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Is there financial aid for sorority membership like there is for college attendance?</p>
<p>I really don’t understand why so many are opposed to the Greek system. It’s been around for so long… And really isn’t for everyone. My son is an instate pledge and has met great kids from all over… I am happy for him and glad he will have a great group for years to come … I am sure that those who aren’t Greek find their groups just fine. It is a great opportunity for those that choose to participate!</p>
<p>oldmom, you must live in a different world than I. I, on the other hand, know of people that can not even afford financial aid for college. One still has to have a certain level of income to even qualify for aid AND still be able to afford to provide other neccessities of life for the college student. My kids went to and attend schools that are very diverse with a large percentage that qualify for the free lunch program. That is why my D being in a sorority has exposed her to a totally different socia-economic group than what she grew up with and around. Most of her peers from high school do not even have the opportunity to attend the local community college. I have a feeling my kids exposure to a vast diverse group of friends growing up could blow away most of the people condemning UA or any school “down there”. One reason why DH and I sat up a scholarship at her school to help send kids to a technical school, more can do that than a full blown college experience. Being able to qualify for financial aid requires some bit of income and not everyone knows that there are schools out there that can help or provide such great automatic scholarships like UA does, nevermind they have to afford to get the kid across the country to those schools.</p>
<p>I think we all get that you do not like the south or schools in the south, or from the sounds of it the people that live in the south. That is fine. No need to knock it just because some have a different zip code than you. I’m sure you would not appreciate people condemning your area based on one news story or someones unexperienced knowledge of an area.</p>
<p>TxNewCollegemom, my daughter has always attended Title I schools (more than 60 percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch) and she gets free lunch. We have always lived in minority-majority neighborhoods and she’s always gone to minority-majority schools. And she is a member of a minority group. (I am not.) I think it’s likely that her university will be her first experience in a majority-white school.</p>
<p>With federal loans and work-study, a student from a poor family in NY has many options to attend many city and state university schools with no contribution whatsoever from parents. These options include sleep-away colleges and university centers.</p>
<p>And yes, it does concern me when students are discriminated against because of their skin color. This is an open site and I can express my opinion about the situation at UA even though my kid won’t go there, as readily as you can. After all, I’m the one who started this particular thread!</p>
<p>Hlsess, I don’t have any personal experience with the Greek system so I only know what I read. What do you think the benefits are of participating in Greek life at UA?</p>
<p>The benefit to me of joining a GLO are the life long relationships formed. I have no contact with any of my roommates or classmates (except for 2) from college except my sorority sisters. We have celebrated marriages and births, and mourned the loss of spouses and even children together. We continue to have reunions after 30+ years of membership, and we have found “lost” sisters on Facebook. When I return to campus for ball games or alumni events, it’s my sisters I seek out.
I wanted my DD, an OOS student, to have a a sense of community, a physical and emotional place to return to many years after graduation. Her sorority will give her that. Her professors and classmates will not. At least not to the level of her sisters. Yes, my DD has very good friends outside of her GLO, one is in a different house. I expect these girls will remain in touch. And she doesn’t know all the new members of her sorority because it has become so large. But she has a bond with these women and always will that will last way longer than her 4 years on campus.</p>
<p>In high school, I was elected to nothing. I was one of those girls who wasn’t chosen for anything - honor society, cheerleader (hah!), red rover, kickball, nothing.
I wanted to change that in college, so I signed up for “open” rush (informal recruitment) and pledged a group. In a few weeks, because had used common sense in tracing expenses on a small fundraising project, my sisters had elected me chapter treasurer. I’ve served as an officer in many different capacities since, from alumnae group president to president of a big festival in our town.
They saw something in me that I had never seen, and I’m so thankful.
In addition, my alumnae group has been together many years and I’ve shared the same life events as catfan with my sisters - even though we come from a wide range of chapters and a wide range of ages.</p>
<p>As many of you know I work with many girls and mothers who need help navigating sorority recruitment, not just at Alabama but across the US. I do not encourage them to join a sorority for the parties or swaps but rather for the exact reasons stated above by catfan and Southlander. I went through recruitment a pledged my sorority 38 years ago and I can say that it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I have “sisters” across the US. These ladies have been there to celebrate with me and to mourn with me, to hold my hand, pat me on the back, support me through good times and not so good times. I talk to my “big sis” every day even though she lives in Texas and I in Missouri. I was recruitment chair, historian, vice-president while an active member. As an alum I an panhellenic rep, recruitment chair and help my national sorority with SEC recruitment. Through sorority membership I learned to speak confidently in public and to others. My membership opened doors for me both socially and in the work force.
My daughters are sorority members as well. They are confident, strong young women. Each has held leadership positions in her respective sororities. My DC daughter holds leadership positions in her alum group and is recruitment chair for the DC/ Maryland area. She is also a chapter adviser at George Washington University. She was offered her first job because she had held leadership positions with her sorority. Being a part of the executive team taught her leadership and organizational skills that translated to success in the work place.
