5 Beta Trends..Dead and Buried
Happy New Year!
The turn of the year is always a time for reflection and resolutions. I hope you have taken a moment to revel in your yesteryear successes, and regroup from your shortcomings.
Just as it cometh upon us as individuals, the new year is also a reality for the fraternity as a whole. In this coming year, here are 5 habits you, your chapter and SLB would do well to vanquish in 2012.
5) Destructive parochialism (repping ‘yours’ too hard)
Implicit in being a brother of Sigma Lambda Beta is a sense of savage pride. Your line was the coldest. Your chapter goes the hardest. Nobody is messing with your region. Right?
Last semester, I witnessed a fight. I saw two chapter brothers slug it out. It might have been about some girl. Or maybe it was about some money owed. It doesn’t matter. All I remember is I stood powerless in the presence of my non-Greek graduate school friends and dozens of GDIs to witness this shameful incident. Throughout the whole fight, one of the brothers repeatedly yelled ‘skater!’ to the other brother.
What? Chapter brothers deriding each other on how ‘hard’ they were pledged? I can only imagine how they view other chapters, other regions, other organizations? As many times as I have questioned behavior within our brotherhood, I reached a new low that evening.
This is just peripheral. If you, like I, frequent SLB’s social networking sites, you have seen the same negativity manifesting itself there as well. When done in moderation, this sibling rivalry encourages individual entities to do better. What has to stop, however, is such mockery of each other that leads to defined and visible factions when brothers meet for national events. We have minute differences here and there, but the ethos and principles that hold us together still stand strong.
Congressi Superamus; Divisi Cadimus
4) The ‘(Insert Ethnicity) Beta’
We have all seen this.
Brothers masquerading as the “black Beta”, “Asian Beta” etc.
Ethnic pride is a beautiful thing, and the montage thereof within our fraternity is one of those things that make us exceptional. Thus, referring to yourself as described above is often not an issue, and taken in jest by, say, members of your campus community where the rest of your chapter is a particular ethnicity.
Here lie the problems
- Pointing it out makes it seem like it matters to us that people are different; like you stand out as a Beta because of your ethnicity. While we are proud to have you in our brotherhood, you are a brother, not a ‘black brother’! If we are really about multiculturalism and tolerance, then we should be above these tags
- By now, there is a lot of whatever ethnicity it is you belong to in our fraternity. It just seems ridiculous when John “Black Beta’ Doe adds me/follows me on the internet, when I just witnessed half a dozen African-American brothers initiated in one night! So you think of the many brothers of that ethnicity, you are ‘that’ one?
Being a ‘type’ Beta is not what’s cool; being a Beta is what is. Get over yourselves.
3) Homophobia
Aah, the most backward trend still rampant within our brotherhood.
Now, I am not going to be the hypocritical Mr. ‘I write for the internet, thus I know better’ guy. I do not claim any in-depth knowledge of the biology behind our sexuality, or the different moral codes that guide it.
What I do know, however, is we pledged to be part of an organization that promotes tolerance for men from all walks of life; and sexual orientation is one of the facets of diversity specified in our fraternal laws! While I understand that we have different views on different issues, it defies logic that you would dedicate your life to an organization and then attempt to impose a mindset contrary to that which you pledged. If your moral code finds homosexuality to be wrong, that is a whole different debate that, like I said before, I am not qualified to hold. What is definitely wrong, however, is to try bringing that value system onto an organization that stands for tolerance.
As absurd as it is to cite ‘morality’ as a reason for any misguided person to discriminate, it is even more absurd because it seems the ‘morals’ are selective. Oh, these brothers have a moral code that stands up against homosexuality? Oh I’m sorry, I must have missed it when you spoke up against underage drinking, drug use, etc. in the fraternity- the REAL moral grey areas SLB faces! In for a penny, in for a pound: if you have adopted yourself as SLB’s ‘moral’ crusader, then take on all of our ‘moral’ shortcomings! I digress.
Besides, how many excellent gay brothers does SLB boast? Homophobia has no place in our fraternity any more than racism or any other forms intolerance. Get with it or get out.
