NPHC BGLOers: Why Did you Join?

[Cloud5_DST]

I LOVE this topic!

My mother is a Delta, and I have two aunts that are AKAs. That was my exposure to Greek Life. However, I remember looking at my mother's pictures and whatnot at a very early age and asking "Mommy what is that? What does it mean?" And she said "It means a lot to me, and hopefully one day you will know."

By the time I got to high school, I had heard the small (and purely in jest) arguments my mom and my aunts would have; they would end in laughing and reminiscing, and, as an old soul, I ate up the stories about my family's experiences in college and with Greek Life. I had made up my mind that I wanted to be a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and nothing else. But other than sharing general experiences, my mother didn't try to influence me in any way. She wanted me to do the research that she had done (she became Greek before anyone else in my immediate family) and to make my own decision. I looked up to her so much that I couldn't picture being anything other than what she was. But I set off to do my research anyway.

Through my research and general observation, I became aware of all of the other orgs (although I didn't know about Sigma Gamma Rho or Iota Phi Theta until I was a freshman in college, lol, I was still oblivious). And I was so happy because through my research, I gained a deep respect for all of the orgs, but I also realized that my mother had made the best decision, for herself, and that I would be honored to be invited into the same sisterhood.

Ironically, most of my research was done on messageboards much like this one. I was subscribed to all of them, and I learned about all of the stereotypes as well as some of the issues that caused conflict within the Greek community. I learned how interests should act as well. All my mother ever told me was to be myself and not to tell them she is a Delta unless they asked, lol.

Sooo, that was a very long way of saying that my interest in Greek Life and specifically Delta Sigma Theta was accumulated over my lifetime, and finally achieved in the Spring of 2005. :-D

Looking back, I know my mother would have been temporarily (and maybe a little more than that, lol) devastated if I had chosen another organization, but if she knew I joined what was in my heart, she would have respected me nonetheless.

[L.O.C.K.]

too bad MB SP05 is WACK!!!

[Cloud5_DST]

Lol, Nate, this thread is about POSITIVITY! Take your negative energy away from here!

~J

[NinjaPoodle]

ttt I love this thread

[Mochababy_989]

hey elldawg- Unless theres a different BUS...I definitly know what school your talkin about

[rhoyaltempest]

okay here goes my story and I'm going to try and make it short although it's long. Before college I didn't really know too much about NPHC greeks other than the stereotypes portrayed in "School Daze." For some reason though, the stereotypes didn't phase me at all. I'm not one of those people who believes everything she sees and hears anyway...I have to find out for myself. So I never really thought that "School Daze" was realistic and the only NPHC org that I had even heard of in high school was Delta Sigma Theta and the way I found out about them is a hilarious story for another time. Anyway, I ended up going to a VERY predominately White university in upstate Pennsylvania and the only NPHC groups there were Kappa Alpha Psi and Phi Beta Sigma. There were no active NPHC sororities although there was one AKA that transferred from another school. Ironically though, even though the campus was small, the Black population was smaller, and greek life was damn near non-existent, we talked a lot about the NPHC orgs because Kappa Alpha Psi had the most members and a lot of Kappa Sweethearts. Anyway I ended up being "on court" (remember that term?) for my ex-boyfriend who was pledging Phi Beta Sigma. When he went over, I became very close to the members and they wanted myself and the other ladies who were on court to become Zetas. Even though there was no chapter of Zeta Phi Beta on the campus, they had ambitions to try and get a chapter chartered. Ironically, myself and the other ladies weren't really interested in being a part of any sorority at the time. Anyway, I ended up transferring to another predominately White university closer to my home with a much bigger Black population. They had all the NPHC orgs except for 2. I stayed in touch with the Sigmas from my previous school and since Zeta Phi Beta had a chapter at my new school, they encouraged me to check them out. I made no promises but told them that I would keep my eyes open. At this point I still hadn't made up my mind that I wanted to be greek. The first people I ran into at my new school was a girl that I went to high school with and another girl that I knew from the neighborhood I grew up in. They had become friends and I was glad to see them because I really didn't know anyone coming in as a sophomore. I also began working in the campus restaurant and became friends with a member of Sigma Gamma Rho who was a manager there. Ironically, my SGRho friend knew my friends. My SGRho friend invited us to a "Meet the Greeks" and we made our way around to every NPHC sorority table but spent the most time at the SGRho table. I remembered that I told my Phi Beta Sigma friends that I would check out their sorors so I did go over to the Zeta table but I found myself right back at the SGRho table shortly after. All the SGRho's were just friendly, cool, classy, and fly. And everybody liked them and had great things to say about them; greeks and non-greeks alike. They were also very visible with their programs and community service. I could see myself rolling with them and being able to just be myself (which was sooooo important to me). Before long they all became my friends and I was attending the rush.

