This has been discussed a lot before. Basically the conventional wisdom is that sometimes PNMs would rather not be greek at all than pledge a particular group. A new group may not have whatever stigma is attached to the struggling one.

Actually, they did participate this past fall for the first time in a couple of years (they picked up three new members).

I think instead of competing head-on with the other NPC groups, they're trying to reinvent themselves as an alternative for women who may be looking for a smaller group.

That's what I was going to say, and from what I gathered, SDT nationals is cool with this. (which makes them a big bowl of awesome IMO)

If they can figure out how to do that on a campus as competitive at UGA, they should sell their story...I know a lot of groups on a lot of campuses who would love to figure out that secret!

(Totally being serious and sincere about that...)

It really makes a lot of sense. If they want to stay small, they're not pressured to recruit as many women as they can beg to take bids from them, and therefore can get quality women (without BS pressue from HQ). Eventually, it will come to be known that SDT only gives out X number of bids per year, therefore creating interest due to exclusivity, and then they'll be free to grow if they choose to.

Of course, this is a perfect-world type scenario, actual results may vary.

Another line of thought has been that a colonization will bring girls to recruitment who never seriously thought about it before. A group of the new pool of PNMs may consider joining the smaller chapters and help them grow.

I totally agree. SDT Nationals gets a lot of points for being willing to buck the system. :)

Yes - and colonizations usually allow sophomores, juniors and even some seniors to pledge, which at a place like Alabama would be almost out of the question during FR.

I must say I'm shocked the nationals is cool with this but it could also be because of the fact that it's a single letter chapter (Rho) and the fact that it's such a big and good school. I'm glad they picked up a few girls during fall recruitment I really thought they didn't take part agian.

Doesn't the Purdue chapter of SDT also not participate in FR?

Sorry to crash... but just wondering: does anyone know what total at Purdue currently is? My sister (who is a member of a non NPC group there) and I have been having a debate over it...

We've seen that report... but (and we might just be overlooking it), it doesn't give us TOTAL (as in the maximum number of women a chapter may have). It gives us the total number of ladies in each chapter...

An often overlooked point:

I don't know how much smaller SDT is, but bringing a new group on campus usually decreases the size of the largest chapters, and can help a struggling chapter by comparison.

And now for the science:

At Hypothetical State, chapter total is 100. The last couple of years, quota has been 30 (120 PNM's), so chapters A, B, and C each have 120 women, while D misses quota each year and only has 80. Chapter E colonizes. Quota is now 24. If chapter D can continue to get 20 girls, they are now much closer in size to the others. A PNM who sees a huge difference between 80 and 120 may not notice as much between 80 and 100.

Question for you Alabama knowledgable people.

Is it considered "Old Row" all the way from Sigma Nu to KA? Or is it just the houses at the far left? Just curious. Thanks!

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w...11869/bama.jpg

"Old Row," location-wise, runs from Sigma Nu to the new Delta Kappa Epsilon house, now being built.
"Old Row," social-wise, are the biggest-baddest-meanest fraternities and sororities on campus. An "Old Row" fraternity can be on either old or new row.
It's both a location and a stratus, but not necessarily the same.