Brotherhood/Sisterhood

It was recommended that we comment on some of the blogs but to be honest, I am not much of a commenter. However, I did concentrate on reading one of the blogs. Because we are concentrating on the fraternal community as a whole, I believe we need to first understnad the strength and weaknesses of each chapter and develop from there. Other than that I am also interested in how other fraternities different in ours. While the range of strengths and weaknesses in our chapters differed in many cases, there was one strength that was similar between most if not all of our chapters. This strength was brotherhood/sisterhood. I was very impressed by this because to me, this is the most important reason someone should join a fraternity or sorority: to develop those lifelong bonds that will be there no matter what, for good or for bad. To me, this common strength in our chapters signifies to me that at least most of the mebers in each chapter joined for the right reasons, and that will make it much easier to change the image of the fraternal community.

Perfect World and the Role of Fraternities/Sororities in it

To tell you the truth, I am a person who lives and acts for mainly for the future. I do the things I do now, so I can live a happy and successful life when I am old, not that I don't have fun now. I'm talking about the big things like school, etc. And I would consider the future that I strive for to be my perfect world. I don't think my perfect world is too unrealistic. I am not a very picky person, nor am I greedy and want to be the richest person in the world. In fact, my perfect world just consists of my family and I living comfortably in an average 2 story, 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom home, a little bigger than the one my parents live in right now. I would like to have two of these houses though, one in the U.S. and one in China because those are the two places I would want to visit regularly. My family would own three cars: a Mercedes for luxury, and two Hondas/Toyotas to use in everyday affairs. I'd work from 8 to 5 everyday, get an hour in at the gym playing basketball or working out, and then go home and spend time with my family. On the weekends, I'd hang out with friends, go play golf, etc, go to the bars every once in awhile, etc.

Unfortunately, my life in my perfect world doesn't include much in terms of fraternal organizations. Honestly, it's not that I don't love my fraternity. It's just that I don't see myself doing a lot to help out with Pi Delta Psi except for maybe giving alumni donations. However, there are some things I would like to see happen. One part is of my fraternity that I do hope to keep in the future is the brotherhood, the life-lasting friendships I have developed with all the brothers in my chapter while I was at OSU. Even if we are living far away, in different cities, states or countries, I would still hope to be able to call them when I am around the area to hang out and catch up, or help me if I need help in anyway. I know that I would do this for them without hesitating.

Pi Delta Psi is a relatively new fraternity, and we have only been around OSU for 10 years. Our entire fraternity was only established in 1994. 15-20 years after I graduate from OSU, when I have settled down with a good job and a family, I would like to be able to come back to OSU someday, and see how Pi Delta Psi has grown. As of right now, we are expanding rapidly. In the two years that I have been in Pi Delta Psi, five new chapters and 3 new colonies have already been formed. We have about 25 chapters or so right now. In 15-20 years, I hope to see this number multiply by five. We have 10 active members in the OSU chapter right now, and within the next 15-20 years, I would like to see that number double or triple to 25 members or so. I think 25-30 members is a good number because every brother can still be close to each other. Lastly, no one in the Greek community really knows us other than some of the chapters in MCGC. I would really like to see Pi Delta Psi become a force in the fraternal community 15 to 20 years down the line to be on par with fraternities like Phi Kappa Psi or Sigma Phi Epsilon.

This is a far-fetched idea, and for me, it is only a dream of what I wanted to accomplish for Pi Delta Psi in my time at OSU. I am trying to pushing for these dreams right now by taking an active leadership role in MCGC, and promoting Pi Delta Psi at the same time. However, no matter how hard you try sometimes, the fact of the matter is, some things just take more time than others. Even though my perfect world in the future doesn't include much of the way in terms of fraternities and sororities, I have faith that what the groundwork I have laid in my time here at OSU for Pi Delta Psi and the fraternal community as a whole will be built upon by others that come after me.

