What happens after we rush?
January 29th, 2006 by John Fluharty. Popularity: 6%.Last night I had a chance to talk with an old brother and we were asking each other what had happened to a guy who associated a semester after I did in 1988 (I feel so old). He is a African American and only stayed with the chapter for about a semester after initiation. He was a good guy and I never really understood why dropped off the face of the earth.
In 1988, before he left, he told me that ,as the only black brother in the chapter, and for that matter, the only minority, he often found it was difficult at times. More so, he said that he understood that jokes were made and he had made his share of fun at other brothers expense. Though, as the only black brother, it often got very lonely “out there by myself”. Though, I might not have understood what he meant in 1988, I clearly understood what he meant last night.
Several weeks ago I was with some members of my fraternal family who are Asian. We tend do get together one or twice a semester for dinner and general catch-up. As the evening drew on, 3 other Asian brothers from the same chapter joined us and I noticed (in a positive way) that there seemed to be a real connection between these guys….a sense of common ground. As I watched the brothers interact, there was a common background. Finally they asked me which one I thought was the most Asian…..I just laughed.
I remembered this evening with my fraternal family after I spoke about the black brother from my chapter. What he said to me about “being lonely in the wilderness” totally made sense.
What makes a chapter diverse? Is it our willingness to be culturally well rounded? Or is there more to it.
There should be no doubt that I have a very sharp sense of humor and many times I find myself having to pull back before I cross the line. So, I can’t in all honesty say that I am without sin on these issues. Though, It does raise the question, as to whether we are a diverse fraternity because we use diversity as a marketing tool or because we are willing to take the time to understand what the diversity is in our chapter and to see how it makes a particular brother who he is……..do we take the time to look through his glasses?
February 3rd, 2006 at 3:26 pm
John, I am sure many of can relate and upon reading this, I am thinking of one African-American Brother of LX Z.
I have gotten to know Him over the years and have come to respect This Fine Brother in so many ways.
We speak of diversity and I too wonder just how diverse LXA really is.
But, each culture is and will be different no matter how much We try to change and encompass as many different people as possible.
I also think of Colonizing N. C. A & T and am damn proud of this Move by My Fraternity.
PKA is presently Colonizing at Howard Un. which is a first for them
But while I thought We were the first, Sigma Pi and Sigma Tau Gammea were there at HBCs before We were.
We proud ourselves on diversity, and I hope We never forget that fact and continue to keep practicing it.
In ZAX,
Tom Earp
LX Z
February 8th, 2006 at 10:34 am
Within my own Chapter at East Carolina University this topic has always been an area of both pride and dismay. How can that be? Keep in mind that I was an active from 1973 - 1977 but we were a diverse chapter in our own way during that time, and I might add , still are. My pride came in the fact that we had several, what I would call hippies in our chapter. We also had several jocks, football team guys. We had an ROTC member and we had preps. Some other houses were known as just jocks or just preps but we always had a diverse membership. I believe that this helped each and every member become a better person and to broaden their experience with life. My dismay comes in the area that we had only one hispanic member (He served as our Alpha and Ritualist), no African American members, no Asian members and no gay members. I feel that we were somehow lessened because of that fact. I hope that each and every chapter will look at diversity in a serious manner as I believe it can only serve to aid each chapter member in life. We are all going to interact with each other when we get into REAL LIFE! Broaden your horizons now.