Colorado cojones en cajones--
 

Keep your eyes on the U of Colorado and other Colorado campi,
specifically CSU and U Northern Colorado.
The press is having a heyday.
The kids do not seem to grasp the word "no."
The Greek alumni need to step up and make a demand or two
The cojones have been neatly placed in cajones and it may be a
long time 'fore it is resolved.
The Greek housing is shrinking, the graveyard of chapters is nigh
on full, and CU is hardly the party school the outsiders think.
While revivals seem to be outnumbering the closures (finally) it
ought to occur to some Phi Betes that there's merit in being a Greek. Fifty years ago I thought so, and I have not abandoned it

I'm trying to think of why they would be looking at the U. of Nothern Colorado and not University of Denver. I think only one major incident has happened with the UNC greek life in the last 5 years and it wasn't even anything to do with drinking or hazing. Hmmm.

UNC--Greeley
 

You have not dug far enough. I served on the TKE board 'til it's
closure. The chapter had for years been tops on campus and it
had upwards of 120 actives in the '50s. Sig Ep was the big rival;
they are gone now--maybe they will return in the future, too.
The TKE's fell on hard times, split; SAE and Sigma Chi came on and
managed to replace us...There were three former TKE field men on
the UNC board. We managed to get the chapter debt-free, got
grades up, size to about 50, but the last two years there were a
goodly number of alcohol incidents, hushed up by the school, and
the brouhaha, fights and computer thefts were the last straw. It
was us, the Board, who closed 'em up, after over 50 years at the
school, and 999 initiates. We will likely return, but UNC is not a
model Greek system. Housing is horrible.
I've been advisor, board member, founder or visited over 150 Teke chapters....Greeley was the only one I voted to close. Sad.
Perhaps it will some day emerge, but not soon.

Erik:

DU just closed its chapter at University of Northern Colorado after several years of low achievement, UNC greeks are not strong.

U Northern CO
 

Thanks, Glenn, for the DU news, bad though it was. But, friend,
it is really tough to meet month after month, year after year, with
guys who look you in the eye and say one thing, do another. I
was horrified at the Greek situation at Greeley and the school has
no clue, most in charge were not greeks or at least seem not to
have any understanding. Imagine...houses on campus for fifty years, still renting hovels...some rented from the University.
There have been several who've either folded or are close to
at UNC now...AKL, KA, Theta Xi, Kappa Sig. No cigar here...
The U of Denver is, too, a graveyard, but UNC is HARDLY in the
same league. DU is private, much more scholarly, has tremendous
housing. Sig Ep, TKE, Pike, ATO are gone, plus several jewish ones but some of them gobbled up by the Zebes. I look for the
aforementioned four to return. There are about half a dozen more of lesser prominence who've left in the past fifty years, but
again, DU is prospering, Greek wise, has size, housing and better
manners. The school is nearing the "MIT of the rockies" rep.
CO schools with NO greeks left include Mesa, Western. Adams;
possibly will revive. Southern CO has struggling greeks and the
systems at Mines & Col College are just so-so. Attempts at the
entrance of Metro and Johnson & Wales remain to be seen, but
they will be no great shakes in anyone's book IF they succeed.
Free survey compliments of Uncle Erik, TKE

You don't know how true that statement is.



I knew about what happened with the TKE's. I have some very close friends that went alum after the chapter was closed that weren't involved in the last incident.

UNC greek system is struggling, and it has been going downhill the last few years. The university really hasn't stepped in when it needed to, but neither have houses advisors or (inter)nationals. I know they've changed recruitment around the last 2 years, and it's been okay, but it could definately be better. Kappa Sigma has actually lasted longer than most thought, and the guys do work hard. I know they are trying to get their numbers up. KA never did anything on campus. We knew they were there but they never showed themselves, so unless you knew them, you wouldn't know they were there. DU closed for reasons other than low numbers, but I won't get into that. Most of the houses on campus, fraternities and sororities, have alot of internal problems. When they are brought up with advisors, those advisors just turn the other way and let them keep happening.

How is the Greek life now at the School of Mines? My uncle was an ATO there back in the day....he said the groups were small, but very committed.

Comments?

CC frats
 

The fraternities at Colorado College are surviving, but could use alumni intervention. As a sorority adviser, I hear about lots of hazing and inappropriate alcoholic parties. I hope they get some help soon--the administration certainly won't be helping them.

