Dynamics of Greek Life on campus

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by Coquiporvida

Well, I am not looking for the entire Greek community here to hold hands and sing coombya, that wont be happening any time soon. What I and others hope to achieve is a basic understanding of each other, which could potential build into an advantegous relationship. I hope that explains it.

Have this discussion placed on the agenda for the next Greek Office (however you all do the meetings where each GLO sends a rep) meeting. Then you all can discuss suggestions for how to foster more understanding and get more positive social and service interactions.

Like a few people have already said, unity across councils is about the same at most campuses that have more than one council. Even Greek Week at some campuses doesn't get equal participation across councils for reasons such as numbers and organizational protocol. Outside of Greek Week, organizations that do joint programs across councils are usually doing so because individuals get along very well. It often has less to do with Greek unity and more to do with people liking the social and service efforts of particular groups. Sometimes these are people who take classes together or live around each other--they get along and have extended this to certain aspects of Greekdom. I definitely have seen this happen with tiny NPHC sorority chapters and large IFC chapters.

[Coquiporvida]

Thanks for the suggestion. That actually sounds doable, I think I will try that.

[sjsoffer]

I feel like the OP is seeing a lot of ...stuff...here at good ole MSU that I'm just not seeing.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by sjsoffer

I feel like the OP is seeing a lot of ...stuff...here at good ole MSU that I'm just not seeing.

That's possible and that's why I recommended bringing this discussion to the next Greek council meeting. Those of who were unaware can be made aware and those who were aware can express their concerns.

What people see is often based on their frame of reference that shapes their reality and what they think is important. I know of campuses where the IFC and NPC Greeks thought everything was wonderful from where they were standing. They had no idea what the NPHC and other non-IFC/non-NPC Greeks were talking about when they expressed certain concerns and initiated these types of discussions.

[Kansas City]

Originally Posted by Coquiporvida

Well, I am not looking for the entire Greek community here to hold hands and sing coombya, that wont be happening any time soon. What I and others hope to achieve is a basic understanding of each other, which could potential build into an advantegous relationship. I hope that explains it.

Although your explanation is not as clear as I was hoping for, I can guess at what you are getting at. I would like to know what you want each group to understand about the other. For example, knowing how they conduct meetings, use for t-shirt vendors and where they are holding formals (all of those "internal operations") are not going to provide you with the depth that I believe that you are looking for and the rest is private "secret society" information that again, won’t give you what I think you are wanting.

As DSTCHAOS explained, you need to get involved with the Greek Life meetings and I would add Order of Omega. Only by making friends and contacts outside of your organization will you ever feel unity in the Greek system. But then you have to ask yourself why stop there and why not strive for unity among all student organizations at MSU regardless of Greek affiliation? Referring to sjsoffer's post, I wonder if maybe you are trying so hard to create an ideal situation (world peace) that you cannot sit back and appreciate the positives of the current situation.

[Coquiporvida]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

That's possible and that's why I recommended bringing this discussion to the next Greek council meeting. Those of who were unaware can be made aware and those who were aware can express their concerns.

What people see is often based on their frame of reference that shapes their reality and what they think is important. I know of campuses where the IFC and NPC Greeks thought everything was wonderful from where they were standing. They had no idea what the NPHC and other non-IFC/non-NPC Greeks were talking about when they expressed certain concerns and initiated these types of discussions.

I most definitely agree. I think that it is important, as DSTCHAOS suggested, to recommend the discussion. If there is a general consensus that there is "nothing to be seen", then we can continue to live our lives.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by Coquiporvida

I most definitely agree. I think that it is important, as DSTCHAOS suggested, to recommend the discussion. If there is a general consensus that there is "nothing to be seen", then we can continue to live our lives.

Don't give up just because of the "general consensus." You already said that you're outnumbered. Imagine what would happen if every small chapter at every college or university just gave up because no one else seemed to care.

If the general thinks there's nothing to see then you say "well we're telling you that there is" and be prepared to give them examples. Better examples than you typed in this thread. If you seem the least bit wishywashy or unable to explain then no one will bother. You and those who agree with you also need to be prepared to initiate the discussion of ways to educate the councils about each other and encourage people to choose to support each other, not for everything but for at least one program or event per semester.

And leave the "Greek unity" jargon at the door. It really is just a surface level concept that can be reduced to seeing each other at Greek Week. It also makes people cringe if they think the Greek Life office is going to force Greeks to hang out with each other.

[Coquiporvida]

Originally Posted by Kansas City

Although your explanation is not as clear as I was hoping for, I can guess at what you are getting at. I would like to know what you want each group to understand about the other. For example, knowing how they conduct meetings, use for t-shirt vendors and where they are holding formals (all of those "internal operations") are not going to provide you with the depth that I believe that you are looking for and the rest is private "secret society" information that again, won’t give you what I think you are wanting.

As DSTCHAOS explained, you need to get involved with the Greek Life meetings and I would add Order of Omega. Only by making friends and contacts outside of your organization will you ever feel unity in the Greek system. But then you have to ask yourself why stop there and why not strive for unity among all student organizations at MSU regardless of Greek affiliation? Referring to sjsoffer's post, I wonder if maybe you are trying so hard to create an ideal situation (world peace) that you cannot sit back and appreciate the positives of the current situation.