Many girls I help are first time greeks. I spend a lot of time on the phone with parents explaining “why go greek” and I think if you were to call each and every one of them you would find that their experiences have been even more than they could have hoped. Yes…joining a sorority is not for everyone but for many, the sisterhood, relationships and experiences are those that will last a lifetime.</p>
<p>Amen ahpimommy! My daughter has gained so much from being in her sorority - close friendships, leadership opportunities, and philanthropy opportunities are just the tip of the iceberg.</p>
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<p>Ditto my son’s experience with his fraternity. And I say this as a dad who never had an interest in joining a fraternity myself and who never dreamed his son would be in one. I believe the fellowship he’s established with his fraternity brothers will be truly long lasting and the greatest value he’ll derive from his Greek experience.</p>
<p>My D was in band in high school. She kept going back and forth about doing band in college. Her reason, it’s an instant family and connection. She ultimately decided she wanted to rush. So, she figured out trying to be in a sorority and band would be just too much. She went thru rush and has loved it. She did have a mini date with a band member a few weeks ago and said it was nice to talk to someone that understood “band talk”. I’m all for any activity that kids can get in and bond.</p>
<p>I do not want to be a trouble maker, but over the years, I have worked with many men and women who became members of a Divine-9 Greek letter organization during college. They are extremely proud of their affiliation with their GLO. They call it the Divine-9 for a reason- it is rich with history and has been historically Black since the beginning of time. These organizations have a very proud history. </p>
<p>We should be living in a world where no organization is based on race- but wouldn’t it be just as difficult for a white girl to rush AKA or DST as it is for an African American girl to be in the vast minority at NPC recruitment? It works both ways.</p>
<p>I am sure that someone before now has posted that the traditionally black sororities and fraternities are open to members that are not black. Just like HBCUs. That doesn’t mean that they will get a lot of white pledges but they are open to consider them.</p>
<p>Also, I imagine that Asian American Greek organizations are open to people of other races who have a particular interest in Asian culture. I know for sure that that’s the case with Chinese language, academic cram, and dance schools in NYC. They are always open to anyone who may be interested.</p>
<p>Oldmom- Exactly- in the same way that NPC sororities are open to everyone.</p>
<p>Man, this episode has damaged Bama believe it or not. People on other websites are going in on Bama, and people in the barbershop were not pleased at all, saying If Bama does not win another title then we had it coming.</p>
<p>And for guys saying the north is more segregated than the south, YOU DO REALIZE the majority of minorities live in the south? There is less diversity in the north so there is not as much minorities to interact with. It’s not like people are trying to actively avoid people of color up north. History shows time and time again the south is the worst with race it’s just the truth. And I ain’t talking about 1965, I’m talking about just last year. Voter Discrimination, anti-Latino laws, racial charged election riots(one on Ole Miss campus), James Craig Anderson, interracial marriage was just 5% away from being illegal in Mississippi again, all these incidents in the south. Atlanta68 California has the highest interracial marriage percent in the nation and that state is big enough to fit 4-5 Alabamas in it so of course there are going to be a few racist. The metro areas of the south are normal places, maybe better than the north and west because of the low cost of living and low taxes, but let’s not pretend the rural areas down here are better than the north and west.</p>
<p>Bama187 said:
You do realize that this is normal, SOP for people outside the South? Anybody who’s lived in Alabama long enough can tell you this has been going on for a couple of centuries. Heck, listen to how Georgia people talk about Alabama…and how Alabama people talk about Mississippi…and how everybody talks about Arkansas.</p>
<p>It makes them feel superior if they can talk bad about somebody, or some place.
You’ll usually hear that kind of talk from people who’ve never known anybody from Alabama…maybe never even been south of Kentucky or east of Texas. </p>
<p>Add that to the fact that Alabama is SO dominating in football…we are no longer an underdog, we are the ones everybody wants to knock off the winners’ stand.</p>
<p>Regarding your last sentence - I doubt anyone is saying we’re better than the north or west. It’s just that people condemn ALL of us here when they have problems and pockets of racism and poverty in their own backyards. We ALL need to do better.</p>
<p>Hmm… Bama187, I thought Chicago won the prize for voter fraud and intimidation. Or does that not count because it’s in the north? I guess we all have selective memories and perceptions.</p>
<p>Racism is horrible and wrong where ever it exist, and it sadly can be found in all 50 states;among liberals, conservatives, the young and the old. </p>
<p>I hope anyone who is reading these boards and thinking of attending Alabama or sending their child to Alabama doesn’t make up their mind based on ANY message boards!</p>
<p>Go visit for yourself; my daughter applied to and was accepted at 6 very different schools in different areas of the country. She LOVES Alabama,has small class sizes, and approachable professors. She is not in a sorority, has plenty of girl friends in sororities as well as girls who did not join. And we lived north of Chicago before moving to the Atlanta area three years ago. When I see all my friends photos of their daughters pledge classes at Big Ten schools…ONE had ONE AA girl. That’s it. So please stop with all the finger pointing between the north and the south.</p>
<p>And,oh yeah, those football weekends are hard to beat!</p>