Opinions for big SEC school

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by agzg

I like to think that the organization who helps a myriad of women achieve undergraduate and graduate degrees, that helps sisters in need, and raises money for Diabetes research in addtion to enriching the lives of its members, the organization that I dedicate my heart, soul, time, and financial resources to, is more than "just a sorority."

Yes, it may take a back seat to my education (although it was and remains such an important part of it) and my family (although a whole mess of sisters supported me both emotionally and physically when my mom died), but I like to think it's about more than fun times and good memories.

This makes my heart sad.

So all members must have the same experience as a collegian/alum as you? Again, it is an individual experience. Please respect that. It's FINE for it to be what it is to you. To me it is always going to be behind my family, education, and career. There is nothing that will change that. I still pay dues, attend alum meetings and functions when I can, help with recruitment, and enjoy reunions. As I said, and I'll repeat it again, I never stated that it is nothing more than "fun times and good memories". Again, I stated that as a collegian I learned many things from being a member, and made many friends that I will (hopefully) always have. And again, I really enjoy the fact that thousands of women internationally share the same ritual I experience(d). I have a copy of the Purpose on my desk, because it's full of very admirable ideals and goals. It would be difficult to remain a member, pay alum dues, and show up to functions and reunions if I thought it was just "fun times and good memories". I'm sure that's true for just about every active alum. And again, I think it's important for new members to know that though many of us are very happy to be members of our organizations, it isn't the end of the world if they don't get a bid, or don't get one to their favorite house.

[agzg]

Originally Posted by Alumiyum

So all members must have the same experience as a collegian/alum as you? Again, it is an individual experience. Please respect that. It's FINE for it to be what it is to you. To me it is always going to be behind my family, education, and career. There is nothing that will change that. I still pay dues, attend alum meetings and functions when I can, help with recruitment, and enjoy reunions. As I said, and I'll repeat it again, I never stated that it is nothing more than "fun times and good memories". Again, I stated that as a collegian I learned many things from being a member, and made many friends that I will (hopefully) always have. And again, I really enjoy the fact that thousands of women internationally share the same ritual I experience(d). I have a copy of the Purpose on my desk, because it's full of very admirable ideals and goals. It would be difficult to remain a member, pay alum dues, and show up to functions and reunions if I thought it was just "fun times and good memories". I'm sure that's true for just about every active alum. And again, I think it's important for new members to know that though many of us are very happy to be members of our organizations, it isn't the end of the world if they don't get a bid, or don't get one to their favorite house.

I'm not getting into a pissing match with you.

That said, it's more than "just a sorority" and it should be. At the beginning, of course it's not the end of the world if a PNM does not recieve a bid or one to her favorite house.

And to have MY experience trivialized that way is offensive, because to me (and so many other members of GC and alumnae groups) it is so so so much more than "just a sorority."

ETA: I've continued thinking about this post and others in this thread. Instead of telling everyone that THEY need to respect YOUR view when you're so disrespectful of thiers. I'm a firm believer that sorority membership (in ANY sorority, in ANY council, at ANY school, from ANY "tier") affords a woman multiple opportunities to shape her own life, and her own future, and that carries WELL past the collegiate experience. I'm not saying it has to be first, but the line is blurred time and time again if you want it to be and I still can't get over how offensive it is to read that my own sorority experience (and that of so many thousands of other women) has been boiled down to "silly" "frivalous" or "trivial."

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by agzg

I'm not getting into a pissing match with you.

That said, it's more than "just a sorority" and it should be. At the beginning, of course it's not the end of the world if a PNM does not recieve a bid or one to her favorite house.

And to have MY experience trivialized that way is offensive, because to me (and so many other members of GC and alumnae groups) it is so so so much more than "just a sorority."

ETA: I've continued thinking about this post and others in this thread. Instead of telling everyone that THEY need to respect YOUR view when you're so disrespectful of thiers. I'm a firm believer that sorority membership (in ANY sorority, in ANY council, at ANY school, from ANY "tier") affords a woman multiple opportunities to shape her own life, and her own future, and that carries WELL past the collegiate experience. I'm not saying it has to be first, but the line is blurred time and time again if you want it to be and I still can't get over how offensive it is to read that my own sorority experience (and that of so many thousands of other women) has been boiled down to "silly" "frivalous" or "trivial."

If I start counting how many times I've repeated myself I'll end up with a number like 543950849654903.

There is no pissing match because you are responding to something that was never written in the first place. You are responding to one line of one post, and ignoring all of the others both before it and after it. It is very obvious that the line "It's just a sorority" does not mean that it is "frivolous" or "trivial".

Please frame your posts as separate musings, because while your post is eloquent and heartfelt it is in no way a response to mine. I have never once said a sorority, or a person's experience in a sorority, life, earth, etc. is silly or frivolous. I have in fact, many, many times now, said that a sorority experience is personal and have explained what mine meant to me. I have asked that that be respected. I have also explained many, many times that it was certainly not silly and I have even carefully listed the several ways in which I believe it helped me and the things I learned from being a member. You, I and every other member of a GLO has an individual experience as a member and I very firmly believe that should be respected. We are all different people with different experiences and that is ok. Instead of focusing on one line of my posts, please read all of the words that precede it.

No one in this thread has said one time that an organization itself is either silly or frivolous, nor have they implied it. No one here has attacked you or your organization. And no one here has implied that GLO's are not important to members, or that they are not useful to both members and individuals that the organizations help. Not once has anyone's experience in an organization been called "silly", "frivolous", or "trivial".

[Loyally Kappa]

Originally Posted by Alumiyum

If I start counting how many times I've repeated myself I'll end up with a number like 543950849654903.