What I am wanting to get out of this has nothing to do with t-shirt vendors, and socials. And I am not naive to believe that well will all be singing in harmony and holding hands as a result. To start off with, I hope that as I have stated before, that an advantagous relationship can be started as a base, which can eventually build. I do realize that essentially Rome was not built in a day, I may not see this "relationship" come to be in my stint as a member of the Greek community, but what I can do is help to build a foundation for not necessarily unity amoung all Greeks, for now, but a co-hesiveness.

As far as this idea of "unity" amoung ALL organizations, that has actually beginning to be addressed. The Missouri State Unity Council was formed out of our SGA to address the same issues that have been seen in the Greek community. All student organizations (there are well over 250, including Greek Chapters) are welcome to be represented to address, discuss, and take initiative for action.

And there are indeed positives. We are moving towards positive progression. But I am sorry that I am not content to rest on my laurels.

[Kansas City]

Whoooo ... calm down!

I was merely wanting to get a more concrete goal out of you than create, "an advantagous relationship can be started as a base, which can eventually build." You have to admit that your mission statement is very broad without providing any goals. I simply want to know what is so wrong at MSU that you feel the need to solicit advice from this message board to solve the problems. All joking around by me about the wolrd peace ... I don't mean any harm, I just want some specific information as I am sure that you do too.

[Coquiporvida]

Originally Posted by Kansas City

Whoooo ... calm down!

I was merely wanting to get a more concrete goal out of you than create, "an advantagous relationship can be started as a base, which can eventually build." You have to admit that your mission statement is very broad without providing any goals. I simply want to know what is so wrong at MSU that you feel the need to solicit advice from this message board to solve the problems. All joking around by me about the wolrd peace ... I don't mean any harm, I just want some specific information as I am sure that you do too.

My issue with the Greek community (in my opinion) here at MSU, is that there is this disassociation and ignorance. And it is possibly that I could be content with that, if there werent hollow initiatives to "bring us all together" i.e. Greek Week, around this idea that we are all "united" in the fact that we are all Greek. Its a bit like trying to nurse a relationship that you know has not been the best to begin with, and yet any attempts to resolve any issues are tainted because there a big pink elephant in the middle of the room that no one is talking about......in the metaphorical sense of course.

[pbear19]

Originally Posted by Coquiporvida

My issue with the Greek community (in my opinion) here at MSU, is that there is this disassociation and ignorance. And it is possibly that I could be content with that, if there werent hollow initiatives to "bring us all together" i.e. Greek Week, around this idea that we are all "united" in the fact that we are all Greek. Its a bit like trying to nurse a relationship that you know has not been the best to begin with, and yet any attempts to resolve any issues are tainted because there a big pink elephant in the middle of the room that no one is talking about......in the metaphorical sense of course.

Ought this not be a topic better suited for keeping within the confines of your university? The above is rather strong language, and if I were on your campus and read it, it would put my back up to say the least. Putting people on the defensive isn't necessarily the best way to make forward progress, IMO...

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Coquiporvida

My issue with the Greek community (in my opinion) here at MSU, is that there is this disassociation and ignorance. And it is possibly that I could be content with that, if there werent hollow initiatives to "bring us all together" i.e. Greek Week, around this idea that we are all "united" in the fact that we are all Greek. Its a bit like trying to nurse a relationship that you know has not been the best to begin with, and yet any attempts to resolve any issues are tainted because there a big pink elephant in the middle of the room that no one is talking about......in the metaphorical sense of course.

Have you gone to your campus's IFC/Panhel and said "Greek Week is fun for y'all, since you've got big chapters, but it really sucks for us because we get lost in the shuffle and don't have enough people for a team"?

No one can know something's wrong if you don't tell them. And you seem like you're giving off an air of "well, the way we pick members is right, and yours is wrong" and no one is going to be down with that.

Do you know the other groups' philanthropies? Do any of them have the same philanthropy (or something similar) as you? If so, ask about doing an event together.

[Kansas City]

Thank you for the better example. I understand that you perceive a problem on some level that needs to be addressed but I would also like for you to consider that Greek Life at MSU has been around for a very long time and has, like any other organization, gone through its ups and downs. Is it at all possible that your perceived problem might clear itself up once classes start or with the dawn of a new routine? A lot of the internal problematic feelings within organizations (in this case the MSU Greek system) tend to clear themselves up over a break (summer, winter, etc.). I am not saying that any organization or group of organizations does not experience problems or that everybody should just learn to live a happy existence but that these problems tend to have a way of ebb and flowing in and out of existence. Please do whatever you think will assist you in bringing about the unity you desire (I’m still recommending Order of Omega and Greek Life meetings) but also be aware that this might just be a temporary down within the community that you are trying to change.

When it comes to competition bringing a community together, I would also suggest that perhaps you first start with the smaller chapters on the campus and form an “all Greek team”. This lets you get involved in the bigger events without your smaller numbers being an issue. When I was a collegiate member of a NPC sorority, our Greek Week committee created their own organization to compete against all of the other chapters. Team Theta (round symbol for unity?) was comprised of Greeks from different organizations working together as one. I’m sure that this would not bring about the unity you desire by itself but it might be a small step toward what you are trying to achieve. Also, this sets the smaller organizations up to serve as an example for all of the Greek organizations to follow.