Sorority sisters..

[LindaR]

Anyone a Kappa Kappa Gamma? What can you tell me? My daughter is interested and we are interested in the "good" and the "bad" information. Thanks!

 

[HamTown]

I'm not a Kappa, but any sorority varies from campus to campus, especially on things like dues, size of chapter, etc. To get a better idea, we'd need to know the campus. I'd also encourage your daughter to keep an open mind. The sorority I thought I HAD to join ended up being a real disappointment and I'm glad I made a different choice.

 

[ilovejack02]

I'm not a Kappa, but any sorority varies from campus to campus, especially on things like dues, size of chapter, etc. To get a better idea, we'd need to know the campus. I'd also encourage your daughter to keep an open mind. The sorority I thought I HAD to join ended up being a real disappointment and I'm glad I made a different choice.

I agree... Im not a Kappa either, but I do know every campus is different so its really hard to tell you the good and the bad without knowing the specific campus that the chapter is on.

 

[yearbook50]

I'm not a Kappa, but any sorority varies from campus to campus, especially on things like dues, size of chapter, etc. To get a better idea, we'd need to know the campus. I'd also encourage your daughter to keep an open mind. The sorority I thought I HAD to join ended up being a real disappointment and I'm glad I made a different choice.

Agreed.


KKG stands for Keys to the Kingdom of God. I'm not a KKG - but I can assume that their rituals/values are based in Christianity.

 

[ilovejack02]

Agreed.


KKG stands for Keys to the Kingdom of God. I'm not a KKG - but I can assume that their rituals/values are based in Christianity.

Wrong KKG..

I can give you this much info.. wont help a ton though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappa_Kappa_Gamma

 

[jodifla]

Agreed.


KKG stands for Keys to the Kingdom of God. I'm not a KKG - but I can assume that their rituals/values are based in Christianity.

I am a Kappa, and no, this is NOT WHAT IT STANDS for. Not that I can tell you, because it's a secret I've kept more than 25 years.....

 

[LindaR]

She is attending University of New Mexico.

 

[jodifla]

Anyone a Kappa Kappa Gamma? What can you tell me? My daughter is interested and we are interested in the "good" and the "bad" information. Thanks!

you can take a look at kappakappagamma.org. It has a lot of info non members can look at.


Joining KKG was one of the best decisions I made in my life. I have lifelong friends from the group. I really enjoyed it in college and I learned a lot. Some of the lessons were hard (as one might imagine when one gets involved with 100 other "sisters"!!)

I am actually still active in my local alum group. In every city I've gone to, I've joined and made even more new friendships.

Kappa has a strong national, and an extensive alum network. There are national conventions every two years that attract hundreds and hundreds of women.

Let me know if you have other specific questions. All campuses do differ. I'm not familiar with New Mexico....

 

[abbybeth]

I am not a KKG, but am an alum of Alpha Xi Delta.

Joining a sorority was one of the best things that I ever did for myself. I did not ever think that it would be something I would want to pursue, but am so glad I did. My experience as a collegian was very fun and I made some great friendships that will certainly last a lifetime. Now as an alum, I have become very active in an alumnae association and enjoy that as well.

I will echo the sentiments already expressed in that individual chapters of a national organization can vary between campuses. My best advice is that she go into the rush process with an open mind and give each house a fair shot. She may find that she bonds with girls in a house other than KKG, or she may find that KKG is indeed her Greek "home". Through rush both the houses and the individual girls have a say in who they're interested in.

Joining ANY organization on campus can have "good" and "bad" points and a lot of it comes down to what one makes of their experience. Greek organizations are steeped in tradition, much of which is secret and unique to the indiviual sorority in question. One of the "bad" things about any sorority is that in any situation where there are a large number of girls all together there are sometimes flare ups, but when that happens you learn not to take things too seriously. Overall, there really is nothing but good.

Regardles of where she ends up, I hope that she really enjoys her Greek experience. Being a member of a sorority has added so much to my life - it's so much more than letters and parties - it's developing friendships and being involved in traditions that have been around for decades, raising money for philanthropic causes and spending time volunteering. Sorry this got kind of long, but I've become a strong advocate for Greek life because of my own very positive experience!

