Inaccurate "Famous" Fraternity Members - Page 9

Virtual Violet · #**121** 05-15-2002, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Inquisitive06
As I reply to some of the responses to my last post, I do want to clarify some things. To CHOASDST.......much respect to your post (as well as the other responses). I do think that in my haste (with regard to my last post) I may have given some people the wrong impression. My post was basically three-fold:

1. To disagree with putting anyone (dead or alive) on the roles of any organization, PERIOD.

2. To question (and voice my personal 'displeasure' with) the 'honorary status' thang and

3. To show how the first two could have a similar result.

Now, my opinions were just that....OPINIONS!!! The idea of an "honorary" member, affiliation, status, soror or frat or whatever one chooses to call them serves no purpose (my opinion only) but ONE; and that is so that folks can put their name on the list.

I have been in greekdom for 14 years and I have seen it time and time and time again...where we boast (all of our orgs.) about who is down 'wit us.

When I hear that so and so is a Delta or so and so is a Sigma or so and so is an Alpha, AKA, Que or whatever, I don't hear people AVOIDING the honorary members. They don't say "well that person is a member but not a soror". I HAVE NEVER HEARD THAT.....EVER.

THIS IS WHAT I MEAN BY "PADDING THE NUMBERS".......................... Not literally "padding" how many people our orgs. have in total, but "padding" our number of "famous" members. I even remember looking at one particular organization's list of famous members several years ago, and I swear that about 75% (at least) were honorary. This was where my whole opinion on this whole thing was birthed.

So why are we now (seemingly) putting the distinction on "soror" vs. "member" versus "honorary". As far as I have seen, there is NO distinction when it comes to our many chapter websites that "PROUDLY" promote our achieving members.......even if they didn't pledge (or seek) us!!! I do NOT see any category separation.

Also, as my Frat. Bruh stated, I too have seen many people on Alpha lists who were not FRAT. As I said in my first post, all orgs. have this problem and it is not intentional but rather mistaken. Peace. In greek love......

InQ '06

In Delta, there is a distinction between a soror and a member, although I'm not going to go into it here. But again, you can be assured it is not to "pad" our numbers. The honor of being welcomed into Delta is rare, very few are invited, and their have been cycles where NO ONE is offered an honorary membership.

Delta (or any BLGO for that matter) isn't hurting for members. And as for our Honorary SORORS, they are just that, SORORS and the honor is given for their achievments....not so Delta can have bragging rights! There are several HONORARY SORORS that the general public doesn't even know about, or aren't even aware that they were/are HONORARY SORORS.

I just don't agree with the "number padding" theory.

DOVE1920 · #**122** 05-15-2002, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Big Poppa Ice
I heard Oprah is an honorary Delta and Condoleeza Rice would be made this year...

As far as ALPHA goes, a lot of people have said that Wes Unseld is a Bro., but he is actually an Eternal Sphinxman. I also heard Chris Webber and LaVar Arrington are Frat, but I haven't gotten any verification on that...

Condoleeza is a member of Alpha Chi Omega, a PHC sorority.....

Inquisitive06 · #**123** 05-15-2002, 08:45 PM

Duly noted!! DULY NOTED!!!! I truly see your point. Having said that, I guess that we disagree with this one (and that's cool). No hard feelings.

In Alpha, we "honor" various people (male & female) with different prestegious awards (BUT NOT MEMBERSHIP ON ANY LEVEL). Some of the awards are for "brothers" who have achieve excellence, and others are reserved for ANYONE (or the general populace).

In either category, we do not "HONOR" ANYONE with those precious A Phi A letters (no matter how it is categorized, i.e. "frat" vs "member", vs. "honorary brother", etc). WE JUST DON'T DO IT!!!! It's NOT the ALPHA WAY.

We have even "honored" MEN who are actually members of other BGLO's with some of our highest honors. I think that is mad cool (that it doesn't necessarily have to be an ALPHA). But as I have stated in my first post on this subject......."There is only ONE way into ALPHA and that is through the FRONT DOOR!!!!!!!

Hey, I PLEDGED OLD SCHOOL (Spring '87) and I guess that I have a certain "Old School mentality" to a certain respect. I believe that our organizations are something to be sought after (by those who truly want it).

I know of some people who have been made "honorary" by certain organizations and they have Masters Degrees and PHD's (so they have the "college experience"). They also live in high profile cities where there are large Graduate or Alumni Chapters and NEVER SOUGHT THE ORG. Why?

Let me also state for the record that EVERY SINGLE BLACK WOMAN IN MY ENTIRE FAMILY WHO IS COLLEGE EDUCATED (except for ONE Aunt) is a DELTA. My entire family is made up of Alphas and Deltas (period), so I have a tremendous amount of respect for your organization in particular (but all in general).

Virtual Violet · #**124** 05-15-2002, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Inquisitive06
Duly noted!! DULY NOTED!!!! I truly see your point. Having said that, I guess that we disagree with this one (and that's cool). No hard feelings.

