NPHC Secretiveness, Insularity, Etc.

[Siggy_lxvi]

Ok, thanks. You've answered a lot of my questions, and while I can completely understand the "keep it in the family" thing, I kinda have to disagree when it's already moved beyond the family, as in when it makes the news, or when a chapter is shut down.

Now, if I understood why people got so obsessed with stepping... It sounds like someone joining a HWGLO for the homecoming activities... *shrug*

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by Siggy_lxvi

Ok, thanks. You've answered a lot of my questions, and while I can completely understand the "keep it in the family" thing, I kinda have to disagree when it's already moved beyond the family, as in when it makes the news, or when a chapter is shut down.

Now, if I understood why people got so obsessed with stepping... It sounds like someone joining a HWGLO for the homecoming activities... *shrug*

And who exactly is "obsessed" with stepping?

[Siggy_lxvi]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

And who exactly is "obsessed" with stepping?

That was a joke. It just seemed like, a little while back, there was a glut of posts that had "stepping" in the title.

[DSTRen13]

Originally Posted by Siggy_lxvi

Now, if I understood why people got so obsessed with stepping... It sounds like someone joining a HWGLO for the homecoming activities... *shrug*

Now, if I understood why people got so obsessed with "Greek Week" ... It sounds like you're joining your org just so you can still have field day like in elementary school.

[neosoul]

membership has its priviledges...

[GoldnBlue2004]

Originally Posted by neosoul

membership has its priviledges...

I agree.

[12dn94dst]

I agree with Infamous and BlueReign. There was a point, in the before time, when we did discuss membership and, on the whole, information was given freely. What stopped it, as BlueReign mentioned, was the attitude of the aspirants and the development of internet guidelines. In that vein, it's a risk management issue.

[lovelyivy84]

Originally Posted by 12dn94dst

I agree with Infamous and BlueReign. There was a point, in the before time, when we did discuss membership and, on the whole, information was given freely. What stopped it, as BlueReign mentioned, was the attitude of the aspirants and the development of internet guidelines. In that vein, it's a risk management issue.

There's also a certain level of trust- after a certain amount of trollishness, dishonesty and plain ol LAZINESS on behalf of aspirants, people stopped wanting to hear it. You can't research your prospective org by emailing strangers on websites and expect great success, and folks weren't seeing a lot of effort beyond that.

Wise sisterfriends understand that and work with it- staying here to make friends and enjoy camaraderie that may evolve into a real connection, others get the reactions they deserve.

[kathykd2005]

The whole purpose of this thread is lost to me. All of our organizations are secretive, and all members of our organizations I'm sure, get defensive when there is negative press associated with the sisterhood or brotherhood that is near and dear to our hearts. That isn't weird--that just means that the people in the organization want to guard it from harm. Do we go around telling everyone how to get into our organizations? No. Is that odd? No. Only people within the organization should know everything about it.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by kathykd2005

The whole purpose of this thread is lost to me. All of our organizations are secretive, and all members of our organizations I'm sure, get defensive when there is negative press associated with the sisterhood or brotherhood that is near and dear to our hearts. That isn't weird--that just means that the people in the organization want to guard it from harm. Do we go around telling everyone how to get into our organizations? No. Is that odd? No. Only people within the organization should know everything about it.

Now that I can agree with.

[MeezDiscreet]

Originally Posted by ChildoftheHorn

Yeah, on my campus there is a small thing that is done by a few of the councils individually - but not a collective....not a place where a student could explore all of their options.

Why does it seem like such a strech for a lil' Greek unity too? - What council may be right for your friend, may not right for you.

One difference is that those interested in our organizations don't approach members with an "exploring my options" mindset. Interested members are encouraged and will find out about their organization of choice BEFORE ever approaching the respective org.

Also, when I was in school, I always had a problem with attempts at "Greek Unity" because that just meant that non-NPHC groups wanted us to step. No groups ever approached us about a service project or a campus event. Shoot, no one ever invited us to their parties either. But they would ask us to step for them or teach them how to step. It was a slap in the face because we're sooooo much more than stepping (although my chapter was known to bring the boot down everywhere we went. )

Originally Posted by Senusret I

You might think an NPHC org is cliquish because they are small and only like being around each other, but when you understand the history of NPHC organizations, that's sorta the point...especially on a white campus.

When you understand the WORK that goes into keep an active chapter of an NPHC organization going -- again, especially on a white campus -- maybe you will understand why NPHC orgs aren't taking the lead on all Greek events.

Child of the horn, didn't your sorority recolonize with like 120 people? Isn't the average NPHC org at your school one tenth of that size? Yet the NPHC orgs have the same responsibilities that you do, at least to the university. They can't be everywhere at all times, you know.

And this is for anybody who is having those feelings that they just wish the NPHC orgs would "come out and play" sometimes.

Isn't this the truth!!! My UG has a "Campus Activities" office where all of the registered organizations have mailboxes and will have a kiosk or an office Offices were awarded, after an application process, to organizations that, basically, did the most on campus. When I graduated, 6 of the 8 NPHC orgs had offices. What does that tell you?

