New sorority coming to campus
 

This is sad. Last year....I didn't rush. I didn't rush this year either. I tried informally rushing but I didn't like some of the houses. (Two houses seemed really, really desperate in trying to talk to me to the point where it creeped me out a bit). i ended up joining an interest group of girls who were brining a sorority to campus.

Little did I know how badly it would be bastardized. Our former president was so determined on bringing her sorority to campus (she was a transfer) that she literally had people calling us by those letters. I think it caused me to be blacklisted because when I tried informal rush again, when more sororities were involved, one girl screamed out,'HEY, WEREN't YOU IN SORORITY XYZ?" when that sorority didn't even come to campus.That sorority didn't even make it to panhel's final 3 consideration. Our former president, obviously, took that moment to leave.

The group though had our hearts set on one sorority (of the final three) and we were so sure we would get it. Instead....we got another one. Phi sigma sigma.

I know...it's really superficial at this point. I don't like the letters. I don't like how they're planning on initiating us in a year. I'll be a junior by then. What's the point? A lot of the girls feel the same way, since a lot of them are juniors NOW (and we have one 1st semester senior). Is there a way we can talk to nationals to expedite this? I want to have the sorority experience. Having it as a second semester sophomore isn't so bad....I really want to get a lot out of this. Bigs. Littles. Etc. It's asking for a lot....

And at the same time, I'm stupid and say,"I don't like the letters." We can't be called phi sig, there's a phi sig on campus, but are there any other cute nicknames? Like PSS? Or something besdies PSS? I like the handsigns and the colors are pretty cool. I also see that they're coming to campus very organized, which I guess compensates for the slightly smaller alumna base. I like my sisters but I want to do some recruiting because we are so small. And I'd like to do it informally in the fall to start at least. This is driving me insane because the nationals want the interest group to do work to help set things up but not give us letters. We've been dying for this.


I've missed formal rush twice, and now that some of my sophomore friends are getting into some really good sororities, I'm wondering if maybe I missed a lot. I'm having a lot of what if's. And I know there's NOTHING I can do to change that.

Can someone at least console me here? Tell me if there's something we can do to negotiate with nationals a bit without offending them? Something to make me enthusiastic about greek life and phi sigma sigma again?


(Also, the name PSLAm, my username, came from someone's username on some other forum saying some good things about a particular chapter of phi sigma sigma, if it's actually offensive, I apologize).

qfp

Negotiate with nationals about what?

When the current members of the now-local will be initiated, I think. According to the OP's post, they won't be initiated until next Spring semester (2012), and the OP thinks this isn't really fair to current members.

Ask not what you can do for your sorority, ask what your sorority can do for you.

SMH...

ETA: the more I think it over, the more I believe that you are either (a) a troll or (b) suffering from a personality disorder or (c) a spoiled, selfish, self-centered, small-minded, immature brat.

Okay. You need to take a deep breath and step away from GC. You've just blasted very private business for all the world to see. Colonizations are very well planned out, and colony members DO have the sorority experience. I'd recommend that you talk to Phi Sigma Sigma and clarify plans WITHOUT making demands. I will tell you that their priorlty is to establish a successful chapter. Depending on the campus, this may take a year or longer. Their priority will not be to make an individual member of the interest group happy at the expense of a successful expansion. BTW, your group has been given a gift in Phi Sigma Sigma. They are a wonderful organization, and you should feel lucky to have the chance to be a part of them.

My goodness.

I'm going to attempt to be nice here and give you real advice. There is a reason colonization takes a year or more. There is a lot to do to make a chapter work. Perhaps you can ask your colonization team what things will take place in that year.

If all you are looking for is a lettered sweatshirt, you are in the wrong place. Being a colony member is hard work and requires real dedication to the organization.

Your username is pretty much the only thing you said that ISN'T offensive. Do Phi Sigma Sigma a huge favor and quit. You want to be Greek for all the wrong reasons.

It sounds like she should just quit now. she is looking to go greek for all the wrong reasons. she is even lucky to be dealing with Phi Sigma Sigma. there are some girls that spend their whole college career trying to bring a new sorority on campus and it sometimes never happens.

Let me see if I have this straight.

