In some of my last posts, I focused on fraternity recruitment & how necessary it is that everyone's prepared well in advance, before Rush Week so much begins. This one's for the new member/pledge educators, who also shouldn't be on vacation when it comes to laying the groundwork for this Fall's Pledge program. Here are some key guidelines which need to be taken into full consideration well before the PEs/NMEs receive this fall's latest class of new guys:
(1) If some of the stuff in question for this fall's pledging program is highly questionable, or done only to get the active brothers' kicks, it shouldn't be done - enough said.
(2) If we're perpetuating some of our trademark stunts from yore just for tradition's sake - "Oh, I had to do it so these new duders should too" - we should shut those antics on down.
(3) The new duders are aspiring to be chapter & with that Fraternity members, not our slaves.
(4) Are we designing our pledge programs just to make our prospectives "good pledges," rather than make them good brothers?
(5) see #4: Are we formulating our Fall pledge programs to determine how much our new guys truly want to become members of our fraternity instead of giving them the time of day to answer any questions they might have along the way? In either case, we shouldn't create programs which are in total variance or at cross purposes with everything our founders stood for.
(6) Don't make the new members do things you wouldn't envision yourself doing - seriously.
(7) You can't force unity out of the pledge classes which'll come your way: that's one of the premises for why we've got cliques/caste systems within this chapter or that, chapters where the brothers know little or nothing about any of their own or where some of the brothers are far more close knit than most. Unity should arise as the result of shared experiences, not out of fear or intimidation.
(8) As a pledge/new member education, one of our roles is not to disorient the duders under our wing. In fact, one of the key roles any PE/NME has in this program or that is to give the prospectives time to fully absorb, remember & understand the important lessons which the pledging program provides in spades, Initiation & Ritual. What are we gaining when some of the new guys are extremely anxious to get their stint as pledges over & done with? Well, their view on the chapter & with that the more important stuff about our Fraternity is going to be pretty fuzzy later on, so keep that in mind.
(9) Our pledge programs should consistently operate with the spirit & ideals of our Ritual, Ritual Statutes & Governing Laws - no more, no less than this.
Showing posts with label fraternities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fraternities. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
In a matter of time, school will be back in session & with it all the anxieties, first-week jitters which are part & parcel of the college experience.
In the meantime, folks are formulating on what furniture, clothes, & other whatnot to bring along for their journey back to State U; back @ the frat house rooms are being tweaked up, painted...duders getting ready for the very first day back in town & what better way to be ready for Fall 2008 than to have their rooms all decked out in advance.
In the world of Fraternity Recruitment, this is no time to go to sleep. This is not time to sit back & twiddle one's thumbs until Rush Week arrives. This is serious business & thanks be to online networking sites like Facebook & Myspace, we've got the headstart on letting folks know about a perfect opportunity to go Greek, right?
True, we do have the running start - & not only that, we're giving the incoming freshmen (& other undergraduates who want to go Greek this fall) plenty of options to work with in terms of finding the right house to join. But at the same time, we shouldn't leave this issue well enough alone; we need to keep in touch with the prospectives while we're ahead so when Rush Week comes they're not left in the lurch on which houses they should check out. As anyone can see, Fraternity Recruitment is a yearlong process & at this time of year, our mindset should be no different.
At this time of year, getting the word out on our houses is pretty important & with that in mind, letting the prospectives know the whole truth & nothing but the whole truth about Sigs/SAE/Delts/&c. Are we ready?
In the meantime, folks are formulating on what furniture, clothes, & other whatnot to bring along for their journey back to State U; back @ the frat house rooms are being tweaked up, painted...duders getting ready for the very first day back in town & what better way to be ready for Fall 2008 than to have their rooms all decked out in advance.
In the world of Fraternity Recruitment, this is no time to go to sleep. This is not time to sit back & twiddle one's thumbs until Rush Week arrives. This is serious business & thanks be to online networking sites like Facebook & Myspace, we've got the headstart on letting folks know about a perfect opportunity to go Greek, right?
True, we do have the running start - & not only that, we're giving the incoming freshmen (& other undergraduates who want to go Greek this fall) plenty of options to work with in terms of finding the right house to join. But at the same time, we shouldn't leave this issue well enough alone; we need to keep in touch with the prospectives while we're ahead so when Rush Week comes they're not left in the lurch on which houses they should check out. As anyone can see, Fraternity Recruitment is a yearlong process & at this time of year, our mindset should be no different.
At this time of year, getting the word out on our houses is pretty important & with that in mind, letting the prospectives know the whole truth & nothing but the whole truth about Sigs/SAE/Delts/&c. Are we ready?
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Rushing around
True, it's midsummer but when it comes to Fraternity recruitment, no recruitment chairman should go on vacation.
But why is that? you may ask.
Fraternity Recruitment is a big deal, especially with incoming freshmen shopping around for the right house to join as well as to delve into the whole truth about Greek life in general. The worst we could do is go to sleep & not give these duders a point of reference which they can turn to when it comes to making a wise, valuable decision on accepting a bid from Sigma Chi or Delts, etc.
For those recruitment chairs who have Fall 08 Rush Week groups up on Facebook, I commend them for their efforts since they've got some of their groundwork done in advance. Not only can incoming freshmen (as well as other undergraduates) get a chance to do their research about our chapter & the accomplishments it has achieved but if we stop to think about it we're giving them an opportunity to look at what makes Sigs/Fiji/SigEp such an awesome fraternity to begin with. And if our chapter has an impressive track record (not only in its social aspect or in intramurals but especially from an academic perspective), duders will be convinced, duders will want to ask questions, duders will sincerely want to consider going Greek. True, the Activity Fair & Rush Week are perfect occasions for incoming freshmen to delve into Greek life & what makes it so amazing but when we've got Facebook groups which are dedicated to Fall Rush 2008 & duders should happen to stumble across them, we've made our work a bit easier (if not exponentially) & all this by planning ahead.
This isn't to say that we should discount the old-fashioned way of finding duders to go Greek; we shouldn't BTW. If we know of any duder whom we went to high school with who is quality material for this house or that, we should let them know about not only Rush Week & the events associated with this whole timeframe but also the Facebook groups devoted to Fall Rush while we're at it. If we know of men who want to rush, but are a bit uncertain or leery about taking that major step into going Greek, we should give them a firsthand experience on why we went Greek to begin with as well as other points of reference to turn to (e.g. our fraternity's main website, not just our chapter's!!).
Either way we look at it, recruitment is a yearly process. And what time we should devote to vacay is time where we should be laying the groundwork, making formulations for Fall Rush '08. For those who have got their work ready to go or at least well underway, God bless them, because they know what's up.
As anyone worth their salt knows, recruitment doesn't happen once a semester; it's all year long.
But why is that? you may ask.
Fraternity Recruitment is a big deal, especially with incoming freshmen shopping around for the right house to join as well as to delve into the whole truth about Greek life in general. The worst we could do is go to sleep & not give these duders a point of reference which they can turn to when it comes to making a wise, valuable decision on accepting a bid from Sigma Chi or Delts, etc.
