FSU Panhellenic Extension Information
 

Extension open forums will be held on Tuesday, March 16 at 8:30pm and Thursday, March 18 at 8:30pm. Flordia State's Panhellenic Council has received interest packets from the following organizations:

* Alpha Epsilon Phi
* Alpha Omicron Pi
* Alpha Phi
* Alpha Xi Delta
* Delta Phi Epsilon
* Sigma Delta Tau
* Sigma Kappa
* Sigma Sigma Sigma

Barbara, I am sure you can give more details. I just heard about this through a friend and found the information on the greek life website.

This list is of the sororities that have dormant chapters at FSU. As far as I'm aware, only Sigma Kappa and Tri-Sigma still own houses. Unless the other sororities are willing to put up the money for a competitive house, in my opinion, they shouldn't get serious consideration.

Russell, you could very well be right on the money!

In checking just greekpages.com there is a long list of Soroities on campus and would be very hard to crack that line up even with a new recolonization. AXD was still listed on G P but it is a lot of times not updated.

With the size of many schools like UF having a house would be a main key for a competative situation. Plus, I dont think there are very many Greek Orgs. who will have the kind of money to build a new house when money can be put to better use at other schools.

Will be very interesting to see what transpires in the near future. I hope someone will keep us updated on this after the March 18 th meetings or as soon as possible after!:)

Just my .02
 

I do not think Tri Sigma or Sigms Kappa will be chosen because they just left campus about 4 years ago. WHile They were good girls, the reputation needs a while to die down I believe. They were forced off in the same year.

I do not think AOPi will colonize because they used to be on campus a long time ago and I heard they were banned. I could be wrong though. It's happened once before ;)

AXiD might be a good choice. Alpha Phi is totally classy. But I really think they ought to bring AEPhi or Sigma Delta Tau on campus. I know that these two sororities are not Jewish, but with their founding histories and etc. I think they'd be a good match for a lot of the young ladies at FSU who are from the northeast. LOTS of girls from New York, Connecticut and Boston. Also, there is a huge population of girls from Miami and South Florida that are Jewish that I think would be intersted. besides, I do not know of any chapters of those groups in Florida. Just my opinion. Any group will be a great addition to the campus though. :)

Sigma Kappa and Tri-Sigma May have advantage though because they own houeing there-at least I think they still own it.

SDT has active chapters at South Florida, Univ. of Tampa, as well as Miami. We have also had chapters at FSU and UF previously. I am not aware of the reasons behind their closings.

AEPhi has chapters at University of Florida and Jacksonville University

You’re right, Russell. This is a list of dormant chapters at FSU but it is also the list of sororities that responded to the RFP. What a coincidence that they all want to recolonize! I know that we are excited about the possibility of reopening Alpha Pi.

* Alpha Epsilon Phi (Phi Delta - 1976 -1979)
* Alpha Omicron Pi (Alpha Pi - 1928 - 1980)
* Alpha Phi (Gamma Phi - 1959 - 1972)
* Alpha Xi Delta (Alpha Omega - 1929 - 1980)
* Delta Phi Epsilon (Iota - 1925 -1971)
* Sigma Delta Tau (Gamma Lambda - 1989 - ?)
* Sigma Kappa (Omega - 1920 - ~1999)
* Sigma Sigma Sigma (Rho - 1920 - ~1999)

There is a local Jewish interest sorority there called Gamma Lambda. According to a very reliable source, they petitioned to bring back SDT. See the connection with the name? Maybe, they will get the chance one day.

i don't think it's fair to say that just b/c certain sororities already own houses on campus the others shouldn't get serious consideration. every sorority that is interested in presenting to the expansion committee should be allowed to. and if a sorority that doesn't already own a house is chosen, they could always rent a house from the ones that do.

Glitterkitty,
Somehow I don't necessarily know that it is in anyone's best interest to be saying things like "they were closed for practicing witchcraft" unless that is an actual fact. If it's not totally true why report it? And I'm not just saying this because it's AOII, I'm saying it about any org.

Sigma Kappa and Tri-Sigma have folded twice in the last 20 years at FSU. I believe, and I might be wrong, its because they came back to soon; less than 4 years.

Gamma Phi Beta folded sometime before I was a freshman (Fall 1985 is when I started at FSU) and they came back successfully. Gamma Phi retained ownership of their house, so they were able to be competitive when they returned (1986?) I'm sure that there were nasty rumors and innuendo about Gamma Phi, but they just moved forward and past that.

