Danielle Cadet always knew she'd go Greek. She arrived at Northwestern with a goal to join the same sorority her family members had joined decades before.
"My godmother told me I only had one option if I wanted to be Greek," the Medill junior says.
But Cadet wasn't allowed to begin the rush process until her sophomore year. And it didn't involve timed conversations, a rigorous dress code, cookies and waiting outside in the snow. Instead, it wasn't so different from applying to NU - minus the fantasizing about hypothetical roommates.
Cadet picked up a "rush packet" and turned in proof of her campus involvement, community service, a transcript and two recommendation letters. She then interviewed with the sorority's membership intake chair and adviser over a week-long process.
After multiple screenings, Cadet was accepted into Alpha Kappa Alpha, one of NU's six Black Greek-letter Organizations, or BGLO's. The AKA's are one of three predominately black sororities on campus along with Delta Sigma Theta and Zeta Phi Beta. All three are members of the National Pan Hellenic Council, the governing body which also presides over three fraternities on NU's campus - Phi Beta Sigma, Alpha Phi Alpha and Kappa Alpha Psi.
BGLO's were founded in the early 1900s because Black students were not allowed to join traditional fraternities and sororities. Kappa Alpha Psi became NU's first predominantly Black fraternity in 1917 after being founded at Indiana University in 1911.
"It's definitely a very big force within the black community especially for students who plan on pursuing high education," Cadet says.
Total NPHC membership at NU fluctuates between 50 and 60 students with each chapter having between four and 18 members, but small numbers doesn't make joining easier.
"There are definitely people who come and don't make it," she says. "We do look for qualified individuals because our chapter is so small that every member is very important."
Rodney Carew, current outgoing vice president of NPHC, says the small numbers are only a problem when it comes to housing. In order to get a house on campus, an organization must have a certain number of people, says Carew, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha.
"Given that our numbers are never above 10 or 15, it's not feasible," the Weinberg senior says. "We can't guarantee sustained numbers. When we're dealing with 87 black freshmen, we're only going to have so many people who are interested in Greek life."
But the small numbers can also be an asset, as new pledges aren't overexposed to unfamiliar faces with varying interests in getting to know the younger members.
"Personally, I felt it would be easier to cultivate a sense of brotherhood with a few men who I could get to know intimately as opposed to 20 or 30 people," he says.
Jeniece Fleming, outgoing president of NPHC and a member of Delta Sigma Theta says when new members are initiated into BGLO's, pledge classes are called "lines." Each new member is given a line name and number depending on his or her order of initiation. "You are given a name based on your personality - something that can be attributed to being uniquely you," she says. "My name is Savoy after a nightclub in Harlem."
The organizations aren't just limited to black students - there are at least five other students in NPHC organizations who are not black. "We are historically black, but we're not exclusively black," Fleming says.
When Jesse Yang came to NU three years ago, he had no intention of joining a fraternity. Yang, who is of Chinese descent, eventually ended up joining Phi Beta Sigma.
"Before I even stepped foot on campus I never thought I'd join a fraternity," the Weinberg senior says. "I had these images of a bunch of guys living in a house and having parties. That wasn't what I wanted."
Although Yang has gotten his share of confused stares, he admits he's never felt more comfortable. Despite his Asian background, it seemed like a natural fit.
"Obviously, people think it's weird. To this day I have not met another Asian member of my frat, even nationally," he says. "But I feel very comfortable in the Black community."
For Beth Lynk, who became an official member of Delta Sigma Theta last month, it was the emphasis on community service which attracted her. The sorority, like the other NPHC organizations, has at least three service projects every week.
"Since last winter, I've been volunteering with the Delta Academy, a mentoring organization where I met many of the women in the sorority," the Communication sophomore says. "I know my parents weren't too gung-ho about me joining a sorority until they realized it had an emphasis on public service."
But on NU's campus, the NPHC organizations have gone unnoticed, Cadet says. While the organizations are known for their annual step show, Greekscene, they are known for little else. She said she hopes to change their reputation to something more than stepping.
Since Cadet "crossed" or became an official member, she says she's proud to be part to be part of such a historical organization.
"As a female it's incredible that the founders of the organization were able to start something that has become so much bigger than them," she says. "They were trailblazers. They took that step when society was neither kind nor inviting."
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