Success story
 

I realize it's been awhile since I've posted an update, but here's proof that going underground can lead to success. At Santa Clara, we lost our campus recognition in the Spring of 00. Since then, my chapter has gone from 22 members in '00 to a projected 84 members following our formal Winter Rush at the end of January. We were also awarded Sigma Pi International's Grand Sage's trophy, awarded to the #1 Sigma Pi chapter internationally...all this without a formally recognized Greek System.

It dosen't come easy however. We can't advertise on campus, we finance everything ourselves, and we have to fight an administration that tells incoming freshman that we don't exist.

With some hard work and dedication however, you can overcome these difficulties. Since we all have freedom of speech and freedom of association, there is nothing wrong with us wearing t-shirts and letters that advertise or events, or spreading news about the Greek system in the school newspaper or via word-of-mouth. Our parties (many of them draw over 600 people each) still provide the best social options for SCU students, wether the administration chooses to admit it or not. It is also difficult for them to ignore nearly $200,000 that have been raised for charity by only three GLO's (DG, Alpha Phi, and Sig Pi) over the past three off-campus years.

Finally, we are finally beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. A new sorority is forming an interest group this winter (looks like KKG or Tri-Delt, although DZ, AXO, and ZTA have dormant chapters at SCU), and get this...the university has put it on their '03-'04 agenda to revisit the greek system decision. This is what we have been working for!

Moral of the story: Fight the powers that be! If you are dedicated and hard working, you can succeed on your own with or without the university's blessing. In this day and age, Greeks are being shut down and closed left and right. If ALL of our organizations are going to continue to exist, we must support eachother to promote the values which our organizations were founded upon.

Wow! Congrats! I met some great people from Santa Clara. Good Luck!
Tau Love!
Lil E

I think that's great! We have an unregonized fraternity on campus, too. They have the only house in San Antonio because of some crazy laws about brothels here. (They had their house before the law came into effect, so they were allowed to keep their house.) Those guys still throw the best parties and are always adding new members even without the "support" of the university.

I think I was a bit unclear in my first post...our entire greek system is underground due to a unilateral decision by our University's president in '00. Just a bit more info for you all...

Congratulations!!!! It's great to hear stories like that. Our Greek organizations (Pi Phi and DU) are underground, so I know how much of a struggle it is.
Both the Pi Phi's and DU's work very hard but our numbers aren't quite up there yet. I know will get them up their soon.
Thanks for the post. Keep fighting!!!!


Pi Phi Love and Mine

I take it, underground via the Dumb assed school, but not by the Internationals!

What ever works!!

At My school, a State U, we never got any money, on all on our own, live or die!

Screw the schools! You pay money for education, do you get it?

I get so tired of their bullshit! I paid my money to get an education and the only money I send to that area is to my Chapter!:)

Take care of your own first!!!!!!!! Your Brothers and Sisters!

Agree/disagree?

Totally agree with you Tom!!! Very nicely put, actually.

My mom and I were discussing the other day what we would do if we won 11 Million dollars...I said the first thing I would do was donate 1 million to the Delta Zeta Headquarters. Then 1 million would go to my chapter...and then another million would go to the Panhellenic Council as well as IFC. I might give some to MTSU but only if they named a building after me! :D

Congrats on all your hard work, GreekSCU...one question, though...does the administration know that you are "underground"?

Good luck and Greek love,
Blaire

Good question...they know we exist, but the glory of this whole situation is now that they have severed ties with us, theres not a damn thing they can do about us anymore! No control, no regulation, no quotas, no rules, no nothing. Just fraternities and sororities the way they are supposed to be run: by the undergraduates.

Ain't THAT the truth. Congrats to all of you for providing such a wonderful example of what Greeks can do when we all band together!!! Continued success to you! :D

As many of us know, Alfred U in NY decided to de-recognize ALL Greeks.

I have not been able to find out as of yet if My Internatioanl LXA is going to back them even if go non recognized by the school!

For that fact, I do not know about any of the other Greeks either.

Need Help on that front!

Damn, I get sick and tired of Greeks getting screwed!

I know from threads on here that many are (Underground) but still functioning!

All I say is Go Greeks!

Do we have rights, yes, do we give donations, yes, but to whom?

Will I donate to a School that will not back Greeks, NO!

My Fraternity comes before any school!

Most of the Active Brothers are working part time jobs to pay for their Education and Being a member of a Greek Org. Ours!!:)

Donations
 

I totally agree with you on donating to your school. At ASU 9% of the alumnae were greek and they make 70% of the donations to the school. I don't think that they school realizes that the money will be cut off if they kill the greek system (which they are trying to do)

Re: Success story
 

What do you mean by "this is what we have been working for"?

Are you referring to university recognition?

If your numbers went from 22 to 84 without the university then why would you care that the university is revisiting their decision to ban the greek system? I think you should just keep doing what you are doing and let the school eat crow.