• You never went through formal recruitment (which has happened twice since you got to the school). Why didn't you ever go through formal??
• You joined an interest group. Why? Did you think it would be easier?
• Said interest group later became ABC (out of Panhellenic spirit, I am not going to put their name in such a disparaging post).
• You hate the way the letters sound/look because they aren't cute, but you love the colors and hand signs, and you are pissed because nationals won't "give you" the letters you are dying for.
• You think the group and alumnae base is too small.
• You aren't having the same experiences as your friends who have been through formal recruitment and received bids.
• You are pissed off that you have been "blacklisted" because when you went through informal rush (as a member of the interest group-turning-colony), someone questioned your status - as a member of the interest group-turning colony. Do you not see how anyone would think this was an odd situation??
• You're complaining that by the time you are initiated - as a junior - you won't have all the same sorority experiences your friends are having. You obviously have no concept of lifetime sisterhood.

What do you need consoling for? You joined an interest group. It became a colony that you dislike for various reasons. Why, then, are you so keen on trying to get the national organization to hurry up and initiate you?

WE cannot make you "enthusiastic about greek life and phi sigma sigma again."

Lastly, your user name stands for "Phi Sig Love And Mine". You are doing them or the other members no service by being so openly rude and immature. If you don't want to initiate, then LEAVE.

I know that I won't get answers to any of my questions, but they had to be asked.

This is all a moot point. The OP's never going to make it to chartering. This is exactly what (well, one of the things) a year long wait for initiation is for - to weed out the people who are there for the wrong reason (i.e. jacket sisters to be) and don't want to work.

I'm sorry if you feel that you got screwed by your former president - her insistence on her sorority probably did screw you with some NPCs when they looked at your interest group - but the time to fix that was THEN, as in the rest of the IG needed to grow a pair and kick her out the minute she started doing things that were inappropriate (like using her sorority's letters for the IG).

And you (or should I say the colony) can be called Phi Sig...I'm guessing you have Phi Sigma Kappa on campus...there are plenty of schools who have both and there's not a problem. The colors are completely different, and oh yeah, one group has boobs and one doesn't.

LOL.

FYP

http://www.afterellen.com/archive/el...ads/olivia.jpg

Ugh, there's so much to address here, but I think I'll just touch on the whole colony thing and let the others take the rest.

I highly doubt your Nationals is going to "expedite" your new member period. As much as you may not like it, your experience as a colony member is going to be different than the experience of women who join a chapter that is already established on campus. But a different experience doesn't mean it's going to be a bad experience. I was a member of a colony as well, and I loved my experience!

We installed our chapter 6 months after we received our bids, and looking back on it, I can completely understand why. We had SO much to learn. This was something brand new to the 120+ women who were a part of our colony. Obviously, not one of us had any experience with Greek life, so I think it was a great (and necessary) learning and growing period for all of us. And please don't think of a second that just because you have some friends in the Greek system that you know it all and you've seen it all. Trust me, coming from experience, YOU DON'T. Your chapter will really benefit in the long run by having this "longer" new member period.

The what's the point of being initiated as a junior question is silly. First of all, I joined as a junior, and was initiated in my second semester as a junior. I still got a TON out of my collegiate experience. You say you want to "get a lot out of this". The thing I'm having trouble understanding is why you think that you need to be initiated in order to start enjoying sorority life. You started your experience in Phi Sigma Sigma the day you got your bid. Why aren't you making the most of it now? Do you think that the moment you get initiated you're chapter is going to magically be just like the rest of the chapters on campus? It doesn't work that way.

Also, if you wanted to get the most out of collegiate sorority experience (please note that I am specifically saying collegiate, because you are a member for life), then you should have though about that before you decided to pass on formal recruitment, TWICE.

WOW, this is so superficial.

Also, do you think that your campus is the only campus that has both a Phi Sigma Kappa chapter and Phi Sigma Sigma chapter? Mine had both. Both went by Phi Sig. Oh well.

And this right here confirms to me that you are in it for the wrong reasons. Don't join a sorority because OMGZ I CAN WEAR SUPER KEWL LETTERZ. While I am not a Phi Sig, I am completely confident that your nationals has it set up this way because they want to give your chapter all of the guidance that they can in order to help your chapter become successful in the long run. It takes time.

If you're not willing to work for it, I would suggest de-pledging and leaving it to your sisters who really want to have a hand in establishing your chapter.

Mariska's "bitch please" look goes well with this thread. (Not that you are looking at anything above the neck.)