I tried to join ABC, but now I want to join XYZ.....

I have received many emails surrounding this topic, so I felt the need to address it! My older cousin decided to follow the trend and become a zeta when she went to college. All of our cousins were Zetas and Sigmas, so I can understand why she decided to become a member.

She submitted her information, was accepted and started the process. Deep in her heart however, she always wanted to become an AKA. Then the day finally came. The hard work she put in was finally coming to an end. She and her line sisters were about to cross and become a lifetime member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. She told me when it was time for her to take that oath she refused. She couldn't imagine joining an organization that was not truly in her heart. So that night she made the decision NOT to become a Zeta. Fast forward 25 years later......She fulfilled her dream and became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. The ladies who would have been her zeta line sisters were there when she had her coming out show, and they gave her a lot of gifts. She told me they were very disappointed that she dropped line especially since she went through the ENTIRE process, but they also knew that even during the process her heart wasn't in it. Her mom was a Zeta, and her Dad was a Sigma, so of course they were disappointed when they found out she dropped line.

The reason why I am sharing this story to you is for two reason. #1 If you have a family member of XYZ org, please do NOT feel obligated to join that particular organization. Although I would be thrilled if my daughter followed in my footsteps and became a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority Inc, I would NOT want her to join if her heart was not in it. I want her to choose the organization that is truly in her heart.

Okay, so you see the ABC org on campus, your friends are a member of this organization and they convince you to join the org with them. You attend their events, and the Rush. Now the time has come for you to submit your info/packet. As you prepare your packet, there is something tugging inside of you saying "this isn't right." You thought you wanted this but not as bad as you want something else. Now you feel stuck. You feel as if you invested your time getting to know the members of the organization, but you realize if and once you are accepted there is no turning back. You will be a member of this organization for LIFE! And lets just be honest, if you join an org and your heart is not in it, Chances are once you graduate, your membership card, crossing jacket/shirt, and any other paraphernalia will collect dust.

So how do you rectify the situation? Well for starters, You can start by NOT submitting your information. I would then start by attending the events of the organization of your choice. If you have a close relationship with one of the members, then it's okay to pull them aside, and tell them what your aspirations are. Be honest and let them know that at one point you were thinking about joining one organization, but you came to realization that their organization is the best one for you. In some cases you might be accepted by the new organization, and in some cases you might not be, but guess what? There is always Alumnae Chapter right? If your true heart is with this NEW organization then it shouldn't matter if you pledge Undergrad or Grad right???

Good luck you!

Ciao

Meet the Greeks!

As promised, I will discuss one of how "Meet the Greeks" works.

Meet the Greeks is an event that most schools host at the beginning of each school. Find out if you school has an event such as this, and if so PLEASE attend!

This event starts out with everyone meeting in one large room. The Executive Board of NPHC (National Pan-Hellenic Council) will introduce themselves, as in some cases a representative from each Greek Chapter. They will then explain how the process works. The girls are split up in four groups, and the Men are split of in five groups. (Of course this is if the chapter has all NINE active NPHC chapters on campus. So for example if there are only three sororities on campus, then they will split you up in three groups oppose to four, and so on). Each group MUST attend ALL the rooms of sororities (women), or fraternities (men). This is for you to get to know all the sororities/fraternities on campus. This is also a clever way for you to be discrete on which org. You want to join.

Once you enter the room, the members will then introduce themselves, and give you a brief history about the organization on a national and chapter level. They will discuss the various programs they host on campus, the requirements for membership, play games, etc. In the end, there is a Q and A for all attendees.

Some prospective members are new to the Greek Life in general. For those people, I would highly recommend that you ask many questions to ALL Greek Orgs. Choosing a sorority/fraternity is a lifetime commitment, so you want to make sure you are confident when choosing the org of your choice.

After the Q and A are over, The group will then move to the next room, and the same thing will happen again.

Once All the girls have visited the Sorority Room, and the Men have met the Fraternities, and then everyone will return to the main meeting room and fellowship with everyone.