We all know the old adage: you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. As a junior, almost legally allowed to drink, I can tell you the adage is wrong. In my old age, (omg why do all the freshmen look like BABIES?) I am still learning new things about my school, the world, and myself. This newest lesson came from Duke’s Dynamic NPHC.
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. Currently, eight of the nine Greek lettered fraternities and sororities are chartered here at Duke.
During NPHC week (Sept. 9th – 14th), Duke’s National Pan-Hellenic Council hosted a series of events, from charity events to cookouts, to promote NPHC’s involvement on campus and to educate all students on ways to become involved with the NPHC organizations. Throughout the week, I attended some events, talked with different members, and had the opportunity to learn a lot about the eight different NPHC chapters recognized here at Duke.
My lesson started with a correction. The nine Greek lettered organizations that make up the NPHC are historically African American, which means they were started by African Americans but are not limited to only African American members. In fact, these organizations lived through times of extreme racial segregation. This shared history is deeply ingrained within the organizations’ foundation and communal outreach. This week opened my eyes to my ignorance of the purpose of these organizations and what they have accomplished.
Before Duke, I had little to no knowledge of the different NPHC organizations. I would see the different letters and colors while at church, but I never understood what it all truly meant. After arriving, my knowledge seemed to decrease even further. I thought NPHC organizations were extremely segregated and closeted. I was wrong, and the reason I was wrong is that I never made an effort to learn or even ask a simple question.
So, what’s the lesson I learned? I guess over the course of NPHC week and my inner reflection on what I could possibly write for this week’s article, I realized that
1. No matter how old I am, I will always be learning something.
2. Don’t be quick to make judgments, and if you do judge, don’t be so stagnant that you refuse to even reconsider a past judgment.
NPHC week helped me realize that I’m not always right and that the gossip I hear is not entirely true. This article is not meant to be an advertisement to join any form of Greek life but an invitation to find truths in your world. I came in as an unsuspecting baby first-year, being ignorant and soaking up what everyone around me had to say about this or that. In the end, the wide majority was bologna. Therefore, I invite all of you to take some time out to uncover your own truths and make your own decisions because all you can do in life is try to solve the problem in front of you.
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