Dilemnas/Opportunities facing the fraternal movement

Fraternal organizations are one of the oldest and most unique organizations on college campuses today. Most fraternities were founded about 200 years ago, and some were founded even before that. Fraternal organizations are one of the few organizations that require an oath to join. Since the founding of fraternities, not much has changed. The oaths are still the same, the Rituals are still the same, etc. Coming into the new millenium, year 2010, it is time to make a change in the way fraternal organizations act and are perceived. Fraternal organizations should be the centerpiece of the student organizations on a college campus, and should contribute to the students' academic and social careers in a positive way. Fraternal organizations on campus should also work together to promote this positive image. However, many fraternal organizations are seen as a bad influence in the eyes of students. Students stereotype members of the fraternal organizations as partying and drinking all the time, hooking up all the time, and not doing well in their academics. Well, the time has come for the fraternal community to change. While there are many opportunities for positive change in the fraternal movement, there are also some dilemnas as well.

DILEMNAS:

The dilemna facing a positive change in the fraternity is clear. Not everyone who joins a community joins for the right reasons. Even in our 10 week class, through surveying various fraternity members and going to AFLV, we see that rather than joining a fraternity for the brotherhood and academics, some members join just to party more, drink more, or hook up more. These types of members need to be punished or prevented from joining because they give a bad reputation to their fraternal organizations and the Greek fraternity in general.

Another dilemna facing a positive change in fraternity is a hesitance to work together between fraternal organizations that are in different councils. Collaboration among fraternal organizations is key if we are to promote a positive image of the fraternal community overall. My fraternity, Pi Delta Psi, is a good example of this. We usually do not interact with fraternities and sororities outside of MCGC, and I hope this changes in the future.

OPPORTUNITIES:

While there are some dilemnas facing the fraternal movement, I also see any opportunities out there. In order to create a more positive image, fraternal organizations could cut back on the partying and drinking. Dry houses are a good way to discourage drinking, and many fraternal organizations have already implemented this idea on their campuses. Another way for fraternal organizations to create a more positive image is to be selective in their recruitment. Organizations could spend more time getting to know their potential members rather than just having two weeks of rush at the beginning of every quarter. Punishments could also be made more severe for members who do not represent their organizations well. This will discourage members from performing stupid acts if they know that they will be severely punished. Fraternal organizations could also participate in more community service and philanthropy events to show how they are positively affecting their communities.

Like I said before, one dilemna facing fraternal organizations today is a lack of collaboration. There are many opportunities for organizations to collaborate. Organizations can do fundraisers, social, or community service events together. Organizations can also attend events thrown by other organizations to support them. These are all ways in which the fraternal community can become closer to each other. By becoming close, the potential for growth of the fraternal community is infinite.

The opportunities and dilemnas for a positive fraternal movement are out there. It is the job of the members of the fraternal organizations to seize the wheel and act on these opportunities and overcome the dilemnas.

Strengths/Weaknesses of Pi Delta Psi, MCGC, and our Greek Community

MY FRATERNITY...

I am a proud member of Pi Delta Psi Fraternity. Pi Delta Psi is unique in that it is the only Asian interest cultural fraternity in all of Ohio. I think one of the best things about being in Pi Delta Psi, at least for me, is that it has made me more knowledgeable about Asian culture, particularly Chinese culture. Before I joined Pi Delta Psi, I was pretty much white-washed. All my friends were white. I never listened to any Asian music, never saw any Asian movies. About the only thing that was Asian about me was that I still liked Asian food more than American food. If you wanted me to name something about Asian culture all I could think of was Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. Joining Pi Delta Psi was basically like doing a 180 for me. For the first time in my life I hung out with more Asians than white people. I still kept my white friends, but it was kind of cool to hang out with this new group of people because I could connect with them on another level. I could relate to them in new ways such as the stereotypes that they have to deal with being an Asian American. All of the sudden I started listening to Asian music like Jay Chou and Wang Leehom to name a couple. I started watching Korean dramas, which I didn't even know existed. Best of all I found on bubble tea which tastes even better than icecream. I'm really glad Pi Delta Psi was able to help me become more immersed in Asian culture. I've always been proud to be Chinese, but I feel really ashamed that before college I knew so little about its culture.

Aside from the cultural side of Pi Delta Psi, I think the other strength it has over other fraternities is that it is small. As of right now, we only have nine active members in Pi Delta Psi, and pretty much all of us live under the same roof. I think our small numbers makes us a lot closer than most other fraternities, and I really like that. We are alway hanging out with each other, and all of us know about whats going on in the fraternity and with each member. We help each other out, and when a brother needs help, we are always there for them. I joined Pi Delta Psi for brotherhood, those lifelong friendships that you can always count on wherever you go, and I've gotten exactly that. I might not hang out with all the brothers the most, but you can bet that I trust them more than anyone else except for my parents.