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

To interject another perspective here - one of the things I valued about my sisterhood was the fact that I was NOT in a group where we were all the same. I had sisters of different races, majors, ages, interests, and I think it was a very good thing.

You find that within our organizations too--our organizations are a microcosm of the university so within one line you have people of different majors, ages, races and from different places. What is great is that all of these individuals have the same desire--to join a sister/brotherhood that works and is visible in our community. And let's be clear: that's not limited to Blacks. I have a Persian linesister.

Originally Posted by ChildoftheHorn

I actually believe that there is a genuine NEED for MGC and NPHC groups. They do a lot to help preserve and improve those issues facing their community. Without them, there would be silience about a lot of things. Also, it preserves the culture to which the organization associates itself with.

Believe me, if the MGC and NPHC were gone tommorrow, they would be missed and needed.

It isn't about race, its about culture and pride in that culture.

Who better to address the needs of a culture than those within it?

Plus, who would throw all the cool events they do w/o them?

I'm sure you're just being light-hearted here (at least I hope you are) but it illustrates the point I made earlier in this post.

Originally Posted by fantASTic

Harking back to my previous post in this thread...

This is EXACTLY what I mean. No, that's NOT joking. That is someone saying that her opinion doesn't count because she's newer in her sorority. Guess what? It doesn't work like that in the NPC. Yes, we listen to the older members and respect their decisions, but they also allow us the same respect. It goes both ways. Being young does not mean you're stupid.

No, it doesn't mean that a new member is stupid and isn't said to suggest so. For the same reason that parents don't allow their 1 year old to make all of the decisions in a family is the reason why new members are encouraged to gain some experience and insight into the sister/brotherhood before making a bunch of decisions and whatnot. When you have organizations with almost 100 years (and 100+ years in the case of Senusret), there is a lot to learn.

Originally Posted by fantASTic

Senusret I: I enjoy reading your posts quite a bit, and I think you often have something good to say, but your reply to my previous post was [I think] off the mark a little, yet at the same time exemplified what I was trying to convey. I shouldn't have to go talk to a Greek Life administrator to understand your group. You should be representing yourselves in a way that doesn't make people think of you in a negative light, or have to go off rumors or hearsay to get information. If it was more readily available, and the process was less secretive, you wouldn't have that. [I'm using the word 'you' in a broad sense here, by the way. Just meaning a variety of NPHC groups.]

* I like working with examples and metaphors. Please do enjoy!*

When you're out and about being your fantASTic way, and someone, based on their own ignorance of you, thinks negatively of you, would you bend to become the person they want you to be? And why should the information be any more available than it already is? Rumors and hearsay? We've been around for a long time and have withstood many a rumor. If we operated by what others say and think, we wouldn't have made it past 1906.

As it has been said many, many times on GC, our organizations are lifelong commitments. It's family. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't bring just anybody into my family because they looked at me and found me interesting. They would need to get to know me, we would have to spend time together, I would have to learn to trust them...see where I'm going? I'll end the metaphor there.

Originally Posted by kathykd2005

The whole purpose of this thread is lost to me. All of our organizations are secretive, and all members of our organizations I'm sure, get defensive when there is negative press associated with the sisterhood or brotherhood that is near and dear to our hearts. That isn't weird--that just means that the people in the organization want to guard it from harm. Do we go around telling everyone how to get into our organizations? No. Is that odd? No. Only people within the organization should know everything about it.

[ChildoftheHorn]

Originally Posted by MeezDiscreet

I'm sure you're just being light-hearted here (at least I hope you are) but it illustrates the point I made earlier in this post.

I was being light hearted here.

But I was also referening to the great...umm...student held...events....that may not be held on campus... *ah-em*

[fantASTic]

Originally Posted by MeezDiscreet

* I like working with examples and metaphors. Please do enjoy!*

When you're out and about being your fantASTic way, and someone, based on their own ignorance of you, thinks negatively of you, would you bend to become the person they want you to be? And why should the information be any more available than it already is? Rumors and hearsay? We've been around for a long time and have withstood many a rumor. If we operated by what others say and think, we wouldn't have made it past 1906.

I like your analogy. It's nice, and it does exemplify what I mean as well as what you do. No, I wouldn't become what they think I am. Instead, I would want to show them that I'm NOT like that. If we had a bad rep with another Greek org, I wouldn't want to just say, "Oh, who cares, they don't know us so they can just think bad about us." I would want to change their perceptions of us.

That whole post was really good, by the way. I enjoyed it

[AlexMack]

Originally Posted by DSTRen13

Now, if I understood why people got so obsessed with "Greek Week" ... It sounds like you're joining your org just so you can still have field day like in elementary school.

I did :P

Actually I never made it to greek week, my body was going up the creek and it was the week after initiation. Shame, if I'd been in prime shape I could have kicked some tail at the kickball tourney.