I'll say this and I'm speaking generally, not talking about or referring to any specific person.If you want to know if an organization is for you, get the basics first. A lot of folk will say "I want something other than information on a website from their National Headquarters, they don't tell you everything! I want the real stuff!" Huh?! The websites tell you all you need to know to join an organization; BASIC history, their mission and membership requirements. The only thing the websites don't have are campus requirements and those vary, you can get that info by contacting your respective school, normally the Office of Student Affairs. Want to know more? Read the history book of the organization(s) that you're interested in. Reading "The Divine Nine" by Lawrence Ross will also give you a good start. All of these books can be found in a library.Once you have those basics, get some personal perspective, talk to a member of an org, ANY ORG, and see if they are willing to offer any words of advice in becoming a member of the greek family. Don't wait for someone to approach you b/c we don't know everyone who's interested. You don't have to broadcast your affinity or dislike for an organization to the public, just pull somebody to the side and have a conversation.If you're on campus and are interested in a particular organization, attend their events. You don't have to be all in their faces about it, "I'M HERE!! It's me! Remember me?!" Speaking when passing is good enough. They don't have to know your name, but let them see your face. Asking questions, lending a hand, participating, etc. And lastly, no one that you've just met can tell you which org is right for you. Sure, we can talk up our respective organization, making it sound like the best thing since sliced bread and tell you "XYZ is for you! " But you have to make that final decision. It is a lifelong committment and someone else shouldn't be dictating it for you.It's not that greeks have an elitist attitude(though some individual members do), think everything is secret and/or don't want to share our knowledge. It's just that we've put in the work to get where we are and expect you to do the same.That's my .06 cents, take it how you want!"Can you get on my level?"
It's not that greeks have an elitist attitude(though some individual members do), think everything is secret and/or don't want to share our knowledge. It's just that we've put in the work to get where we are and expect you to do the same.
I'm just curious to what work you had to put in? Anyway, it is a good post. I'm trying to figure out what do most people want to know that isn't on the national websites. The national websites give all the information people need to know. I guess people want to know what goes on when people are on line. Most people tell that anyway, even though they aren't supposed to. So it is really easy to find out about the pledging experience. The key is to not ask the wrong person or to give away your interest in a particular organization. So if the person isn't your best friend or a relative, it is best not to ask certain questions because that individual might reveal what your key interest is.
One thing that was questionable to me, in your advice, was that you should go up to a person of the organization and ask questions. I don't think that is wise to do that. It has to be in the right timing. If you know that they aren't going to have a line until the next year, it is best to go up to that person closer to when they are having a line (such as the semester before). It wouldn't make any sense to go up to them a year in advance for them to be watching you, or have the potential to haze you for a whole year before they even have a line. Hey, lets keep it real! Not all the times those people are approachable if they think you want to pledge their particular org. Some of them will be nice but then you will have some idiots too. So you pretty much have to play it by ear.
Work = Keeping your grades up, getting your community service in, getting involved in something positive and of course knowing your history. You can't get an 'A' in a course if you don't put in work! So you can't expect to get into a BGLO if you don't put in your work. It isn't too much for a college educated person to handle.If ANY BGLO member that joined after 1990 tells you about their experience of being "on line", it's from illegal activity so it can't be trusted. Going back to 1990, none of the 9 organizations have allowed hazing within their ranks. They all came together as the Council of Presidents and agreed upon that. Not only is it illegal within the organizations, most states have anti-hazing laws. What aspirants go through now is called a Membership Intake Process(MIP) and not a pledge line. I'm not totally sure how each organization handles theirs but for Alpha, it's 2 consecutive weekends of learning history, interacting with brothers, participating in community service and learning fraternity policy. If you participate in any unsanctioned activities anytime before MIP begins or in between weekends, you put yourself at risk of being banned from joining the organization and you'll put the respective chapter in jeopardy of being suspended or having their charter revoked. And of course any form of hazing before MIP and/or from the beginning to the end of the MIP is illegal. Please note how I separated "activities" and "hazing". They're separated because it's illegal for brothers to even call the aspirants together to study in between MIP weekends. Why? Because anything can get misconstrued.Looking from the inside out, I beg to differ on talking to someone as being unwise. No matter when the next intake proccess is, if you make it through, that member you were hesitant to talk to will still be your sister/brother. It doesn't matter when you come up to us, we're ALWAYS watching. We know who the riff-raff is, we know who's involved in what and who's not, we even know who's been naughty or nice! We're like Santa Claus but better because my suit is Black & Gold. Another key point in this post...DON'T SUBJECT YOURSELF TO HAZING!Nothing good will come of it. 'Keeping it real', a member may say "You have to..." but if it isn't during one of the MIP weekends, you can get in trouble for it. Yeah they can twist words to try and convince you but just ask them if it's ok to verify their request with their national office. If the conversation ends then you know it wasn't legit. "But what if they decide to not let me join if I don't go along with it?" Then you have to ask yourself if you want to wait to join that chapter or wait until you graduate and join an alumni chapter. It's guaranteed that you won't like all of the members in your organization, you'll have your nice guys and your idiots. And that's being real.Last but not least since I started it with work, I'm going to end it with work. It's always said and it DEFINITELY holds true, "Getting in is the easy part, once you're in, the real work begins!" Greek life isn't like how it is in "Stomp The Yard", that's just one aspect of it. They didn't show any of the 'work'.
Huh?! The websites tell you all you need to know to join an organization; BASIC history, their mission and membership requirements. The only thing the websites don't have are campus requirements and those vary, you can get that info by contacting your respective school, normally the Office of Student Affairs. Want to know more? Read the history book of the organization(s) that you're interested in. Reading "The Divine Nine" by Lawrence Ross will also give you a good start. All of these books can be found in a library.
It's me! Remember me?!" Speaking when passing is good enough. They don't have to know your name, but let them see your face. Asking questions, lending a hand, participating, etc. 
" But you have to make that final decision. It is a lifelong committment and someone else shouldn't be dictating it for you.
but better because my suit is Black & Gold. 