2) Making excuses for bad grades
“Oh, I was on line, and you know what that does to your grades…”
“We were down to three active brothers, and that took its toll on me”
Stop it. Colleges are institutions of higher EDUCATION: a concept best captured in classes and the grades thereof. While you are there, that should be your primary concern. An argument often evoked is that our fraternity’s educational process is so demanding that it often results in poorer academic performance that semester. Well if that is the case, we are doing it wrong. You mean to tell me that an organization whose 4 pillars include scholarship and exists solely in the construct of educational institutions is causing its members to perform poorly in school? C’mon Son.
While our commitment to Sigma Lambda Beta should be unwavering, know what is most important. You’re failing classes and subsequent failure to graduate doesn’t serve us at all. Even in graduation, a network of alumni stuck in lowly positions is not a thing of pride.
Get your priorities straight.
1) Reasons (excuses) why Sigma Lambda Beta Can’t/Isn’t
‘SLB is a smaller organization”, “We were only founded in 1986”, “Because we reach out to a largely minority population, we don’t have as many resources as mainstream organizations do”
Enough. These arguments, if used sincerely, could be valid. It seems, however, they always come from brothers who are blatantly trying to justify incompetency. How do you figure those things impede you from submitting paperwork, you have known about for months at end, on time? Have you exhausted all resources (school funding, Headquarters, Alumni, businesses, co-sponsorships- you get the picture) before you conclude there is no way half a dozen collegiate Latino and Black student leaders can raise the few hundred dollars it takes to fund a dinner?
By the way, a 26 year old organization with 100+ entities and thousands of members nationwide is NOT a small organization. Get over it: do what needs to be done and stop making people feel sorry for us.
Rest In Peace
(What are some other traits you would like to see dead this year?)
Picture by MacKinnon Photography via Flick
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I totally agree with the ethnic beta shirts! Like you said, it’s cool when it’s a statement to your campus or in jest, but some people seem to take it too far, going as far as making up ‘calls’ for said ethnicity…. Come on guys, that’s a bit ridiculous….
Shingi,
Everyone can use a reminder to what our morals are and should be if you call yourself a ‘Beta’. I would add #6 as active membership. A lot of brothers out there are proud and wearing their letters, saying chants at parties and throwing up lambdas. Unfortunately, that’s 98% of their contribution to the organization. Aside from the obvious ($), every organization can benefit from many other things from its disconnected members like coaching, attendance, networking, or simply…communication. I’m including our alumni with all the drop out brothers. Trust me I know life can throw you curve-balls, but keep trying to make a conscious effort. Get back in there. Your kid may want to be a “Beta” someday.
I believe that if every brother were dedicated to make one gesture to their chapter per quarter, we would see tremendous advancements.
Peace to all my brothers and Happy New Year!!
David “Delio” DeValdivielso
Eta Chapter, #3
#7- enough with the FIRM fam semantics. SLB is not part of some made-up Greek family. Its sad to see that some brothers feel need to rep the FIRM fam as to gain “acceptance” or be considered “relevant” ive even seem people claim that without sigmas and zetas there would be no betas and gammas? What? Thats nonsense and that mentalty needs to go away, i find it disrespectful to our fraternity and to our letters o be grouped into the above mentioned made up family.I pledged SLB not FIRM
New trends, old trends. Read up on what 5 Beta Trends this authors feels shouldn't continue into 2012. http://t.co/SdOsdybU
New trends, old trends. Read up on what 5 Beta Trends this authors feels shouldn't continue into 2012. http://t.co/SdOsdybU
New trends, old trends. Read up on what 5 Beta Trends this authors feels shouldn't continue into 2012. http://t.co/SdOsdybU
RT @sigmalambdabeta: 5 Beta Trends That Should Die in 2012 http://t.co/8ctZ3Use
RT @sigmalambdabeta: 5 Beta Trends That Should Die in 2012 http://t.co/BPeVgpSx
RT @sigmalambdabeta: 5 Beta Trends That Should Die in 2012 http://t.co/NNhdWWJN
New trends, old trends. Read up on what 5 Beta Trends this authors feels shouldn't continue into 2012. http://t.co/SdOsdybU
As for the aforementioned controversial piece, here goes!! http://t.co/oMrVNvIb @GVBetas @PennStateBetas
RT @sigmalambdabeta: 5 Beta Trends That Should Die in 2012 http://t.co/SCWkyDO5
http://t.co/4Lk90uE6 written by GVSU alum & brother of Sigma Lambda Beta, Shingi Mavima "5 Beta Trends That Must Die"
Homophobia has no place in our fraternity any more than racism or any other form of intolerance.Get with it or get out. http://t.co/4Lk90uE6
"Homophobia has no place in our fraternity any more than racism or any other form of intolerance" http://t.co/4Lk90uE6
RT @sigmalambdabeta: 5 Beta Trends That Should Die in 2012 http://t.co/xQYoIye3 #SLB #beta
“@criss_salinas: RT @sigmalambdabeta: 5 Beta Trends That Should Die in 2012 http://t.co/xQYoIye3 #SLB #beta” @USFBETAS
RT @sigmalambdabeta: 5 Beta Trends That Should Die in 2012 http://t.co/xQYoIye3 #SLB #beta
This my friend, is CLASSIC! Fantastic job in reflecting the things that ALL Greek letter organizations, not only SLB, need to change. Great Job!!!!!