As for my Phi Beta Sigma friends, they took the news about me wanting to be a Sigma Gamma Rho better than I thought and called to check on me all the time throughout my intake process and congratulated me when I became a member. They said they were happy if I was happy (yeah right!) but it was all good. Coincidentally our SGRho chapter was really close with the Sigmas at my new school so I became close to them also (It's a Sigma thang!). As for my friends from high school and the neighborhood, one of them became my ls and became a Sigma Gamma Rho with me and the other became my AKA sands. The end.

[Jody]

My father, in an effort to ensure I attened an HBCU, took me to visit several of his friend-women, that had attended HBCU's. What I noticed was all the AKA's had big houses, nice cars and good jobs.

It sounds shallow but I wanted the same thing!!!!

[BlueReign]

Originally Posted by NinjaPoodle

ttt I love this thread

I love it too! Funny, I was just thinking about this thread today and here it is!! Have you been getting some funny PM's lately? My response is always the same. It can be found on page 1 of this thread.

[Animate]

Two of my Brother cousins are Alphas. I had been pretty much "bred" to become an Alpha fof as long as I can remember. These guys are honestly more influential in my life than my own dad (not to take anything away from my father, he's always been there). I honestly wouldn't be the person I am if it were not for them.

See...thanks, everytime I tell any version of this story I get all misty faced.

[PhDiva]

I joined SGRho based on my interactions with members who were actually my employees. I was interim coordinator of Black Student Services at my school (grad school) and I had to interact with all the members of the D9. The SGRhos impressed me the most as being classy, intelligent and hard working. As someone who was well past my undergrad years by the time I made a firm decision to join a sorority, I wanted to be apart of something that aligned with my values...particularly that of education as the key to upward mobility and community uplift. I also liked the fact that SGRho members was exclusive without coming off as elitist. While there was no SGRho chapter at my undergrad university, I did have one very negative experience with a member of another NPHC org that honestly made me forego any thoughts of becoming Greek for almost 5 years until I met the SGRhos at my job who eventually came to embrace me as their sister.

[DSTCHAOS]

This thread still exists.

I think it was started for a specific purpose than ran its course over a year ago.

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

This thread still exists.

I think it was started for a specific purpose than ran its course over a year ago.

Now you know recycling is a good thing . WB

@PB your father is a Alpha and you knew nothing about BGLOs until you got to college? Shame on him.

[PrettyBoy]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

Now you know recycling is a good thing . WB

@PB your father is a Alpha and you knew nothing about BGLOs until you got to college? Shame on him.

LOL. ladygreek, you know the crazy thing about it is he would go to a lot of the meetings and I thought he was going to his Urban League meetings. Before college I thought his fraternity and the St. Paul Urban League were the same thing.

I would hear him and my brother talk about fraternities, but I was still in highschool and had no clue what they were talking about.

[IceColdAce06]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

Now you know recycling is a good thing . WB

@PB your father is a Alpha and you knew nothing about BGLOs until you got to college? Shame on him.

Hey LG and !