The Best Decision I've Ever Made...Honestly!

Hi all!

Well, the internship is finally over and work and study have slowed down a bit, so while my writing enthusiasm is up, I figured I should probably capitalize on this moment! :)

As a member of the Greek community, you will always be asked the question "Why did you rush?" or "Why did you decide to become Greek?" and if only the inquirer new the passionate answer I had in store...

In grade-school and high school I considered myself a floater among social groups; I got along with everyone, but really only had two best friends that I hung out with. There's nothing wrong with having one or two best friends... that is, until you lose them. I felt like I was stuck in a scene straight out of "Mean Girls," and escaping wasn't as easy as the movie's ending made it to be. My best friends couldn't live up to their title and it was better for me to let go...the only problem was, that when I looked around, I had no other friends that I had created as strong of a relationship with; if I let go, i'd have no one, if I stayed, I'd be treated poorly. Fortunately, the opportunity to move on came through rush.

Of course I was hesitant at first! I'm more of a guy's girl. I have an older brother and seemingly clung to boyish tendencies throughout my life... and I thought that there was no way that I could live up to the hype of a "sorority girl." But it was to my relief, after meeting many different girls from many different sororities during my first semester at Miami, that most of these girls were just like me. Not to mention... I needed girl friends! Ladies, we know there's just some things we can't talk about with boys! And if anything, I love to meet new people and share experiences, and that is exactly what rush is...so I thought to myself, why not do it? The LEAST I'd get out of it is meeting new people on campus!

Not only did I end up in a sorority with hundreds of new girls who have taken the time to get to know and appreciate me for who I am... I got to know girls in other sororities as well. There's a tendency to think that you will only befriend people in your sorority, but after making friends my first semester of freshmen year and branching off into our different sororities, we all intermixed our new friends. Soon enough, the crowd that seemed so intimidating on campus was now full of faces that I could say hello to. (Last year, my roommate and I would walk to class together to see who had more people to say "hi" too!...I know, I know...We can be weird sometimes... Haha!)

If it wasn't for rush and becoming Greek, I wouldn't be as happy in life as I am today. And Lord, I know that sounds cheesy, but for that one moment in life when I thought I had lost all my best friends, rush let a ton of new ones walk in - and they're the best friends anyone could ever wish for. (pictures below!)

Not only did I benefit with new friendships (with many more to come as my time goes on at Miami), many opportunities to stand out and become a leader fell right into my lap....(I will post a blog about this journey next!)

Some of my closest friends and I.... And we're not serious ALL the time....

We can be silly too! This was for a theme party. We had to dress up in groups of 5 (or 6) and we were the Rugrats from Nickelodeon!

It's Really All About Family

Why in the world would you want your child, er, Young Adult Offspring (YAO) to join a Greek organization? Well, some naysayers may tell you why not to join a sorority or fraternity; but I’m here to say membership in a Greek organization may be the best choice your YAO can make as they forge their new life at Miami! Yes, one of the sad truths is that we may be footing the bill for this amazing College Experience, but reality is the College Experience is the most definite (defiant?) move away from our protective arms that your YAO will make as they start to define themselves apart from us. You want them to be happy and have lots of friends, right? You want them to have great stories of College Antics to share during their rare (and surprisingly short) visits home, right? You want them to be safe, right? Well, I’m telling you that Greek membership will solve all those problems and more for you!

When we put Jayme on a plane headed towards Oxford (well, Columbus…plus the two hour drive…but you know what I mean) two years ago, I was SCARED TO DEATH! I mean, she had the brains to do well academically; she knew how to do her laundry; she could balance her checkbook. But, what about family? What about those emotional moments when only family will do? We’re two thousand miles away. What about those “Mom moments” where only I could solve her problem in a minute? I couldn’t do that anymore. Who would make sure she got home safe after an evening out? Who would console her when that really, really cute guy didn’t ask her out? Who would make her study, even when she didn’t want to? The simple answer is her Sisters would. Jayme’s Sisters have stepped in to give clothing advice. Her Sisters sat with her when she cut her hair (18 inches! No, I didn’t give her my permission to do this and YES, I CRIED!). Her Sisters took her on a whirlwind Spring Break trip to Florida. Her Sisters helped pick out new jeans. Her Sisters let her rant when her roommates in her Freshman Dorm left a huge mess…and anyone who knows Jayme, knows that is a HUGE problem. The bottom line is: her Sisters are there for Jayme when her dad and I can’t be. They have “Family Dinner” once a week. They take classes together. They work out together. They sometimes even disagree…just like a real family. And just like a real family, they are always there for each other. Always.

