I have a question....

Soror Shaundra L. Lee
Gamma Alpha, Florida A & M University (FAMU)

Hello to my Blue and White Family. I was glad to see many of you at Boule in Atlanta this past summer. I am must confess that what I am about to write is probably not original or new. Being relatively new in the family (Fall 97) I know that I still have the neophyte Zeal despite the fact my chapter crossed another line this past spring semester,which maybe is the reason I feel that we are letting in people who don't have that love. What love do I mean? If you had to ask, then you are the person I am talking about.

The soror I saw at the grocery store where we were both wearing a ZPB shirt and she looked and kept walking, freezing the smile on my face. The soror who I waited for almost 2 hours to meet and when she did finally show up acted like she didn't even want to give so much as a handshake and only answered monosyllables to the questions I asked. Even my linesister's roommates and her friends who non-greek noticed her lack of enthusiasm for meeting my LS and me. I had to be to work early the next morning and needed to get on the road, yet I waited to meet her because her friends said she complained about not meeting even of her sorors since she had a small chapter. Yet one of the other sorors in her chapter hugged me when I met her at church two weekends later. So, I don't believe that mess about it being a "chapter thing".

The old head who had a frozen smile on her face when I said "hello soror" in a low voice and bright smile upon seeing her in the fabric store where I am a frequent shopper. And it goes on and on. I am talking about the love you feel when you see any thing that says Zeta Phi Beta Sigma. That excitement you feel when meet or see someone who you don't know yet shares the same ideals and loyalties as you. Example- I was on the highway, back from visiting my linesister and a frat saw my Zeta decal and flashed our sign. That's the love I'm talking about. And it wasn't like he was about to wreck traffic to do so, he just politely rolled up beside me, threw up a quick sign and dipped! ( I was slightly shame because my 6 or 7 inch afro was blowing everywhere, like I like it). Maybe I am thinking along the wrong way and I overreacted to some one who just didn't want to be bothered that day. But as my line sister reminds me when the chapter is slack on its duties, "I took the oath"!

I said I'd honor and keep the ideals of Zeta Phi Beta 'til the day I die, what about you? Oh and just a reminder, they are Finer Womanhood, Community Service, Scholarship, and most of all, Sisterly Love. The reason I joined Zeta Phi Beta was not for stepping ( I can't step a lick ) or parties, community service (I love that part, too, you can do that anywhere); it was because Zeta's showed me and everyone else "sisterly love." Isn't that what the "sorority" means?

A sisterhood, nothing less and so much more, if you let it.
Thank you.

Love to love you,

Shaundra L. Lee known on the net as AFROdite......