You were there too!

[Mrs. Eyes]

Well that's good. Don't get too focused on how the members are. We must be selective. But keep striving to get there. Good luck!

[soulcold06]

Word,
<-------------has no idea what the forum is about, but can assume it has to do with a GDI

[Mrs. Eyes]

^ You hit the nail on the head. LOL!

[Sapphire]

*wonders when GreatValue will ever introduce itself*

[LejaOMG]

i ain't say it was a stupid question, just a dumbazz one. But that's only because I was feeling cracky yesterday (per Juicy). Today, not so much. Now I don't think it's dumbazz so much as I don't care to answer. Either way, please carry on.

[Cambist]

I see...i've been on a bait and drag kick for a few weeks. Just create threads or conversations that I KNOW are going to cause some drama and then bait others into the conversation.

It's the asshole part of me....I can't help it.....

[T-Rex91]

Y'all make me long for the good old days before social networking, when if someone had a question, they found some balls and walked up to you and asked or they worked their network to find some answers creatively. Aspirants just throwing stuff out in cyber looking for answers and lurking through information posted nondiscreetly dumbs down the process. Why do you have to have heart and really want it if it gets giftwrapped for you in cyber? I guess I'm just a dinosaur that doesn't see the meteor coming to put me out of my misery.......

[coldfront06]

At some Greek forums I've attended, we set it up so that people can ask anonymous questions such as this. We have aspirants submit their questions on a piece of paper in a box, and we draw the questions from the box and answer them.

[T-Rex91]

That's a good way to handle it Cold. All I'm lamenting is the expectation of giftwrapped direction. Back in the day, you just had to figure stuff out the best way you could. Guess "the best way" has evolved and I haven't

[Troopa1911]

Isn't Greatvalue the name of a store...like Dollar General or something of that nature? isn't it

*shugs shoulders*

[DamieQue™]

Jul 7, 2009 15:27:26 GMT -5 T-Rex91 said:

That's a good way to handle it Cold. All I'm lamenting is the expectation of giftwrapped direction. Back in the day, you just had to figure stuff out the best way you could. Guess "the best way" has evolved and I haven't

Look just munch your prehistoric leafy greens while standing in your primordial ooze and pay no attention to that second bright light in the sky. It's nothing you have to worry about.

[T-Rex91]

Jul 7, 2009 15:29:19 GMT -5 DamieQue™ said:

Jul 7, 2009 15:27:26 GMT -5 T-Rex91 said:

That's a good way to handle it Cold. All I'm lamenting is the expectation of giftwrapped direction. Back in the day, you just had to figure stuff out the best way you could. Guess "the best way" has evolved and I haven't

Look just munch your prehistoric leafy greens while standing in your primordial ooze and pay no attention to that second bright light in the sky. It's nothing you have to worry about.

Happy post holiday to you too, youngster. LOL

[DamieQue™]

Jul 7, 2009 15:31:25 GMT -5 T-Rex91 said:

Jul 7, 2009 15:29:19 GMT -5 DamieQue™ said:

Look just munch your prehistoric leafy greens while standing in your primordial ooze and pay no attention to that second bright light in the sky. It's nothing you have to worry about.

Happy post holiday to you too, youngster. LOL

*Flashes laser pointer at the wall*

Happy post holiday to you too.

[FatalDST]

Game? I love The Game. Im so glad BET picked it up!

[Julie Art]

Jul 7, 2009 15:14:30 GMT -5 T-Rex91 said:

Y'all make me long for the good old days before social networking, when if someone had a question, they found some balls and walked up to you and asked or they worked their network to find some answers creatively. Aspirants just throwing stuff out in cyber looking for answers and lurking through information posted nondiscreetly dumbs down the process. Why do you have to have heart and really want it if it gets giftwrapped for you in cyber? I guess I'm just a dinosaur that doesn't see the meteor coming to put me out of my misery.......

I'm right there with you '91. That is why my response was don't ask why, just deal with it or move on.

