Sorority suspended for "Indian Party."

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

And Drole - I think the thread has gone fairly far afield from the original discussion of the ND incident. My stating my problem with ANYONE'S cultural/religious holidays or observances being co-opted as an excuse to get drunk is certainly not an attempt to excuse a chapter's ill-advised actions. It is a typical GC digression - I did want to point out that many times if it's not your ox being gored you will excuse behaviors that you yourself indulge in. I realize that because I'm a Gamma Phi you might think that I am somehow seeking to justify the ND chapter's actions - but I haven't. I think the statement from HQ is perfectly succinct and to the point.
I'd like to think you "know" me well enough, Drole, to know that I wouldn't support any activity, even by my sisters, that was insulting to anyone or any group. I find it interesting that you basically have said I have no right to be upset at the degradation of Mardi Gras because I come from a small, yet ancient, religious tradition. You've essentially negated my point of view, going so far as to lecture me about ecclesiastical history. I would argue that you shouldn't have to justify your beliefs in order to have them respected.

No, I made a non-serious comment that only the original celebrants of something should get to be offended by its misuse. I also stated the level of "offense" that I think is reasonable - one where a tradition or people is being actively mocked. I did not get the impression from you, nor do I believe I suggested, that you were truly defending this chapter. Though it is a digression it was started as a off-handed "well lots of things are offensive" that minimized the original incident. Besides I originally joined this thread for the lulz.

T

he funny thing is that this all started because someone didn't think that NPC sororities are multi-cultural, and who went so far as to tell me that I was wrong to state that they were. Here is where I am drawing the definition of multi-cultural (Merriam-Webster)
Main Entry:
multi- Function: combining form Etymology: Latin, from multus much, many — more at meliorate
1 a: many : multiple : much <multivalent> b: more than two <multilateral> c: more than one <multiparous> <multibillion>

AND


Main Entry: cul·tur·al Pronunciation: \ˈkəlch-rəl, ˈkəl-chə-\ Function: adjective Date: circa 1864 1 : of or relating to culture or culturing

Using this definition, all NPC groups are indeed multi-cultural, as they all contain members from many different cultural backgrounds. I realize that GLOs who define themselves as multi-cultural chose to parse the word differently. That does not, in my estimation, mean that the dictionary meaning is incorrect. Different, yes, but not incorrect. It seems to me that there is actually a fair amount of misunderstanding and negativity that has derived from the newer, group-specific definition.

They are multicultural without a multicultural focus. I think that everyone on here, including "someone" knows that. Representing ourselves as "multicultural sororities" when the common use of the term is something else is not a good idea.

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Perhaps not so much a service, but confession. The English name "Shrove Tuesday" (rather than "Fat Tuesday") hearkens back and refers to the pre-Reformation English tradition of going to confession (being shriven) on the Monday and Tuesday prior to Ash Wednesday. So at least etymologically, the English name carries a religious connotation that Mardi Gras or Carnival do not.

And I know you know where the Angican Church comes from , but I note that SWTXBelle referred to her Anglican experience as "high church." I do wonder if she is using "high church" as meaning "Anglo-Catholic" -- sometimes it means Anglo-Catholic and sometimes it doesn't. But one of the particulars of the Anglo-Catholic movement was to seek to return to a pre-Reformation English Christianity/catholicism, sans the pope as Vicar of Christ (primer inter pares as Bishop of Rome, yes; pope, no) and other "Roman abuses," of course. With such a perspective, Shrove Tuesday as a day of religious observance would make sense.

Just saying.

And everything I found suggested an English/Anglican tradition on Shrove Tuesday too I replied since Catholics were mentioned specifically and Anglicans were not.

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

T
They are multicultural without a multicultural focus. I think that everyone on here, including "someone" knows that. Representing ourselves as "multicultural sororities" when the common use of the term is something else is not a good idea.

All I'd add is that we obviously disagree on what is "common" - the average person is more likely, imho, to define "multi-cultural" as Merriam-Webster does, and not as the relatively small percentage of Greeks who define themselves as multi-cultural do. In fact, even here on GC there seems to be a divide, with many NPC/IFC members using the M-W definition, while HBGLO/MCGLO use the newer, less-familiar definition which actually seems to be more describtive of focus, as you pointed out, then membership. NPCs have been criticized in the past because of a lack of multi-cultural members - and so it can look like a criticism when they are told they are not multi-cultural.
But the problem there is using a modifer (multi-cultural) by itself - without specifying whether it is a reference to members or focus. A lot of grief could be avoided, I think, if that were clear.

We need a lolcat ASAP. I'm all for the laughs, too.