners are rascist is just another form of prejudice.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by fascination

Assuming all Southerners are rascist is just another form of prejudice.

I haven't read this entire thread, but who said that?

[agzg]

Originally Posted by fascination

Assuming all Southerners are rascist is just another form of prejudice.

Is this going to turn into a "why is there no White Entertainment Television?" type of thing?

No one said all Southerners are racist. No one said that NPC membership nationwide is not majority white. No one even said everyone in NPC sororities at Bama is racist.

Furthermore, no one asked about recruitment at Ole Miss. Just because they're SEC and there are similarities does not make anecdata about recruitment at Ole Miss apply to the OP's situation at Bama.

The OP had/has a legitimate concern regarding the likelihood of a successful recruitment at Bama GIVEN THE CONTEXT of past recruitments at Bama.

[fascination]

OP -- I'm not stupid enough to assume any one chapter or house is racist, cause that's not the case. But anyone from the south knows the reputation of schools like 'bama and 'Ole Miss.

agaz -- Furthermore, no one asked about recruitment at Ole Miss.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by fascination

agaz -- Furthermore, no one asked about recruitment at Ole Miss.

Then why did you bring Ole Miss up?