I think all (inter)nationals for any houses in Colorado really need to step up. The time to do it is now! CU seems to be in the forefront of everything bad that is going on, and not just with greek life, but sports as well. I know that there is stuff that goes on at DU, CSU, and UNC--as well as other schools. But, instead of turning and looking the other way, these organizations need to be educating their orgs on hazing, alcohol, and whatnot! I know UNC has or is in the process of adopting non-hazing policies. But, it's not even just that--the alcohol abuse, the drug abuse, the other various things that happen in the houses that are kept under wraps, need to end before they come to a head!

AOPi has it...right on
 

Though not a Colorado alumnus, I echo the AOPi's concern and hope it does not become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The departure of housemothers wrought havoc across the USA in
that they demanded...and got...a modicum of decorum. With them
gone plus a period of social change, the almost complete collapse
of supervision, we are on the edge of a gloomy future.
Alums my age, and younger, have soured on their chapters and it
will be incumbent on the undergrads to be smart enough to know
how to bring 'em back, have regular board meetings and an active
chapter advisor, not just a "wink-wink" one. The dorms are out of
control, too, with supervisors either afraid or too gutless to do
what they are hired to do. But when was the last time you heard
of closing a dorm or putting it on 'double secret probation?'
Oh, yes, the alums older than me...they are dead.
On some campuses the problem is magnified as sororities, the
so-called dry ones, frequent the men's houses, drink there, and
perhaps die there. This is no help either.
Perhaps the Phi Mu critic can come up with something cutesy or
nice to resolve all this. It is indeed time to act.

Is this just the typical symptems of Greek Life or just typical of Colorado Schools.

It really seems that the whole educational thinking on a Higher level have their Heads in the sand.

The Colleges cannot seem to have a stratagy in place to work with greeks. Hands of, Greeks have gone wild, now they want to dictate and not really work with them.

This whole State system seems to be short circuted and short sighted.

I am seeing reports of Recruiting of LXA Chapters and it is unbeleivable the Numbers. This is happening at Schools all over with the exception of Co. Schools.

Re: AOPi has it...right on
 

I can only echo Erik's comment. When I became active (not in the traditional Greek sense of pledge, active, alum) in Colorado, I was shocked to be told by an international officer that Delt had absolutely no interest in recolonizing at Colorado. I was even more shocked when alums of the former Beta Kappa Chapter expressed the same feeling.

They had been slapped in the face by the undergrads one too many times.

Thankfully, we have a really committed advisor at Northern Colorado, a two term Chapter Consultant as advisor at Colorado State and a top notch Division Vice President for the two chapters.

While things can change quickly, I was pleased that our chapter at CSU was not one of the ones recently in trouble and that our UNC chapter has topped 50 members -- larger than it has ever been. The downside is that the UNC chapter is no longer winning as many international awards as they did a few years ago.

In the end, though, alumni support can only go so far. Advisors often don't live in the same towns at their chapters. They simply can't have a handle on everything that goes on.

It's up to the active chapter members to do the right thing.

DeltAlum, while that may be true about the Advisor living in the area, what We have tried to do at Many Chapters is have a Local Alum as an Advisor or recruit one from the Facaulty. Self searving as it sounds it does help with the ADM! We did not Intiate one from the ROTC Dept who helped us, but have Initiated two inclooding our Courrent one whose son is a Brother Alum From the Chapter.

Something to consider though. Dont know if that will help in the current conditions at Co. Colleges of Higher Learning?

Nice Post on MC!!!!!!:cool:

Re: Re: AOPi has it...right on
 

I am actually glad to see that the Delts in Greeley are getting their numbers back up. They are a great group of guys, and that is one group you see on campus doing some good.

But, I do agree. The actives need to step up and do the right thing. But do they want to or do they know how? I think it's a combination of wanting to do the right thing and then knowing what the right thing is. Sometimes they just seem to lose their focus on the light at the end of the tunnel and tend to stray. I think, at least the UNC campus, has been straying for a couple of years now. They are just lucky there hasn't been a serious injury or death in the last few years. I just came from that campus, and being on the outside of things you really begin to notice.

I hope it's not just the Colorado campuses. There seem to be problems all over the nation as far as greeks. We just need to start quashing those things that are beginning to catch up with us and giving us a bad name.

Re: U Northern CO
 

Theta Xi and KA closed like Delta Upsilon because they couldn't recruit anyone to join. One of my best friends and coworkers (actually two coworkers) are DU alums.

KA, KSig, and LXA all established colonies at the same time - KSig is still a colony, or at least trying to 'act' like one - though the members I have seen on campus and working around town absolutely do NOT fit Greek stereotypes - they started from some members of the campus Green party members - so they are not "mainstream" students in any sense, though they are still hanging in there.

LXA is booming right now at UNC - biggest AM class since recolonization - so it can be done here.