Big and Little sisters/brothers are a big part of Greek Life. Your YAO’ys “Big” plays a, well, big part in how your YAO learns about the Greek Organization of his/her life. Jayme’s Big, is now a part of our family as much as anyone is. They call each other all the time; they laugh and cry together! We even sent them matching wellies for Christmas which they proudly wear as they cross campus on a rainy day, while they laugh together. Not only does Jayme have a really cool big sister, she has an entire Greek Family tree that includes grand-Bigs, Aunts, cousins, etc. She drew out a family tree that is more complicated than our own real family. But, my point is, your YAO's Greek organization, isn’t an organization, it is Family. That alone takes my fears away and I know that Jayme will be just fine.

And, the really cool part is we feel like our own extended family has grown by about 120 new members! We have enjoyed getting to know Jayme’s sisters and their families during Moms’ and Dads’ weekends, as well as Parents’ Weekends! We are looking forward to various Sisters joining us this summer in Lake Tahoe. Your YAO’s Greek membership just makes it more fun for everyone in your family!

As I reflect upon my own sorority days, my sisters became my family away from home. And to this day, they are my closest friends. My husband’s closest friends are his fraternity brothers. As much of a cliché it may seem to be, sorority sisters and fraternity brothers are truly extended family for life. Now, don’t you think that “Going Greek” is something worthwhile for your YAO? I can’t imagine a College Experience without it.

My Baby Wants To Join A Sorority...Now What?

This is for all those Moms and Dads out there whose child (!), ok, young adult offspring, has made the wonderful choice to attend Miami University! I’m a mom whose daughter is already halfway through her Miami experience (and trust me, the time goes fast!) and I’ve been asked to share a few thoughts about the Greek experience at Miami for anyone willing to read my crazy random thoughts and ideas. Hopefully, over the next few months, my words will give you some insight into the Greek world at Miami, from a parent’s perspective. I’ll write about what our experience has been and what you might expect: and it’s really not as scary as you’d think! Suffice it to say that I think that Miami’s overall Greek experience is one of the best to be had, even though it is somewhat different from most campuses across the country. Also, please don’t be afraid to contact me regarding any and all questions you might have. If I can’t answer your question, I’ll make sure it gets to someone who can. Enough with this boring stuff, let’s move on to what it is like to be a Miami Parent! Gosh, that makes us sound OLD…which, for the record, we are definitely NOT!

A couple of years ago, when Jayme was finalizing her list of colleges to apply to, her dad and I asked her to list all of the things she wanted from her “DREAM COLLEGE.” So, she promptly put together a list that included all of the usual suspects for a list of this sort: tough academic standards, residential college atmosphere, Division I sports program, good student support programs. Her last one took us by surprise: she wanted a college with a strong Greek system! As a former Tri Delta, I shouldn’t have been surprised, but Jayme hadn’t struck us as “the sorority girl type.” Of course, in retrospect, neither was I; but that’s an entirely different story altogether!