 

[paras4ri]

Sigma Delta Tau checking in! I graduated from college 26 years ago yet I'm still close to several sisters. We've shared dating, our weddings and pregnancies together and now we're starting to send our own kids off to college.

I'll echo what others have said - and wish your daughter the best of luck during rush.

 

[bfeller]

My daughter joined Theta Phi Alpha last year. I did not go greek in college so it was all new to me.

I read the book Pledged and it helped me understand what the greek system was and it talked about the good and the bad.

 

[Mackie's Mommy]

Another Sigma Delta Tau here! I certainly didn't go into the rush process expecting to join SDT but that is where I was happiest. I got so much from being in a sorority. Your daughter just needs to find the group that makes her happiest. I joined 24 years ago and I am still fast friends with many of my sisters!

 

[flipflop]

I'm not a Kappa, but any sorority varies from campus to campus, especially on things like dues, size of chapter, etc. To get a better idea, we'd need to know the campus. I'd also encourage your daughter to keep an open mind. The sorority I thought I HAD to join ended up being a real disappointment and I'm glad I made a different choice.

I agree... not a KKG here but am a Chi Omega and this is definetly true of that sorority. My best friend in my sorority is now Godmother to one of my children. I enjoyed my college time as a Chi O and continue to enjoy the relationships formed through that experience.

 

[poptoone]

I have nothing bad to say about any sororities! At least the ones at the college I attended!!

 

[helloirishkitty]

My daughter joined Theta Phi Alpha last year. I did not go greek in college so it was all new to me.

I read the book Pledged and it helped me understand what the greek system was and it talked about the good and the bad.

I'm also not a Kappa, but a member of Sigma Delta Tau. Joining a sorority was one of the best things I have ever done, and nothing can replace the bond I share with my pledge class. One of the reasons I have my current job is because my director was a Sig Delt in college, and at my interview we talked about our chapters non-stop. My mom was hundreds of miles away when I was pledging, but she was my biggest "shoulder to lean on" even though she's from Ireland and didn't understand the pledging process. I know most greeks that I've met refuse to acknowledge Pledged as a valid source of information. It's a bit ridiculous and far-fetched, even though it's "based on fact". Maybe some organizations run their rush/pledge process like the book describes, but most of us don't and are offended when people think that we are all like that. If it was really like that, how many of us would have stuck around?

Anyways, good luck to you daughter! Rushing and learning about different organizations is such an exciting process, and when it's all over, you definitely feel like you've found a second home.

 

[phisigprincess]

My daughter joined Theta Phi Alpha last year. I did not go greek in college so it was all new to me.

I read the book Pledged and it helped me understand what the greek system was and it talked about the good and the bad.

Oh please don't read that book. It's so sensationalized and ridiculous. Those are a tiny microcausim of sororities and doesn't represent the Greek system at all.

Good luck to your daughter. I hope she treasures her sorority experience as much as I did.

 

[abbybeth]

My daughter joined Theta Phi Alpha last year. I did not go greek in college so it was all new to me.

I read the book Pledged and it helped me understand what the greek system was and it talked about the good and the bad.

I have read Pledged and would just like to say that it is not representative of the Greek Life experience. Granted, the chapter that the author spent time with was at a Southern university, where the Greek system has it's roots in being run differently than in other parts of the nation. Even with that consideration, you have to acknowledge that any author edits their book into what they believe will cause it to sell the best. That book plays up all of the Greek stereotypes that it's members are working so hard to disprove. A sorority goes so far beyond parties and dates and girl drama, which is basically all that that book chose to emphasize. It is an entertaining read to an extent, but it also saddened me as a member of the Greek community because I do not want people to be left with that incorrect perception. Bottom Line: please do not use that as a source of information for either yourself or your daughter. If you want information go straight to the source. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact the chapter your daughter is pledging, the national headquarters and/or the student life office at the college she attends. Any of these resources will be more than happy to speak with you and provide any information that you need.

I cannot speak for KKG, but when I was pledging, my parents were sent a letter and some information informing them about the organization and were very much kept in the loop by our national hq.

 

[juligrl]

Tell her not to blow her time in a sorority. They're like little cults where you have to be places and do things to meet "sisterhood requirements". I was part of a sorority. It was fine in the beginning when I still had time to indulge all my other interests. Then the dictatorship took over from within and "mandatory sisterhood events" became a part of our weekly calendar.