Although our fraternity's small size is one of its greatest strengths, I also think that it's one of Pi Delta Psi's greatest weaknesses. When I tell people that I'm a brother of Pi Delta Psi, they're like what fraternity is that? Even people in other fraternities and sororities don't know about us, and I think that is a big problem. Although I like the small size of our fraternity, I think that it we definitely need to get our name out there. That is what I like so much about our class and MCGC is that they give us a medium through which we can learn and get to know the other fratenities and sororities on campus. Last year, our fraternity barely participated in any events in Greek week, and I think this is a big problem that needs to start changing for the better. I hope that in the next 5-10 years Pi Delta Psi will be able to host events with chapters from IFC, PHA, and NPHC.

MY COUNCIL......

MCGC has only been on the OSU scene for five years, and I would say that in those five years it has barely made a splash. While this does disappoint me, I feel that this gives MCGC a lot more room to grow than any of the other councils. Being on the E-board, I am especially excited because I get the chance to set MCGC in the right direction. I have been watching MCGC ever since I was a freshman (I'm now a junior), and this is the first time that I have seen such a dedicated E-board. I can already tell that this is going to be a good year because of the amount of time that every E-board member is willing to put into MCGC. Before this year, MCGC was really weak. None of the chapters cared about MCGC, only fufilling the minimum requirements to maintain chapter status in MCGC. The E-board was discordant, and nothing got done. As an E-board we already have goals set up of what we want to accomplish this year such as a retreat, fundraisers, etc. , and I see big things happening for us.

As I have said before, one of MCGC's biggest weaknesses is everybody is only putting in the minimum effort to survive. In short, there is no interest in the council. This is definitely the first problem that we need to tackle because nothing can be done if people are not willing to put the time and effort into it. Already I can see this lack of interest. Only one delegate shows up from each chapter, sometimes none. Chapters are late in paying dues not only from this quarter, but also from last quarter. These things will definitely not fly this year. Our biggest goal for MCGC this year is to bring back interest in the council from all chapters. This will not only make the council stronger, but it will help the chapters become closer to each other. The other weakness of MCGC is that our council is not very close with the other councils. We don't really co-host any events with the chapters in other councils. This class is the most interaction I've had with members from other fraternities outside MCGC. This is definitely a problem I wish to fix, but I feel that it comes second to strengthening our council.

MY COMMUNITY..........

The fraternal community at OSU is huge compared to most campuses. While some campuses have less than ten fraternities and sororities in total, I'm sure we probably have around 50. One of our biggest goals right now is changing the fraternal image. Changing it from the "bro and sorority girl, I love to party and drink" image represented in movies like Old School and Animal House to one that shows all the positive things we do such as community service, and hosting events to raise awareness for important issues such as alcohol and sex. I feel that the big fraternal community here at OSU is a big strength because we have more minds at work trying to achieve the same goal. More ideas are presented, and this leads to a better decision in the end. Also with a bigger fraternal community we are able to put our numbers to use and make a bigger impact on the OSU campus by hosting more events and doing more community service. This should be the highlight of each fraternity and sorority, not the parties we throw every other weekend.

While some fraternity members and sorority members do realize the need for this image change, not everyone is on the same page yet. Many members still feel like drinking and partying is the most important thing about being in a fraternity. Other members don't even know their own Ritual. No wonder people outside of the fraternal community have this bad image of us. This leadership class is already starting to unify our community, and we are making progress towards changing the fraternal image. We recently set up a dinner where all the proceeds went to the relief effort in Haiti. However, to make it a complete success, we need everyone to be on the same page. When I come back to OSU thirty years after I graduate, I hope to see fraternities and sororities filled with members that care more about improving the community than drinking and partying.

Oaths

Two weeks ago we spent pretty much the whole class talking about oaths and how they separate a fraternity from all other organizations except for a few. Before, I had said that Rituals were what made fraternities unique and different from any other organization, but Tyler challenged this idea by saying how other organizations such as the marching band and football team also have rituals. While these rituals might not be the same as the Rituals of fraternities, they are very similar in that all members go through this ritual and the rituals are kept secret from other people not in the organization. The discussion really got me thinking: what really does make a fraternity different from all the organizations at OSU.

