Southern Mississippi: Diversity in NPC Sororities

[winnie_tuck]

I believe the issue is that having a African American is considered being diverse. It's like all colors are the same but African American. I can name numerous Asian and Hispanic girls in the NPC chapters on campus but that is never seen as being diverse it's only when there is one African American it is seen as being open and my school has one to two in each chapter excluding KA and Sigma Chi.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by winnie_tuck

I believe the issue is that having a African American is considered being diverse. It's like all colors are the same but African American. I can name numerous Asian and Hispanic girls in the NPC chapters on campus but that is never seen as being diverse it's only when there is one African American it is seen as being open and my school has one to two in each chapter excluding KA and Sigma Chi.

I'm not trying to oversimplify things, but the reason African Americanness is has the appearance of the standard of diversity is because of the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

I'm not trying to oversimplify things, but the reason African Americanness is has the appearance of the standard of diversity is because of the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade.

Add to that the stereotype of Asians as the "model minority" (e.g., stereotyped as "the good minorities" who are nonwhite enough to be a racial and ethnic minority but not so nonwhite as to pose a threat to white people) and the fact that Hispanic is an ethnicity and a culture rather than a race.

Therefore, chapters with a few Asian and Hispanic (many of whom are racially identifiable as being of the white diaspora) students will claim diversity if diversity becomes a hot topic. Otherwise, "we don't see race" will be the catchphrase. In general, the whites in the chapters see themselves as being around "minorities who are not REALLY minorities" or "they are a different kind of minorities who don't see race...they think this whole race thing is really stupid just like we do...so I am able to breathe a whitepeople-sigh-of-relief when I'm around them."

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

breathe a whitepeople-sigh-of-relief when I'm around them."

LOL at "whitepeople-sigh-of-relief."

[Low C Sharp]

Oh, of course -- I didn't mean to correct you, just to supplement with my northern observations, too.

[amIblue?]

I haven't weighed in on the NPHC Rho Chis, so I will. Honestly, the paths to membership are so different that I would think that it's weird. Of course, NPC rush has so many rules that if a person is capable of learning the rules without bias for her own group, then perhaps that person may be an excellent Rho Chi.

OK, I just realized that I really don't have an opinion on this issue. It is weird because recruitment vs. intake is so different, but if that's what they want to do, then whatever.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by amIblue?

I haven't weighed in on the NPHC Rho Chis, so I will. Honestly, the paths to membership are so different that I would think that it's weird. Of course, NPC rush has so many rules that if a person is capable of learning the rules without bias for her own group, then perhaps that person may be an excellent Rho Chi.

OK, I just realized that I really don't have an opinion on this issue. It is weird because recruitment vs. intake is so different, but if that's what they want to do, then whatever.

My school allowed women who had joined through COB to be Rho Chis. I don't see how NPHC-affiliated women are any different. Neither have gone through formal rush.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

My school allowed women who had joined through COB to be Rho Chis. I don't see how NPHC-affiliated women are any different. Neither have gone through formal rush.

Whether COB or formal rush, the person is an NPCer.

Maybe I need a refresher course on what the purpose of a Rho Chi is.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Whether COB or formal rush, the person is an NPCer.

Maybe I need a refresher course on what the purpose of a Rho Chi is.

IMO, a good Rho Chi does three things well:

1) Counsels women who are disappointed when then get a schedule they aren't expecting or have trouble making choices, etc.

2) Explains the rules of FR clearly and correctly to the PNM.

3) Knows the rules of FR and keeps her eyes open for refractions.

I don't think that a women who joins through COB can do #1 any better than someone who is not an NPC'er. If you've never been through FR as a PNM, you can not know what it is like to go through FR as a PNM. I would even take it a step further, and say that a woman who had a generally happy and successful recruitment can not know what it is like to be a PNM who gets only one invite back after the first round.

I would argue that, in many situations, neutrality helps with counseling PNM's. If you are a member of XYZ, and a PNM comes to you saying she just can't decide between ABC and XYZ, you can not really be impartial, as much as you'd like to be. Also, you just might let the fact that Pattie PNM is not a sure thing slip to the members of your chapter participating in membership selection.

As for #2, many women who have been through FR do this poorly, and we've talked many times about the need for better Rho Chi training. The fact is, though, the average member who may become a Rho Chi likely has no more knowledge of the complicated rules than someone who has not been in an NPC group.

And #3, again, a non-NPC woman could arguably be more fair in keeping her eyes open and/or reporting violations once she has learned the rules in Rho Chi training.

So, if you consider these the most important duties of a Rho Chi, there is no reason to think that an NPHC woman couldn't do them just as well as an NPC member.

Of course, I am talking about my experience on a big campus, where FR was, unfortunately, pretty adversarial among NPC groups. I think that, on other campuses, it may be more important for Rho Chis need to do more stuff like "promote NPC recruitment, generally", in which case, NPHC women would not be the appropriate people to do that.

Certainly, I don't think NPHC women should be obligated to help out with FR just because they are members of the CPH or anything, but I also think that non-NPC women can be very valuable to the FR process on some campuses.

[amIblue?]

I would like to point out that simply because a sister joined an org via COB rather than FR, it doesn't necessarily mean that she didn't go through Formal Rush.

However, I think that anyone with patience and the intelligence to understand the rules could do just as well as some of the Rho Chis I've known over the years.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by amIblue?

I would like to point out that simply because a sister joined an org via COB rather than FR, it doesn't necessarily mean that she didn't go through Formal Rush.

However, I think that anyone with patience and the intelligence to understand the rules could do just as well as some of the Rho Chis I've known over the years.

Ah, good point!

[33girl]

I don't think it's an issue of learning and implementing rules here. If that was the case, we could probably have men as Rho Chis too.

Quite frankly, I wonder how someone who joined in the NPHC mindset (research all the groups, choose the one that is best for you, keep your mouth sealed shut while doing these things, if at first you don't succeed keep trying for that group) could successfully divorce herself from it enough to be an effective Rho Chi. As in, a Rho Chi who can, from the heart, tell a woman that she needs to look at ALL the groups and give them ALL a chance.

If she is an NPHC woman who doesn't have that mindset, my guess is that she or her chapter is somewhat unique to her org as a whole. This is just what I've gleaned from years on GC.

Again, to me it's like the APO member who was an IFC president. Our methods of choosing members are COMPLETELY different. Could an APO member read about IFC rush and make a "textbook" decision about it? Yes. Do they understand what it's like doing it in real life? No.

[DubaiSis]

I like the idea of a disinterested third party helping with the process. And frankly, I could see having an NPHC equivalent to help the girls considering intake figure out the process without having to out themselves to the NPHC women. Of course, it is SO foreign to most of us that we'd have a mountain of training to do if we were to be effective, but I'm sure these women took their role very seriously and learned a lot about each of the chapters. And remember, this isn't IU or U of I. They could learn a lot about all of these chapters without too much trouble.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

And frankly, I could see having an NPHC equivalent to help the women considering intake figure out the process without having to out themselves to the NPHC women.

No, that would fail miserably.

NPHC aspirants, applicants, and prospective members figure out the process while they undergo the process. They have plenty of resources.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

NPHC aspirants, applicants, and prospective members figure out the process while they undergo the process. They have plenty of resources.

Is it fair to say that figuring out the process is part of the process?