The summer that Jayme attended her orientation at Miami, we were amazed at how many Greek choices were going to be available to her! As she met her new friends, I reflected upon my own college experiences, of which being a member of a sorority was a major part. The memories came flooding back of new friendships developed (and of how we stood up for each other at our weddings, raised our children together, and are now sending our own children to their colleges!), fun spent at “Delta’s Only” nights, going to “The Wall” (Nevada’s equivalent of Uptown’s Brick Street) to commiserate over a failed test…as well, as celebrate that elusive 4.0 semester! I also remember being in the Homecoming skit, sneaking out at 3 a.m. to paint the Lambda Chi Wall, and to steal the Sigma Nu composite. Being a member of the Greek community was very much a picture of my college life.
Did I want this life for Jayme? ABSOLUTLEY! But, only if she wanted it. Did I want her to join my sorority? That would be nice, but I was more interested in her finding her home. Chapters change from year to year, and from campus to campus. I was a Tri Delta at Nevada. There was no way that a Tri Delta chapter twenty some-odd years later and half way across the country would be a perfect fit. If so, great; but I wanted her to find her own sisters. As I thought of this, I realized that I am from a family of Greek “Mutts.” I have cousins who are Thetas and D-Z’s; a mother-in-law who was a Pi Phi, along with my sister-in-law. My husband was an SAE, while my brother joined Lambda Chi, and my father-in-law was an ATO. Now, Jayme has added a new Greek name to our family tree with her choice of sorority. And she is happy with her new home as she makes memories and friends that will last her lifetime. And I couldn’t be happier for her….but she won’t tell me which fraternity composite they are after!

Greetings!

I thought that I would start my postings with some background information about me. I have been a member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity at Miami University since 1964. I have been an active alumnus since I graduated in 1967. I have had many good experiences, and a few bad ones, working with my chapter for the past 42 years.

I have a great interest in the history of college fraternities and sororities. It all started when I was a "pledge" studying my fraternity's history, morphed into collecting fraternity and sorority stuff, and then led to writing articles and books about Lambda Chi.

A few years ago I was selected as one of my fraternity's historians. Since then I have written about two dozen articles for the Cross & Crescent magazine. Right now I am almost finished with the official centennial history book of the fraternity.

As I mentioned earlier, I am a collector. I have about 4500 items in my collection of fraternity and sorority memorabilia. My collection is in the process of being donated to the Greek Affairs Office at Miami. My dream is to live long enough to see a museum and research center dedicated to the Greek community on our campus!

At this time I have a major exhibition at the McGuffey Museum in Oxford. The exhibition is the major Greek Affairs contribution to Miami's Bicentennial celebration. Our system is the fourth oldest in the country at 176 years of age!

The exhibit will be open until November and it is free.

OK, enough about me!

I hope to have fun and learn something by participating in this blog.

Mike Raymond
Miami U. Class of '67

A Little Bit About Me!

Hi there!

My name is Alexa and I am a member of Phi Mu as well as Director of First Year Initiative on the Panhellenic Association's recruitment committee.  

My home is up in Cleveland, and let's just say that Miami is always a great escape from the Cleveland weather!  I am going to be a junior this coming Fall 2009, and I can't believe that I am already an upperclassmen!  Yikes! Where has the time gone?

As of now, I am a marketing major and crossing my fingers to land a spot in Miami's Farmer School of Business.  My summer plans include taking two courses (Managerial Accounting and Calculus...not much of a "summer," huh? Haha) at a local community college,  and along with those classes, I will be a sales associate at the young girls' clothing store, "Justice" and an intern for Grad Marketing.

I look forward to sharing my love of the Greek community in future blog posts and I hope that you will come to find that you can see yourself in Miami's Greek community.

Talk to you soon!

Alexa

Welcome to our Contributors

We've asked a variety of people to be contributors to the MUGREEKS Blog! This month, you will read all about our contributors and what they would like everyone to know about the Miami University Greek Community. From Parents to newly initiated members, from alumni to active leaders, you are sure to learn a lot!

The NPHC Step Show is one of the big events for the Spring Semester.  Planned by the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Step Show brings together our traditionally African American Fraternities and Sororities.  

The 2009 Step Show featured performances from representatives of the Panhellenic Association along with home teams of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.  The away teams represented Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. from Bowling Green State University, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. from University of Cincinnati, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. from Central State University.

The winners of this year's show:

Home Team - Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Away Team - Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. from Central State University