Right before I joined Pi Delta Psi, I took an oath that I would uphold the principles of Academic Achievement, Cultural Awareness, Righteousness, and Friendship/Loyalty to represent and improve this fraternity as a brother for life. Thinking back on it, there are very few things in life that require you to take an oath. The only things I could think of other than joining a fraternity were marriage and when the newly elected President is sworn into office. These two things are extremely important, and failure to abide these oaths will result in extreme consequences. In the case of marriage, that would be divorce, and while the rate for divorce in America is at an all-time high, and many people get re-married, the feeling of your first marriage and your first love will be gone forever. In terms of Presidency, you would be impeached and forced to resign, and there has been only one President in the 200 years of our nations history that has ever been forced to resign. So as you can see joining a fraternity and taking that oath is a very prestigious and important event.

I was still debating the idea in my head when Ben said something very interesting. He said that fraternities and sororities are different from any other organization because we will ALWAYS BE a member of our fraternity or sorority, no matter if we're fifty years old and a bum or or if we're still just a new member at OSU, but once you're of college, you're no longer ARE part of that football team or marching band. That really struck a cord with me, and it was then I realized that it was the oaths we took and not the Rituals that set us apart from all other organizations.

Rituals are a very important part of a fraternity. While they may be secret, a good fraternity member should live his Rituals. And while all Rituals are different, most of them are very alike because there is an image that all fraternities want to have. Some fraternities even post their Rituals online for others to see. But oaths. Oaths are different. You don't even live your oath, you take it, and while it may only last for a minute, after taking the oath you are bound for life to the brothers in your fraternity. No one else outside the fraternity will ever share that same oath or bond that each member of that fraternity shares.

From then on, whatever you do, whatever you say, could have an impact on that fraternity. Because it is a bond for life. When someone in the football team does something stupid, people won't judge the football team because that guy won't be part of the football team in four years. When someone in a fraternity does something stupid, people automatically judge that fraternity because he will always be part of that fraternity and represent it.

Pi Delta Psi cares

Here's a video about how the members of my fraternity have gotten stronger and made the fraternity stronger by joining Pi Delta Psi

What are my secret thoughts about Rituals

My last blog entry was about how I felt about Rituals, the importance of rituals in defining the values of the fraternity, and how they help to unite the fraternity in sharing a common goal.

During our past class, we had a long discussion about Rituals, and other peoples thoughts on Rituals. Most of the answers were disappointing, but not surprising to me. Since I already discussed my thoughts about Rituals in my last blog, I would just like to take a little time to discuss my thoughts on the Ritual process and how many people view their Rituals.

First of all, for me, the common Ritual that we described in class on Friday puzzled me. While both my fraternity's Ritual and the common Ritual do define the values of the fraternity, my fraternity's Ritual is much more than a simple piece of paper. To put it simply, my fraternity's Ritual doesn't just simply consist of a story that is to be told and heard by only a part of the members once a semester. Rather than merely being read, it has been performed by all members of our fraternity so that will always be ingrained in our hearts and memories. In this manner, I do believe that my fraternity's Ritual is more effective, but not better or worse in any way.

One of the things we talked about in class was how many people didn't even know their own Rituals because they forget it after they hear it. To me that is absolutely disgraceful. How can you be in a fraternity, and not know what it's about. For all the money that being part of a fraternity costs, you should have definitely joined the fraternity because you believed in its values, because you wanted to become a better and stronger person through the fraternity. Knowing a fraternity's Ritual means understanding its values. Understanding its values is the first step in being able to become a leader of the fraternity and bettering the fraternity. Being a leader in any way means you have become a better and stronger person.

During class, it was also discussed how many people valued drinking and parties the most about the fraternity. After I heard this, I was like well no wonder a lot of people have a bad image of fraternities. Not only do many members not know their Ritual, they basically go straight against the values of the fraternity by constantly promoting drinking and partying as the fraternal image. And seriously, I think it's pretty sad that a person would go through all that trouble and pay that much money so they could drink and party more.

So to sum it up, I was very surprised when I learned about the common Ritual process. Even though the process is different, I believe the significance behind these processes are still the same. It is a way to understand the fraternal values and the first step to leading your fraternity. I am very disappointed at the fact that many people don't know their own Rituals, but all I can say is that they're the ones who are losing out.