I did not know about AKL, though I did notice the letters disappear off the house this summer, but then again, that happens a lot at UNC - houses move a lot - DTD moved again over the summer as did Sigma Chi into the old AZD house (and the other sorority that was there renting appears to have closed ).

UNC is a hard campus to succeed as greeks, but that is still mainly due to the "suitcase U" reputation that prevails even to this day - everyone goes home on weekends. But it can be done - Sigma Chi is still going strong as is LXA and Sigma Pi - I hear DTD is doing well (hat tip, Delt Alum) - not sure about other chapters (SAE just seems to always be there, but you don't hear a lot from them). Delta Chi was teetering for a while, but seems to be coming back - most sororities appear to be healthy.

Ummm...when was ATO on campus? That had to be long ago - at least before 1986 when I came to UNC - never seen or heard of them - I know they HAD a chapter in ages past...but did they try to recolonize or something and I miss it?

BTW, I happen to know a few UNC TKE alums - PM me and I'll give you names - see if we know the same folks....

CU and CSU are becoming more anti-greek each semester, but it's not hard to believe why, with the tragic incidents of last year tarnishing their reputation, but, in my opinion, they are going overboard, especially at CSU. But I also think the CSU developments are not so much related to risk management as such, but that is the smokescreen.

CSU changes I think are not just risk management, but financially motivated - is it just a coincidence that all but one of the chapters at CSU that got in trouble this year are all located in the same neighborhood (CSU greeks are spread over about four clusters around campus) - and in that same neighborhood, chapters closed last year or in years past have been razed and replaced with condos and townhomes?

It is nice to see a new GLO at CSU - it's been a while - the old FIJI house was rented by Beta until they were closed in the mid 1990's - now it's a halfway house (this is the second chapter house just off the CSU campus to become a halfway house - the other is across the street from Theta.

FIJI seems to have had a harder time than most in Colorado - more so than any other GLO - Kappa Sigma also. I had been to a few FIJI Islander's at CSU back in the 80's - good times.

Hopefully LXA will return to CSU as well in the near future - we'll have to wait and see. The old LXA house was rented to Sigma Pi last year, where Samantha Spady died - now it's a Christian fellowship house. I'm very familiar with that house, as I was chapter advisor for a time - very tragic.

Is this out of Line to wonder if some Schools do not desearve Greeks and the Alums say See Ya?:confused:

Tom,

Not a bad idea - a Greek mutiny at a campus. Doubtful that'd happen at CSU, but I could see it happening perhaps at CU. Different campus cultures at each. I think there is a higher percentage of students that are Greek at CSU versus CU.

Wouldn't work at UNC or CSM - greek systems are too small - if they went, most people wouldn't miss 'em (present company excepted, of course!).

Granted that!

From What I know about where You are at it may be the exception with a lot of Hard damn work!:)

You Know How I feel, either realign the Adm or close the damn Schools.

I am Not a Radical, but they have No Clue and Need an Update!

well, the rest of Colorado
 

somehow lost message...TKE had interest groups at Regis and at
Ft Lewis--school killed both. TKE had chapter at Mesa, lived for
a coupla years, school supported heartily. Drug sales killed. The
Sig Eps had a colony, it died. Tri Sigma colony died and Chi Omega thrived but their HQ killed it. Lambda Chi had a disaster at Adams state, lived a semester. TKE, Sigma Pi and Theta Chi were all at Western, off and on. Theta Chi built a house. Chapters were off and on, size wise, TKE up to 70 men once. The
isolated school just did not click but lasted twenty years. It might
be a revival candidate but need spark plug.
U of S Colorado or whatever the name is...TKE pioneered, Kappa
Sig and Lambda Chi joined, but were not much more than a party
group with no clue and no real supervision. TKE folded, had an
interest group, folded, some kind of dean is a TKE. Nothing is now
doing there, wait and see, perhaps, but need spark plug here.
Metro State, am told, had Delta Sigma Phi briefly. Poor place to
have greeks. Tri Sigma has chartered, maybe we'll see.
Johnson & Wales...a joke, no further comment.
U CO-Colo Springs, Pi Beta Phi has colonized, beautiful area, but
it, too, remains to be seen.
Colorado College...Beta gone, will perhaps return, let them back
and dead Pikes, but hardly exciting. Pass.
Colorado Mines...several dead, should be allowed to return. But
campus is only so-so. Belching beer drinkers with good grades.
The various Colorado mountain schools, not worth discussing.
Shopping center schools...actually am surprised some small eastern outfits have not entered!....cheap shot, sorry.
Did I miss any? Have been active with surveys for nearly 50 years
and think TKE has best handle of all on that. TKE has take a very
conservative stance, extension-wise (finally) but very receptive to
revivals....(good). Concentration on revivals best move presently
I have tossed around the notion of 2 or 3 GLOS colonizing at the
same time, thus avoiding suicidal single chapter schools, TKE has
had several, no one else came on, chapter finally died. Schools
like S. Oregon, Sul Ross, gosh..several, later entries came too late
Would welcome skull session about this topic. No reason why we
could not be helpful, more than civil, with each other, as we have
enough bad-relation-wise with the outsiders and wimpy college
administrators than to fight among ourselves. NIC--another joke.