I never heard the witchcraft rumor about AOPi, so I doubt its validity. Even if there is some grain of truth, I wouldn't hold that against them. 15 years ago, one of the sororities, who shall remain nameless, had one of their sisters involved in a local scandal. Her house was named. They were able to move past that. I don't believe that FSU institutionalizes superficiality like some other Southern schools; at least not beyond a 4-5 year period. AOPi owned a higly competitive house that was sold to Sig Ep. Sig Ep, from what I've read is moving to a new development. If anyone knows who owns that house now, that information will be helpful.

AEPhi and SDT have strong Jewish roots, and I believe that this would hurt them. Not because of anti-semitism, but because every house on campus, including those with a reputation as "very Christian houses," has Jewish members. SDT colonized at FSU in 1989, and folded 2-3 years later. They got a decent amount of women, but they didn't have competitive housing. There is simply insufficient demand for a Jewish sorority at FSU without a competitive house.

DPhiE also is known as a "Jewish sorority" in that neck of the woods, so I would classify them with AEPhi and SDT for the sake of local/regional perceptions. Also, DPhiE was there from 1925-1950, and then again from 1968-1971. I don't know if they accumulated sufficient assets, and if they did, I have no idea if they still possess the funds to get competitive housing.

I don't know why Alpha Phi folded, but they had a great house. It is now owned by the university.

One of my pledge brothers's mom was a FSU AZD, so I do know why Alpha Xi folded. I won't repeat it in public, but its the same type of scandal that I alluded to earlier in this post, with another house. If no one from the region, who is college age, knows, then they are in the clear. They had a competitive house, that was then sold to Lambda Chi.

Basically, as I see it, there is no real demand for any type of new sorority at FSU, if there is no competitive housing. What did Alpha Phi, AZD, and AOPi do with the money, when they sold their assets? If it is now available to buy, or build, then all three deserve a shot.

I'm not saying that only Sigma Kappa or Tri-Sigma should be considered, if other organizations will provide competitive housing. The real estate in the area, where a new sorority would have to be, is tight with regard to the availability of competitive housing. If a sorority isn't bringing the necessary assets to the table, then they will probably fail. Why have a national sorority commit a RC, for a full year, to a project that will fail within 5 years?

I'm sure the sororities looking at the opportunity are well aware they need competitive housing....I don't think anyone is going to come on campus with a double wide LOL.

I know that in this kind of situation sororities are loath to sell a house that could be viable in the future, but if it's going to take 10+ years and the house is just sitting there, why wouldn't they unload it? It's kind of like banking on a maybe that might never happen.

I know that Alpha Phi is committed to finding comparable housing for a possible new chapter at FSU. It will be good for a new chapter to start over with a new competitive facility as an asset.

Man I would love to see A Phi at FSU. My best friend goes there, and when she went through Formal Recruitment I was so sad that there was no A Phi chapter there. She ended up dropping out right before Pref because she didn't get her top choice.

She'll be there an extra year (she switched from Special Ed to Nursing late in the game), but somehow I doubt even a colonizing house at FSU would take 5th year seniors. :(

Good luck to all of the sororities interested in expanding at FSU!

Wow! I am shocked to read this thread and to hear what Barbara has to say. I am a bit surprised to hear about the expansion as 2 sororities closed while I was on campus and I know of at least one active chapter struggling for numbers, possibly two. Have recruitment numbers really soared since I graduated in 2001? What is being done with the struggling chapter(s)?

In regards to the housing issue of the 2 closed sorority chapters....both are being rented by fraternities at this time. I would assume those fraternities do plan to move to the new Greek Park being built just off campus (sorry Russell, can't remember the name of the road...but it's just between Pensacola and Tennessee near the old BW-3s) and that a sorority, if recolonized would be able to move into one of those houses. (At this time I do not believe any sororities are moving to the Greek Park).

And on a side note...while FSU does have a lot of girls from South Florida and the Northeast I have to wonder how well a chapter with a certain religious prominence would fare. Right now all of the chapters are very diverse...my chapter had/has a large number of Jewish sisters and I know several other chapters do as well.

At any rate it should be interesting to see what, if anything, happens.

