Allowing Significant other to wear letters......

[JuniorAlpha2007]

Originally Posted by DST_philoso4

1st paragraph: lmao, who you tellin' u can imagine my HORROR when I mistook these babes for sorority women [i.e., they looked old enough to be in one]. that's cool the high school groups there don't actually wear colors, around these parts they do! Well, at least the main color, like the Delta girls and Kappa boys groups wear Black and red [which you will also see Deltas and Kappas rockin'] but everyone else actually wears the orgs colors. While I'm like on that, it's not that big of a deal. HOWEVER I've been other places where they have hand signs, "calls", and well, basically everything the frats/sororities have, and I'm like as a matter of fact, check out this page and tell me what you think, all I have to say is I found it when I was looking for more information on it for my brother:

http://www.geocities.com/kl_1922/KLphotos.html *shaking head* someone needs to get BEAT DOWN!

As a member of a junior auxiliary, I have experienced some of the hostility from just about every NPHC organization except Iota Phi Theta (but I'm sure they would do the same thing). Our specific group started out with the colors black and platinum silver, but the Alphas changed them to black and gold so we could resemble them. Actually we do a lot of things that shock many black Greeks. We have a hand sign that is similar to the Alpha sign and our call is modeled off of the Alpha call but with the year changed. We even were instructed to learn several poems such as "Don't Quit", "Test of a Man", "Minute", "Invictus", and so on. We do Alpha steps, Alpha strolls, and even have line jackets that have our letters on them (not A Phi A), but look ridiculously close to Alpha jackets.

HOWEVER (before you try to slaughter me), THESE SIGNS, CALLS, COLORS, SYMBOLISMS, POEMS, STEPS, STROLLS, AND JACKETS WERE MADE BY ALPHAS AND GIVEN TO US! WE DIDN'T ASK FOR THEIR COLORS; WE DIDN'T ASK FOR A SIGN THAT WAS A FINGER AWAY FROM BEING A PHI A; WE DIDN'T BEG THEM TO TEACH US STEPS AND STROLLS; WE DIDN'T WANT A CALL AT FIRST BUT THEY MADE IT FOR US! WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THE POEMS WE WERE LEARNING WERE POEMS THAT ALPHA PLEDGES WOULD BE RECITING!

I would never, in a million years, think to disrespect Alpha in any way, shape, or form! They have lifted me up from being a lazy kid in ninth grade to being an upstanding young man as a senior now. I love my junior Alpha organization and I love Alpha Phi Alpha! But never do I consider myself Greek; never do I really wear my Junior Alpha paraphernalia in public without an Alpha by my side (mainly so I don't get jumped because someone doesn't know or understand or care to understand)... AND NEVER, EVER.... EEEEEEEEEEVER DO I SAY I WILL BE AN ALPHA. ITS JUST NOT MY PLACE. We are the junior auxiliary operating correctly.

Thanks for reading... I just had to get that off my chest. Whooo...

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by JuniorAlpha2007

As a member of a junior auxiliary

God bless the children. As long as you know there isn't really a such thing as a "junior Alpha" or a "future Alpha."

[lovelyivy84]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

God bless the children.

Indeed.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by lovelyivy84

Indeed.

Mentoring is excellent and I'm happy another child was uplifted and motivated to become better.

I blame the Alphas for trying to make this more than what it should be. Junior2007 and his fellow Juniors are smarter than these particular Alphas seem to be regarding this.

[JuniorAlpha2007]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Mentoring is excellent and I'm happy another child was uplifted and motivated to become better.

I blame the Alphas for trying to make this more than what it should be. Junior2007 and his fellow Juniors are smarter than these particular Alphas seem to be regarding this.

Thank you, DSTCHAOS. We were told upfront that we were not a fraternity, or a junior fraternity for that matter. I understand that there are some junior mentor organizations that have gone out of their mind, but we honestly make it very apparent to black Greeks that we are a step team and mentor program, not a fraternity. It's just disresectful to claim that you are something that you are not, especially when there are hundreds of thousands of Greek men and women who have worked long and hard to acquire the letters they hold dear. I'd just prefer for someone to approach me and sincerely ask me about it rather than step into my face with all intent on beating me or trying to rip off my jacket when nothing A Phi A is on it (THAT I MADE SURE OF!)

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by JuniorAlpha2007

Thank you, DSTCHAOS. We were told upfront that we were not a fraternity, or a junior fraternity for that matter. I understand that there are some junior mentor organizations that have gone out of their mind, but we honestly make it very apparent to black Greeks that we are a step team and mentor program, not a fraternity. It's just disresectful to claim that you are something that you are not, especially when there are hundreds of thousands of Greek men and women who have worked long and hard to acquire the letters they hold dear. I'd just prefer for someone to approach me and sincerely ask me about it rather than step into my face with all intent on beating me or trying to rip off my jacket when nothing A Phi A is on it (THAT I MADE SURE OF!)

Awww...no one should be jumping bad and beating up on children.

Tell them that you are a mentee (who is open to all positive role models regardless of the organization) and to holla at the Alphas who advise your group if they have a question.

[JuniorAlpha2007]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Awww...no one should be jumping bad and beating up on children.

Tell them that you are a mentee (who is open to all positive role models regardless of the organization) and to holla at the Alphas who advise your group if they have a question.

Thank you. I just find it a little disheartening that I can't even be proud of what I am in. What is your opinion on the whole junior mentor groups having the image of the mentoring fraternity/sorority... Because the Alphas from Pi chapter, Delta Xi, and Delta Alpha Lambda chapter embrace us.. while other chapters like Epsilon Theta look at us with disgust...