For those of you not in the Divergent loop (don’t worry, half of us weren't either), the plot of
the movie centers around a society broken into five factions:
- Abnegation (selfless)
- Erudite (intelligent)
- Amity (peaceful)
- Candor (honest)
- Dauntless (brave)
Following the results of a special test, teenagers are forced to make
a binding decision of which faction they want to join. Should they follow their
test results, which are meant to tell them the faction they fit into best? If
they disagree with their test results, should they follow their hearts and
choose their own factions? What about those who fit into multiple factions?
Those folks are Divergent and are meant to be eradicated, as they cannot be
controlled or manipulated by the government that put the faction system in
place.
Choosing a faction is strikingly similar to recruitment and
intake processes held annually year (the factions names are even in a different language!). Once you join, it is rare (if not
impossible) to leave the organization to join another group that fits your
needs better. Based on limited interaction, information, and experiences,
thousands of college students each year make a lifelong decision to join a
group they ultimately know very little about. Many students feel like they
could fit into one or more groups and choose their fraternity or sorority based
on superficial reasons like a group’s colors or social status.
Take what happens after Divergent’s protagonist Tris chooses to join the Dauntless faction
following her divergent test results. She leaves the choosing ceremony with all
of the new Dauntless initiates and is forced to jump off moving trains onto high
buildings and off high buildings into an unknown abyss. It is immediately
clear that Tris wasn't necessarily meant to be part of Dauntless, but her
instructor works to help her fit in and stay alive. Those who fall to the
bottom of the initiate class in Dauntless are cast away to become “factionless”:
jobless, homeless, and ultimately forever at the bottom of the food
chain. “Faction before blood” is the motto of the society (seriously), meaning
those who leave their families for a new faction are cut off from their family
and former lives, even if they are ultimately not accepted by their newly
chosen faction.
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| They weren't this "frat" before recruitment. |
Countless fraternities and sororities follow this method of
bringing in their new members. They tell potential members just enough during
the recruitment and intake process to make the organization seem appealing, but
the moment someone becomes a new member the truth comes out. New members are oftentimes
subjected to strenuous physical and mental tests. They need to change their
wardrobes, interests, and friends to fit into the mold of the organization they
joined. Being outside of the fraternity/ sorority community is for outcasts,
and befriending members of other fraternities and sororities can be frowned
upon if they’re not in the “right” fraternity/sorority.
This is the antithesis of the experiences relevant
fraternities and sororities should be providing to their members. Recruitment
or intake should be a time where the real membership experience is conveyed to
members. By the end of the recruitment period, interested students shouldn't
feel conflicted or nervous that they will not fit in. New member processes
should be about building brotherhood and sisterhood through positive
interactions and mutual learning. Fraternity/ sorority communities should be
united together and with the greater campus community, forming positive and
impactful relationships.
“Divergent” potential members possess many great skills and
qualities that would make them a valuable asset to any organization. How can
you improve your chapter and campus operations to be less like the society in
Divergent, and more like the relevant fraternity/community new members deserve?