In Alpha, we "honor" various people (male & female) with different prestegious awards (BUT NOT MEMBERSHIP ON ANY LEVEL). Some of the awards are for "brothers" who have achieve excellence, and others are reserved for ANYONE (or the general populace).

In either category, we do not "HONOR" ANYONE with those precious A Phi A letters (no matter how it is categorized, i.e. "frat" vs "member", vs. "honorary brother", etc). WE JUST DON'T DO IT!!!! It's NOT the ALPHA WAY.

We have even "honored" MEN who are actually members of other BGLO's with some of our highest honors. I think that is mad cool (that it doesn't necessarily have to be an ALPHA). But as I have stated in my first post on this subject......."There is only ONE way into ALPHA and that is through the FRONT DOOR!!!!!!!

Hey, I PLEDGED OLD SCHOOL (Spring '87) and I guess that I have a certain "Old School mentality" to a certain respect. I believe that our organizations are something to be sought after (by those who truly want it).

I know of some people who have been made "honorary" by certain organizations and they have Masters Degrees and PHD's (so they have the "college experience"). They also live in high profile cities where there are large Graduate or Alumni Chapters and NEVER SOUGHT THE ORG. Why?

Let me also state for the record that EVERY SINGLE BLACK WOMAN IN MY ENTIRE FAMILY WHO IS COLLEGE EDUCATED (except for ONE Aunt) is a DELTA. My entire family is made up of Alphas and Deltas (period), so I have a tremendous amount of respect for your organization in particular (but all in general).

There was never any hard feelings, we just agree to disagree that's all. Its cool

Finer Woman10-A-91 · #**125** 05-16-2002, 02:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
... I have yet to see our former first lady of the city of New Orleans all decked in para. She has been speaker for various sorority functions.

You know I went to school with her. I seriously doubt she would be decked out in para. (Not with all of the AKAs I am sure she knew while an undergrad at Howard.)

On a semi-related note, how do you feel about members who pursued graduate membership who you know could have gone undergrad? I mean members who either did not make line or did not even consider undergraduate membership at all, how do you feel about them being members of your oganization?

AKA2D '91 · #**126** 05-16-2002, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Finer Woman10-A-91

You know I went to school with her. I seriously doubt she would be decked out in para. (Not with all of the AKAs I am sure she knew while an undergrad at Howard.)

you never know what one will or will not do regardless of who they know or where they went to school....

Quote:

On a semi-related note, how do you feel about members who pursued graduate membership who you know could have gone undergrad? I mean members who either did not make line or did not even consider undergraduate membership at all, how do you feel about them being members of your oganization? [/B]

how you feel about your sorority sisters in this situation is more important than my SORORS of AKA, don't you think?

Finer Woman10-A-91 · #**127** 05-16-2002, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AKA2D '91

you never know what one will or will not do regardless of who they know or where they went to school....

how you feel about your sorority sisters in this situation is more important than my SORORS of AKA, don't you think?

You have misinterpreted my intentions and my comment. My comments were as they usually are, totally general in nature.
(But on a personal aside, I DO KNOW MY SCHOOL AND I DO KNOW HOW THE GREEKS GET DOWN THERE.) ANYONE who graduated from Howard University circa late 80's ..we are talking about folks who are still in their 30's ...VERY YOUNG IN GREEKDOM.. who would come on campus, or out in public in para, where they may meet someone who went to HU, (Howardites are EVERYWHERE)who did not pledge at HU, let alone became an honorary member, would be looked at like... HUH? This is not AKA specific.

Please do not take it personally. The fact you have not seen your Soror all decked out in para is probably not coincidental. (yes, speculation on my part...but I KNOW MY SCHOOL) Remember, Michelle saw ABOVE ground pledging, when it was all very legal. And her peers would be GREEKS who without a doubt pledged. The whole concept of MIP would have been alien to her since she not was not a member, AND she SAW the publicly visual side of pledging, which on Howard's campus is gone now. The only remnants in public you will see now are the "coming out" shows in the spring, where NEW members are introduced...NOT probates.

The scenario begs the question (again to the general Greek populace) regarding the feelings expressed here on the nature of the subject "famous greeks..or in this case inaccurate famous greeks." My follow up to the question was how do you feel about members(not necessarily famous) who PURSUED graduate membership who you know could have gone undergrad? I mean members who either did not make line or did not even consider undergraduate membership at all, how do you feel about them being members of your oganization?

Maybe this question was too sensitive for anyone to answer. I apologize to all who may have taken offense. But, I do have a scenario, that I thought was interesting. To be PC, I will not "out" the org. I am talking about.

.

Recently, I ran into a college buddy of mine who crossed grad 4 years ago. This buddy is now a member of XYZ fraternity here in NY. He had the audacity to tell me when we were in undergrad he thought XYZ was not on point. Now, I was cool with many members of XYZ fraternity, and not only were those brothers ON POINT...I MEAN THEY MADE IT HAPPEN in all of their programming, but they were very involved on campus. I straight checked him...I was personally offended.