I think that all 3 of the above mentioned should have a chance. I don't think that it would be smart to bring back SK or Tri-Sig because of their closing just a few years ago. I think that it would be smart to bring back one that has history with the university such as Alpha Phi or AOII.

ladybug, don't be shocked. Cornell did it just this year (I mean no disrespect to those groups who have since come there), when Chi Omega and D Phi E closed....I think they added A Xi D, and are looking to add a second. It happens...

Whom ever is chosen, I for one wish them the best of luck!:cool:

But I can totally agree with Russell, My Chapter at a smaller school at the moment has no House! Competing without a House can be devastating if all others have Houses. :(

A lot wold depend on what the circumstances were for The Soroitys leaving Campus. The norm to wash out/graduate those current members is 3-4 years and start afresh! I guess it depends on the Commitment of the National IHQ on how bad they would want to be on a State U. for the prestige!:)

Is anyone going to the Extension Open Forums?

I think just the one is still struggling... since I think the possible second chapter that you are referring to is my own dear home, and we're doing OK. Not Tri-Delt or ADPi great, but we've come leaps and bounds in the past few years, and will only continue to get better. :) We're not hurting for numbers. We've got numbers. We have some other issues, but numbers isn't one of them.

I wasn't sure and I wasn't going to name names. Things can change so much from year to year...one good or bad rush can set the tone for a little while as you well know. I am glad to hear your chapter is doing well though...all of your sisters that I met while in school were extremely sweet girls and one of them was in my "family" in my music service organization.

General Reply...
 

WOW, didn’t realize how old this thread was before I started commenting…..

But about the AOPi witchcraft rumor…

While I have no idea if the rumor has even the slightest bit of credibility, I‘m pretty sure my chapter is responsible for it still being circulated 20+ years later. Sig Ep bought the AOPi house in 1980, and the witchcraft rumor has become part of the chapter’s folklore, passed from semester to semester, pledge class to pledge class. Stories like that tend to get a mind of their own over time, so I can only assume there is little basis in fact, but even the most outlandish tales are often wrapped around a kernel of truth. Whether or not they were kicked off campus for witchcraft I’m very interested in where that rumor originated. If anyone knows anything else about the FSU AOPi chapter I’d love to hear it.

As far as them coming back to FSU, if you don’t think a rumor like that would be held against them you’re fooling yourself. How long would it take before that chapter got pegged as “witches,” regardless of the validity of the claims?

Re: General Reply...
 

It would be a shame if a sorority colonized at FSU only to be "done in" by small minded and short sighted gossip. Any group takes that risk, I suppose, when they seek to expand. While I have NO problem with factual items on these threads (whether they relate to AOII or some other group) I am offended by the continual mention of something someone heard or some rumor that someone thinks they might know something about. It is not helpful to the expansion process and also not fair.

Re: General Reply...
 

OK, so you have no idea if what you are saying is true, but you will continue to say it? Why hurt fellow greeks in this way?

Also, if your chapter is the one who started/continues to spread the rumor, then apprently YOU are the reason their chance at expansion might be hindered. That's got to make you feel great...:rolleyes:

Re: General Reply...
 

We just found out why this rumor has been kept alive 25 years after the alleged incident: FSU Sig Eps.

ETA A quarter of a century! I find this pathetic and disgusting.

Re: Re: General Reply...
 

What a proud moment this must be for them.

It doesn't even make sense. How does anyone get kicked off campus for witchcraft anyway? I don't think that most schools have rules regarding what religion students can follow, do they?

To FSUSigEpAlum
 

Even though this sustained smear campaign has dishonored your chapter, and fraternity, your chapter can be redeemed. First, you, and other of your chapter's alumni should band together, and have a talk with your chapter. Tell them that it was wrong, and that it should be stopped. Then, issue a written formal apology to AOPi, and send a copy to FSU's PanHel. Finally, whoever is chosen to colonize, support them. I'm sure that there are plenty of independent girlfriends of FSU Sig Eps who would make great sorority members. And if AOPi is not chosen now, I'm sure that they eventually will be. Make sure that your chapter bends over backwards to assist them when the time comes.

Wow that certainly wasn't received well.

First of all I never said it was true, I never said I thought it was true, in fact I said that I didn‘t think it was true at all, but I’m interested in how the rumor started .

