Delta Zeta @ UF
 

I have some questions that I hope you ladies wouldn't mind answering in regards to Delta Zeta colonizing at UF. First of all why is it that they drop out of rush after the first round? It doesnt make sense to me because it would seem that by doing this that they are only going to get the girls who didnt get bids from the other sororities and wouldnt be getting top quality girls. Also what happens in a colonization? Yesterday when I was in class I was talking to an ATO, AGR, and an Sig Ep (we are all in a work group together) and the AGR mentioned that he thought Delta Zeta was coming and I said yeah they are. And they too wondered how colonization would work and how they would end a strong sorority if they didnt recruit girls until after rush is over. I mean do girls actually drop out of rush and wait until rush is over to try to rush DZ? I could understand that if they are a legacy but what if DZ doesnt give them a bid? And also does everyone get a bid from DZ? I was told that AZD tried recolonizing two years ago and ended up not doing so because they couldnt find enough girls that met their standards. Will the same thing happen to DZ or will they colonize even is they only have 20 girls? Because from what I have been told most houses here have over 180 girls in them. So any info you guys have would be helpful!! :D Thanks!

Usually a colonizing group drops out after first round because the women are chosen by the national organization's reps that are there. There is no way that can be done with the timing, hour long parties, etc of regular rush.

There will be girls who will drop out of rush to try to be a part of the new DZ. There will be girls who won't go through formal rush at all trying to get into DZ. And no, not all of them will get a bid.

The A Xi D situation was discussed on here, if you want to search for the threads.

If I recall colonization procedures correctly (it's been a long time, so don't quote me on this)... I believe the girls do the first round of rush in order to introduce their chapter to the rushees and just let them know that DZ is on campus and available to them. However, because the colony is new, they don't have the resources or the experience with formal rush to really compete well with the more established groups on campus.

Rush on the sorority side can be an expensive process, and it's also a rather complicated one if you're not used to dealing with all the ins and outs. Rather than throw the colony into the 'lion's den' immediately, DZ will start out slowly with the help of National consultants who will come down to assist the colony with the selection of girls.

So, what DZ will do is have a first round, which is usually the most informal and least expensive round of parties for a chapter to participate in, and during the round the girls will basically say to the rushees, "Hey, here we are... get to know us a little, and keep us in mind during Rush. We'll be around after the end of Rush if you're interested in pursuing membership." Kind of a "meet and greet and remember us for later" kind of thing.

Hope this helps a little bit! :)

As a brand new KD chapter we did the same for Recruitment. It was before our colonization and we needed to get across that we were infact a chapter but our intake would happen later.

Colonization is much different than recruitment and so much help from a national organization is needed. Also numbers play a huge part. A new chapter is looking for an entire chapter not just the amount you can take during recuitment.

Being part of a new chapter is rewarding but not always as easy as being a part of an established chapter but it is super fun!

Due to restrictions on size, etc., many young women will be cut from Recruitment without receiving a bid. There are just too many PNMs and not enough space in the houses - hence, the reason why a new group is colonizing.


Just because a PNM gets dropped from Recruiment, it doesn't mean that girl isn't 'top quality'. I mean, if you went through Recruitment and got dropped, would you want someone saying that you weren't 'top quality'? Please think before posting.

We just did a colonization and we followed the same procedures as DZ plans to. Even with area alums and volunteers, along with HQ staff, there aren't enough people to do an actual recruitment. So what ends up happening is participating in the first round of recruitment to let the women going through rush know that the group is colonizing. THEN, you drop out and do interviews with the women interested in joining the colony. It actually works out very well. Campus total where we colonized is 50 and we recruited 43 women, so that was good I think. After that, we did COB to 50 and it worked out great. The colony will do their first formal recruitment as a group this fall.

In response to your question -
For me - yes and no. I went through rush up until the pref parties - went to 3 of them and I more than likely would have gotten a bid from one of them, but I didn't sign my preference card. I knew the DZ colony was there - and obviously the National representitives knew I was there because they invited me to come see what they were all about.

Obviously, a lot of girls will not drop out of rush with their heart set on DZ - but many of them will keep the idea of something new, something they can help build into a strong and very respected chapter on the UF campus in the back of their mind.