[FatalDST]

Jul 7, 2009 15:14:30 GMT -5 T-Rex91 said:

Y'all make me long for the good old days before social networking, when if someone had a question, they found some balls and walked up to you and asked or they worked their network to find some answers creatively. Aspirants just throwing stuff out in cyber looking for answers and lurking through information posted nondiscreetly dumbs down the process. Why do you have to have heart and really want it if it gets giftwrapped for you in cyber? I guess I'm just a dinosaur that doesn't see the meteor coming to put me out of my misery.......

Strobe lights!!!!!!!

Thats why I dont acknowledge the shit! Its not a mind game, but you work for anything else you want, why is this just supposed to be given to you?

[icebraka]

Jul 7, 2009 15:14:30 GMT -5 T-Rex91 said:

Y'all make me long for the good old days before social networking, when if someone had a question, they found some balls and walked up to you and asked or they worked their network to find some answers creatively. Aspirants just throwing stuff out in cyber looking for answers and lurking through information posted nondiscreetly dumbs down the process. Why do you have to have heart and really want it if it gets giftwrapped for you in cyber? I guess I'm just a dinosaur that doesn't see the meteor coming to put me out of my misery.......

but we're being called 'fake' or 'b!tches' by greeks if we don't spoon feed these people.

thank YOU 9-1!

[Iceman]

Ladies - That's real rap

If some of these net-privledged aspirants don't have the patience to deal with and navigate through the pre-game festivities, they won't even make it through the 1st quarter come actual gametime.

[Cambist]

*still feeling like the asshole today*

Y'all don't realize that this is a new era with a new mindsets. The aspirants are privy to more information than most older members. They have both the good and the bad info....they're better informed.

Also, young people are different. The last generation and a half are all about "what can you do for me"? They use the fact that society has become almost exclusively hedonistic and individualistic to base their decisions. Including what organizations they join.

I'll be honest, any aspirant who doesn't feel that the organization "needs them" in some way will not be a strong candidate. Most of us shun this arrogance....I embrace a healthy amount of it.

Truth is people don't come to our organizations in the same condition they used to, they already possess a greater basket of knowledge, they have a lessened sense of loyalty to principles and ON principles......they are different.

Despite that difference, we are attempting to continue business as usual and expect things to go as they always have.

I'm not saying that we should lower our standards....not at all. I'm just saying that we have to decide whether we are using criteria for a sheep to evaluate a hog.

[T-Rex91]

Jul 8, 2009 9:51:01 GMT -5 Cambist said:

*still feeling like the asshole today*

Y'all don't realize that this is a new era with a new mindsets. The aspirants are privy to more information than most older members. They have both the good and the bad info....they're better informed.

Also, young people are different. The last generation and a half are all about "what can you do for me"? They use the fact that society has become almost exclusively hedonistic and individualistic to base their decisions. Including what organizations they join.

I'll be honest, any aspirant who doesn't feel that the organization "needs them" in some way will not be a strong candidate. Most of us shun this arrogance....I embrace a healthy amount of it.

Truth is people don't come to our organizations in the same condition they used to, they already possess a greater basket of knowledge, they have a lessened sense of loyalty to principles and ON principles......they are different.

Despite that difference, we are attempting to continue business as usual and expect things to go as they always have.

I'm not saying that we should lower our standards....not at all. I'm just saying that we have to decide whether we are using criteria for a sheep to evaluate a hog.

I don't see any a$$like comments in what you said above. You're absolutely right. Hence my dinosaur analogy. The game has changed but it's unavoidable because the applicants have changed. We blame our problems on the changes in the process when in fact part of it is driven by changes in the pool.The question is how do we as believers in what sorors/frat "should be" reconcile that with what the current process/pool/environment allows.

[FatalDST]

Jul 8, 2009 9:18:45 GMT -5 Iceman said:

Ladies - That's real rap

If some of these net-privledged aspirants don't have the patience to deal with and navigate through the pre-game festivities, they won't even make it through the 1st quarter come actual gametime.

and i have no problem calling a character foul and eject they ass from the game!

[Troopa1911]

Very interesting dialog.
The aurora of black greeks has such a pronounced presence on many campus. It's easy for us to say how a person should act, however we must remember many of this kids going off to school have never been in an enviroment such as campus life.