As for my role in perpetuating it, I’m sorry but I’ve really never saw it as detrimental to anyone considering we don’t have an AOPi chapter and haven’t for 20+ years. I think this would be the least of AOPi’s expansion problem’s at FSU considering how Panhellenic handles expansion - or doesn‘t.

Finally, FSU Sig Ep has what amounts to ghost story concerning our house - there’s really little more to it then that. The intent of the story was obviously never malicious, and is actually a side note linked to another story within the fraternity. To call that disgusting, horrible, pathetic, or even to look into at as anything more then an stupid college urban legend is just silly.

Either way, nothing serves to extinguish a rumor faster then the truth. I’ve been curious about the origins of the rumor for a long time for just this reason - it’s outlandish and absurd. Sorry for getting some of you so upset, I guess curiosity just got the best of me.

No, you did not say you didn't think it was true - this is what you did say:

>>>Stories like that tend to get a mind of their own over time, so I can only assume there is little basis in fact, but even the most outlandish tales are often wrapped around a kernel of truth<<<

What that sounds like to me is that you think there is some truth in there. That is the same thing as perpetuating rumors.

and

You seem to be oblivious to the truth... It is the same thing as using someone's name and slighting them... Just because there is not a current chapter there is NO excuse for your chapter running down another GLO!!!!!!! :mad:

And, even you just admitted that it will/could be a problem for an AOII expansion effort -- no matter how small of a problem it might be...

It is really sad that you can't see your actions as being detrimental to AOII and Sig Ep :rolleyes: !

Re: General Reply...
 

and

Again, you say it will hurt their chances of expansion, but then say you didin't see it as detrimental to anyone. Which is it?

You're right, when we see a person/group hurting another group it's not well-received. It does nothing but hurt the system as a whole. Unfortunately, you are taking the brunt of our anger at all greeks who spread rumors about fellow greeks, but that still doesn't make your post "ok". Sorry.

Hey- I wonder how SigEpFSUAlum would feel about Elon's rumor story about how they got kicked off our campus...........
all chapter's and orgs have bones in their closets. I don't think this is a place to air them out.

Re: General Reply...
 

I really don’t know where to begin. Your fraternal spirit is “under”whelming and it is glaring. I think that it is extremely sad and in poor taste to perpetuate such nonsense. By your own admission, this false rumor could hurt AOII’s chances in reestablishing Alpha Pi. We should be doing all we can to strengthen the system and not tear it down. Does it really make your chapter feel THAT important to run someone’s name and reputation into the ground? It shouldn’t matter if they are on your campus or not. If it does, it is more telling of your nature then anything else.

Re: Re: General Reply...
 

I had no idea they were petitioning to come back on tonight. I wish them the best of luck but FSU Panhellenic is notorious for blocking expansion. The BIGGER problems I was referring to wasn’t the witch thing but was Panhellenic’s rule that all chapters had to be at quota before they would expand. Maybe that’s changed since I left, but it’s always been their view to protect the chapters that we have before looking for new ones.

I doubt Panhellenic leaders, or the chapter representatives, are going to be swayed by a silly 20 year old rumor - I doubt they’d find it as detrimental as some of you seem to think. What’s going to effect them is the fact we have at least one chapter that’s been holding down the whole system with low numbers. The debate when I was there was whether to protect these chapters by not expanding or expand at the detriment of those chapters. I’m sure it’s the debate that persists to this day.

But I do think that problems will come if they do manage to get on. I think this rumor will have an effect on their initial recruitment. Recruitment is so caddy already, any rumor (I.e. a certain chapter and Ted Bundy) comes up over the course of the week. I’m sure they’ll get past it, but initially I think it would be something they would have to address. Just like a certain fraternity recently had to address a brutal rape charge, another one mght have to defend drug charges, how my own chapter has defended itself against rape charges more then once in the last 15 years. Fraternities get over this easily, 2 rushes a year, sororities are a diffrent story. I guess you'll have to see.

But to put the full brunt of the blame on Sig Ep is just ridiculous. I doubt we started the rumor, and I doubt we’re the only ones who have spread it. Every campus has legends, and stories, and tales that might have been based in truth at some point but have just lost validity over time. At FSU alone there’s the grave of a “witch” in a cemetery near the school, a ghost in Chawthorn Hall, another ghost in the William Johnson building. They’re stories, wife tales, myths, legends. Nothing more nothing less. So let’s not blow this out of proportion. This isn’t Sig Ep’s fault, this isn’t my fault, this is just one of those things that has happened, and till now there has never been a reason to proactively address it. If they get on campus tonight then I guess there will be a reason.

