Arkansas Sorority Recruitment - 2007
 

Recruitment isn't for a couple of weeks, but perhaps there are comments or questions now.

Yay! Go Hogs!!!:):):)

Well, while you're here: I stumbled across the Arkansas DG chapter site--the chapter closed some years ago but they're keeping the alums networked.
http://www.aodgonline.com/index.html
There were photos of the chapter house with the explanation that the House Corp turned the house over to the University. Then there's a paragraph about "we hope DG will return some day."

If they do, what will they do about housing? Was the DG house (now "University House") in a bad location (perhaps removed from other sorority houses)? From the photos it looks to be a perfectly lovely place.

As I have a friend up there I usually read up on what's going on in the Ville. Anywho, I remember reading an article about that gift and that there was a clause that would allow DG nationals to return to the house if there was a future colonization effort. I'll look for the article. (seriously have no idea where I read that - but the DG house turning into the Ark 'University House' reminded me of it).

I was a bit off (and after looking at your link, the same article is there)

http://dailyheadlines.uark.edu/1060.htm

"If recolonization of the organization on the UA campus occurs, the house will be made available for rush events."

Cool site! There's a neat section where they go year by year through DG's representation in the UA yearbook. Here's 1939, for example:

http://www.aodgonline.com/yrbk39.htm

The DG house actually is probably the best location on campus. It is on Maple Street which is "sorority row" and is closer to campus buildings than KD, Pi Phi, or KKG. It is a very nice house. AOII used it for our colonization parties last year. There is still a brass anchor mounted on the wall in the family room. My understanding is that the DGs gave the house to the University with the caveat that if DG returns, they get it back. The DG house also housed Phi Mu at one point before they closed.

Irish, have they broken ground on that AOII house already?

We had a very difficult time coming to terms on the land lease with the university. (They own the land, we own the house.) That has finally been resolved and the plans are being finalized by the engineers and architects. Actual ground-breaking, which is somewhat ceremonial, will be late this semester and the house will be complete in December 2008. We are currently in the old Sigma Nu house because our dorm we were supposed to use was contaminated with mold. It has been a roller coaster but the girls are very excited about how things are turning out.

Holy Crap, I had no idea the old SN house was even still up. Man, I remember visiting that place back in 1992 (I think). PM'ing you for a favor.

Girls meet their Gamma Chi's tonight. I hear 800 are going through recruitment. How do these numbers compare with previous years?

That DG site is great!

Good luck to all of the PNMs at Arkansas!

The pictures of the new AOII chapter at Arkansas that I saw on the AOII website are impressive. They found a large number of women to colonize, and they are beautiful! I hope they will succeed quickly. New chapters are so difficult to stabilize, but it looks like we're off to a great start. I'm sure a spankin' new house won't hurt either!

AOIIAngel-
They are a wonderful and beautiful group. Arkansas' Greek system is extremely competitive, and we are recruiting without a real house this year, so it will be tough for sure. We know that the girls we do get will be selecting AOII for the right reasons since it takes courage to pledge a new group, especially one with a drawing of a house and not an actual house yet! We had been set up to live in a dorm on campus this year and recruit out of that, but only 2 weeks before work week the dorm was found to have mold. We had to find a new place to live and recruit in only 2 weeks. The University wouldn't let us use a fraternity house or the Student Union. These girls have weathered so much and I hope they are rewarded with a successful recruitment.

I'll keep my thoughts with my newest sisters at Arkansas! I'm sure they'll attract wonderful women....from the looks of it, we attracted to first group with even less than this!

Recruitment starts in 2 days! Any updated numbers on registration?

LOVE the yearbook pictures. I may be up all night looking at this link

Oh no! I loovvve your username!:D

The girls begin their adventure tonight with Orientation, followed by Philanthropy Day on Friday and Saturday with House Tours on Sunday. Good luck to everyone.
In an earlier post, it stated 800 were rushing. Any truth to that? Last year, the school newspaper reported that 661 participated (rushed/pledged?).

I heard the number of girls signed up is very close to last year.

I have one daughter going thru recruitment and another one on the "other side". Both are very excited and ready to get the show on the road:D

The biggest complaint I have heard so far regarding delayed recruitment is that the first round of tests occur over the next two weeks, not easy trying to balance school and recruitment, but that's life, isn't it? Nine million things to do and not enough time to do it!!

My daughter told me the numbers were close to the same as last year, too. She is ready to get the recruitment process going, also.
Recruitment is just another learning tool. They will have to juggle many things in their lives-school, work, sorority, friends, special events. This is just the beginning of time management.