There is no pissing match because you are responding to something that was never written in the first place. You are responding to one line of one post, and ignoring all of the others both before it and after it.

Can it, sistah. You "chose" to lift a single line from one of my posts and respond to it, so get over someone doing likewise to you.

Afterall, this is "just a chatroom" ... heheh!

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by Loyally Kappa

Can it, sistah. You "chose" to lift a single line from one of my posts and respond to it, so get over someone doing likewise to you.

Afterall, this is "just a chatroom" ... heheh!

However, I did not take your post out of context nor did I accuse you of saying things that you did not.

[Loyally Kappa]

Originally Posted by Alumiyum

However, I did not take your post out of context nor did I accuse you of saying things that you did not.

Oh. So you went back to check?

I could easily have accused you of doing so by taking your response out of context ... hmmm???

And if you really did go back to check, surely you noticed that I did not respond at all and just blew you off. Please respect ME for that.

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

You can probably start with how recruitment itself is frivolous and it's "just a sorority." Calling something "just" an anything potentially goes beyond your personal opinion and experience with it. By the way, GLO membership is not just an individual experience.

Once again, and again, and again, and again, there are many posts authored by myself that explain my experiences and why I think my organization and GLO's in general are both important and helfpul to their members. I absolutely have MY OWN, INDIVIDUAL experience with my organization. I share my ritual with thousands of other women, but what I learned from my chapter and the ways in which it effected my life are mine and my own. The same goes for you and all other Greeks. I absolutely do not have to think or feel exactly like every other member of my organization, nor do they have to have the same experiences and feelings as I when it comes to the letters we share.

Originally Posted by Kappamd

Please, it's been pointed out to you already. I couldn't say it any more eloquently than agzg did.

The only thing agzg has repeated that I actually typed is that I said it's "just a sorority". Were agzg to read any of the post other than that line, any of the posts before it, or any of the posts after it, she would understand that she has taken the line out of context and gotten worked up over something that never happened.

So, as you say, "keep it cute or put it on mute".

Originally Posted by Loyally Kappa

Oh. So you went back to check?

I could easily have accused you of doing so by taking your response out of context ... hmmm???

And if you really did go back to check, surely you noticed that I did not respond at all and just blew you off. Please respect ME for that.

I took nothing out of context.

I do not see how your lack of response to that particular post is relevant, as you have brought it up again yourself and made an issue of it.




---


Now, everyone can continue this if they'd like, but there is no argument here. I agree that sororities and fraternities are helpful to members and individuals that they help. I agree that they are important to most of the members, and I have never once said anyone else is supposed to share my experiences. This entire fit is in response to one line, taken out of context, and is based on an argument with something that no one in this thread, including myself, actually appears to believe. As I have said so many times now, I very much love my organization, but it is a sorority. I fulfill all my duties as an alum and as a collegian I tried to always at least meet the minimum but reach the maximum when it came to participation. I have never once in my life considered it "silly", and had I done so I surely wouldn't have invested so much time in it, so much money, etc. I do find recruitment "frivolous" and "silly" and do not care if someone does not agree. That's FINE. I do truly believe it to be a silly process. No, I can't think of a better way to do it. But it is akin to speed dating and though sometimes we find amazing matches that way, we are also forced to make hurried judgments based on just the very outer surface of a person. Their resume, their looks, their first impressions.



My sorority does not come before my family, my education, and my career. And that is ok. If someone else puts it anywhere else in that list...first, second, third, fifth...that is ok. It doesn't cheapen or elevate any other member's experience. And again, in terms of "it's just a sorority"...as I've said before...PNM's in no way need to think it is the end of the world if they don't join one for whatever reason, or if they don't join the one they thought they wanted the most. There are, obviously, many organizations outside of the Greek world that can also be fulfilling AND fun.

[agzg]

Originally Posted by Alumiyum

If I start counting how many times I've repeated myself I'll end up with a number like 543950849654903.

There is no pissing match because you are responding to something that was never written in the first place. You are responding to one line of one post, and ignoring all of the others both before it and after it. It is very obvious that the line "It's just a sorority" does not mean that it is "frivolous" or "trivial".

Please frame your posts as separate musings, because while your post is eloquent and heartfelt it is in no way a response to mine. I have never once said a sorority, or a person's experience in a sorority, life, earth, etc. is silly or frivolous. I have in fact, many, many times now, said that a sorority experience is personal and have explained what mine meant to me. I have asked that that be respected. I have also explained many, many times that it was certainly not silly and I have even carefully listed the several ways in which I believe it helped me and the things I learned from being a member. You, I and every other member of a GLO has an individual experience as a member and I very firmly believe that should be respected. We are all different people with different experiences and that is ok. Instead of focusing on one line of my posts, please read all of the words that precede it.

No one in this thread has said one time that an organization itself is either silly or frivolous, nor have they implied it. No one here has attacked you or your organization. And no one here has implied that GLO's are not important to members, or that they are not useful to both members and individuals that the organizations help. Not once has anyone's experience in an organization been called "silly", "frivolous", or "trivial".

We can take this to PM if you like, I am not having this discussion with you for public viewing anymore.

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by agzg

We can take this to PM if you like, I am not having this discussion with you for public viewing anymore.

Please do not.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Alumiyum

I have the right to ask that we do not speak via PM. I am weary from the bullying, rudeness, and will not be taking more of it. Have a nice night.

LOL. It's just following the frivolous and silly theme of recruitment.

[NUBlue&Blue]

Wow, this is just exactly like talking to my 18 year old son. My husband usually gets in the middle of it and says "knock it off, both of you". Or should we say all of you.

I rarely come here anymore and this is why. In fact I have so many people on ignore, sometimes it's hard to follow the conversation.