This is NOT a case of ONE chapter attacking another chapter. And as far as bringing it up, I prefaced my remarks by saying that I don’t think it’s true, but at the same time I’m curious as to why there was a rumor in the first place. If this is digging up skeleton’s then I’m guilty, but without information about how this started I don’t have the information to make it stop. In fact writing the current chapter president and telling him to stop would most likely only serve to strengthen the rumor.

I find it hard to believe that there is a campus where GLO’s aren’t stigmatized by old reputations. I know our past has been far from spotless, but I’m also not afraid to admit what our mistakes were and how they’ve made us a better chapter. Nicknames pinned on us back in the 90’s still get chanted by rivals during football games. You laugh, take it with a grain of salt and move on, not petition the chapter for a letter writing campaign to abolish this “smear campaign”.

Let me reiterate the fact that this rumor wasn’t started by Sig Ep, wasn’t originated by Sig Ep, wasn’t started by Sig Ep, and yes all three of those mean the same thing.

90% of my chapter probably doesn't even remember the name of the sorority that lived in our house. "THAT important?" I mean do you seriously think this is a target smear campaign to keep you off FSU?

AOII is not petitioning to come back on. The University Panhellenic has opened for expansion. That means that the vote has already taken place and the groups on campus agreed to open Panhellenic to another sorority.

Re: Re: Re: General Reply...
 

The fact of whether or not AOII will be at FSU has not been decided, but FYI - and I believe that it was in the very thread you posted to - FSU Panhellenic invited the sororities who are making presentations to do so. That is how it works in Panhellenic, so it would seem that FSU's Panhellenic has made a determination to expand.

Re: Re: Re: General Reply...
 

OK, dude you have a serious medical problem; you seem to have the problem of talking out both sides of your mouth!!!:rolleyes:

They will have problems... They won't have problems... They may have problems.
We systematically spread the rumor semester-to-semester, pledge class to pledge class. We didn't do anything wrong by spreading the rumor. We didn't spread the rumor...
We are responsible for starting the rumor... We aren't responsible for starting the rumor...
We bought and lived in the AOII house. And, we spread the rumor... But, I'm SURE the pledges didn't know which sorority we were speaking of...:rolleyes:

Make up your mind... Or better yet, just leave this topic be.

I agree, I'm leaving the topic be. This has taken up far to much of my day for something that I really could care less about.

It's just far to easy to spin and be spun.

But if anyone has any real information on how the rumor started I'd still like to hear.

Oh, Lord..........the word pathetic comes to mind.

I can only speak for myself but those items that take "up far to much of my day" are usually work or things I care a lot about. Wish I had as much free time as you seem to have to spend on things I don't care about.

And I have to agree with the rest of my Panhellenic sisters on this one.

the year i was a rush counselor
 

at fsu, aopi tried to recolonize. they had a handful of members on campus(1978) and still had their lovely home. my rush group was combined with another one, so that the combined group was quite large . at the aopi house, the members had to take between 7 and 10 rushees each and that makes it quite ackward for both the sorority members and the rushees. the a o pi's were such nice girls, but they were overwhelmed. i always wondered if they would have been more successful if another a o pi chapter had been able to come and help them with rush. they closed later that year. also, remember at that time period greek life was still recovering from the anti-establishment feelings of the hippie era, membership numbers were down and fsu lost several sororities and fraternities at that time.

i never heard the witchcraft rumor so that undoubtably came about after 1979 AND after the chapter had closed(unless there was another attempt to re-colonize after 1979).

housing will be a hurdle for the new group to overcome,as the sororities are located in the older part of campus and theuniversity is trying to buy up any real estate in that area. that being said, some of the fraternities currently residing in sorority houses will be moving to greekpark so maybe those sorority houses will be available. the fraternity houses located down the street from my house needed to be demolished during my time at florida state and would certainly not be a good home to a sorority. there is the new greekpark(i can't remember the name of the road either!) but as far as i have heard, only fraternities are building there. a lone sorority going in there would have a difficult time. sorry boys, but fraternities don't make the quitest of neighbors!

i think it is exciting that a new group may be coming on campus. i wish them all the best and hope that some tallahassee lassie will keep us posted. lisa