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Amped about
joining a fraternity or sorority? What you should
know first...
Which Greek-Lettered
Organization Will You Choose?
By Feona Sharhran Huff
January 2001
The CollegeBound Network NewsClick -- Ahhh...
It's spring time. You're all the more closer to
college, professors, and new friends. And, for
many of you who are amped about joining a fraternity
or sorority, in exactly one year, many such groups
will be conducting membership intake. But, before
you make a dash for the campus bookstore to buy
every T-shirt, hat, watch, and keychain with the
organization's symbols embroidered on them, or
start practicing their step moves, you need to
seriously consider which sorority or fraternity
best suits your needs and interests. These organization
members share how they made their choice:
Check the Facts.
Nykole Collins remembers always wanting to be
a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Interacting
with her sister's Delta friends and seeing them
in action made her want to know more about the
organization. First, Nykole read In Search
of Sisterhood, which documents Delta's history.
"I found out that a lot
of Deltas were involved in community service and
social action," she recalls. This impressed her
because she plans a career in public service once
she graduates from the University of South Florida,
Tampa, FL. And, surfing the sorority's official
Web site reinforced the belief that Delta was
for her. She went on to become a member of the
Kappa Iota Chapter at USF. Nykole strongly advises
you to research the organizations you're interested
in. "It's a lifetime commitment," she emphasizes.
Look for Balance.
One of the reasons Tyvi Small became a member
of Zeta Chi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity,
Inc. at USF was that the frat members balanced
the social and academic aspects of college. "They
took care of business and had fun, too," says
Tyvi. The Kappas managed to complete tons of community
service projects, maintain good grades, and put
on the best parties -- without breaking a sweat,
says Tyvi. He believed he would feel at home with
the members because he, too, was a balanced individual.
Tyvi suggests you follow
in his footsteps. "Look for the people who you
feel comfortable with and where you can feel free
to be yourself."
Presentation is Everything.
"What you see is a person's first impression,"
Tyvi continues. That's why he couldn't help but
be impressed with how well-groomed and professional-looking
USF's Kappas were. "Every Monday the Kappas wore
a shirt and tie," Tyvi says. To him, that showed
a sense of pride and self-worth. "If you see frat
members looking professional, you're going to
have a good opinion of them," he explains.
Get to Know 'Em.
Henry D. Hippolyte, a member of Kappa Delta Chapter
of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. at the University
of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, says it's a good idea
to get to know members of the organization you
hope to join. That's what he did. Henry says it's
to your benefit to find out what the men or women
are like as individuals and organization members
because you'll be working with them on a regular
basis. If you click, that's great. But, if you
find that your personalities clash, you might
want to wait until those people have left or you
can do membership intake in an alumni chapter.
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