For those recruitment chairs who have Fall 08 Rush Week groups up on Facebook, I commend them for their efforts since they've got some of their groundwork done in advance. Not only can incoming freshmen (as well as other undergraduates) get a chance to do their research about our chapter & the accomplishments it has achieved but if we stop to think about it we're giving them an opportunity to look at what makes Sigs/Fiji/SigEp such an awesome fraternity to begin with. And if our chapter has an impressive track record (not only in its social aspect or in intramurals but especially from an academic perspective), duders will be convinced, duders will want to ask questions, duders will sincerely want to consider going Greek. True, the Activity Fair & Rush Week are perfect occasions for incoming freshmen to delve into Greek life & what makes it so amazing but when we've got Facebook groups which are dedicated to Fall Rush 2008 & duders should happen to stumble across them, we've made our work a bit easier (if not exponentially) & all this by planning ahead.
This isn't to say that we should discount the old-fashioned way of finding duders to go Greek; we shouldn't BTW. If we know of any duder whom we went to high school with who is quality material for this house or that, we should let them know about not only Rush Week & the events associated with this whole timeframe but also the Facebook groups devoted to Fall Rush while we're at it. If we know of men who want to rush, but are a bit uncertain or leery about taking that major step into going Greek, we should give them a firsthand experience on why we went Greek to begin with as well as other points of reference to turn to (e.g. our fraternity's main website, not just our chapter's!!).
Either way we look at it, recruitment is a yearly process. And what time we should devote to vacay is time where we should be laying the groundwork, making formulations for Fall Rush '08. For those who have got their work ready to go or at least well underway, God bless them, because they know what's up.
As anyone worth their salt knows, recruitment doesn't happen once a semester; it's all year long.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Out, in need of support
The following was written by a straight man, aka yours truly.
In the distant past (& not so distant), being a member of the Greek community was something to take great pride & joy in - still is, BTW. But when it came to fraternity members revealing their sexual orientation to their fellow brothers, more often than not, for fear of ostracism, they would resort to the following: a) keep their sexual preference a secret for the longest time, then decide to come out sometime during the new millennium; b) have a "girlfriend" on the side, as some sort of prop or facade to convince their brothers that they were one of the guys (i.e. straight as can be); c) launching into every denial & rationalization they could think of if the issue of their sexual orientation arose...among other coping mechanisms at their disposal to keep their gay status out of the picture.
Many men who wore letters & who were closeted somehow braved the elements & came out later on, once the undergraduate baggage was put behind them; others weren't so lucky, facing scorn & ostracism from every sector, who felt that being both Greek & gay didn't mix & was a travesty to every principle their fraternities' respective founders stood by. Nowadays, however, the tide has turned: it seems acceptable to be a part of the Greek system as well as gay & live up to the billing of men of good character, balanced men, men of integrity.
Take the tale of Travis Shumake as a case in point. (He was a Sigma Chi @ Northern Arizona University - the same fraternity I am an alumni of.) He was an out cheerleader & freshman class president. Upon meeting the men of Sigma Chi initially, most of them were won over right away - in fact, he was a perfect fit for Sigs, being a legacy - that is to say, Travis' father was a Sig so that credential alone essentially gave him a bid to join Sigma Chi.
Catch is, he didn't get a bid. Some seniors decided Shumake wasn't the right dude to join their chapter, for fear that their chapter might become known as the "gay" fraternity & they didn't want to earn that label. So Travis rushed Phi Delta Theta, this time getting a bid & he entered the process of pledgeship. But again, fate had other plans for Travis: one of the senior brothers gave the chapter an ultimatum, fearing the worst if a gay man were initiated into Phi Delt & it could be best summarized like so - "Either he goes or I go." Since Shumake wasn't even initiated yet, the active Phi Delts had no choice but to carry out their chaptermate's ultimatum & booted Travis from the chapter.
After such an ordeal, you'd think that Travis would've cleansed his hands of all things Greek, which he did - only momentarily, though. By the time Sigma Chi re-entered the picture, all the duders who were against Brother Shumake becoming a member of their chapter had graduated & so the remainder who stayed on hoping to make amends by giving him another bid. This time around, he accepted the offer & look at how far he's come since then.
As Travis Shumake's story indicates, & countless other Greek fraternity members will echo his sentiments (e.g. Andrew Goldstein), telling your chapter you're not only one of their own, but also that you're gay - now that can be a struggle as well as a fight. But somehow, instead of becoming resistant or standoffish once the truth comes out, more fraternity members are willing to lend their support, to stand by their out brothers through thick & thin. This isn't to say that the majority of straight Greek men will automatically give a newly out brother a warm reception & life will go on as usual; life does go on but it's different from the very moment one of their own tells them, "I'm gay," at the next chapter meeting.
And yet there's hope, even more so than ever. To be both gay & a member of the Greek community is not only acceptable & becoming more apparent; to be both of the above is also a testament to knowing oneself, finding one's place in this world as well as the chapter house.
At the same time, it's a challenge. Just ask Travis or Andrew about that.
In the distant past (& not so distant), being a member of the Greek community was something to take great pride & joy in - still is, BTW. But when it came to fraternity members revealing their sexual orientation to their fellow brothers, more often than not, for fear of ostracism, they would resort to the following: a) keep their sexual preference a secret for the longest time, then decide to come out sometime during the new millennium; b) have a "girlfriend" on the side, as some sort of prop or facade to convince their brothers that they were one of the guys (i.e. straight as can be); c) launching into every denial & rationalization they could think of if the issue of their sexual orientation arose...among other coping mechanisms at their disposal to keep their gay status out of the picture.
Many men who wore letters & who were closeted somehow braved the elements & came out later on, once the undergraduate baggage was put behind them; others weren't so lucky, facing scorn & ostracism from every sector, who felt that being both Greek & gay didn't mix & was a travesty to every principle their fraternities' respective founders stood by. Nowadays, however, the tide has turned: it seems acceptable to be a part of the Greek system as well as gay & live up to the billing of men of good character, balanced men, men of integrity.
Take the tale of Travis Shumake as a case in point. (He was a Sigma Chi @ Northern Arizona University - the same fraternity I am an alumni of.) He was an out cheerleader & freshman class president. Upon meeting the men of Sigma Chi initially, most of them were won over right away - in fact, he was a perfect fit for Sigs, being a legacy - that is to say, Travis' father was a Sig so that credential alone essentially gave him a bid to join Sigma Chi.
Catch is, he didn't get a bid. Some seniors decided Shumake wasn't the right dude to join their chapter, for fear that their chapter might become known as the "gay" fraternity & they didn't want to earn that label. So Travis rushed Phi Delta Theta, this time getting a bid & he entered the process of pledgeship. But again, fate had other plans for Travis: one of the senior brothers gave the chapter an ultimatum, fearing the worst if a gay man were initiated into Phi Delt & it could be best summarized like so - "Either he goes or I go." Since Shumake wasn't even initiated yet, the active Phi Delts had no choice but to carry out their chaptermate's ultimatum & booted Travis from the chapter.
