1 month ago - 
8
8
| Interviewer: | Hey Jae! How've you been? This is really random but can I ask you a question about greek life? |
|---|---|
| Jae: | Hi lovely :) of course! i promise not to answer with a bias either haha. |
| Interviewer: | On this question youre allowed to lol I was just wondering why you chose the sorority youre in |
| Jae: | Haha, oh! I'll be completely transparent with you on this one. I think the biggest thing to think about is what you want out of your Greek experience. when i got into Greek life, i was more focused on undergraduate benefits and perks b/c i liked the older girls in my chapter and didn't know (or really care for) people in other organizations. When a lot of people join Black Greek organizations, they're eyes are set on a permanent pledge to an organization and its causes for life. Nonetheless, many people who pledge are only active during their undergraduate career. So, I think at the end of the day - it's important to think about what you want (a lifetime commitment or a purely undergraduate greek experience). |
| I also think it's important to look at the people in x-organization or y-organization and consider who you feel has served as role model to you. Obviously, all black greek organizations are formed on the same principles, but you generally find similar people in various organizations. So with that being said, I think it's important to research the orgs you're interested in, see what kind of platforms/stands/causes they support and see what aligns with your values. Then from there, think about the people you know in those organizations and where you think you'd best fit. | |
| But I genuinely think you'll be happy in any organization. As far as the black greek ones go - they're all founded on the same things - sisterhood and service. And if that's what you want, you'll be able to find opportunities for growth and making connections where ever you go. Each one comes with it's own awesome opportunities, none are really any better than the next. I just think it's important to think about where you'll be happy from a long term perspective b/c greek life (espec. black greek life) is SO much bigger than what you can do with in your undergraduate experience! | |
| Interviewer: | No, that was very helpful! And yea the reason Im interested in joining a Greek org are for similar reasons you mentioned, mainly for the after undergrad reasons. Thats something I've really been thinking about; if I join a sorority, how will it benefit me after I graduate. How you know |
| Jae: | I feel like with some organizations, a lot more people are involved in their postgraduate life. Honestly, I know a handful of women that pledged after they graduated from college and they still reaped all the benefits of being a part of the organization so, there's absolutely no pressure to pledge as an undergraduate. It's not the end all be all if you don't graduate with letters. |
| WIth AKA on the graduate level, there are obviously similar opportunities for leadership, etc. Size wise, they will definitely vary by area. Somewhere like D.C. is going to have HUGE graduate chapters of all organizations versus say Charlottesville where all grad chapters will be relatively small. Another thing that's important when you're thinking about graduate life is looking at the initiatives each org has. Grad chapters take these a LOT more seriously than undergraduate chapters, so you're going to want to think about what types of programming will keep you interested long term. That's what honestly attracted me to AKA in the beginning. | |
| As far as leadership goes on the undergraduate level, it's pretty standard across the board and will really be dictated by the older girls in the organization. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to try to get to know the older girls (without being to obvious of course haha) to kinda gauge how things are within chapter. All BS aside, a lottttt of drama happens within a chapter regardless of the org - so you've kinda gotta be ready for that regardless of where you go. Nonetheless, knowing the people in advance can help you gauge how much crap you'll have to deal with once you're in and also how they may handle conflicts internally b/c some chapters are definitely better than others when it comes to conflict resolution. | |
| BUT!! With all of that being said, it really is what you make it - both undergrad and graduate. I think the best way to decide is to picture where you see yourself in a year and then picture where you'd like to see yourself in 10 years and figure out which organization you think can best help you grow to be what you want to be in 10 years if this is something you're really seriously considering. | |
| Some other just stupid disclaimers I'll give you about greek life. | |
| A) It's expensive. Which I'm sure you already know, but it doesn't get any cheaper as the years go on. A lot of people go inactive as graduates simply because it's expensive and they have other priorities. | |
| B) It is what you make it. The letters don't make you, so don't just think about what you can get from pledging but also consider what's important to you and how you'd like to make a difference on your campus and in your community. | |
| C) If you pledge as an undergrad, be prepared to deal with some BS. I'm sure you've heard the pledging horror stories but please please PLEASE remember that no one can make you do anything you don't want to and something that's important to me is making sure that those who are interested in pledging don't get taken advantage of before they've even filled out paperwork. It's ok to let people in an org know you're interested (you obviously need to be discrete about who else you let know you may be interested) but you've gotta be sure that once you've let the older girls know you're leaning in their direction, that they don't try to exploit you! |
1 month ago - 7
7
S/O to the 8 new men of the Kappa Xi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
In 06 they had the Prophets, In 07 they had the Scholars, & In 09 they had the G.O.R.I.L.L.A.S …… 3 Years Later MTSU now Has…
#APErilPHoolsDay
1 month ago - 2
2 Trayvon’s blackness wasn’t something he could hide, so it wouldn’t have mattered whether he’d worn a hoodie or a t-shirt that fateful night. It mattered that he was black, and it mattered that the person who shot him had a vendetta out for black men before Trayvon ever set foot in the neighborhood. It matters that in 2012, there are more black men in prison today than those who were enslaved in 1850. It matters that blacks, in particular black men, are overrepresented in the criminal justice system and underrepresented in colleges. It matters that the black unemployment rate is nearly double that of unemployment for the general population. It matters that blacks are less likely to be screened, diagnosed, and treated for preventable diseases, less likely to own homes, less likely to receive research grants, and more likely to retire in poverty than their white counterparts. It matters that blacks are less likely than whites to abuse drugs, but more likely to be convicted of drug crimes. None of these statistics are due to a genetic predisposition to violence, poor health and underachievement, instead as a direct result of the disenfranchisement of blacks that has occurred in this country for more than 200 years at the hands of slavery, Jim Crow Laws, discrimination, and the institutionalized racism in our schools, banks, businesses, courts, and prisons that has torn apart our families and fractured our community. Just like Trayvon Martin, race mattered for Amadou Diallo, Oscar Grant, Sean Bell, Emmett Till, and hundreds more we will never know the name of who died because of their skin color.
Angela Marie Davis (via thechanelmuse)
(Source: zorascreation, via thechanelmuse)
Tarika Wilson, the 26-year old unarmed, bi-racial mother of six who was fatally shot by police officers during a raid-gone-wrong in early January of 2008.
She was likely on her knees and complying with a SWAT team’s orders to get down when she was hit in the neck and chest, two experts testified.
A forensic pathologist and firearms expert each said that bullet wounds indicate that Tarika Wilson wasn’t standing or struggling with officers.
She was holding her 1-year-old son on her knees when she was shot. The boy also was hit and had a finger amputated.
This tragedy set off protests and debate about race relations in the city (LIMA, Ohio), where one in four residents are black.
(via thechanelmuse)
Paris Chanel: Am I The Only One That Sees This?
I hope it’s just me, but I just see people capitalizing over this young kid’s death. Whether it be by attempting to be trendy or just being a attention whore. Seriously, like I try not to judge people, but I feel as if all the people who are talking about this issue are not…
2 months ago - 11
11 
(Source: fuckyeahfamousblackgirls)