When did Arkansas go to delayed rush? It used to be before school not so long ago.

The Dean told me it is because they had too many girls dropping out of school (without much penalty since school hadn't started) if they didn't get the sorority they wanted. The school is very supportive of Greek life, but he said that was the last straw - he wouldn't let Greek life scare away students.

Sounds like what was happening at Ole Miss. I think that was the reason for delaying rush there.

My friend's daughter said that there were a few packing up and heading home from Alabama after the philanthropy round cuts....she didn't think people really did that! :eek:

Like Ole Miss, Arkansas does not have enough sororities to accommodate the number of PNMs. There were only 7 until AOII colonized last year. (And yes, it is for the same basic reason as Ole Miss - many have tried, many have failed.)

Wow. I guess I just didn't understand it was that bad.

Housing is a huge issue there as well. All of the sororities are on the same street (well 2 are around the corner but basically in the backyard of the Maple Street sororities). The University now owns the remaining property on Maple and they aren't exactly giving it away to build new sorority houses. It is now one of these situations where the sorority builds and owns the house but leases the land. It gets very sticky.

Kappa Alpha Theta built in another area of campus, where the fraternities are, and they ended up closing. I am sure that wasn't the only issue, but being on Maple is extremely important.

Add to that the cost of building in NW Arkansas (AOII is looking at 6-7 million), and without assurances of a successful chapter, it narrows the pool of potential NPCs.

Arkansas is just one of those places that the lack of history is very important. The last sorority to colonize (before AOII) came on in 1989 and took quota for the first time last year. It is a tough campus.

Irishpipes,
In another forum you correctly stated that UARK now provides PNMs with 3 recruitment T-shirts-one for each round. From a Mom perspective, I think this is great (many thanks, UARK Panhellenic). It keeps all the girls on an equal basis, clothing wise. What I saved in not having to purchase for the 3 rounds, my daughter and I put into a classic cocktail/after 5 dress she can actually wear more than once.

I wish they would do that at Ole Miss to cut down on stress! But on the positive side, you can figure out what's in style by checking out all the PNMs!

Oh I don't disagree. It is just kind of funny to me. There is so much emphasis on looks, and I can just imagine the creative ways PNMs might try to stand out while wearing the same shirts. I also think a lot of PNMs are probably disappointed that they can't dress to impress. I think it's a step in the right direction, which surprises me because the director of Greek Life, well, let's just say I'm surprised he would have/support a bright idea like that.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but I view that sorority as a traditional Southern powerhouse with gigantic, sought-after chapters at other SEC schools. If it was that hard a battle for that group to be embraced on campus, it would be even tougher for most other NPCs.
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COLORADO MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES

Yes, I would agree with that, and the other "struggling" chapter (not including the brand new chapter) is also a very strong southern group. It is just a very tough campus. There are 2 chapters all the PNMs seem to want, 3 others they will accept, 2 that are virtually unacceptable, and now the unproven new one.

The girls narrowed their choice to 4 houses tonight. UNFORTUNATELY, they have to wait until next Saturday to find out what houses they were invited back to.
In my opinion, this is alot to ask of both the PNMs and the actives. The PNMs are expected to concentrate on their classes, homework, etc. all week all the while wondering (fretting) who has invited them back. I know there is a learning curve the first year of change, but I would hope that the UA Panhellenic might reconsider the 2 weekend recruitment schedule.

Are they afraid if they gave them their invites too far ahead of the parties that more girls would drop out?

UGAalum94-
If the University wants a deferred recruitment, that's fine, just don't prolong it over 2 weekends with 5 days of waiting and wondering for the PNMs. That's 5 days of
"what if...." Maybe the UA could have started recruitment the day after Labor Day with Bid Day Sunday or Monday. I just think it would be hard to wait all week to know your results. These are simply my thoughts.

I think it also creates a prime environment for dirty rushing - something already a problem on that campus. I am sure they did do it to prevent girls from dropping out, but maybe in the future they could let the girls know on Sunday, but not allow them to drop out until Friday, giving the PNMs several days to digest their invitations and come to terms with them.

When I rushed at Arkansas, they had rush for sophomores and up only--making all of freshman year prime territory for dirty rushing. It was really bad.

I may be taking your point wrong, but I wasn't advocating for deferred recruiting or waiting. I was just trying to figure out why they made them wait. It was a sincere question.

This sounds like a great idea to me.