After such an ordeal, you'd think that Travis would've cleansed his hands of all things Greek, which he did - only momentarily, though. By the time Sigma Chi re-entered the picture, all the duders who were against Brother Shumake becoming a member of their chapter had graduated & so the remainder who stayed on hoping to make amends by giving him another bid. This time around, he accepted the offer & look at how far he's come since then.
As Travis Shumake's story indicates, & countless other Greek fraternity members will echo his sentiments (e.g. Andrew Goldstein), telling your chapter you're not only one of their own, but also that you're gay - now that can be a struggle as well as a fight. But somehow, instead of becoming resistant or standoffish once the truth comes out, more fraternity members are willing to lend their support, to stand by their out brothers through thick & thin. This isn't to say that the majority of straight Greek men will automatically give a newly out brother a warm reception & life will go on as usual; life does go on but it's different from the very moment one of their own tells them, "I'm gay," at the next chapter meeting.
And yet there's hope, even more so than ever. To be both gay & a member of the Greek community is not only acceptable & becoming more apparent; to be both of the above is also a testament to knowing oneself, finding one's place in this world as well as the chapter house.
At the same time, it's a challenge. Just ask Travis or Andrew about that.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Stepping Up
In the Greek community, when it comes to alumni involvement, it seems that some fraternities are finding it hard to come by. If that's not enough, some alumni just don't realize how much of a difference they could make just by stepping in at the right time (or should I say, any time at all). And yet there are other alumni, who willingly want to get involved & rediscover their love for the chapter again, who are at a loss to know how they can get involved: "What can I do?"
There's always hope. Whether it's a Chapter Advisor, a Mentor, aiding in a chapter colonization or doing work as an Alumni Ambassador, the possibilities of volunteering are endless. It may be a daunting task at times but don't take it as stressful though: any alumni's chances of reaping immense rewards just by volunteering are if not outstanding, pretty flipping awesome. Seriously, you don't have to rip into the undergrads to make your presence felt: with an understated presence, a watchful eye, a caring heart, the undergraduate brothers can see alumni in a different light - as duders who actually care about the chapter & want to see good things happen. Not just that, but the undergrads may also provide the alumni with a spark to re-invigorate their love for Sigs/SAE/SigEp/etc. & all this because they took time out of their hectic schedules to stay involved.
True, some chapters are suffering from a shortage of "gray hairs," or older alumni. If that's not enough bad news, some chapters have alumni who aren't exactly eager to see changes & improvements where they are sorely needed. Which brings us to then & now: the prevailing cultural mindset of the alumni's day butting heads with the present: "Oh, we've always done these things in the past; it was all part of our house tradition," "It's just tradition; why try to fix something that isn't broken to begin with?" "Hazing back in our day was harmless; nobody got seriously hurt or anything like that..." If I heard such observations as the ones I just wrote, I'd draw those alumni aside & tell them, "What you think was right back in your day is wrong in 2008." The times have changed & with them the pledging/membership programs as well; to think that they should be left as is - complete with hazing, unnecessary obligations of any kind - is saying that reform or change is irrelevant. Any fraternity alumni worth their salt knows/is fully aware of this; on such occasions, they need to step in & make their voices heard - not in an imposing way but in an understated manner.
The recurring question, "What can I do?" is one with many answers for any given Greek alumni. But once the pieces fall back into place, once the passion for their respective fraternities returns with a vengeance, once their fellow alumni open their eyes to the endless possibilities which volunteering provides in spades, one answer is consistently clear: There's a lot that can be done. There's always a chance to get involved & remain involved. There's always the opportunity to step up & make the impact, that difference for the greater good of not just your own chapter but the whole organization in the process.
It's up to you on when to take that step though.
There's always hope. Whether it's a Chapter Advisor, a Mentor, aiding in a chapter colonization or doing work as an Alumni Ambassador, the possibilities of volunteering are endless. It may be a daunting task at times but don't take it as stressful though: any alumni's chances of reaping immense rewards just by volunteering are if not outstanding, pretty flipping awesome. Seriously, you don't have to rip into the undergrads to make your presence felt: with an understated presence, a watchful eye, a caring heart, the undergraduate brothers can see alumni in a different light - as duders who actually care about the chapter & want to see good things happen. Not just that, but the undergrads may also provide the alumni with a spark to re-invigorate their love for Sigs/SAE/SigEp/etc. & all this because they took time out of their hectic schedules to stay involved.
True, some chapters are suffering from a shortage of "gray hairs," or older alumni. If that's not enough bad news, some chapters have alumni who aren't exactly eager to see changes & improvements where they are sorely needed. Which brings us to then & now: the prevailing cultural mindset of the alumni's day butting heads with the present: "Oh, we've always done these things in the past; it was all part of our house tradition," "It's just tradition; why try to fix something that isn't broken to begin with?" "Hazing back in our day was harmless; nobody got seriously hurt or anything like that..." If I heard such observations as the ones I just wrote, I'd draw those alumni aside & tell them, "What you think was right back in your day is wrong in 2008." The times have changed & with them the pledging/membership programs as well; to think that they should be left as is - complete with hazing, unnecessary obligations of any kind - is saying that reform or change is irrelevant. Any fraternity alumni worth their salt knows/is fully aware of this; on such occasions, they need to step in & make their voices heard - not in an imposing way but in an understated manner.
The recurring question, "What can I do?" is one with many answers for any given Greek alumni. But once the pieces fall back into place, once the passion for their respective fraternities returns with a vengeance, once their fellow alumni open their eyes to the endless possibilities which volunteering provides in spades, one answer is consistently clear: There's a lot that can be done. There's always a chance to get involved & remain involved. There's always the opportunity to step up & make the impact, that difference for the greater good of not just your own chapter but the whole organization in the process.
It's up to you on when to take that step though.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
96 tears
When a fraternity makes news headlines for all the wrong reasons, we tend to stop & stare, marveling at how badly they loused up. But when 6 fraternities make news headlines like so, oh man, we stop in our tracks wondering why they could tarnish their reputations as the leading Greek organizations on campus.
That's exactly what went down @ San Diego State just the other day; one fraternity was the star of the show but five others played a pivotal role in the front-page section as well. They didn't get nailed for a big block party with lots of alcohol & a bunch of unruly students finding stuff to break. It wasn't for hazing or for grades. Serious, it was for something far worse, something which makes me shudder every time I think about it: a huge drug ring.
My land: at a university where Greek life is kind of a big deal, this latest news of Greeks gone bad really takes the cake. I mean, this is a bit much for me to stomach: in organizations where we're promoting integrity, high moral standards (as well as values), there are those select few trying to challenge convention & the very ideals their respective chapters' founders brought to the table, & they're basically saying, "Well, we're in a frat & can do what we want, even if it's not legal."
Cases in point: those SDSU Theta Chis who openly dealt drugs with no qualms (& one of them even going wholesale in the text message dep't. informing customers on special prices for cocaine). Not just Theta Chi, but one needs to include the other fraternities who were part of the ring, & the members who stood by allowing such illegal activity to take place. Is this to say that they were the baddest of the bad in the Greek community? Among those 96 duders who got arrested, one was about to get a degree in criminal justice & another was going to get a master's in Homeland Security. Digressions aside, those fraternities who smelled a rat (that is to say, sensed that something was up with some of their members selling drugs) but chose to turn their backs & let them keep doing their thing just made the worst transgression of all: compromising their integrity, & with it their existence as premier Greek houses @ San Diego State.
