Simple questions about Greek Life that annoy you?

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

ADP, for adenosine diphosphate? Would they say ADP in context? Tell them to say ADPhi, because phosphate doesn't make a P sound.

While taking organic chem, I would always think of Pike and KA whenever we would talk about "KA" or "pKA". Or in thermodynamics, Delta G, the free energy change.

Usually the guys saying ADP are the type who wouldn't know Pi from Pee, if you'll pardon the expression. And they'll get just about that far in life, too.

[DSTRen13]

This wasn't annoying so much as bizarre ... I'd been working with this man (an African American man who aside from this incident was very intelligent) for weeks and one day he noticed my Delta keychain. He looks at me and asks me, in all seriousness: "Hey, you're black?"

The most annoying question I get asked a LOT is "Why didn't you join a white sorority?" I don't mind if Sorors ask me those sorts of questions; I expect that. But when someone (especially a member of an NPC group) asks me a question phrased like that, it really irks me - I wouldn't go up to them and ask them why they didn't choose my Sorority; it's rude. I also hate the insinuation that my decision must have somehow been a race thing. Like I joined Delta to insult white people everywhere or something.

[icicle22]

Originally Posted by DSTRen13

This wasn't annoying so much as bizarre ... I'd been working with this man (an African American man who aside from this incident was very intelligent) for weeks and one day he noticed my Delta keychain. He looks at me and asks me, in all seriousness: "Hey, you're black?"

The most annoying question I get asked a LOT is "Why didn't you join a white sorority?" I don't mind if Sorors ask me those sorts of questions; I expect that. But when someone (especially a member of an NPC group) asks me a question phrased like that, it really irks me - I wouldn't go up to them and ask them why they didn't choose my Sorority; it's rude. I also hate the insinuation that my decision must have somehow been a race thing. Like I joined Delta to insult white people everywhere or something.

Actually, that's pretty cool...I didn't know that white people (no offense) were allowed to join historically black GLOs.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by DSTRen13

This wasn't annoying so much as bizarre ... I'd been working with this man (an African American man who aside from this incident was very intelligent) for weeks and one day he noticed my Delta keychain. He looks at me and asks me, in all seriousness: "Hey, you're black?"

The most annoying question I get asked a LOT is "Why didn't you join a white sorority?" I don't mind if Sorors ask me those sorts of questions; I expect that. But when someone (especially a member of an NPC group) asks me a question phrased like that, it really irks me - I wouldn't go up to them and ask them why they didn't choose my Sorority; it's rude. I also hate the insinuation that my decision must have somehow been a race thing. Like I joined Delta to insult white people everywhere or something.

I understand why you get both questions. We like to categorize and presume things by race and adding "predominantly (insert race)" organizations helps us to do that. It is annoying that people can be judged as "self-hating" if they join a predominently (insert racial category) group.

This is a general comment and not in response to your post:
One thing that annoys me is when nonblacks join a historically black org and say that race wasn't a factor. They often say that to be safe, which I understand because words and intentions get misconstrued. Race may not have been a factor in an insulting or stereotypical manner. But it should've been a factor given our rich histories and the communities that our philanthropy targets more often than not.

[PhrozenGod01]

Originally Posted by honeychile

the type who wouldn't know Pi from Pee, if you'll pardon the expression.

While I don't really hate too many questions asked (most of them at least), it always annoys me when people pronounce Alpha Phi Alpha, "Alpha 'Phee' Alpha". I could see if some reclusive Alpha Phi said it once or something, but when a professional announcer butchers it, after they've been told the correct pronunciation, just makes me shake my head. It happened during a homecoming parade a couple years back.

[Phrozen1ne]

Originally Posted by PhrozenGod01

While I don't really hate too many questions asked (most of them at least), it always annoys me when people pronounce Alpha Phi Alpha, "Alpha 'Phee' Alpha". I could see if some reclusive Alpha Phi said it once or something, but when a professional announcer butchers it, after they've been told the correct pronunciation, just makes me shake my head. It happened during a homecoming parade a couple years back.

Actually there is more than one way to pronounce a couple of letters in the Greek Alphabet, Phi being one of them, Xi another. Still if he was already informed how we pronounce it and still butchered it than