I wasn't going to do this, but ...

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by gtdxeric

You might try googling it.

North Avenue Trade School always makes me laugh.

[violetpretty]

Wait, is fried cheesecake an actual food?

[DSTRen13]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

Wait, is fried cheesecake an actual food?

Voila. Fried cheesecake. (It's definitely the best dessert to get at Longhorn's.)

[DSTRen13]

The next semester, while I was president of the school’s AIESEC chapter, one of the AIESEC members was president of the school’s Omega Phi Alpha chapter, and encouraged me to attend Rush after I commented on needing more female company (I lived on a predominantly male hall at a predominately male school). Rush was a one-night event, and I couldn’t make it (AIESEC again). She arranged for me to meet with a group of sisters for dinner instead, and, since she was cool (and she was the president, so that was a good sign, right?), I went. The girls at dinner were great and encouraging, but not pushy. After talking with them and learning some more about the org, I decided to pledge – I liked the idea of a service sorority (a clear-cut purpose that I could understand no problem) and I liked the sisters (a really laid-back, diverse group of women that were easy to talk to) – and no house, so no scary floral print! Being a part of OPhiA opened my eyes a bit to exactly what some of that “weird, Greek stuff” I hadn’t understood before was all about.

Fast forward to the next year. Walking through the Student Center of North Avenue Trade School, I happened to glance at a display case (like a store window display) featuring a sorority I had never heard of before, “Cookie”. The motto and other aims of the sorority really stood out to me, and I stopped and looked at the display for a minute. Realizing I was blocking traffic, I wrote down the letters and went about my way. Later, I looked up the organization online. I began to get excited about Cookie – I didn’t know that there were social sororities like this! I realized once I began looking at websites that Cookie was a black sorority. I had heard of black sororities, sort of – I knew that one of my favorite professors was a member of one – but I had never known any details about them before. I also had no idea if, being white, it would be acceptable for me to even to seek membership. Looking up information on the chapter of Cookie at my school, I discovered that the campus advisor was none other than my boss at one of my on-campus jobs, whom I adored. I hoped that she wouldn’t mind if I asked her about her sorority …

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by DSTRen13

I also had no idea if, being white, it would be acceptable for me to even to seek membership.

You're white; KSUViolet is black. Up is down; right is left.

(I'm totally kidding and I know that none of the groups are really racially exclusive, but it's kind of cool to be reminded with real life examples, and I'll admit that both were kind of a fun surprise to me. I wasn't even aware I was making racial assumptions, but when races were revealed, I realized that I had been.)

[amanda6035]

Originally Posted by DSTRen13

I also had no idea if, being white, it would be acceptable for me to even to seek membership.

I had a friend who once told me that while she was in college in Chicago, at a predominately black school (she's white) she started the process of joining an NPHC sorority. She told me this story while I was pledging Alpha Xi Delta, so at the time, I didn't know just how different the NPHC process was. Anyway, she told me she was 2 weeks out from initiation, and she heard one of the sisters make a comment about "I cant believe we're going to initiate a white girl..." My friend dropped out of the process and didnt look back.

Like I said - when she told me this story, I didnt know the differences between the processes of NPC and NPHC and it broke my heart to hear this. After learning that the process is completely different....I wonder if my friend's story was true or not....

*edit* To clarify - the reason I wondered if her story was true is based on the 'process' itself - not the fact that an NPHC would take a non-black member. I STILL dont know that much about the NPHC process, but from what I gather, it's not exactly a new member period and then initiation the way NPC is. My friend made it sound like the NPC process.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by DSTRen13

Voila. Fried cheesecake. (It's definitely the best dessert to get at Longhorn's.)

Ummmm, because it needed to be even more caloric.

Really though, what isn't improved by being deep fried? And isn't the only downside to regular cheesecake the texture? Now, it's crispy on the outside.

[Soliloquy]

Everything is fried in the south. I have never seen so many various fried items before until I moved here...