Cam touch on something very true. The internet has provided a great wealth of information that many older members may not have been aware of. In saying that I feel all aspirants should be aware of an orgs principals, programs, initiatives, foundations and some aspect of procedure seeing what is available on the internet in such.
I was very much aware and knew what I was getting into.

[Iceman]

Jul 8, 2009 9:51:01 GMT -5 Cambist said:

*still feeling like the asshole today*

Y'all don't realize that this is a new era with a new mindsets. The aspirants are privy to more information than most older members. They have both the good and the bad info....they're better informed.

Also, young people are different. The last generation and a half are all about "what can you do for me"? They use the fact that society has become almost exclusively hedonistic and individualistic to base their decisions. Including what organizations they join.

I'll be honest, any aspirant who doesn't feel that the organization "needs them" in some way will not be a strong candidate. Most of us shun this arrogance....I embrace a healthy amount of it.

Truth is people don't come to our organizations in the same condition they used to, they already possess a greater basket of knowledge, they have a lessened sense of loyalty to principles and ON principles......they are different.

Despite that difference, we are attempting to continue business as usual and expect things to go as they always have.

I'm not saying that we should lower our standards....not at all. I'm just saying that we have to decide whether we are using criteria for a sheep to evaluate a hog.

Cam, trust me - I can empathize with aspirants as I know how stressful and antagonizing it can feel not knowing where you stand. During my initial pursuit, the Bros on my yard were extremely hard to read man. One week they would be buddy buddy with you, invite you over to the plot for a couple of wings & laughs or invite you to come kick it a flow at one of the apartments off campus….

The VERY next week, nicks would act like they never seen your face before a day in their life - Have no rap for you, no eye contact with you, no acknowledgement that your standing right there within three feet in front of them - Nothing. On those seemingly “no speak weeks”, whenever I saw one of the Bros talking to any other male student that wasn’t an Alpha – I was thinking, “Dag, that Nicca right there is taking my place on line”. Bros had aspirants pre pledging before our real pre pledging even started – Not knowing where I stood left my stomach in KNOTS .

But in the end, that’s THE GAME. There is no precise answer to be found on the net on how to play & win. Every chapter is different. You just play accordingly and see where the chips fall. If some all star student/community activist thinks “The Game” is beneath them and they can just rely on their background and qualifications…Then don’t play. Just roll up to an interest meeting on your own merit, roll the dice, and see how things pan out for you.

While I felt I was certainly qualified on paper, I wanted Alpha so bad to the point that I didn’t want to take ANY chances on not getting selected. So I played the game & eventually won. That was my experience though. What I hope aspirants realize is they can scour the net for answers until their fingertips are sore – but there are no true answers except to experience it for yourself. What worked for Ice, or what worked for Cam, or whoever may not work for you. It all varies – So just play and deal with it. Depending on how someone comes in, there will be plenty to whine & complain about later. The pre-game is childs play. As you said somewhere earlier, it's nothing too magical or too deep about it- It just is. Just play or don't.

[DamieQue™]

Jul 8, 2009 10:51:30 GMT -5 Iceman said:

Jul 8, 2009 9:51:01 GMT -5 Cambist said:

*still feeling like the asshole today*

Y'all don't realize that this is a new era with a new mindsets. The aspirants are privy to more information than most older members. They have both the good and the bad info....they're better informed.

Also, young people are different. The last generation and a half are all about "what can you do for me"? They use the fact that society has become almost exclusively hedonistic and individualistic to base their decisions. Including what organizations they join.

I'll be honest, any aspirant who doesn't feel that the organization "needs them" in some way will not be a strong candidate. Most of us shun this arrogance....I embrace a healthy amount of it.

Truth is people don't come to our organizations in the same condition they used to, they already possess a greater basket of knowledge, they have a lessened sense of loyalty to principles and ON principles......they are different.

Despite that difference, we are attempting to continue business as usual and expect things to go as they always have.

I'm not saying that we should lower our standards....not at all. I'm just saying that we have to decide whether we are using criteria for a sheep to evaluate a hog.

Cam, trust me - I can empathize with aspirants as I know how stressful and antagonizing it can feel not knowing where you stand. During my initial pursuit, the Bros on my yard were extremely hard to read man. One week they would be buddy buddy with you, invite you over to the plot for a couple of wings & laughs or invite you to come kick it a flow at one of the apartments off campus….

