Clearing the Air DZO/Beta Epsilon
 

I'm kind of confused ... so you're saying that you and another of your chapter's founders were Sigma Kappas? And that the other Sigma Kappa misrepresented you and the other founders to the rest of your campus to imply that your new local sorority was a ripoff of Sigma Kappa because the two of you were Sigma Kappas?

I'm sorry; I've never heard the original rumor, maybe that would make your story make more sense, but I just can't figure out what you're saying.

Sorry I was paired up with this girl who transferred to our campus. Our greek life advisor thought she would be "Great" at advising us. I was not and will never be Sigma Kappa.

Sorry for the confusion.

Psst! Check out the DZO Sorority Life thread (the most recent posts, anyway). It's a good read.

Sorority life has nothing to do with our chapter ~Thanks

I never said it was.

Your chapter, however, was discussed on the last page of that thread.

That is all.

Thanks.

When you post on a PUBLIC message board, anyone (meaning myself and anyone else who pleases) can and WILL take any issue we might have anywhere we want. Mandating that we keep all issues with your group to one thread is not in your authority. Welcome to GreekChat.

Yes it was however it was again just an assumption about our chapter. We did not affiliate with DZO because of their attempts to go national. We affiliated with them because they are very wonderful and sweet sisters. As we became sisters, they proved to us more and more that it was a good match. The sisters we met have been so incredibly amazing, I would never, never take that back. Yes they have thought about going NPC, and if they do then all the best to them. Our chapter will carry on as we are, if that is the way its to be then so be it.

While there is that freedom, what good does it do to the origonal poster to clog their thread with useless and snide remarks? While we are here to chat and swap info on each other. Shouldn't we have enough respect to take our issues and deal with them elsewhere? I mean really, what does me being a member of DZO have anything to do with advice that I give? It is after all advice, you can take it or leave it.

And really do you have to be so rude? I admire the fact that you so willingly defend Greek Chat. So then you would understand my feelings in defending my chapter.

Umm, I am addressing something you said in a thread. What does you giving advice or being in DZO have to do with asking people to keep their issues confined to this thread? For that matter, I see no advice being given. I have only observed some statements that you have made regarding your group.

And, telling the truth is not being rude. You can't expect that people are going to do your bidding on a message board. If you don't like the way things are, you are free to leave.

I am not DEFENDING GC. GC has nothing to be defensive about. I don't understand your feelings because you have said nothing in this thread of any importance. You seem to be shifting all of the blame for whatever happened with your group to some SK.

I am refering to the advice/comments that have been given in other local threads. It has somehow become an issue that I am a member of DZO. I personally see no reason to make snide comments about my sorority and clog a thread that has nothing to do with my greek affiliation. I thought the Local thread was a place for locals to get advice, and help each other out.

Am I wrong?

I am sorry you have a problem with me, I really have no issue with you.

My issue is that you started a thread asking people to confine their opinions to your thread. And, you are bringing in YOUR issues from other threads and wanting discussion on them without providing any information on what the hell you are talking about!

When your sorority paraded themselves around on MTV, they opened themselves and their sisters up to criticism. I could personally give two shits about DZO. But, there are plenty of people who still have a bad taste in their mouths over the way your sisters acted on television. Their actions have put all sorority women in the spotlight. And, this is not a positive. They have caused non-Greeks to wonder if all of the stereotypes about sorority women are true. So, perhaps you can understand why women that have worked hard to further the reputation of their groups and all of panhellenic might not greet you with milk and cookies.

The locals forum is not just for locals. There are plenty of people who aren't in a local that come here to read and comment on what has been said.

You may not have a issue with me. But, I have an issue with anyone who wants comments or thoughts on her group confined to one little corner of GC. That's not how it works.

I'm going to weigh in here as a member of a local sorority who knows some of what you've experienced. Being local, many people discount us right away and we have to work even harder and present an even better image for many people to think of us as being on the same level as national sororities. Unfortunately, many of your sisters did not keep that in mind when they appeared on Sorority Life. The only experience with DZO that the vast majority of GC has is due to that. Your sorority wasn't presented in the most favorable light, and that is what people are judging you on and are taking issue with. You seem to be upset that people are taking issue with your sorority. However, one thing you should know about GC is that you will never get everyone to see your point of view (unless, of course, your POV is that a certain poster is batshit, in which case most everyone will back you on it). If you are unprepared or unwilling to take criticisms, don't post in a public message board.