Fried Twinkies? Fried Oreos? yep.. got 'em...

Lookin' forward to more of the story!

[irishpipes]

That picture looks like half of a grapefruit to me. I would have never some up with cheesecake!

[CrimsonTide4]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

I've never had fried cheesecake.....anyway, goooooo Ren!

Me either! I think there is a Longhorn near my apt.

Cool story -- enjoying hearing your journey.

[AlwaysSAI]

First of all, cheesecake............EW!

And, Ren, I'm going to PM you.

[ufpiphi]

I was just in that wonderful city your alma mater is in. Love it more each time I go.
Can't wait for more updates!

[tld221]

fried cheesecake dont even sound right. i dont even like it when its lukewarm - GTFOOHWTBS. i need it to be cool/cold. and preferrably with strawberries.

but what does sound right is this retro thread - i'm so excited! Ren, we want more! and we want to know about the other "pastries" on your campus! (well i do!)

[DSTRen13]

Starting with my boss the campus advisor, I wound up talking with few people about Cookie, including one of my supervisors at my other on-campus job, whom I also discovered was a Cookie (!). I got a lot of great advice (and important words of caution), and everyone emphasized that in addition to continuing to research Cookie, I also needed to research the other three NPHC sororities, as well as the NPHC itself and the history of BGLOs. I began to do so.

So the four NPHC sororities will be called (in the order of their charters on the campus of North Avenue Trade School): Cookie, Cotton Candy, Cupcake, and Cobbler.

I was already drawn to Cookie. Cookies are, after all, a wonderful dessert – classic, resilient, and of course, very good. What I had read about the organization so far really appealed to me, and that two terrific women I worked with and respected were members added a lot to that. The more I read, the more events I attended, and the more members I spoke to on campus, the more I kept finding out new pieces of information about Cookie that were exciting and surprising to me – the sorority really lined up with my own values more than I had thought an organization could. I was worried, however – I didn’t know any of the Cookies on campus, and getting to know them was hard. I couldn’t tell how they felt about me.

Two good friends of mine were members of Cotton Candy and Cupcake. I knew right off that Cotton Candy was just not for me. The ultra-sweet treat, like that floral-patterned sorority house from my senior year of HS, gave me a bad and girly vibe. I learned enough to respect the org (and even learned that Cotton Candy was the sorority that my favorite professor was a member of), but the colors, the attitude, the whole atmosphere associated with Cotton Candy was just not my cup of tea.

Cupcake I liked a lot. I had a lot of respect for my friend who was a member, who was the only active Cupcake on campus at the time. She worked hard and really repped hard for her org. I went to one Cupcake event and met some alumnae members who also gave me a good impression of the sorority. I also really liked their national website (yes, I am a geek and things like this impress me). However, there were a few things that nagged at me about Cupcake, and the org never quite gave me the same feeling as Cookie did. Cupcakes are delicious, but always leave you wondering about the rest of the cake.

Cobbler did not have a regular chapter on my campus, but looking at their website they did seem to have things together. I was also on GC by this point and was very impressed by the enthusiasm the Cobbler members always seemed to have in droves – I had never met any Cobblers IRL, but these ladies put a very good face on the org. Still, nothing was deterring me from Cookie. Cobbler, while certainly good and a nice dessert, just wasn’t what I was looking for – I rarely ever even see a cobbler, much less try any (you just don’t know what’s in there).

All of my research and experiences were leading me to continue pursuing Cookie, which I did. I attended events, got to know the chapter members, and kept on with my research and getting everything together, hoping for the sorority to have Intake so that I could apply …

[Senusret I]

Did you ever find yourself having to "explain" to Cookie and the others exactly what OPA was and that it didn't conflict with the pursuit?

It wasn't a big issue for me as my LB was a Pershing Rifle and I of course am in APO.... brothers knew, but they were more knowledgeable than I expected.