Colorado LXA chapters
 

Erik...LOL regarding LXA at Adams State, yeah, that was I think the record for shortest lived chapter for the fraternity. What's surprising are the number of UNC chapter members from Alamosa...

LXA at CSU-Pueblo has really turned things around - got into bad shape membership wise a year or so ago, but have rebounded nicely thanks to alumni intervention.

LXA at CC would be nice - original chapter there closed due to WWII, and no one ever tried to restart! There are still a few living alumni from then as well.

LXA at DU has always done well - good alumni oversight (Drew Hunter, founder of Bacchus and GAMMA is the advisor).

LXA at CU was struggling a bit, but seems to be getting on even keel, though I don't know what the new CU policies may do for their future survival.

LXA at UNC is still going strong (yippee!). They have yet to run into a post-chartering slump, to their credit.

LXA at CSU - possible recolonization on the horizon, just have to wait and see if campus climate is receptive given all the recent problems. Apparently FIJI is back, which surprises me than any GLO would try at this time, but more power to them to be successful!

LXA at CSM - interest group organized about four years ago then folded. Not sure if anything else will be attempted in near future. Was never an official colony.

Doubtful that LXA would try anything anywhere else with possible exceptions of UCCS (I went there my freshman year...before they had dorms or half the current buildings there) and Metro, if Metro gets more serious about having a greek presence.

I like your idea of a 3 to 4 GLO colonization effort happening simultaneously for schools such as Metro or UCCS - that may have a very positive effect, but, the national GLO's HQ's would have to sign off and coordinate the effort more than likely, which is the only real hurdle I can see (getting schedules straight with different orgs travelling folks would be the major sticking point over anything else).

Maybe it is time for a High Powered Summit between Greek Nationals, School Adms., and Board of Regents. Maybe throw in some High Powered Greek Alums.

There has to be a strawbreaker here somewhere?

Or maybe some decision of sanity and programing that could come out of it!

Right now for the most part, Co. Greek Systems suck in a hodgepodge of nothingness!

Good idea Tom...

Just throwing this out for grist for the mill, but, would we be safe to assume the large majority of incidents are occuring at chapters that have minimal to no true alumni involvement?

By alumni involvement, that does not mean attending a meeting once or month or semester, but actively involved in overseeing day-to-day operations of the chapter.

I think Both You and Erik would agree that it would take a tremendous amount of oversight by Alums and working with The Adms. if something were ever to happen of this nature.

Blitzing a School is an intriguing idea for sure. Dont know if It has ever been done before or will ever be done as coordination among GLOs could be a problem.

I just wonder how many GLOs are all clustered around the area where LXA is.

It was dark when I was there so not sure. LXA and TKE I am aware of. Walking distance!

When Schools are called suitcase schools, I can relate to the two that I attended, but one is doing well while the other is somewhat stagnet for Greeks. I am sure Erik knows which ones I am talking about.

But isnt it true that students leave Campus for a lack of things to do? Greeks are The Alternative!

If you're talking about CSU, then the chapters close to LXA are/were Sigma Chi (old ATO house: condemned, but still a chapter), Sigma Nu (house razed and is now townhomes), ZTA (only one NOT in trouble), AXO (closed), PiKappaPhi (closed), ChiO (suspended), Tridelt (suspended), AGR (unsure), GPhi (suspended), KKG (suspended). Also in this neighborhood are lots of development proposals for condos/townhomes.

Other clusters at CSU - Theta, KD, SAE (none in trouble)

FH, Pi Phi (none in trouble)

SigEp (suspended) PhiTau, and one other (none in trouble)

Triangle, PhiDelt (none in trouble)

See why I think something is going on at CSU?

If you are referring to UNC - LXA is by itself - DTD used to be down the street, but moved to the other side of campus into the old AXiD/AOPi house. TKE's gone, SX renting the house. There's too much moving of chapter houses at UNC to try and keep straight anymore. Four of the six old LXA houses they used to rent have been demolished (two were courtesy of LXA Animal House legacy (when I was in the Navy - missed out on the really wild times)).