The VERY next week, nicks would act like they never seen your face before a day in their life - Have no rap for you, no eye contact with you, no acknowledgement that your standing right there within three feet in front of them - Nothing. On those seemingly “no speak weeks”, whenever I saw one of the Bros talking to any other male student that wasn’t an Alpha – I was thinking, “Dag, that Nicca right there is taking my place on line”. Bros had aspirants pre pledging before our real pre pledging even started – Not knowing where I stood left my stomach in KNOTS .

But in the end, that’s THE GAME. There is no precise answer to be found on the net on how to play & win. Every chapter is different. You just play accordingly and see where the chips fall. If some all star student/community activist thinks “The Game” is beneath them and they can just rely on their background and qualifications…Then don’t play. Just roll up to an interest meeting on your own merit, roll the dice, and see how things pan out for you.

While I felt I was certainly qualified on paper, I wanted Alpha so bad to the point that I didn’t want to take ANY chances on not getting selected. So I played the game & eventually won. That was my experience though. What I hope aspirants realize is they can scour the net for answers until their fingertips are sore – but there are no true answers except to experience it for yourself. What worked for Ice, or what worked for Cam, or whoever may not work for you. It all varies – So just play and deal with it. Depending on how someone comes in, there will be plenty to whine & complain about later. The pre-game is childs play. As you said somewhere earlier, it's nothing too magical or too deep about it- It just is. Just play or don't.

Exalt

[Julie Art]

It reminds me of the term we use in college called "Helicopter Parents". As an administrator, I see all the time parents calling in trying to do for the children what the children should be doing for themselves. It is a spoon fed generation. Hell, there are even parents going in with their children on their job interviews! WTH! They get all this spoon feeding by whoever and then when they make it to the real world, they fail miserably because NO ONE is going to spoon feed them.


I see greek orgs. as a great analogy of the real world. Aspirants come to members, expecting to get spoon fed as they have for so long, when most greeks tell them hayle naw, you gotta do this ish yourself, then they go into the whoa is me story, why ya'll being so mean, etc. The world is mean, deal with it.

One thing that I can honestly say about my greek experience, and my ug experience also because my school was no joke, you either sink or swim, it did prepare me for the real world, and I think that is one thing that greeks orgs. should do, IMO.

I'm not for spoon feeding period. All that does is hinder, it doesn't help.

[T-Rex91]

You know what? I e-love some of y'all so much! I might even tell you my government name one day. LOL!!!!!!!!

[Julie Art]

::DEAD:: @ '91!

[DamieQue™]

I see it as Iceman's post spells it out best. I don't think the question is stupid - indeed we all were there once - we had the same questions - we just asked different people.

In the past, most of us asked people we knew, whose affiliation we knew, and whose chapter we knew, because we were seeking the same thing

Today you ask anonymously on the internet for information from people who 8 times out of 9 aren't in the org you're interested in - where there is less than 1 perecent chance (literally) of them being a part of the chapter that you're seeking

So maybe the questions aren't dumb - but perhaps a different audience would be more appropriate. There is no substitute for meeting the members.

[Cambist]

While I would agree with there being a very slim chance of actually getting information from someone in that chapter, getting info from a member of that particular orgnaization is great.

Also, there is a great chance that you will get a more realistic view of what it's like to be in an organization and what to expect from the internet than from asking those in the chapter who aren't inclined to tell you shit. That's just how it is.

Plus, why would you even CONSIDER someone who hadn't exhausted all possible resources to find out what they wanted to know? Even if they are wrong and end up paying for it later....you want someone who is not thorough?

[No Screen Name]

Jul 8, 2009 11:56:43 GMT -5 Julie Art said:

I see greek orgs. as a great analogy of the real world. Aspirants come to members, expecting to get spoon fed as they have for so long, when most greeks tell them hayle naw, you gotta do this ish yourself, then they go into the whoa is me story, why ya'll being so mean, etc. The world is mean, deal with it.

I was thinking this all along, Juicy. LIFE is a "game". The same stuff you have to do to seek membership in a BGLO, you are gonna have to do for a WHOLE LOTTA other things.