I think he thought I was going to clown him because he knows I crossed undergrad. Let's keep it real, most of us are only in an undergraduate chapter for a couple of years. The majority of your Greek life, should you actually take the lifetime comittment to heart, will be in a graduate chapter. Its all good. But don't think disrespecting the undergraduates at our school is cool simply because they are undergrads and I am going to think its cool because I too am in grad now...SORRY. I know who was making it happen. IMHO, the proper thing would have been for him to say...it was not my time back in undergrad, I am happy I waited. BTW, this brother is thorough, but he lost a lot of Greek cool points with me on that one.

Discogoddess · #**128** 05-16-2002, 02:01 PM

Finer Woman:

I feel you on your last post. I HATE IT when sorors or other greeks who were initiated grad get to going about how trifling, mean, whatever the undergrad chapter was at their school. First of all, sometimes I want to say dang, MAN/WOMAN UP! Stop crying about it! It's over!

A.) How do they know whether or not I know the people/chapter they're downing? Many times I do, or at least know what was going on during that time period, cuz I was an undergrad at that time too. Case in point: How come one brother just looked hella stupid to me in Marshall's telling me all about how haze-happy the undergrad chapter was at his school, when he was talking about my cousin's (a very well-known Alpha in these parts) chapter? Another one: "sorors" "made" at a particular chapter, that was in all kinda trouble during the time period they specified. I know you went grad; you know you went grad...why all the silliness? Just be glad you were ABLE to get in at all!

B.) Ummm, I was made undergrad...wouldn't you want to keep your negative comments about undergraduates to yourself, for fear of offending me?

C.) Folks who went grad and try to claim their undergrad chapter, or leave off the "Omega" (for AKA) when giving their chapter name? If undergrad wasn't cool for you, for whatever reason, why would you try to claim it?

I love all my sorors and greeks, from all time periods, methods of attaining membership, etc., but sometimes, folks just get to me with their delusions! Just be true to your organization and true to yourself.

AKA2D '91 · #**129** 05-16-2002, 02:15 PM

Who cares what Michelle saw or didn't see at Howard? I haven't seen her or any other honorary member wearing para. Mae did take the AKA flag to the moon, but hey she has it like that.

Like I said before, they have their "place" and I am not threatened by a honorary member.

Soror Discogoddess:
Who knows what's in a person's mind when they leave off "Omega", if they do? Have you asked the person why they say it that way? Have you tried to correct them?

Honeykiss1974 · #**130** 05-16-2002, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
I haven't seen her or any other honorary member wearing para. Mae did take the AKA flag to the moon, but hey she has it like that.

Oh WOW! Ms. Jemison did! I didn't know that AKA is now INTERPLANETARY!!!!

DO IT LADIES!!!!!!!

Discogoddess · #**131** 05-16-2002, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
Who cares what Michelle saw or didn't see at Howard? I haven't seen her or any other honorary member wearing para. Mae did take the AKA flag to the moon, but hey she has it like that. Like I said before, they have their "place" and I am not threatened by a honorary member.

Soror Discogoddess:
Who knows what's in a person's mind when they leave off "Omega", if they do? Have you asked the person why they say it that way? Have you tried to correct them?

I'm speaking of the folks who leave off the "Omega" while in the midst of a conversation that is focused on "undergraduatey" sorts of things. In other, more general conversations with sorors, especially at regional conference, when a soror in the Chicago area says she's from Lambda Tau, Lambda Mu, Xi Nu Omega or other chapters, I generally understand her to mean she's from Lambda Tau Omega, Lambda Mu Omega, Xi Nu Omega, etc. I don't get pressed about that, cuz I know the soror isn't trying to pass off her chapter of initiation as an undergraduate one. Since I take pains to be sisterly and kind to all sorors I meet, I am bewildered as to why a soror would try to front or mask with me...despite my personal feelings on a number of issues within our sorority, I welcome ALL as my sorors, unless I witness them doing something grossly out-of-step with our principles (and then of course, I am correcting her in a sisterly manner).

Happydaysf91 · #**132** 05-16-2002, 03:07 PM

I know this off subject...

But I hate it when...people go graduate chapter and try to persuade you that the grad chapter process is harder than the undergrad

. I had two friends 'made' grad chapter tell me this...they feel because its by 'invitation' only for us, it makes it oh, so more difficult

. Give me a BREAK! And I know some grad chapters do still have some 'pledging' going on.....but most of the time it ain't like 'pledging' on the undergrad.

But like you Soror Disco...the worst is when they talk about the undergrad or say that they weren't down for whatever process or that the girls were not together/tore up (yes I have heard that) on that campus... I try to stop myself from responding...but one time I couldn't and was like, so they rejected you, huh

I had to leave after that...but me and the Soror are still cool (hahahaha)Point: You don't have to explain anything to me...I don't really care (most of the time)......you are still a Soror.

Do we need a new thread

for this one?????

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thesweetestone · #**134** 06-13-2002, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
Mae did take the AKA flag to the moon, but hey she has it like that. Like I said before, they have their "place" and I am not threatened by a honorary member.

That is so cool!

Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer are Ques right?

BigBoy · #**135** 06-13-2002, 05:39 PM

I know for sure Steve Harvey is a Que, but I don't know about Cedric.