Oh boy Rain Man...hopefully this thread will not get flames all over it!
Before I start I want to say that I am speaking only for myself and for my chapter, not for anyone else. Every chapter has its own experiences.
Having said that, from my experience it is been because Gamma Sigs carry themselves as an African-American based sorority on campus. We Gamma Sigs know that our sorority was not founded by black women alone.
Also, a lot of the things we do aren't looked at as "original" such as our call, "Wee-Oop" (which is grounds alone for raised eyebrows) our handsigns and our colors. In short, we are viewed as a fake sorority who has nothing better to do but copy what other sororities have already. I have heard that numerous times and in a nutshell, that is the problem. On some campuses, if you are a Gamma Sig it isn't even feasible for you to pursue a sorority in the Nine.
Now my response to this is simple. Everything I do as a Sig, everything that Sigs do means something to us. We aren't fake, we're not trying to be like anyone else. We are who we are. We are a sorority whose main focus is service, and it is in our hearts in minds with everything we do. When I wear my letters I wear them with pride. I do the best service that I can do because the people that I serve deserve it. That's my explanation everytime I get asked why Gamma Sigma Sigma is the way it is on my campus. We are supportive of our greeks and in turn, we get invited to many greek events and are asked to participate. Trust, it was not like that in the beginning, but my chapter continues to do their required service and we just be ourselves. We've earned the respect of the greek community even though we're not "greek" by NPC/NPHC standards.
Another thing, it is not the same on every campus. Every GSS chapter doesn't have a line, or stroll, or do things of that sort. Some chapters are all-black, others all-white, others a mix, I can go on and on. The point here is, no matter what, every last one of them is a sister and I will be there for them. I will serve with them and I will support them.
Sorry bout the long rant...but I always welcome questions if I didn't cover everything in this post!
In Service,
gamma_girl52
Gamma Sigma Sigma National Service Sorority
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