It just seems (to me) to make the most sense that the strongest alumnae base would come from women who were in the chapters that had been at Ole Miss, but folded (or at least that they would have more alumnae in the area than would a group that had never been on the campus). I know that wouldn't necessarily be true, but it seems that these Southern women seem to stay in the area - they grow up there, go to school there, then raise their families there. So the question is, where are the alumnae from the chapters that folded? Just because the chapter isn't there doesn't mean the alumnae aren't there. At least that's the reasoning in my mind.

ETA: Upon rereading the thread (it had been so long since I first read it!) OleMissGlitter makes the point that these alumnae are there and would be willing to support a new chapter.

Of course my earlier statement was a hypothetical one based on everyone's observations that it would be "really hard for a group to recolonize because of their past reputation"

I guess it's just really disheartening to me that a campus panhellenic would vote to bring a group on, then vote to choose a group that had previously been on campus, then go talk about why they left campus in the first place. That's basically sabotaging an expansion by the people responsible for starting it in the first place!

Granted, if it was a group that left recently (like ZTA in 1999), there would still be stories floating around. But if the group left 20 or 25 years ago....who cares why the left in the first place? Why even worry about it?

I know people are human and they'll talk, but it's getting to the point that Ole Miss might be actually driving potential groups away with all this stuff.

Not to offend any Ole Miss'ers out there...but think about it. Sure, rumors will get to the PNMs, but I don't see why it matters that a group closed due to numbers even 10 years ago. That was in the past. Seems like if the current Greeks would refuse to perpetuate that, and if they would explain to the PNMs that what went on 10 years ago (with a previous group) means NOTHING to this new colonization, it would help things tremendously. Of course, this leads me to the topic that we don't often explain enough things to PNMs during recruitment, and that's just a soapbox I don't need to get on right now!!

/rant

Seriously, this isn't just attacking Ole Miss....it's in a lot of places. Nothing personal to any Ole Miss actives or alums.

PsychTau

I think it is entirely possible that a new group could have success. (Take Theta, for instance...)

There are alums from those old groups that left campus. There are also alums from the groups that were there when other groups left. These alums are the same ones sending their daughters, granddaughters, etc. to join traditionally "Mississippi" chapters (Tri-Delta, ChiO, DG, Kappa, etc.) They are the ones that still tell stories about the GLOs that left, even if it was years ago.


I can remember as a PNM, I heard about the ADPis that had to leave campus. I heard how (so-called) awful they were. And, that had been years since they went off-campus. I can also remember going through rush and hearing other PNMs talk about how their mothers had told them to stay away from ZTA. I remember hearing from one GLO member in particular how ZTA was "about to be shut down" and how we should drop them as fast as we could.

I remember being told by one GLO member that they couldn't wait for us to leave so that they could demolish our house and build a sunroom onto their house.

I am not singleing any GLO out. We left b/c of numbers. But, having PNMs come through COB and tell us they had doubts about joining b/c people had told them we were being kicked off campus didn't help either. (This went on for about two to three years before we actually left...)

I think the best shot would be a group with alum support. But, they would do best (IMHO) if they have never been on campus before. This would dispell most of the bad rep problem, I think.


Edited b/c this topic still touches a raw nerve and it makes it hard to clearly articulate my thoughts.

I have no doubt that Panhellenic spirit will prevail, and the Greek women will support whatever new group comes to Ole Miss.

It's all about perception and tradition at southern schools. My high school classmates who went to LSU cut "the Alphas" early in recruitment. ("the curse of the Alphas" at LSU has been discussed in many threads here already, so I won't repeat it.)

It's kind of like buying a car. Even though Kia and Hyundai offer the best warranties of any make and their cars are competitively priced and attractive, most car buyers in this market segment would rather own a Honda or a Toyota.

(With all due respect to Kia and Hyundai owners. :) )

Okay, as far as I know all 9 Panhellenic sororities voted last night a YES for the IDEA of extension. I thought about this last night for a while and I think DZ or ACW, would be a good idea. I mean, I know we aren't talking names of sororities yet, but since DZ was here from 1928-1953 they aren't a household name (meaning up at Ole Miss, I know they are huge at LSU!!!). However, they do have tons of legacies going through each year, of course these legacies are from other universities, but still they are legacies. This could help them and I know ACW is big in the state of Alabama from what I've heard. All in all, we are going to let NPC guide our Greek system to the best chapter and to help us in the best way possible attract a new chapter of a GLO. I also thought about this, what happens if no GLO wants to come and expand at Ole Miss? What if they don't want to risk a loss or a loss of money in trying to set up camp at Ole Miss? What happens when that happens? Does that mean our Greek system is a failure and we are too elite or too bias or something???? Would that mean we would have to lower quota or something? I am not a Panhellenic guru or anything!

From what states does Ole Miss draw the most out-of-state students? These states should be looked at to see which groups would provide the strongest alumnae base.

Me neither! Though in the past year I helped with the colonization of our chapter at Harvard, so I know a little more than I used to. Harvard's Greek system is as different from Ole Miss's as it could possibly be, but the procedure for inviting a new group is probably close to the same.

