This may be a stupid question...

[kayfaith]

Originally Posted by Sen's Revenge

I think you're just not interested in NPHC sororities, and that's okay. But you can't really say you prefer one because they give you more information than the other.... that's kind of... I don't know, not really accurate. The information is there, it's just not presented in the same manner.

I think your families just tell you about the hazing because they know you wouldn't fit in an NPHC org -- and you know you wouldn't fit, either, and that's fine.

You're probably right about my family. I know that NPHC or not, greek organizations have that element of secrecy. I do not believe I'm entitled to excessive information. The five D9 members I know all seem so vague when I ask questions, though! It's not like I unleash my full petulant journalist potential on them either. My main question is always "how was your chapter involved in your campus?" or something about philanthropy, which I did not think was exclusive to one type of GLO.

Also the whole "they'll come to you" advice that I keep getting from family/ex-mentors is just, well, confusing.

[DubaiSis]

NOT that this is any guarantee, but you might pay attention to schools where there will be a new colony next year. Juniors and seniors are wanted in new chapters to balance out the membership. They also want women with excellent leadership cred.
Now, not all schools who could be expanding in 14/15 have decided to do so (in fact most haven't) but there are some schools who seem more ripe for expansion than others.

[UVA17]

Originally Posted by tld221

As for your second point, are you suggesting original poster present herself as more white than black at rush, re clothing/hair?

I'm saying she should act whichever way makes her feel most comfortable among the people she's meeting.

As far as "acting black" or "acting white", it's not really acting at all if someone actually is black and white. Just call me pepe le peu

[kayfaith]

That sounds like a great suggestion, DubaiSis! One (big 10) school that I keep coming back to as I list and relist seems like it might fall in that category so yay, potential.

UVA17 "pepe le peu"

EDIT: Would a school that re/colonized the year before fall under this category too? Or would there be no need to possibly balance after one year?

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by UVA17

I'm saying she should act whichever way makes her feel most comfortable among the people she's meeting.

As far as "acting black" or "acting white", it's not really acting at all if someone actually is black and white. Just call me pepe le peu

I don't want to completely derail this thread, but you saying all of this:

Originally Posted by UVA17

Like me, you probably learned to act one way around your white friends and family and another way around your black friends and family. We're chameleons, right? lol Depending on how I wear my makeup and hair and how I dress, I look like either a black girl without a decent bootie and good hair or a white girl with a dark tan so naturally I'll emphasize the latter aspect of how I look. I don't feel that I'm turning my back on my heritage because I'm 1/2 of each.

The bottom line is, if you feel comfortable with yourself the girls you meet during rush will pick up on that. So just be yourself, of whichever version of yourself you feel like being that day and have a good time

.. makes it sound like she should "act more white" because the majority of NPC members are white. And what "acting white" or "acting black" means, I don't know.

She should just be herself. The end.

[DubaiSis]

Originally Posted by kayfaith

EDIT: Would a school that re/colonized the year before fall under this category too? Or would there be no need to possibly balance after one year?

I couldn't say for sure, but I think that a very new chapter would be more open to older students than a very well established chapter would. Just to sort of put it in a nutshell, you don't want all of your members to graduate at the same time or you'll have trouble developing stability (socially and financially). So ideally, you'd pledge 25% freshmen, 25% sophomores, 25% juniors and 25% seniors. In reality it never happens this way. A colony would never announce their exact ratios (company secrets you might say), so it probably ends up 50% freshmen, 25% sophomores and 25% juniors and seniors, or maybe even more skewed than that. So if they colonized last year and you would have been a sophomore last year, you're in better shape than if you were a freshman last year. 2-3 years of treating a new chapter with kid gloves and lots of oversight is pretty common, especially for the very large chapters.

I think it's also fair to say that a colony puts even more emphasis on leadership than an established chapter because it's even more important to squeeze every bit of potential out of every last member. You can't coast or rest on your laurels until you have laurels to rest on.

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by kayfaith

You're probably right about my family. I know that NPHC or not, greek organizations have that element of secrecy. I do not believe I'm entitled to excessive information. The five D9 members I know all seem so vague when I ask questions, though! It's not like I unleash my full petulant journalist potential on them either. My main question is always "how was your chapter involved in your campus?" or something about philanthropy, which I did not think was exclusive to one type of GLO.

Some NPHC members have the idea about NPHC membership this way: "If you're in, then you know. If you're not in, then you don't need to know."

NPHC orgs are involved in philanthropy - we just call it by a different name, community service. That is probably why you are getting this look from your NPHC family members. Ask them about their community service projects. Or, better yet, look up the community service projects of the D9 orgs on their international websites.

That's another philosophy behind D9 membership - if you want to be a member you will do your own research to gain knowledge, and not ask anyone questions you should be able to figure out on your own.

Also the whole "they'll come to you" advice that I keep getting from family/ex-mentors is just, well, confusing.

Back in the day, early 1960's, when my mom was an undergrad, the DST chapter on her campus (Texas Southern Univ.) would invite a young lady to membership by tapping her on the shoulder. Up until the early 1990's, a person could not become a member of a D9 org, or 'pledge', until their sophomore year in school. So that meant the D9 chapter had a year to 'check you out', so to speak. If they liked what they saw, you were extended an invitation to membership, if they did not like what they saw, then you never got the invite.