I thought we'd have learned from the mistakes other folks in the Greek system made in the past. But this latest incident back in San Diego tells us that we still have a lot to learn: it's not this rote maxim that "crime does not pay," but what happens when bad things happen to some of the best & brightest Greeks in the bunch.
At the same time, we've found out what happens when the best & brightest Greeks in the bunch, even though they know their fellow brothers are up to no good or into illegal activities like selling drugs, look the other way & don't take action where it's sorely due: a few fraternities suspended, 8 dozen duders arrested.
That's exactly what went down @ San Diego State just the other day; one fraternity was the star of the show but five others played a pivotal role in the front-page section as well. They didn't get nailed for a big block party with lots of alcohol & a bunch of unruly students finding stuff to break. It wasn't for hazing or for grades. Serious, it was for something far worse, something which makes me shudder every time I think about it: a huge drug ring.
My land: at a university where Greek life is kind of a big deal, this latest news of Greeks gone bad really takes the cake. I mean, this is a bit much for me to stomach: in organizations where we're promoting integrity, high moral standards (as well as values), there are those select few trying to challenge convention & the very ideals their respective chapters' founders brought to the table, & they're basically saying, "Well, we're in a frat & can do what we want, even if it's not legal."
Cases in point: those SDSU Theta Chis who openly dealt drugs with no qualms (& one of them even going wholesale in the text message dep't. informing customers on special prices for cocaine). Not just Theta Chi, but one needs to include the other fraternities who were part of the ring, & the members who stood by allowing such illegal activity to take place. Is this to say that they were the baddest of the bad in the Greek community? Among those 96 duders who got arrested, one was about to get a degree in criminal justice & another was going to get a master's in Homeland Security. Digressions aside, those fraternities who smelled a rat (that is to say, sensed that something was up with some of their members selling drugs) but chose to turn their backs & let them keep doing their thing just made the worst transgression of all: compromising their integrity, & with it their existence as premier Greek houses @ San Diego State.
I thought we'd have learned from the mistakes other folks in the Greek system made in the past. But this latest incident back in San Diego tells us that we still have a lot to learn: it's not this rote maxim that "crime does not pay," but what happens when bad things happen to some of the best & brightest Greeks in the bunch.
At the same time, we've found out what happens when the best & brightest Greeks in the bunch, even though they know their fellow brothers are up to no good or into illegal activities like selling drugs, look the other way & don't take action where it's sorely due: a few fraternities suspended, 8 dozen duders arrested.
Friday, April 18, 2008
And yet another one
Where do I begin? & where do I end my searching?
On any given quest, the need to search is not only relentless but also a constant affair as well. I found that out for myself just prior to Initiation & am still learning it now in the real world.
True, I'm proud to be Greek. I'm proud to be a Sig. Nothing wrong with that. The thing is, life as a Sig or an SAE doesn't stop after graduation & neither does the quest to become a better brother, living up to the organization's precepts & standards on a daily basis.
The race is not yet complete, the prize not yet guaranteed. Such is life on a quest: you feel you've arrived at point A but still find you still have quite some distance to travel before you're actually there. Likewise, you feel you've got the race won, victory attained once & for all, but you're still a good mile or so from the finish line. You still have your work cut out for you; you haven't arrived or become the outright winner by any means.
In terms of striving, that truly says something for anyone who's been on a quest: the need to live up to the fraternal standards & ideals are indeed strong but you can't use halfway approaches to
live up to your fraternity's mottoes. You can't cut corners in hopes that you one day will no longer have to worry about reaching perfection. Being a Sig, a Delt, or an SAE is not about automatic arrival into the fold: it's a lifelong process, a constant quest for sure.
And that's yours truly stating fact.
On any given quest, the need to search is not only relentless but also a constant affair as well. I found that out for myself just prior to Initiation & am still learning it now in the real world.
True, I'm proud to be Greek. I'm proud to be a Sig. Nothing wrong with that. The thing is, life as a Sig or an SAE doesn't stop after graduation & neither does the quest to become a better brother, living up to the organization's precepts & standards on a daily basis.
The race is not yet complete, the prize not yet guaranteed. Such is life on a quest: you feel you've arrived at point A but still find you still have quite some distance to travel before you're actually there. Likewise, you feel you've got the race won, victory attained once & for all, but you're still a good mile or so from the finish line. You still have your work cut out for you; you haven't arrived or become the outright winner by any means.
In terms of striving, that truly says something for anyone who's been on a quest: the need to live up to the fraternal standards & ideals are indeed strong but you can't use halfway approaches to
live up to your fraternity's mottoes. You can't cut corners in hopes that you one day will no longer have to worry about reaching perfection. Being a Sig, a Delt, or an SAE is not about automatic arrival into the fold: it's a lifelong process, a constant quest for sure.
And that's yours truly stating fact.
Friday, April 11, 2008
A Higher Standard
When it comes to wearing one's Greek letters, it's not all about pride or prestige. It's not all about popularity. It's something much more than any of these things: it's all about holding oneself to a higher standard & a higher set of expectations.
However, there are those duders who have a different take on the matter & they never cease to amaze me. For such men, being a member of a fraternity (note they won't state this openly) is all about getting plastered & scoring with lots of wonderful ladies. What kind of fraternities would allow men of this sort to enter their chapters with a mindset which is not only immature but also plain antithetical to the creeds & standards which their chapters were based on to begin with? I guarantee this much, only the problem chapters would go to lengths of this magnitude to allow duders in who can "perpetuate the house tradition," as it were.
On the other hand, there are men who sincerely give four hoots or more about their fraternities & they sincerely care enough to know that they're looking for duders of the highest caliber, duders who are willing to step up & get involved in who knows how many aspects of campus & Greek life. They know what place the chapter holds in their lives & they know that to keep their chapter on the up & up as far as house management, academics, scholarship, etc. are concerned, they can ill afford to churn out chapter members who are nothing but a bunch of dead weight & don't want to bring any positive benefits to the house.
It's about accountability, holding oneself to a higher standard & with it higher expectations.
To think that the fraternity is nothing more than a well-stocked bar, that the fraternity is actually irrelevant to one's intellectual & spiritual growth (not to forget personal either)...that's downright unacceptable as well as an insult to your fellow initiates & the ones who came before.
Just keep that thought in mind whenever you've got the letters on, duders; seriously, that's all I can ask for now.
However, there are those duders who have a different take on the matter & they never cease to amaze me. For such men, being a member of a fraternity (note they won't state this openly) is all about getting plastered & scoring with lots of wonderful ladies. What kind of fraternities would allow men of this sort to enter their chapters with a mindset which is not only immature but also plain antithetical to the creeds & standards which their chapters were based on to begin with? I guarantee this much, only the problem chapters would go to lengths of this magnitude to allow duders in who can "perpetuate the house tradition," as it were.