First, all NPC groups were sent a letter from Harvard's Panhellenic and invited to present a proposal. The letter outlined the criteria for selection of a new group at Harvard: strong national reputation, diversity of membership, and strong local alumnae support.

Three groups were selected to give presentations to Panhellenic. Each group visited for a weekend. In addition to a formal presentation to Panhellenic by a team of national officers, local alumnae met with the Harvard sorority members at informal receptions.

Keep us posted on how this progresses at Ole Miss!

With just over 9,000 undergraduates, about 1,750 first-time full-time freshmen, and nearly 11,000 students total on the Oxford campus, Ole Miss is a comfortable size. We are large enough to provide comprehensive offerings and a full student life yet not so large as to be overwhelming. With students from 70 foreign countries, 47 states, and all 82 Mississippi counties, you'll meet people from all over. About 35 percent of UM's students are from somewhere other than Mississippi, 51.5% are female, and 12.1% are African-American.---from Ole Miss web page...


Anyway, I would say they are from MS, LA, TN, AR, AL, TX, KY, FL, GA---basically Southern states.

I was actually talking with our national president about this a while back. She agreed that it would almost have to be AXO to colonize here. They have a really strong chapter at Alabama, and there are a lot of AL girls that come to Ole Miss. DZ may be a good choice too. I don't really know much about the DZ's at other southern schools, except that they have chapters at many of them. I agree that another organization is needed and it will take some $$$$.

OleMissGlitter - Did they mention what they were going to do about a house?

BTW...most of the out-of-state students are from Tennessee....the second most is Texas.

LOL, Florida isn't really a "Southern" state!!! Not in the sense of Ole Miss being a Southern school, anyways. :D

To HottyToddy: I haven't heard about a house. They could build on in the Tri Delta Parking Lot across from Kappa. Or perhaps they could go somewhere over by the Chancellor's House, there is tons of land across from Phi Delta Theta house. However, I don't know if they can do that, there might be some rule with where a sorority house is and also that would suck to be so far away from the other sorority houses. I would think when they come, the new group that is, they will have a floor or floors in Crosby and make that their home while they get organized and decide on what to do with a house. As posted before and you know too, the ZTA and ADP house are both owned by the university and there is no talk of them ever going for sale. Plus the former ZTA house was bought by an alumni and the university so I doubt they'll give up the Hospitality Management House to a sorority. Plus, they just renovated the ZTA house last year to fit the needs of the Hospitality Management major (new kitchen, offices, classrooms).

Anyway, I think only time will tell and I was just on ACW 's website and they are HUGE in the south! They have so many FL chapters it is crazy and they are HUGE in TX! They also look very strong in SC and NC! WOW! I think they need to come! Not that any other group wouldn't be great, but gosh A-Chi-O looks very strong in the Southern states, and yes I consider FL southern.... :)

Holy cow! I had no idea Ole Miss was that small!!

Well...I know that's not small, but here's a comparison. I got my undergrad degree from a campus of 5,000 students (SMALL!) and my graduate degree from a campus of 10,000 (medium). So Ole Miss is the size of my grad campus...which is weird to me because I thought of that campus as "small" compared to the SEC type schools. (U of AR has about 16,000 students). I was thinking Ole Miss was the same size as the U of A, if not larger.

Hmmm....now I don't know what to think. I think quota on my grad campus (of 10,000) this past recruitment was 23 or so (for 5 sororities). Interesting difference in the greek system size.

PsychTau

Yes, we are small, but we do have two other campuses, which make our like total enrollment rounded to about 13,000. But undergrad is small. However, they are expecting between 950-1000 women to register for recruitment this fall 2004. So, that is a large amount of women to go through recruitment and with only 9 houses and quota was a 86 this past year and all houses took at least 90, we need something. I mean if all continue to take 90 or more new members we will have 300 members plus in another year or two! And then we might have to build on to our already rather large sorority houses. I know AOII is seriously thinking about an addition and then a large renovation this summer. Craziness.

Not trying to argue with you or anything, you're just the first person I have EVER heard say that! I grew up in Florida and moved to NC when I started college...basically I moved North to "go South" lol! In college I got made fun of so much when people found out I was from Florida. They were like, "Go home yankee!!!" And there are always the endless jokes about how Florida should just break off and float back up to New York where it belongs....

Anyways, I'm biased (of course), but Alpha Xi has just as many (if not more) chapters in those same states as Alpha Chi (just not in Texas! holy cow!!!). I think that DZ or even Sigma Kappa would be considered more "Southern" than Alpha Chi. But that's just my perception. Isn't it funny how we all have different perceptions of each GLO?

I think it's great that we can even have this discussion - I LOVE LOVE LOVE hearing about expansion!!! I get so excited, even if it isn't Alpha Xi.

That's all we need is to eliminate another parking lot! ;)

I was actually a hospitality mgmt major and....they didn't really do a whole lot to the old ZTA house. The didn't re-build the kitchen to fit our needs. All of our professors would complain about how bad the kitchen was set up...not that they would ever consider moving the hospitality department again. Although it would be in their best interest, since they are trying to make that program stronger, to build a new facility and manke the old ZTA house a sorority house...I mean it IS right in the middle of sorority row...
But that'd take even more $$