Since the UF colony will be new, the national advisors will also be looking for leaders. I have heard it is hard to rush as a sophomore/junior... at UF - the DZ nationals will be looking for these women, and I am sure there are some of them - who maybe never rushed before, dropped out - and are top quality to provide leadership and experience to a new chapter.

When my chapter recolonized during the time i went through formal rush we too held our recruitment after formal recruitment and believe me, we did great and are very strong on campus for being so new - so don't worry about it ;)

Thanks for all of your answers. Pnguin I did not mean any disrespect to anyone who has ben droppd out of recruitment, when I said that I was thinking about the girls like the girl in the orange and purple and the murderous ones that were posted in the Rush stories. So I hope that I did not offend anyone who has not received a bid, because that was not at all what I was trying to say. Once again I am sorry if I did.

I was wondering how this would work, too, but all the explanantions here make sense. It's way too big of an endeavor for a house to pull off as they're colonizing.

I'm sure DZ will fare just fine. The first couple of years will be the building years and are by no means all they have to work with. The girls who join will have a great appreciation for their chapter because they will have to give it their all.

So has anyone figured out if DZ is going to build a house?

Hello.
IowaHawkeye is 100% right...DZ will be looking or a good mix of class years not just Freshman. So they will be able to take the best of the best in terms of those classes. Maybe people who were unsure of rushing thier first year but now regret it. Or people who transferred.

Also you will be surprised how many people come out of the woodwork for spots in a new group. AZD *may* (don't know the specifics) have had a hard time recolonizing and finding the quality of member they were looking for because the group had a very defined image (and chances are it was not positive). A new colony has no image and if it has any at all it would be positive. More women will come out for that.

At George Washington University Alpha Phi had 120+ women come out for 60 spots. I would be surprised if a similar situation doesn't happen at UF.

I have a question about the house. Does anyone know when the house will be built? Also where will it be built? And will the dues for DZ be smaller than the other sororities for the first year because there is no house, or are they going to rent a house, or if not that where will the DZ's meet if the house is not done yet? Will the house be on the same mansion style as the other sororities (except Theta)? And what about the pledge class, will they get all of the neat things like the other sororities do for them (i.e. the bag w/ letters, jersey, bid day t-shirt, ballons, cups, pens, pencils, hats, etc)? Sorry I have so many questions I am just wondering how different it would be and how it would work?

Thanks!!

I am assuming that dues may be cheaper since the chapter doesn't currently have a house. However, the fact that they are planning to have one may change that. By that statement I mean, dues may be just as high as a chapter on campus that does have a house, because part of the DZ dues may be helping to pay the start up costs of getting a new chapter house. Do you see what I mean?

As for the pledge class, I believe that the girls will be treated the same as any other DZ pledge class with Bid Day baskets, shirts, etc. I don't think there is any reason for them to be treated differently.

The style of the house depends on the housing corporation, how much the chapter has to spend on the house, and National's preference. DZ has an alumna who is in charge of the National Housing Corp, so she will probably have a lot to do with how the house is designed. I know that my girls are currently working to update the interior of their house, and their plans had to be approved by her.

When and where the house is built depends on money, city and/or school regulations, zoning, etc. It could take a while. My brother's fraternity just built a new house this past year, and it had been in the planning stages for a few years before construction actually started. There is usually quite a bit of red tape that a chapter must go through in order to build a new house.

Hope this helps a little! :)

Thank you for the information, I feel like I have so many questions because it is something that I think that I would like to do, but I don't know whether to drop out of rush completely or go through with it. If on bid day I am not happy where I am supposed to go, can I not join there and try for Delta Zeta?

At UF, after pref round, when you rank your final houses, basically what you are doing is saying that you agree to go to whatever house gives you a bid, and that bid on you is good for a year. what this means is, if you sign the ranking card, you can't pledge another sorority for a year after.
Here's my advice. If you get through prefs and none of the houses really grab you, then drop, before doing the final ranking. Then, you are free to do whatever you want, be it rushing DZ or doing informal in the spring.

Good luck!