On the other hand, there are men who sincerely give four hoots or more about their fraternities & they sincerely care enough to know that they're looking for duders of the highest caliber, duders who are willing to step up & get involved in who knows how many aspects of campus & Greek life. They know what place the chapter holds in their lives & they know that to keep their chapter on the up & up as far as house management, academics, scholarship, etc. are concerned, they can ill afford to churn out chapter members who are nothing but a bunch of dead weight & don't want to bring any positive benefits to the house.
It's about accountability, holding oneself to a higher standard & with it higher expectations.
To think that the fraternity is nothing more than a well-stocked bar, that the fraternity is actually irrelevant to one's intellectual & spiritual growth (not to forget personal either)...that's downright unacceptable as well as an insult to your fellow initiates & the ones who came before.
Just keep that thought in mind whenever you've got the letters on, duders; seriously, that's all I can ask for now.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
For Once
In an atmosphere where the prevailing mood is "reform or get packing," it seems that some fraternities, even if they got the message numerous times from their respective headquarters, just don't get it. Or worse yet, they don't want to listen to the ominous warnings from HQ at all. This makes for one less house in the Greek system & one less problem for IFC to worry about, right? For the most part, yes.
But fraternities whose history has been nothing except a lenghy tome of run-ins with the law, behavioral problems & other outright negative headlines - well, it's up to them whether they want to improve their status on campus or not. If they blatantly choose to stay stuck in their rut & regress even further into far worse antics, HQ is more than happy to come to the rescue (either by revoking their charters, suspending their chapters indefinitely or a dreaded house cleaning).
Then again, closing down a house to eradicate the "frat-boy" culture isn't enough. Neither is suspending the chapter for who knows how long. Same with house cleanings. The will to change a fraternity for the better starts with the heart & not solely with the mind.
Of course, this change isn't going to occur overnight; it takes time. It takes waiting it out. It takes perseverance. And most of all, it takes a whole lot of faith & hope to assure us that Alpha Kappa is sincerely making a comeback of the ages, not as one of the Greek system's premier party houses, but as one of the top chapters on campus with a 3.1 GPA as well as one chapter with plenty of duders who are involved in various campus organizations & are making strides to make their presences felt inside & outside the Greek community.
As for those chapters who deliberately stay their course, they only have themselves to blame once HQ steps up & does the inevitable. What then? what then?
But fraternities whose history has been nothing except a lenghy tome of run-ins with the law, behavioral problems & other outright negative headlines - well, it's up to them whether they want to improve their status on campus or not. If they blatantly choose to stay stuck in their rut & regress even further into far worse antics, HQ is more than happy to come to the rescue (either by revoking their charters, suspending their chapters indefinitely or a dreaded house cleaning).
Then again, closing down a house to eradicate the "frat-boy" culture isn't enough. Neither is suspending the chapter for who knows how long. Same with house cleanings. The will to change a fraternity for the better starts with the heart & not solely with the mind.
Of course, this change isn't going to occur overnight; it takes time. It takes waiting it out. It takes perseverance. And most of all, it takes a whole lot of faith & hope to assure us that Alpha Kappa is sincerely making a comeback of the ages, not as one of the Greek system's premier party houses, but as one of the top chapters on campus with a 3.1 GPA as well as one chapter with plenty of duders who are involved in various campus organizations & are making strides to make their presences felt inside & outside the Greek community.
As for those chapters who deliberately stay their course, they only have themselves to blame once HQ steps up & does the inevitable. What then? what then?
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Dishing out the dirt, continued (going Greek)
In my previous post, I focused on how employers are using Facebook & MySpace among other websites as a vehicle to find their prospective hires as well as using Google to see what dirt they can dish out about their candidates. Of course, the downsides of each website got touched on considerably along the way (e.g. companies nixing any candidate whose profiles had anything of note that was offensive or untoward from a business perspective).
Am I saying that fraternities can't use Facebook & MySpace to find future recruits? They sure can; by the same token, they should use each of these sites to the best & fullest of their advantage in finding quality members, duders who could prove to be valuable assets to the growth & betterment of the chapter in general. Like an employer, Greek undergraduates are always on the lookout for men who they see as the perfect fit for Sigma Chi or SAE, etc. But if we think our searching is for party animals or skirt chasers, we need to rethink our strategies altogether: such folks are searching for men whose primary focus is not on booze or women but academics, leadership, initiative, serving the community & campus in a conducive way.
Of course, like any boss of a company/giant corporation, the executive council should be leery of candidates whom they feel don't measure up to the fraternity's standards. If some duder has a profile dedicated to nothing but partying & getting stoned, chances are he won't be the right fit for this house or that. Same with a duder whose photo album titles are titled "beer" & "booty." Do you see anyone with that level of maturity making his way up to chapter president much less VP? More often than not, the answer to such a question is, "No way!!" True, we all love to have fun & good times; don't get me wrong, I had plenty of both. But the thing is, as I mentioned in my last post, employers are not into surprises. Neither are fraternities when it comes to finding well-rounded, outgoing men who are the model "men of good character," "true gentlemen," "men of integrity." If we haven't considered using Facebook/MySpace as a means by which to find men of the caliber I just stated above, we should give it a try for once. Chances are we could find quality (& I meant quality) men who could make a beneficial difference for our respective chapters.
Am I saying that fraternities can't use Facebook & MySpace to find future recruits? They sure can; by the same token, they should use each of these sites to the best & fullest of their advantage in finding quality members, duders who could prove to be valuable assets to the growth & betterment of the chapter in general. Like an employer, Greek undergraduates are always on the lookout for men who they see as the perfect fit for Sigma Chi or SAE, etc. But if we think our searching is for party animals or skirt chasers, we need to rethink our strategies altogether: such folks are searching for men whose primary focus is not on booze or women but academics, leadership, initiative, serving the community & campus in a conducive way.
Of course, like any boss of a company/giant corporation, the executive council should be leery of candidates whom they feel don't measure up to the fraternity's standards. If some duder has a profile dedicated to nothing but partying & getting stoned, chances are he won't be the right fit for this house or that. Same with a duder whose photo album titles are titled "beer" & "booty." Do you see anyone with that level of maturity making his way up to chapter president much less VP? More often than not, the answer to such a question is, "No way!!" True, we all love to have fun & good times; don't get me wrong, I had plenty of both. But the thing is, as I mentioned in my last post, employers are not into surprises. Neither are fraternities when it comes to finding well-rounded, outgoing men who are the model "men of good character," "true gentlemen," "men of integrity." If we haven't considered using Facebook/MySpace as a means by which to find men of the caliber I just stated above, we should give it a try for once. Chances are we could find quality (& I meant quality) men who could make a beneficial difference for our respective chapters.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
(side note), revisited
In my post entitled (side note), I brought up the issue on house cleaning. Perhaps I didn't do myself enough justice the last time around as far as articulating my views about stuff of this magnitude is concerned. But for round two, I'm coming out swinging on things I overlooked in my last post.