Have you been reading any other threads? Obviously not, I am a member of the Beta Epsilon Chapter and it was not our chapter that was on TV and the DZO that we affiliated with was after MTV WAY AFTER. And many/most of the sisters had left.

Fine critisized the right chapter then, I have no problem with any issues that others may have. I just really hate it when people clog threads with the dont listen to that poster because "their opinion is baseless because the belong to xyz/abc" or "they cant spell so their opinions dont mean anything" and so on.

And your point is? You ARE a sister of DZO. And you can still thank your sisters for giving ALL of DZO a bad reputation. I don't care what chapter you are from. As long as you are a member, you will face the negative opinions of your sorority when you post on a message board.

You say THE DZO we affiliated with... You don't seem to understand that you still are affiliated with DZO. By choosing to affiliate with a group that has such a negative reputation, you have now subjected yourself to that same reputation.

so in that respect if a chapter of yours on another campus had the reputation of being lose and giving away sexual favors, would you think it fair that someone give your chapter that same reputation? I think that you would defend your chapter and the sisters within it. The same way I defend mine.

When did I say that your opinion was crap? Look, let's say the chapter of AB sorority at your school hazes badly or just generally has a bad reputation on your campus. If you randomly meet someone from work, camp, church, etc. who is AB not from your school, aren't your first thoughts going to be "oh but you aren't anything like them," or "why AB?" or something pertaining to AB's reputation on your campus? Well it's the same thing with DZO. You only have two chapters, one of which is notorious. It doesn't matter that the girls on Sorority Life all graduated. DZO's reputation precedes itself. When people hear DZO, they automatically think of Sorority Life.

I didn't say that you said that I am saying that that is what is going on in some of these threads.

I think the issue here isn't DZO. We all have our own opinions on what your Alpha Chapter did on MTV, but I don't think it's that at all.

A few years ago, someone directed us to a link to the Beta Epsilon Sorority website. Lots of GCers, SKs and non-SKs alike, were shaking their fists at their computers because it really did seem like they were definitely ripping off the symbols and everything related to Sigma Kappa.

Unfortunately no link to the old website exists, but discussion about it (when SUNY-Buffalo was opening up for expansion, home of DZO-Alpha) can be found here. The Beta Epsilon Sorority had just become a DZO chapter, and people were wondering what would happen to the new chapter. As you know, DZO never went NPC.

I don't know when it was ever okay for a member to go to another organization (a new one) and say, "Hey! Why not use my sorority symbols?" I only wish there was a link to the BE website because it was obvious to even the dumbest of dumbfcuks that everything was ripped off. babylyne, if that wasn't the intent to copy SK, then you guys sure as hell didn't do a good job distinguishing yourselves.

So basically Sigma Kappa HQ gave you guys a cease and desist and that's how you got help and broke it off?

I'm definitely not making this up either. 33girl remembered it. I remember it, and I'm sure others do as well.

the reason why you dont find the old web page is because when we were being told what was happening the first thing I did was disable the website. The person who was "helping" us create our sorority had the intentions of becoming a Sigma Kappa colony. This however was not disclosed to us. It was mentioned in front of Panhellenic and then brought to my attention. The sisters at the time (right before a sisterhood event) came together and discussed the issues that we had just found out about. We instatly OVERNIGHT changed everything. We also relayed our appoligies to the Panhellenic regional rep. and asked her to relay that to Sigma Kappa. It is really hard to go into complete detail. and what happened was VERY painful to all of us because we trusted those around us. Most importantly we trusted someone who was supposed to be teaching us about sisterhood.

Well, my glo has over 200 chapters. And, NONE of them have ever gone on TV and portrayed Greek Life quite like one of your two chapters has.

When 50% of your chapters act a certain way, I would say that it is fair if they get a negative reputation.

And, I did go and read your other posts. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, don't encourage people to AI so they can have fun while having to do less. It doesn't work that way. Leave the AI discussion to those who have an idea of what AI actually is.

How do you know what I know about AI's? Maybe my experiance with it is diffrent from yours. And would you really turn away a really great AI?

Unless you actually serve on the (inter)national board of any of the 26 NPC sororities, your opinions on AI are moot. No one cares. Move on. It is none of your business how sororities run their AI programs (if they even have them at all).