Sincerely,
Luz D. Paniagua
Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc.
So much great advice, especially to the younger brothers or brothers who don’t understand the divisiveness in our brotherhood that the “X Beta”, homophobia, or trying to put down other lines/chapters/states cause. I really hope brothers can take this advice to heart.
http://www.eliluminador.com/2012/01/18/5-beta-trends-that-should-die-in-2012/
Bro,
Good article. I agree with ALL of your points, but I do have a concern that you are making a lot of general, over- arching comments and I wonder if you have actually interviewed any of the people that you may have been talking about? I mean we ALL agree that racism and homophobial are horrible things that have no place in the frat, period, point blank. That said you made some comments in the “Congressi Superamus; Divisi Cadimus” section that hit close to home for me. I am a Brother from a multi-ethnic background that does not include any form of Latino heritage. Since I was young I have always self-identified as a black, West-Indian, male, but because I am light skinned I have always been mistaken as Latino, not a big deal. I have had Brothers of this organization, Gammas, and GDI’s come up to me, assuming I was Latino, and while its not a big deal after a while it gets annoying that people just assume you are something that you are not (Latino) because of your membership in a type of organization (Latino Frat) when you are not (I am a Black man). My Chapter is very diverse with a large West-Indian (and Asian) contingent, and I have seen people assume that these men were Dominican or Panamanian because they are dark-skinned Betas. I proudly wear my “Black Beta” shirt because I have grown tired of peoples narrow-minded sterotypes that every Beta must be Latino, and in all honesty I feel that it promotes our organizations Diversity, Tolerance, and acceptance of the views and cultures of others as much as our programming. So while I see where you are coming from I have to wonder if you actually spoke to any Brothers about this or if you just gave one-side of the arguement.
Os
Bro Os. Thank You for your thoughtful and well-articulated feedback
While I can definitely confirm that we consulted with some bros in putting this article together, we also do not pretend that we represented everyone- and that is clear from your story that you probably don’t feel that particular bit best covered your side of the story
Your case is, as I am sure you will testify, far from unique. By no means do we mean to trivialize the identity and acceptance struggle current within our org (as within any diverse community.)
The important thing is that we got this conversation going. We got to hear your (and the several other bros who have expressed their opinion on various forums) side of the story in a way that I, as with several others might not have before: and that is more crucial to the betterment of SLB than any list brothers can come up with!
Thank You Again for your input. Stay posted!
“We consulted with some bros in outting this article together”.
Certainly didn’t consult with ALL the Brothers, instead you just wrote about them behind their bacl.
I think having a “black” beta t-shirt is no worse than saying Sigma Lambda Beta is a Latino Fraternity with multicultural membership instead of a Latino-Based Multicultural Fraternity. The prior sounds like the fraternity represents only Latino values while the latter is inclusive.
RT @sigmalambdabeta: 5 Beta Trends That Should Die in 2012 http://t.co/TiGnDNR5
New trends, old trends. Read up on what 5 Beta Trends this authors feels shouldn't continue into 2012. http://t.co/SdOsdybU