House cleaning could just as well be seen as a positive for any fraternity which is seeking to improve its standing (if not its repute) & is willing to prove to the whole campus it does have a rightful place in the Greek system by changing for the better. And to do that, getting rid of the "bad apples," the dead weights or indifferent brothers is an imperative. This may sound like a real big deal to some dudes, who feel if some of their closest friends are booted from the chapter, they feel blindsided by HQ coming in to save the day. (And yet another reason why some men choose to disaffiliate from Greek life altogether.)
But thing is, getting rid of those men who don't measure up to the fraternity's standards will prove to be a plus in the long run if we stop to think about it. That's what some dudes just can't comprehend & sadly never will. Is this to say that they fall woefully short of their organization's expectations in adopting such a stubborn mindset? No. Yet if they could only stop & think about what place the chapter holds in their lives, a house cleaning could be the ultimate wake-up call which they need to rethink about the values they're not living up to as fraternity members.
Any fraternal HQ, when it comes to house purgings, can't go halfway in their approach to weeding out the undesirables and declaring them "PNG" (FYI: short for persona non grata). HQ can't do a half-baked job either in finding out who's fit to be in their organization or no. It takes patience, time, assessment after assessment (membership reviews being one of them) & lots of open lines of communication to ensure that HQ is doing the little things right in regards to house cleaning.
For any house to overcome a house cleaning, now that's the ultimate test of faith. The question is, how many men will benefit from all this? I surmise plenty will, & I speak of those men who sincerely devote every ounce of their time & energy into making their respective chapters some of the best on campus, those men who sincerely care about their house & want to see improvement where it is rightfully due, & those men who know that their chapters could be the most loved in the Greek system if they wholeheartedly want them to be. Those are the men who know the directions to take after the smoke clears, after the deadweights & problem members have been shown the door once & for all.
House cleaning could just as well be seen as a positive for any fraternity which is seeking to improve its standing (if not its repute) & is willing to prove to the whole campus it does have a rightful place in the Greek system by changing for the better. And to do that, getting rid of the "bad apples," the dead weights or indifferent brothers is an imperative. This may sound like a real big deal to some dudes, who feel if some of their closest friends are booted from the chapter, they feel blindsided by HQ coming in to save the day. (And yet another reason why some men choose to disaffiliate from Greek life altogether.)
But thing is, getting rid of those men who don't measure up to the fraternity's standards will prove to be a plus in the long run if we stop to think about it. That's what some dudes just can't comprehend & sadly never will. Is this to say that they fall woefully short of their organization's expectations in adopting such a stubborn mindset? No. Yet if they could only stop & think about what place the chapter holds in their lives, a house cleaning could be the ultimate wake-up call which they need to rethink about the values they're not living up to as fraternity members.
Any fraternal HQ, when it comes to house purgings, can't go halfway in their approach to weeding out the undesirables and declaring them "PNG" (FYI: short for persona non grata). HQ can't do a half-baked job either in finding out who's fit to be in their organization or no. It takes patience, time, assessment after assessment (membership reviews being one of them) & lots of open lines of communication to ensure that HQ is doing the little things right in regards to house cleaning.
For any house to overcome a house cleaning, now that's the ultimate test of faith. The question is, how many men will benefit from all this? I surmise plenty will, & I speak of those men who sincerely devote every ounce of their time & energy into making their respective chapters some of the best on campus, those men who sincerely care about their house & want to see improvement where it is rightfully due, & those men who know that their chapters could be the most loved in the Greek system if they wholeheartedly want them to be. Those are the men who know the directions to take after the smoke clears, after the deadweights & problem members have been shown the door once & for all.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
(side note)
True brotherhood.
When it comes to fraternity house cleanings, & losing some of one's best friends, the word "brotherhood" takes a hard hit indeed. In fact, some would rather walk out/disaffiliate from the fraternity in situations of this magnitude.
But why is that? you might ask. First off, seeing their very own HQ altering the house culture is a bit much to take; not only that, but they feel all the traditions, antics & practices which defined their house's existence are going to be thrown out the window in the process. This is to say that the nationals are cramping their style & they don't want to see any progress or changes of any kind being made to their respective chapters.
Secondly, in the case of house cleanings, the duders who are fortunate enough to stay on as fraternity members are in a state of shock as they're trying to cope with losing not just their roomies but also their closest friends in the house. Sensing that life at the house won't be quite the same without them, they'd rather bail than watch the slow-but-sure transformation of their house into one of the best flipping chapters on campus, period.
Finally, they don't know what the word "brotherhood" truly means unless they're willing to stay the course & see the positive alterations taking place...For such folks who won't take the initiative to give the house the 360 degree improvement which it needs, their loss if they walk away when they're needed most to steer their chapter in the right direction.
True brotherhood should transcend the cliques, the silly spiel of "follow the leader" (that is, when some of one's own get kicked out of the fraternity, the natural thing to do at this point is to leave as well). For those who are proud to survive & overcome the house cleanings, there are definitely going to be better & brighter days ahead.
When it comes to fraternity house cleanings, & losing some of one's best friends, the word "brotherhood" takes a hard hit indeed. In fact, some would rather walk out/disaffiliate from the fraternity in situations of this magnitude.
But why is that? you might ask. First off, seeing their very own HQ altering the house culture is a bit much to take; not only that, but they feel all the traditions, antics & practices which defined their house's existence are going to be thrown out the window in the process. This is to say that the nationals are cramping their style & they don't want to see any progress or changes of any kind being made to their respective chapters.
Secondly, in the case of house cleanings, the duders who are fortunate enough to stay on as fraternity members are in a state of shock as they're trying to cope with losing not just their roomies but also their closest friends in the house. Sensing that life at the house won't be quite the same without them, they'd rather bail than watch the slow-but-sure transformation of their house into one of the best flipping chapters on campus, period.
Finally, they don't know what the word "brotherhood" truly means unless they're willing to stay the course & see the positive alterations taking place...For such folks who won't take the initiative to give the house the 360 degree improvement which it needs, their loss if they walk away when they're needed most to steer their chapter in the right direction.
True brotherhood should transcend the cliques, the silly spiel of "follow the leader" (that is, when some of one's own get kicked out of the fraternity, the natural thing to do at this point is to leave as well). For those who are proud to survive & overcome the house cleanings, there are definitely going to be better & brighter days ahead.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
A Price To Pay
Some duders just never learn. That is, until it's too late.
For the men of Alpha Epsilon Pi @ Indiana University, they're finding out the hard way just how costly hazing their pledges would be; their chapter is now shut down & their good name has become anathema in Bloomington (e.g. they can't participate in the Little 5 as AEPi; they're no longer part of the Greek system @ IU as we speak).
In my previous posts on hazing, I focused on how detrimental it can be, particularly with the pledges. Sure, AEPi might have hazed their new guys just for tradition's sake or because that's part & parcel of their pledging program; it could just as well be both of the above. But when it comes to depriving your pledges of sleep, dropping them off at who knows where & expecting them to find their way back to campus (both of which Alpha Epsilon Pi actually did), along with forcing them to drink odd concoctions, reaming them out during the much-dreaded lineups...that's complete BS & none of these actions will help any new guy gain a fuller understanding of their fraternity nor will they help them strive to become better pledges either (& after Initiation, better brothers). And obligations of this sort sure don't give pledges the opportunity to excel academically.
