Interaction

[Betarulz!]

At Nebraska, Kappa Alpha Psi is the largest male NPHC group, and also the one with the most undergraduate members. They tend to be more involved with the rest of the greek community than the other chapters, even co-sposonring AXiD's Kareoke Kraze this past year.

Alpha Phi Alpha did sign up to be a part of Homecoming and was assigned to our Triad along with DG, but despite many calls and efforts on our parts the brothers never showed up to anything or returned phone calls. Both us and DG were kinda looking forward to working with them too, but it didn't really matter as we still won Homecoming.

[Not a Mezzo]

Oh, man, Greek Week at UNCG...Alpha Phi Alpha showed themselves as the classy Greek gents they are! And everybody loved them. I remember, during the banner competition when everyone was doing their cheers, and AKA stood up and did a step routine. The place went silent, then erupted as the sisters finished.

These organizations brought a great aspect to Greek Week, and I just hope it continues. Numbers are a problem with us, too--I think Zeta Phi Beta only has a few active girls, for example, compared with 60 in the NPC's--but man, the people who showed up truly represented themselves as members of fine organizations with a lot to offer. I think the experience this year was really good all around. Hopefully it'll encourage even more interaction next year.

[PiEp299]

At my alma mater interaction was decent, but size did influence some things. The NPHC orgs were too small to play intramurals individually, they had to play as part of the Black Students Association. Some of the reason interaction wasn't that great was because most of the NPHC orgs are just a few years old on campus and people are just warming up to them.
Just this past year my fraternity had a step show with Phi Beta Sigma in the quad at school, where everyone goes, during lunch.
Talk about a shitload of fun.

[absolutuscchick]

Originally posted by sugar and spice
I think the different sizes are an issue because it would be unlikely for my sorority to have a sucessful mixer with the Alpha Phi Alphas at our school, for example, if we have 90-100 members and they have 10-15. I think lack of interest is an issue at many schools (on both sides), but lack of tradition is also an important one. Many schools just don't have a tradition of NPHC/NPC & NIC groups intermingling and would be hesitant to suggest it for that reason -- what if the other groups are not interested in hanging out with them, what if they don't get along, etc.? Many groups prefer to stick to hanging out with the groups they're used to, be they NPHC, NIC or NPC.

As for Greek Week and similar activities, it really all depends on the school -- there are some schools where Greek Week is legitimately considered an all-Greek activity and others where it is only NIC & NPC. I honestly couldn't tell you if, at our school, the NPHC groups chose not to participate or if they were just not invited.

One way to tackle this problem is to have a mixer with more than one NPHC chapter. This would help equalize the numbers. Also, I know in my experience trying to plan sister sorority events in panhellenic (I was in a local chapter with ~30 members), the smaller chapter often has a larger percentage attending than the larger chapter (not because the smaller chapter is any better, its just that its easier to get 15-20 girls/30 than it is to get 75-100 girls/150), so the disparity is not always as great!!

[enlightenment06]

As stated earlier, size is a problem cuz there isn't much balance. For example, there are only about 10 people on campus between all the NPHC/NALFO groups here, which form the Multicultural Greek Council.

Another barrier is people not being interested in something else other than their own backyard and then blame other people for it. For example, the NPHC/NALFO members here don't really care to get involved with IFC and Panhel stuff, but then get mad when we aren't invited to Greek Week (we're left out EVERY year). On the flipside IFC and Panhel members don't interact with us because they say they don't understand us, but then don't ask.

That's why I love GC, to get my education

[sairose]

On my campus, there is *some* interaction.

For instance, I know that the Panhel sororities teamed up with the NPHC groups and did a step show. I believe the Alpha Gams did theirs with Phi Beta Sigma, for instance.

Also, the Pikes sometimes have brotherhood events with Omega Psi Phi. And they're always at the Pike parties.

But as far as mixed races in the groups...you just don't see it. ATO has a few African Americans, or did last time I heard...and I'm proud to say that the music Greeks here(SAI, Phi Mu Alpha, TBS) are ALL diverse, with mixed races, etc.

In short, I see some interaction, but I think it could still improve.

[sigtau305]

The Interaction Between NIC, NPC, and NPHC has been very good at CSU. The Alphas, Kappas, Zetas, and SGRho has contributed mightly to Greek Week and Greek Fest by Sponsoring some games. Plus, they have a Alumni represenative from each of their Alumni Chapters help give a All-Greek Seminar on Rush during Greek Fest with Alumni Members from NIC and NPC. Both events was successful.

[BSUPhiSig'92]

In my opinion, we have quite a bit more interaction between the NIC,NPC,and NPHC groups at SIUE than at most other campuses, certainly more than when I was at Ball State! One thing that helps here is that we have an All-Greek council that everyone sits on. It sponsors our Ebony & Ivory Stepshow each year, and that is something that brings all of our groups together. Also several of our groups work with the same philanthropies (March of Dimes is one that comes to mind), so that helps also. The NPC groups have even had mixers, potlucks, and things like that with NPHC fraternities and sororities. I think it also kind of helps that our Greek community is only 4% of the student body and about 400 students. It makes it easy to get to know people in all of the chapters.