If she has ever appeared on Sorority Life, sells Arbonne, or gets really excited about plooshies, then yes, she might get turned away. But she could always affiliate with SKEPi.

The fact that you think AIs get a fraction of the work and commitment and all of the fun SHOWS EXACTLY HOW LITTLE YOU TRULY KNOW ABOUT THE PROCESS.

I'm very sorry that you and your sisters went through such a painful experience. I really mean that.

I'm curious, though. How long did it take from the time of founding to the time you took everything off the website took place?

I just find it hard to believe that this Sigma Kappa member would be this mastermind of everything. Did your founding sisters not do their research when choosing colors, symbols, and mottos? Sure, I'm no founding sister of anything -- but if I were, I'd sure as hell do my research and make sure that we'd try to be as unique as possible.

Ok I took us 2 months to finally be told about what was going on. When this person told us that she would help us and then was backed by the Greek Life advisor, and she said that she would handle the issues that we had no clue about I trusted her. She told me to worry about recruiting members, so I did. So at first when we heard the rumblings of Sigma Kappa I went to the Greek Life advisor but he didnt want to help us he wanted to expand the campus so he saw this as his opportunity as well for him (just newly hired) to look really good. So as soon as we realized Hey we can take charge of our sorority and stand up to this we did. and then when Sigma Kappa went to our Greek Life advisor I think he had an oh shit moment and stepped in to help us.

You are right though and we have all kicked ourselves into not having a say in the colors and such. Again when someone says she is trying to help you build a sisterhood even if she can't be a sister, you would want to belive her.

Hey All,

I didnt think that this would be so much of an issue but then again then truth will always be an issue to those who don't want to hear it. I am sorry that I caused such an issue. I just wanted people to understand my side/ my chapters side of the story. For those that it makes angry, I'm not sorry. If you are mad then you are mad. I can't do anything to change that.

I just posted this so that finally our side would be heard.

Thanks

This gets more and more confusing. This "person" was a fellow undergrad or who?? Why would you let one person and one person only think up (and I use that term with a big hardeeharhar) your motto, colors, etc? It just makes no sense - it's like you're saying no one else in your group had ever heard of SK and was innocent as lambs, which I find hard to believe as SK has chapters at WSU and U of Washington. Now if you'd copied ASA or AST, neither of which has a presence in the state, your story might hold a little more water.

That's why I thought that you were going to offer people assistance with AIing into DZO.

I know I can think of a couple of PNAIs here who would be interested, and probably be a perfect fit for your sisterhood.

Oh man, you went there.:)

Now, tell us, since you're so experienced in AI...must one have a personal connection to DZO to AI, or could someone, say, "shop" their way in??

Huh? I thought you said you were the founder. But someone else came up with your colors, symbols, mottoes and ideals? How were you involved in the founding, then? Sounds like you just recruited members to an organization this mystery Sigma Kappa founded.

It's like there's a Deep Throat of Sigma Kappa.

(I mean this in Watergate terms.)

Oh no.... you soooo didn't go there. :p

ETA: so besides the original Beta Epsilon, and SKEPi, have there been any other notable copycats? Are there any out there right now? Not just of Sigma Kappa, but of any GLO. I recall someone saying they saw a ZTA copycat at one point, but my searches aren't turning anything up.

Like I said before I was linked up with this person by our greek life advisor, when I went to him when things sounded weird we were told to go with it because we had no clue about greek life. and AGAIN when we realized what was going on we changed everything that very same day. We held a meeting and took some very painfull issues to vote.

As far as having members for us you have no clue what we look for in a sister, our requirements and what we look for are somewhat diffrent from our other chapter as we are in a diffrent environment.

As far as AI, I am not going to answer to those comments as our chapter is obviously inexperianced with that subject.

Anybody else feel comfortable in here?

Then please don't recomment AI to other people when you have no clue what you're talking about.

Alpha Xi Zeta at Michigan Tech? I recall reading about this local on GC at some point, but I couldn't find the thread. Their old website (from a year or two ago) really made them seem like a blantant ripoff of the Alpha Xi Delta, but they've changed their website recently.

Still sketchy.


ETA: found the thread about Alpha Xi Zeta: http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ad.php?t=19822

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ad.php?t=19822

Agreed w/ the above post, still sketchy, particularly the "Al Fuzzie" mascot.