YAYYYY I'm a troubie newbie aka (Troubadour with the Triangles)!! Pledge Class 2006

I attended MUW from 1999-2000, and was a Rogue pledge in the fall of '99 and an Active for my last three semesters there. I really, REALLY wanted to be a BlackList, and still have dreams about that now!

The Two Years (Blacklist, Maskers, Jesters, and Exodus) call their pledges, rather than you going through a formal rush. They are called Honorary Societies. Sophomores usually go through an end-of-the-year thing called "Sophomore-Junior Rivalry" which is one of the ways girls can express their interest in the club. But usually, before that point at the end of your sophomore year, the current (new!) actives know which girls are interested in pledging their clubs.

The W has very very different "sorority" culture, I think because it was sheltered from other universities by virtue of being a women's only school. The social clubs have some very strange little pledging practices, which honestly comes very close to real hazing. Rogue pledges had to wear a ball and chain, which was a wooden ball painted black attached to a rather long bead chain. We wore this on our right hand, and because the chain was so long, we kept our hand spread to keep the thing from falling off. In this way, it was a constant, conscious thing -- you never forgot about Rogue. I liked that an awful lot. The Revelers, another four year club, had to wear a white glove on their right hand that must never get dirty, so they would hold their hands in the air at about shoulder height. They weren't allowed to acknowledge that they were wearing the glove, which made for lots of funny conversations. "Do y'all have to wear those to church, even?" "Wear what?" (These are public things, so I don't feel too bad sharing them on a public forum.)

There's also a society called the Hottentots (a three year, sophomore junior and senior), but I believe they're now more an academic honor society. I'm pretty sure they're co-ed now. But when my mother went to the W in 1973, the Hottentots were also quite mysterious, and did a "wiggle" across campus in the dark of night, sort of a conga line, and they would loudly whisper "Hot-en-totssssss!"

*grins* It was a fun time. All three of my younger sisters are Alpha Delta Pi; none of them went to the W. Kinda saddens me, but at the same time, it's fun to share all that with just my mother.

crl, model pledge, pc 99.

It all depends on personal interest, in most 4 year clubs its about fun and wanting to be a part of the schools history, in the case of 2 year its about drive and how bad you really want it.... or at least in personal experience/opinion

In the case of BlackList, if you dont fit, you dont get called. If your not set on it with heart and mind, you dont get called and you wouldnt live to tell the tale if you did. not that we actually kill people

I'm confused. someone help me here ( I realize this is an old thread).

How is it that the campus has NPHC orgs yet no NPC or NIC? :confused:I just want to understand the logic.

To be honest I'm not sure why they have never had NPC or NIC groups. The "W" as it is affectionately called in the State of MS, is the oldest public university for women in the country. (It might have even been the first too.) The campus is rather small so I'm not sure if it could support NPC and NIC groups. My father-in-law lives in Columbus, MS where it is located. From driving by it many times, I get the feeling it's more a commuter campus. However, it is rich in tradition and history. (Eudora Welty is one of their well-known alumna--there had even been talk about changing the name to Welty University I believe.)

Anyway, I think their social tribes/clubs have just always been the norm there. I always wondered why Delta Gamma (since they were founded up the road in Oxford in 1873) never had a chapter the "W."

Good question...have to ask around to see if anyone knows!

Thanks.:)

Are the NPHC chapters for MUW only or are they citywide? I had just assumed that they were the latter.

I don't know. I can find out though.

I have 3 friends who are/were alumnae from the "W."

One, Roselyn Dabbs, who was a junior transfer to Ole Miss, joined Tau Chapter of Chi Omega, and later became our National President. Another who graduated in the 1950s and another who was a Black Lister from the 1990s. All relayed fond memories.

THe NPHC chapters are only MUW, as far as I know. I have known several AKAs and Deltas over the past few years.. and I haven't known anyone from the city only to be involved in them.

"Citywide" doesn't necessarily mean only in the city the college is in...it means several schools that are close to each other, and that might not have enough interest for a chapter on their own, join together to form a chapter. :) I hope that's a decent explanation...

It is 33. Thanks.:)

Oh. Well then, still no. The NPHC chapters are MUW only, though many other chapters show up for probates.

I'm a Troubadour (4-year with the triangles) and a Jester (2-year) and am currently on campus and may be able to answer any other questions you guys have.

Do you know why MUW has never had any NPC groups?