To tell you the truth, hazing is just wrong & always has been. To say that it's not wrong or that it's beneficial to educating your new members the ins & outs of not only your respective chapters but also your fraternal organizations (collectively speaking) - that to me is ignorance at its finest.
Some duders don't learn until it's too late. And what then? they will ask as if they were worthy of a second chance to begin with. Maybe a second chance for AEPi may come around the bend; maybe not. But the damage has already been done to Alpha Epsilon Pi & we're left with a warning on the price one chapter pays just for hazing their members-to-be: it's not worth losing your charter or your house over.
For the men of Alpha Epsilon Pi @ Indiana University, they're finding out the hard way just how costly hazing their pledges would be; their chapter is now shut down & their good name has become anathema in Bloomington (e.g. they can't participate in the Little 5 as AEPi; they're no longer part of the Greek system @ IU as we speak).
In my previous posts on hazing, I focused on how detrimental it can be, particularly with the pledges. Sure, AEPi might have hazed their new guys just for tradition's sake or because that's part & parcel of their pledging program; it could just as well be both of the above. But when it comes to depriving your pledges of sleep, dropping them off at who knows where & expecting them to find their way back to campus (both of which Alpha Epsilon Pi actually did), along with forcing them to drink odd concoctions, reaming them out during the much-dreaded lineups...that's complete BS & none of these actions will help any new guy gain a fuller understanding of their fraternity nor will they help them strive to become better pledges either (& after Initiation, better brothers). And obligations of this sort sure don't give pledges the opportunity to excel academically.
To tell you the truth, hazing is just wrong & always has been. To say that it's not wrong or that it's beneficial to educating your new members the ins & outs of not only your respective chapters but also your fraternal organizations (collectively speaking) - that to me is ignorance at its finest.
Some duders don't learn until it's too late. And what then? they will ask as if they were worthy of a second chance to begin with. Maybe a second chance for AEPi may come around the bend; maybe not. But the damage has already been done to Alpha Epsilon Pi & we're left with a warning on the price one chapter pays just for hazing their members-to-be: it's not worth losing your charter or your house over.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
So The Story Goes
For every fraternity which leaves campus, there is a gaping hole in the Greek system which a Band-Aid alone can't patch up. The next move is finding a replacement who is willing to colonize/install a local chapter until it reaches the national's requirements (& with that, all the rigmarole associated with starting a fraternity).
As anyone fully knows by now, fraternities in any Greek system don't appear overnight; founding, say, Pi Kappa Alpha or Kappa Sigma takes time. It takes patience. It takes discipline. It takes energy, 110% commitment.
Really, it takes all of the above.
To be perfectly honest, founding a fraternity/colonizing one is hard work for everyone involved. It's not something which can be done via a weaving of magic wands or incantations; this isn't what the founders of Sigma Chi or Fiji had in mind when they began their existence as bonafide fraternities in earnest. It takes much effort, much time, much convincing others that you want to make a difference not only within the Greek system but on campus.
And in a Greek system where the number of fraternities is decreasing, a lot of fraternal organizations either will a) voice their misgivings about wanting to start things up at State U or b) weigh the options, ask "What can we do?" & finally decide to get things up & running. In a situation of this magnitude, either it's one way or the other & to get the Greek community back on the up & up most HQs should take the latter approach into consideration.
But like I said earlier, these things take time. And patience is a virtue which any fraternal organization needs to have to keep operations running smoothly with the local/colony chapter who seeks to become this house or that.
None of this will ever come easy. Please believe me: it's a job to make a local/colony chapter into a full-fledged fraternity but it's worth every minute spent toiling away to get to the top.
As anyone fully knows by now, fraternities in any Greek system don't appear overnight; founding, say, Pi Kappa Alpha or Kappa Sigma takes time. It takes patience. It takes discipline. It takes energy, 110% commitment.
Really, it takes all of the above.
To be perfectly honest, founding a fraternity/colonizing one is hard work for everyone involved. It's not something which can be done via a weaving of magic wands or incantations; this isn't what the founders of Sigma Chi or Fiji had in mind when they began their existence as bonafide fraternities in earnest. It takes much effort, much time, much convincing others that you want to make a difference not only within the Greek system but on campus.
And in a Greek system where the number of fraternities is decreasing, a lot of fraternal organizations either will a) voice their misgivings about wanting to start things up at State U or b) weigh the options, ask "What can we do?" & finally decide to get things up & running. In a situation of this magnitude, either it's one way or the other & to get the Greek community back on the up & up most HQs should take the latter approach into consideration.
But like I said earlier, these things take time. And patience is a virtue which any fraternal organization needs to have to keep operations running smoothly with the local/colony chapter who seeks to become this house or that.
None of this will ever come easy. Please believe me: it's a job to make a local/colony chapter into a full-fledged fraternity but it's worth every minute spent toiling away to get to the top.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Once upon a time...
Greek life at my alma mater was if not all the rage very much alive & well. Perhaps it could be attributed to a strong sense of unity, a deep belief in fraternity values & an adamant personal commitment to those said values (i.e. integrity, personal responsibility). Perhaps life was a bit more carefree back then & in certain aspects it was. Perhaps we sincerely understood the importance of being part of the Greek system...Who can say exactly why Greek life was so strong & so revered once upon a time? Anyways, back in the day we could say with confidence that we were truly proud to be Greek & rightly so.
This isn't to say that Greek life as it stands now is MIA; it's still alive & well. But how the times have changed, especially when it comes to the number of fraternities which are now on campus.
Since 2003, who knows how many fraternities have exited the Greek system at Ball State (Lambda Chi Alpha, Delta Chi, Beta Theta Pi, Theta Xi, and now Zeta Beta Tau). As we speak, Delta Tau Delta is getting a membership review so things aren't looking too swell over there. If anything, the number of fraternities dropping off the map over the past few years has been a glaring issue of concern...an alarming one at that.
For the fraternities which have busted tail to make grades, to keep things on the up & up financially, to prove that they sincerely belong on campus : I commend everyone for their efforts, since you paid your dues to do a lot more than stay afloat in the Greek system. One of the few things which riles me up is when fraternties make news headlines for all the wrong reasons or aren't living up to the standards which their respective creeds ask of them; they're not only a blight & an eyesore on the Greek community but give the rest of my fellow Greeks a bad name they'd rather do without.
Seriously, if one house chooses to take all their negative status as a joke, it reflects poorly not only for their own chapter but also on all the other active chapters who feel that they should shape up or get sent packing. If it's an issue of grades, folks need to step up & do what it takes to get back to where they need to be on account of the all-men's average (not just by what their nationals say); to stay set in one's ways gradewise is a retrogressive step no fraternity should ever wind up taking lest they lose their charter like ZBT did. If it's connected to behavioral problems, SigEp's Alumni Advisory Council (AAC) is the ultimate model in how to weed the frat-boy culture which may be rampant in any of its active chapters; true, Delta Tau Delta's main HQ is taking action in its own right back @ Muncie & in its own way as well. Can we say the same of frats like Sigma Chi, Theta Chi or SAE when it comes down to finding out on how to dispense with problem members/improve the house's GPA for the better (among other things)?