By that point the membership had dwindled to 24 active. Eight of us with outside interests (aka "lives") decided to leave the sorority. You can't leave a cult though! The stuff went down and a call was placed to nationals. The sorority ended up loosing it's charter and is no longer in existance anymore.

Similar stuff happened with 2 others on my campus in the four years I was there.

Bottom line, if your DD has a life and outside interests or is hoping to pick up some life experiences she can best do that without a sorority. If she wants to limit herself to a potentially restrictive nest of Greek life then she should take the chance - nothing ever has to be permanent - just have her be prepared to deal with the consequences if she should ever want out.

 

[LindaR]

Thanks for all the replies. I appreciate the different opinions. My daughter met a Chi Omega in one of her classes and she told her that Kappa (which is across the street) is a good sorority. Out of the blue she mentioned that they have very strict "quiet hours" which start at 9pm. That was a big plus to my daughter. Another person told her that Kappas have a "rep" as being studious and very academically-minded. Another plus for DD. My daughter has been involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters for several years (while in high school) and is waiting to be matched to a "little" now. So, the whole philanthropy part of the sorority is right up her alley too.

We will see how this goes. Believe me, my daughter does NOT do anything she doesn't want to do. If she is asked to join and decides to join, it will be a fully informed decision. She does not do major spur-of-the-moment decision making! All the pros and cons will be weighed.

Thanks!

 

[abbybeth]

I am sorry that the previous poster did not have a positive sorority experience like many others of us here have. As with anything, there can be negative aspects present and it sounds like this chapter was not run properly - as evidenced by the national office revoking their charter. A sorority is not a cult. Yes, there are going to be "mandatory" events and sisterhoods - but if you actually want to be involved and want to spend time with your sisters, they never feel "mandatory." Additionally, if you have outisde commitments, such as class, work or something else, a well run organization will have provisions for absences provided a reaonable "excuse" is given in a timely manner. Any organization, whether it be Greek or professional does expect a certain level of involvement from it's members. If none of the members are involved, the organization will not be able to survive.

If a sister decides to disaffiliate, that is her choice and she is free to make it. While I was an active, we did have some girls choose to disaffiliate and they were not ostracized for their decision and still hung out with their close friends who remained in the sorority. Yes, since Greek organizations typically have a national office, there is some paperwork involved for the purpose of records, but it is nothing obnoxious or uncalled for.

Finally, to address the idea that you cannot have a life outside of a sorority. When I was an active collegiate member of a sorority I also was able to include the following activities:
Varsity Track & Field
Resident Advisor
My professional organization for my major
Honors program (and I graduated with honors)
I also was able to spend time with friends outside the Greek system without any issues.

From any campus I've been on or known of, Greek community members are encouraged to be involved in other organizations and are typically known as some of the strong leaders on campus. Are there some fraternity and sorority members who choose to make their Greek organization the sole focus of their collegiate experience? Yes, absolutely. But that does not HAVE to be the case. It can be a great enhancement to the college (and post-college) experience.


As with any situation, it is what you make of it. Greek organizations, and any extracurricular organizations are not necessarily for everyone. That's why it's optional to join. Again, to the OP, I wish your daughter the best of luck and the best piece of advice is that she keep an open mind and try to take everything into consideration when she makes her decision.

-Abby

Tell her not to blow her time in a sorority. They're like little cults where you have to be places and do things to meet "sisterhood requirements". I was part of a sorority. It was fine in the beginning when I still had time to indulge all my other interests. Then the dictatorship took over from within and "mandatory sisterhood events" became a part of our weekly calendar.

By that point the membership had dwindled to 24 active. Eight of us with outside interests (aka "lives") decided to leave the sorority. You can't leave a cult though! The stuff went down and a call was placed to nationals. The sorority ended up loosing it's charter and is no longer in existance anymore.

Similar stuff happened with 2 others on my campus in the four years I was there.

Bottom line, if your DD has a life and outside interests or is hoping to pick up some life experiences she can best do that without a sorority. If she wants to limit herself to a potentially restrictive nest of Greek life then she should take the chance - nothing ever has to be permanent - just have her be prepared to deal with the consequences if she should ever want out.