If you have put preferences down on a bid card and signed the card, then you have in effect accepted a bid to the sorority that you match with, so if you do not feel comfortable anywhere that you pref, you should not fill out a bid card at all! You will be stuck for a whole year.

However, I think that you should stay in rush. I think that it is best for you to give every sorority on campus a chance and see what they have to offer. If after that experience, you still feel that DZ is where you want to go, then I would say it is okay to not put down anyone on your bid card.

Just because you show interest and go to informationals for DZ does not by any means guarantee you a spot. They will be holding the interested girls to a high standard in order to make the new chapter as strong and high quality as possible.

Hope this helps.

But what if you like only one of the houses you pref? Say for instant you don't like the other two but from what I understand it's not good to sucicide because you have a lesser chance of getting your number one pick. But instead of getting your #1 choice you get your 2nd that you dont care for, I couldnt not go and try Delta Zeta?

If you receive ANY invitation for membership during Formal Recruitment and decline it, you would be ineligible to join any NPC sorority for one calendar year. So yes, if you got a bid to your #2 choice and declined it, you could not join Delta Zeta during their colonizing year.

So if I were in that position then I would want to sucicide rather than list all three so that I would be able to rush DZ?

If you intentionally single preferenced and did not receive a bid, you would be eligible to attend recruitment events for Delta Zeta.

Consider this:

Do I want to be Greek or just a member of XYZ?

Is it more important to find sisterhood or to wear XYZ's letters on my chest.

Am I looking for a lifelong, supportive network that will help me advance myself is academics, philanthropy and my career or do I just want to say "I'm an XYZ".

There is no guarantee that you would become a member of Delta Zeta. Your chances of becoming a member of a sorority would be greater through formal rush (sheer number of choices).

I'm not trying to be cruel, but you seem to be very focused on Delta Zeta's colonization. UF Recruitment is very competitive, and there will be a lot of PNMs that do not advance to a preference round and may be contacted by Delta Zeta. If you go into Recruitment thinking that you will always have a second chance at DZ, you are going into the situation with the wrong attitude.

You need to work hard at showing the existing chapters that you would be an asset to their chapter. You need to evaluate the existing chapters to see if their sisterhood is something in which you want to take part. If, at the end of the week you truly can't see yourself at home in any of the existing chapters, you can then reevaluate the situation and possibly withdraw from Recruitment, thereby leaving yourself available to the possibility of interviewing with Delta Zeta or attending an Informal Recruitment in the Spring.

from what i remember
 

it's been a while since I went through rush, but the thing is chances are when you go through the entire Recruitment process and you're down to Prefs and ranking, you are so emotionally involved that often times you will accept a bid (sign the bid card) because the Rho Chi's and sorority members alike encourage you to try it out and see if you like it. Cards have to be turned in after 24 hours, so there's really no way to know at that point if you will be happy there or not.

I completely encourage you to go through Recruitment and keep Delta Zeta on your mind through the process. It's a really difficult game and not that easy to play, but be yourself and you'll get into the chapter that is right for you, be it through formal Recruitment or through intake later.

Best of luck,
Tara

i have a Phi Mu castle...

well said
 

Well said PnguinTrax! You summed up what I was trying to say but ended up deleting because I just didn't find the proper words!

I understand what you are saying. I was asking about these different scenarios because I do not fully understand how rush works. I have read through last years UF Rush thread and for some reason recruitment here seems really harsh and every person I have talked to this summer in school all say that is does a number on your self esteem, which has me worried. I have been here for a year and do know of the different houses. I do have some preconceived notions that I am trying to get rid of before Recruitment so that I do go in with an open mind and am not judgmental based on the things that I have heard. I definitely plan to go through the whole process and hopefully end up somewhere that I like. I was just trying to figure out what happens when a colonization takes place and how things work, like I mentioned before about the house, bid day, and bid/pref cards.

Way to Go DZ!
 

I am really glad to hear that Delta Zeta is expanding! I love the DZ's at my school, they are such an awsome bunch of girls!