For the most part, the way D9 orgs handle membership today is there are about 2 -3 open invitation information sessions. There you will leave your contact information. If the chapter is truly interested in you, then you will be invited to a closed (invitation only) information session. If the interest is still mutual, then you will be given the specific information for membership. Usually, at this point you are given information about dues and MIP (membership intake process).

I think the big difference you see between NPC and NPHC is how we handle our recruitment process.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

Some NPHC members have the idea about NPHC membership this way: "If you're in, then you know. If you're not in, then you don't need to know."

NPHC orgs are involved in philanthropy - we just call it by a different name, community service. That is probably why you are getting this look from your NPHC family members. Ask them about their community service projects. Or, better yet, look up the community service projects of the D9 orgs on their international websites.

That's another philosophy behind D9 membership - if you want to be a member you will do your own research to gain knowledge, and not ask anyone questions you should be able to figure out on your own.



Back in the day, early 1960's, when my mom was an undergrad, the DST chapter on her campus (Texas Southern Univ.) would invite a young lady to membership by tapping her on the shoulder. Up until the early 1990's, a person could not become a member of a D9 org, or 'pledge', until their sophomore year in school. So that meant the D9 chapter had a year to 'check you out', so to speak. If they liked what they saw, you were extended an invitation to membership, if they did not like what they saw, then you never got the invite.

For the most part, the way D9 orgs handle membership today is there are about 2 -3 open invitation information sessions. There you will leave your contact information. If the chapter is truly interested in you, then you will be invited to a closed (invitation only) information session. If the interest is still mutual, then you will be given the specific information for membership. Usually, at this point you are given information about dues and MIP (membership intake process).

I think the big difference you see between NPC and NPHC is how we handle our recruitment process.

Great explanation!

[kayfaith]

Thanks so much for that explanation, DubaiSis.

sigmadiva I agree with Titchou, that was really informative, so thank you as well. I kind of want to -facepalm- after that. I literally research everything, so it was probably really obtuse of me to not realize that I could check the national org websites.

[tld221]

I <3 Soror sigmadiva! And Sen and ASTalumna06 for saying what I was thinking.

Kayfaith: I'm sure the overarching theme you're getting from all of us across the Greek spectrum is: do you, whatever color/age/class standing you are.

(The advice on looking at schools that are colonizing is an interesting tidbit. Not that your know when an NPHC chapter was chartering on a new campus, but I wonder if you g women transfer to schools hoping they'll be part of a chartering line.)

[GammaGirl1908]

Chiming in to say that although I eventually decided to join an NPHC after college, I did consider joining an NPC during college (at a Big 10 school), and I had many friends of a range of races in NPC orgs while a student. So, I do have an inkling of your considerations. (I also am not biracial, but I was raised in a predominantly white atmosphere, so I know **exactly** what you mean with the acting white / acting black terminology, ungraceful though it may be. Sigh.)

Anyway, the point I wanted to emphasize is the one made upthread that if you are otherwise an excellent candidate, and yet your heritage -- or anything else about you -- is a problem, that means that organization is not your greek home. You don't WANT to be there if they don't want you there. Simple as that.

Whether you want to be there and whether they want you there is exactly what you'll discover while you're going through the process of choosing -- and being chosen by -- your organization. To me, deciding which org to join is not about NPC vs NPHC; after all, there are plenty of non-black members of NPHC orgs and there are plenty of non-white members of NPC orgs (and note that plenty of black people have no desire to be part of an NPHC, and plenty of white people have no desire to be part of an NPC). Instead, it's about finding the place where you really want to be, and that also really wants you to be there ... regardless of the makeup of the org OR your heritage.

Having both sides of that equation in balance is the most important factor.

Side note: Also, if I can give you a teeny piece of advice for life ... I really recommend avoiding starting sentences with "This may be a stupid question, but..." It ranks up there (down there?) with "No offense, but ..." and "Don't take this the wrong way, but..." Own your statement, or if it really IS offensive or stupid, rethink or rephrase it.

[tld221]

Originally Posted by GammaGirl1908

Side note: Also, if I can give you a teeny piece of advice for life ... I really recommend avoiding starting sentences with "This may be a stupid question, but..." It ranks up there (down there?) with "No offense, but ..." and "Don't take this the wrong way, but..." Own your statement, or if it really IS offensive or stupid, rethink or rephrase it.

Received similar advice from a professor: never disclaim your words (in reference to your writing). If you're bold enough to write/type it, own it.

[kayfaith]

Originally Posted by GammaGirl1908

Side note: Also, if I can give you a teeny piece of advice for life ... I really recommend avoiding starting sentences with "This may be a stupid question, but..." It ranks up there (down there?) with "No offense, but ..." and "Don't take this the wrong way, but..." Own your statement, or if it really IS offensive or stupid, rethink or rephrase it.

Definitely noted. Thank you.

The whole "be yourself" sentiment that everyone has offered so far is reassuring, too.