Sororities at......Swarthmore?
 

After voting off sororities in 1933, Swarthmore students may be looking at bringing them back: http://www.swarthmorephoenix.com/201...fe-for-women-2

Unfortunately, it reads like someone's dissertation.:p

From the article
Was there another org named Kappa Gamma or did he forget a Kappa?

Probably left off a Kappa. And he left off that the first national sorority established at Swarthmore was Kappa Alpha Theta.

That was Delta Gamma's Alpha Beta chapter. It wasn't a single letter chapter, but was the first double letter chapter.

The spellcheck probably caught and deleted the duplication and the writer didn't catch it.

Actually, his quote is accurate as is. Theta was founded as the first Greek-letter fraternity for women. At the time of our founding (Jan 1870) neither Pi Phi nor ADPi were known yet by their Greek letter names. I'm not sure of their exact timeline (members, please help me here) but they may have also still been secret societies.

Kappa Kappa Gamma was founded in Oct 1870.

No, not if you're looking at national foundings, it's not accurate as is. The article says:

Quote:

In 1891, the first national Greek-letter fraternity for women, Kappa Alpha Theta was founded and later followed by five other sororities including Delta Gamma, Phi Mu, Chi Omega, Pi Beta Phi and Kappa Gamma.

As you point out, Theta was founded in 1870, not (as the article says) in 1891. Phi Mu, Delta Gamma and Pi Phi were all founded before 1891 as well.

Our Beta Iota chapter was at Swarthmore from 1893-1934.

Also, I read the article as follows: Theta was founded (at Swarthmore) in 1891, followed by Delta Gamma, Phi Mu, Chi Omega, Pi Beta Phi, and Kappa Kappa Gamma.

I believe the writer left out a Kappa and the important for clarity "at Swarthmore."

I see now what a misleading sentence that was. The "founded" could be interpreted to be national founding vs on that campu. I was interpreting it to be national founding- as in Theta was the first Greek letter fraternity for women. Theta came to campus in 1891 and then was followed by the campus founding of the others.

However, I have the benefit of knowing the (general/basic) history and order of those groups and can now see how it was not the best way to word it for a student newspaper.

It sounds like all the new sororities are going to be locals not NPC. Is that the impression everyone else got?

Delta Zeta was also at Swarthmore - our Beta Eta chapter. I don't think it was open very long, though.

I would be extremely surprised if sororities returned to Swarthmore as none of its peer colleges (Williams, Amherst, Pomona, Bowdoin, Carleton, etc) have Greek life.

Ah, but do the peer colleges have fraternities? From reading the article, it seems the argument is that if the college supports fraternities they should also support sororities; to do otherwise is to unfairly discriminate against women.

Like Mevara, I read it as indicating they might institute some sort of local sororities.

But yet they do:)
 

Pomona AND Amherst have GLOs, although Amherst denies it. At least some of Pomona's are co-ed

How do you deny a GLO?
 

How does that work? Are they not recognized by the school? Or are they, and the school just doesn't "advertise" this facet of student life?

I'm assuming these would be locals?

Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA
*******************
Kappa Alpha Theta Alpha Beta 1891-1934
Pi Beta Phi Pennsylvania Alpha 1892-1934
Kappa Kappa Gamma Beta Iota 1893-1934
Delta Gamma Alpha Beta 1912-1934
Phi Mu 1919-1934
Chi Omega Gamma Alpha 1919-1932
Delta Zeta Beta Eta 1930-1934

More on the possibility of a sorority at Swarthmore (and again with getting the name wrong):
http://www.philly.com/philly/educati...warthmore.html

It'll be interesting to see whether the arrival of one sparks interest in more.

They're not recognized by the school. And I don't think all the fraternities are local.

(note, this is Amherst College we're talking about, not UMass-Amherst)

Actually, page 2 of the article says a couple NPC groups ARE going for a campus visit this spring, presentations in the fall, and colonization shortly thereafter.

Noooo, it says they're going to visit and evaluate. It says nothing about a guaranteed colonization. I would wager no NPC group wants to open a chapter there if they're going to be constantly under siege by the majority of the student body.

My apologies - I guess my wording DID make it seem like it was a definite time frame, not my intention. I can see groups being hesitant, but at the same time might possibly see it as breaking stereotypes, showing what sorority life IS actually all about. But, that is just my very simplistic opinion on why a sorority would want to colonize at Swarthmore.

http://daily.swarthmore.edu/2016/04/...es-third-year/

Bumping an old thread for a report about Kappa Alpha Theta in its third year at Swarthmore.

^^^ thank you LaneSig. I was thinking of sharing it here. Sounds like the sun is still rising in the East, too.

Is this the only sorority at Swarthmore?

Yes.

From IP's thread:

Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA
****************
Kappa Alpha Theta Alpha Beta 1891-1934/2013
Pi Beta Phi Pennsylvania Alpha 1892-1934
Kappa Kappa Gamma Beta Iota 1893-1934
Delta Gamma Alpha Beta 1912-1934
Phi Mu Beta Epsilon 1919-1934
Chi Omega Gamma Alpha 1919-1932
Delta Zeta Beta Eta 1930-1934

According to a link from a previous GC thread several of those groups, up to this day, have a long history of presenting scholarships to Swarthmore students. It wouldn't be surprising if a second and third NPC group from this list recolonize and join Kappa Alpha Theta within a few years.