Of course; that's the thing. We all have an active part to play in the Greek system & it needs to be played to the fullest of our potential. Otherwise, our presence on campus would be in vain, especially when we stop to think about the chapters which have fallen by the wayside in recent years. This isn't to say that D-Chi didn't measure up gradewise; it was for financial reasons that they got sent packing. Same with Lambda Chi & the Betas. ZBT is a different story: they didn't make grades. The worst we could do at this juncture is write each of these chapters off as casualties of the lowest order because it could just as well be one of our own houses getting looked at under the university's objective microscope.
And in a Greek system with fraternities dwindling to a mere trickle, the worst we could do is say, "It can't happen to me."
This isn't to say that Greek life as it stands now is MIA; it's still alive & well. But how the times have changed, especially when it comes to the number of fraternities which are now on campus.
Since 2003, who knows how many fraternities have exited the Greek system at Ball State (Lambda Chi Alpha, Delta Chi, Beta Theta Pi, Theta Xi, and now Zeta Beta Tau). As we speak, Delta Tau Delta is getting a membership review so things aren't looking too swell over there. If anything, the number of fraternities dropping off the map over the past few years has been a glaring issue of concern...an alarming one at that.
For the fraternities which have busted tail to make grades, to keep things on the up & up financially, to prove that they sincerely belong on campus : I commend everyone for their efforts, since you paid your dues to do a lot more than stay afloat in the Greek system. One of the few things which riles me up is when fraternties make news headlines for all the wrong reasons or aren't living up to the standards which their respective creeds ask of them; they're not only a blight & an eyesore on the Greek community but give the rest of my fellow Greeks a bad name they'd rather do without.
Seriously, if one house chooses to take all their negative status as a joke, it reflects poorly not only for their own chapter but also on all the other active chapters who feel that they should shape up or get sent packing. If it's an issue of grades, folks need to step up & do what it takes to get back to where they need to be on account of the all-men's average (not just by what their nationals say); to stay set in one's ways gradewise is a retrogressive step no fraternity should ever wind up taking lest they lose their charter like ZBT did. If it's connected to behavioral problems, SigEp's Alumni Advisory Council (AAC) is the ultimate model in how to weed the frat-boy culture which may be rampant in any of its active chapters; true, Delta Tau Delta's main HQ is taking action in its own right back @ Muncie & in its own way as well. Can we say the same of frats like Sigma Chi, Theta Chi or SAE when it comes down to finding out on how to dispense with problem members/improve the house's GPA for the better (among other things)?
Of course; that's the thing. We all have an active part to play in the Greek system & it needs to be played to the fullest of our potential. Otherwise, our presence on campus would be in vain, especially when we stop to think about the chapters which have fallen by the wayside in recent years. This isn't to say that D-Chi didn't measure up gradewise; it was for financial reasons that they got sent packing. Same with Lambda Chi & the Betas. ZBT is a different story: they didn't make grades. The worst we could do at this juncture is write each of these chapters off as casualties of the lowest order because it could just as well be one of our own houses getting looked at under the university's objective microscope.
And in a Greek system with fraternities dwindling to a mere trickle, the worst we could do is say, "It can't happen to me."
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Opening remarks
A couple weeks back, who knows how many fraternities ended up getting new guys (or duders as I prefer to call them). And of course, they're just getting their feet wet as they embark on an adventure of an indefinite duration, one of the transforming experiences most of these men will go through during their 4 or so years at college.
That's right. It's pledgeship.
Not only is it a time to make new friends & new connections along the way. It's also a time to put one's leadership skills to the test, skills that could work wonders once one is fully initiated into, say, Sigs or SAE. If you're up for hosting parties & are great at planning them accordingly/formulating where to hold your pledge bashes, sign up for social chair. If you're a pretty good leader who'll see to it that your fellow pledges are on the same page when it comes to getting things done, you'd do awesome as president. If you feel you & your fellow pledges should keep themselves accountable in terms of paying their pledgeship dues & other whatnot, give it a go as treasurer. At any rate, pledgeship is the springboard for who knows how many duders to step up, get involved any way they can...in short, build on their leadership, communication & networking skills, skills which are going to be beneficial not only after initiation but also in the real world as well.
There are those men who'll state the obvious, i.e. "Greek life isn't really for me after all," & this is understandable to a certain point. Seeing the obligations which their pledge programs entail, some are taken aback at demands which in a sense cramp their style or demands which they're just not up to. Some fold early when their grades take a hit. Others leave out of pressure from their fams. Some get kicked out of the pledge program for some of the pettiest stuff...& yet I'll guarantee you, 9 times out of 10 it'll be because of conduct unbecoming. But for the majority who stay on & are busting their tails to make their pledging experiences not just meaningful but some of the best days of their lives...Greek life & all of its benefits grow by a thousandfold!!
If there is something to be said about pledgeship, it might seem like a long road with lots of signs & obstacles to clear every now & then, not to forget plenty of twists & turns. But once the end of the road - initiation - has been reached, the meaning of one's quest to be a man of good character, a man of integrity, etc. become fully clear. Pledgeship is the one way to become each of the above & much more. In fact, it's the start of something big for every duder who feels that Greek life shouldn't be taken for granted.
That's right. It's pledgeship.
Not only is it a time to make new friends & new connections along the way. It's also a time to put one's leadership skills to the test, skills that could work wonders once one is fully initiated into, say, Sigs or SAE. If you're up for hosting parties & are great at planning them accordingly/formulating where to hold your pledge bashes, sign up for social chair. If you're a pretty good leader who'll see to it that your fellow pledges are on the same page when it comes to getting things done, you'd do awesome as president. If you feel you & your fellow pledges should keep themselves accountable in terms of paying their pledgeship dues & other whatnot, give it a go as treasurer. At any rate, pledgeship is the springboard for who knows how many duders to step up, get involved any way they can...in short, build on their leadership, communication & networking skills, skills which are going to be beneficial not only after initiation but also in the real world as well.
There are those men who'll state the obvious, i.e. "Greek life isn't really for me after all," & this is understandable to a certain point. Seeing the obligations which their pledge programs entail, some are taken aback at demands which in a sense cramp their style or demands which they're just not up to. Some fold early when their grades take a hit. Others leave out of pressure from their fams. Some get kicked out of the pledge program for some of the pettiest stuff...& yet I'll guarantee you, 9 times out of 10 it'll be because of conduct unbecoming. But for the majority who stay on & are busting their tails to make their pledging experiences not just meaningful but some of the best days of their lives...Greek life & all of its benefits grow by a thousandfold!!
If there is something to be said about pledgeship, it might seem like a long road with lots of signs & obstacles to clear every now & then, not to forget plenty of twists & turns. But once the end of the road - initiation - has been reached, the meaning of one's quest to be a man of good character, a man of integrity, etc. become fully clear. Pledgeship is the one way to become each of the above & much more. In fact, it's the start of something big for every duder who feels that Greek life shouldn't be taken for granted.
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