There are two types of Greek people, generally speaking. There’s the person who’s mildly involved in their organization, and as time goes on, they become less and less interested. And then there’s the person like me, who continued her sorority journey, and with each passing year, grew to love the chapter more. Now, as an alumna, I view my time in my sorority as one of the best times of my life. The fact that my time in my sorority was fleeting, combined with the nostalgia I have for it, make it a pretty special experience in my life.
The next time I might come close to possibly re-experiencing sorority life is when, hopefully, my daughter goes Greek, and again — hopefully — she joins my organization. I’ve thought about this a lot. While I’d love for my daughter to be in my sorority, I’m well-aware that it might not be the right fit for her or… *gulp* that she might not be the right fit for them. It happens. And it’s always difficult to deny a legacy a bid, but sometimes, for one reason or another, you just have to do it.
One father of a guy who rushed Lambda Chi at his alma mater, however, is not so understanding. And well, he went crazy on the chapter for denying his son a bid. The father is highlighted in pink. All the actives are coded with different colors for every instance of their names.
Wow. I see this two ways.
First and foremost, I can’t imagine the conflict a parent must feel in this situation. When something you loved so much — something that brought you so much joy — openly rejects the thing you love so much more, that can’t be a good feeling. You want your child to get the same thing out of your fraternity as you did. And now, not only will your child not get that experience, but the experience is ultimately colored for you. How can you continue to love something that rejected your child?
On the other hand, this is a risk we’re all well aware of. Not everyone gets a bid. Not every legacy gets a bid.
It makes me wonder whether it’s THAT important to tell legacies no. The father, in this case, makes a point. The chapter ISN’T ours, though it feels like it is. It belongs to everyone who came before us and everyone who will come after. It’s a never-ending debate, whether we should value the opinions of the alumni more or less. And I’m not sure there’s a clear-cut answer..
Nice Move220
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Veronica Ruckh
Veronica (@VeronicaRuckh) is the Director of Total Sorority Move for Grandex, Inc. After having spent her undergraduate years drinking $4 double LITs on a patio and drunk texting away potential suitors, she managed to graduate with an impressive GPA and an unimpressive engagement ring -- so unimpressive, in fact, some might say it's not there at all. Veronica has since been fulfilling her duties as "America's big," a title she gave to herself with the help of her giant ego. She has recently switched from vodka to wine on weekdays. Email her at veronica@grandex.co
@VeronicaRuckh
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