[ChaosDST]

Originally posted by 12dn94dst
To throw another view out there, why is the size of the chapter used are the reason why there's not interaction? Why not a genuine lack of interest? To those saying the NPHC groups didn't particiate in Greek Week, did you or any of your chapter members participate in any activities the NPHC groups sponsored?

I agree, Soror.

1. I observed a general lack of respect for BGLO traditions (on the part of the administration and the PWI student population). There are some differences between NPHC, NPC, and IFC "traditions." When I was an undergrad, we were told "get over it and participate...even when it violates your protocol."
They can kiss my ass on that.

But, we absolutely had FUN with the NPC and IFC orgs. when we DID participate in some things. Our chapter size was always less than 10 Sorors, so we couldn't participate in most things.

2. My chapter was tight with quite a few NPC and IFC sororities and fraternities (we loved Sigma Chi, Kappa Alpha, and Pi Beta Phi, especially...4 years after graduating, I still love ya'll). These were organizations that supported our events and vice versa. But, we would not have been close to them if there had not been a general respect for eachother's traditions, etc.

There was racial tension on our PWI campus, but we were really close to these sorority and fraternity members AS INDIVIDUALS. Once we established basic human respect and love...we just extended that respect and love to our organizational affiliations and started supporting each others' events.

[ChaosDST]

Originally posted by Sistermadly
Maybe at schools where the NPHC system is really small, it's hard for the D9 to get Greek Week intramural sports teams together.

That was the problem we had. To get a team together, we would have to get EVERY SINGLE SOROR from my chapter. A team of 6 was my whole chapter

[ChaosDST]

Originally posted by Tom Earp
Sorry to say, and has a been a long time since I was on campus, there was no overall interation amongst the NHPC/IFC/NPC Greek Orgs.

A friend of Mine in School was a Brother of APA and would sit at the BX table with us while some of his Brothers were upset with him! I thought it was was great that he would come over and sit with us or me. If he invited me over to their table, I was not made to feekl wekcome!

In the Major Colleges, the NHPC Chapters are small or non-existant. Therefore do not want to try to participate in what ever with WGLOS as feel uncomfortable.


My question is, whose fault is it???

There's nothing wrong with his frat brothers being upset with him. As childish as it may seem, most organizations maintain organization-only tables. What's MOST important is your interaction outside of the dining hall. If these organizations shrugged eachother off around campus, there's no need to be fake and smile up in eachother's faces in the dining hall. If you eased the general tension between you all, MAYBE you all would have felt more welcome sitting with one another

[ChaosDST]

Originally posted by 12dn94dst
ok, i can understand small numbers affecting intramural teams or collaborations for greek week events. maybe it's my "narrow" view of greek life, but those can't be the only opportunities for interaction.

PWIs tend to be very segregated, just like AmeriKKKa, in general. So, whites are most likely to mingle with other whites. Blacks and Latinos are most likely to mingle with other blacks and Latinos.

People have to get out of their comfort zone and extend themselves to others. Organizationally, this usually occurs on sports teams because, other than those, NPHC, IFC, and NPC tend to participate in very different types of programs and activities. But, individuals within these organizations need to foster these bonds and contacts. The rest of their fraternity and sorority brothers will, hopefully, follow suit.

[James]

Well it depends. Its a matter of who is going to whose programming.

IFc and NPC prgramming is designed to fit their chapter structure and their mission. The missions are mostly social.

So the events are patterned for large chapter sizes with a heavy emphasis on Social programming.

Its already in place. Generally NPHC groups are welcome to participate in that preexisting programming pattern. Regardless of whether it fits their chapter sizes or mission.

Of course programs designed for both sets of groups work better.

Originally posted by 12dn94dst
ok, i can understand small numbers affecting intramural teams or collaborations for greek week events. maybe it's my "narrow" view of greek life, but those can't be the only opportunities for interaction.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Many of my sisters and I were friends with NPHC members. We supported our NPHC friends, and they supported us.

When we had Greek Olympics, the teams were made up of an IFC, NPC, and NPHC org. It was only one week, but it was a good way to get to know each other.

I think that I personally knew many NPHC members because my freshman Resident Director was a Kappa Alpha Psi alumnus and was very involved with his fraternity. They lived and hung out in my dorm so I got to know most of the brothers. My sophomore and junior years I served on IGC and met the reps from all the sororities and fraternities on campus. I was the social coordinator/events activity chair so I put together a calendar of every group's philanthropic and community service activities so we wouldn't have a timing conflict and we could attend each other's events. We built a great spirit of friendship and support among all of the groups. Plus we had a lot of fun. Never underestimate the fun factor in getting people involved.