Sorry, should have been more precise.

HQs in Indy @ Founders Road.:)

I understand what you are saying, but sometimes from what I have read, Clusters of Houses on Campi can get each in trouble.

The Pitt is unique in a way.

While there is a main street in The Pitt. Ks, and many are along it: PKA, SX, ASA, LXA, SPE, PSK, and AGD, with SSS and STG away from us.

It seems to work well as there is residentinual housing between all except the PKA and SX House and many problems there.:confused:

But then on the flip side at William-Jewell, KsUn. KsU, Un Mo. Un. Ark. Un Tn., are grouped together as some of the Greek Courts that are being built today.

Re: Re: U Northern CO
 

As far as I knew, KSig was initiated. I didn't know they were still a colony. Hmmm. I didn't know about AKL either. I'll see if I can dig around and find out what's going on. The Delts did move into the old AXiD/SigX/AOII house. *haha mouthful* BUT, the AOII chapter did not close. They moved down the street between the old TKE house and the new Delt house, across from APhi. They may not have had their letters on at the time, but they did for recruitment in September. It's the house we originally wanted 3 years ago. As far as I know the sororities are still there, but the fraternity life there has suffered. I am glad to hear about the delt and the LXA's!

I know alot of recent alums for the sorority life from CSU, DU, and UNC that really want nothing to do with their chapter but love their org. It's hard.

Eh. I think most of the problems that happened were on 10th Ave in Greeley at UNC. There is/was Kappa Alpha and AKL on the same block, Delta Chi a block down, and then ASA, SK, and DZ on the next block, behind Sorority row used to be the Delts, but like LXAAlum said, they moved into my old house! :( *Sniff*, the LXA are still on that street, and then Sig Pi, Delts, AOII and Sig Chi are all on 8th within a block radius of about 5. I don't think there have been any problems. I know when AOII lived in their house last year SAE lived next door and there was ALOT of drinking going on between the two houses. I don't hear much about APhi, but they live across from the AOII house. The old LXA house in the last couple of years has been condemed. I know it was at least when KA lived there. Kappa Sig seems to be in that troubled area as well. Alot of drama on 10th. *ugh*

I think trouble tends to be in the area where there are a concentration of houses. The ones that live on the outskirts of that don't usually have problems with the university for random garbage like the others do.


Okay, I'm done with my check and post and check and post thing! *haha*

What's funny is that the current LXA used to be the "old" DTD house, and, more than 15 years ago, was temporarily the LXA house as well...

The "old" LXA house you are referring two was also occupied by the "old" LXA chapter the year before I associated - but, if you know where to look, you can still find autographs in the house in the attic and other areas....

Confused? Welcome to greek life at UNC...where your chapter may move more than twice in a given year!

So, we managed to get ANOTHER house condemned, eh? Well, one legacy from the "old" chapter apparently lives on...:rolleyes:

Through the Vistiage of The Mountains to the West and The Plains of the East Rode the Many who wanted to fight a battle between Greeks and Adms.

The Battle was Fought for many Years and Never won.:(

In our old house there were sigs in the attic from AXiD and SigX, so all us AOII's added our own flair up there! *haha* Now the Delts can. I think Greek Row will need to be renamed. Instead of just being on 10th, the rest of the orgs are all moving over to 8th. I wouldn't be surprised if LXA and KSig end up in one of the two areas soon. ;)

Re: Re: AOPi has it...right on
 

DTD alum,

You are right! It is up to the chapter members ultimately to do the right thing. My dad and GF were both alums of the house in Boulder that you are referring to. Those members were hand-held for years, to great expense, as they trashed the house AND the reputation of DTD on that campus and community. I can totally understand the sad fact of the reluctnce of the nationals and alums who have had enough. I don't know what the answer is!?!?:( :confused:

Re: Colorado cojones en cajones--
 

Wait, what about Phi Betes? I don't know if i should be offended or just plain confused!:confused:

"While revivals seem to be outnumbering the closures (finally) it
ought to occur to some Phi Betes that there's merit in being a Greek. Fifty years ago I thought so, and I have not abandoned it"


what exactly are you saying about Phi Betes?

Don't know if he's talking about you guys or Phi Beta Kappa.

Re: Re: Re: AOPi has it...right on
 

It's even sadder that the current President at C.U. is a Beta Kappa Chapter Delt.

Which would actually make MUCH more sense! LOL.....we were all a bit confuzzled over that one.......didn't know another sorority referred to themselves as Phi Betes...