This is so complicated! But Pnguin Trax is right...don't put all your eggs in one basket...on the other hand, don't stop thinking about DZ just b/c it's one more step in the process...it's obvious you've got DZ on the mind...(during recruitment I was so into the idea of joining a sorority and getting into the whole Greek thing as the days went along, that when I only had one strong favorite, I thought to myself, "What am I going to do if I don't get my first choice? I still want to be in a sorority..." but it ended up that my first choice from the whole week became my second choice at final ranking...divine intervention...luckily I got my first choice ;))

Anyway, I just wanted to warn you about informal rush, if you think it's something you can fall back on. From what I've gathered it's not very common at UF.

The problem with informal rush is that you will automatically be limiting your options, since not all chapters participate.

PnguinTrax is right on the money here. I suggest that you go through formal rush and focus on the existing chapters at UF, and see what happens... just make your decisions based on what you'd do if DZ weren't colonizing. If you end up not receiving a bid, then pursue DZ... if that falls through, pursue informal rush.

As for dues being cheaper for an unhoused sorority (your earlier question) - YMMV. At my school, 3 out of 5 sororities had houses. If you were in a housed sorority, you paid for room and board if you lived in the house, or for a meal plan if you didn't (I think every non-resident had to eat 1 dinner a week at the house, and could opt for more meals if she desired). One of the unhoused sororities is actively looking for a house, and requires all freshmen and sophomores to pay a "housing fee" each semester, that is being saved for house start-up expenses. The other is not, so there are no house-related fees. If you do end up pursuing the new DZ colony, it's a question to ask.

So what kind of things do you think that the DZ reps are going to be looking for? Someone spoke of "the highest standard?" What exactly do you mean? Involvement? Friends? Grades? How would their standards for a freshman will differ from those for a junior? Do you think more freshmen and sophs will show up at the interest meetings as oppose to Juniors and seniors?
ok sorry about the questions, inquiring minds (my friends and me) want to know... hehe
thanks :)
alison

No problem with the questions!!!! I'm not on the expansion team, but was once a chapter consultant...we didn't have any huge expansions during my year, but from what I understand expansion teams look for much the same things as the other groups, but will be very particular--especially with such a high-profile Greek system. Since recruitment will be done interview style, they will be able to pay more attention to the potential members than formal recruitment usually affords. I don't think standards will differ b/t year classifications, although upperclasswomen will probably benefit fromextra-curriculars & leadership experience. There will be interested women from Freshman to Senior!

In general, they will be looking for high academic standards, personal achievements, extra-curricular activities & leadership skills, as well as a neat, well groomed appearance. Remember-they are building something amazing & new, and will be looking for movers & shakers!

I don't know much about the housing situation...whether they will build or renovate, but they will go first class. I hate to say it, but I don't think dues will be less for the colony members. ALthough they won't have a house to begin with, they will begin contributing to the national housing corporation from the get go.

Enough from me...

lower dues
 

Yeah, now that I think about it, "parlor dues" for out-of-house sisters isn't that much...less than $200, I think (at least with my chapter, and we have a pretty new house, so supposedly we're paying more than other sororities on campus for our house). So there probably won't be much of a difference between the new DZ's bill and other houses' bills just because they don't have a house yet. You still have to pay dues to nationals, panhellenic, pay active sister dues and social fees, etc.

I am coming late in this converstaion but we all know exactly what your going through..You are going to go on a emotional roller coaster as recruitment is happening..It is normal just listen and feel the energy of all the girls and imagine yourself being a sister to each one that interest you..It helps a lot when you are yourself and these girls can really see what your all about and base good judgments on you.

As was mentioned earlier by someone, you do not want to get "Letter Hungry" I refer to it as..That would be your biggest mistake b/c you become blind to what your sorority may really stand for and they may not be right for you.

When you get your bid card and if you are satsified with the choices you got then go with what your gut says..Would you want to accept a bid and become part of that group OR do you want to wait a year and go DZ?...It is fine with whatever you do I am sure...b/c as long as you make your decision and your happy with it then things will fall into place for you.

As far as dues go with not owning a house there is not much of a difference in that.. Maybe you can bring that question to Rush or somehow contact the DeeZee's at your school..Well I wish you alot of luck this fall..Good Luck!! :D

Chi Omega- "Womanly Always,Discouraged Never"