[Betarulz!]

One thing that I've always been impressed about is how GC shows us the differences and similarities of our greek experiences. So with that in mind I thought I'd start a thread about that.

Tell us the following about your campus.


University: University of Nebraska
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Year Founded: 1869
First Greek Chapter: Phi Delta Theta (1875)
More commuter or more residential: Residential
Total Enrollment: About 22,000
% Greeks: ~15% of undergrad population or about 3000 students
# of NIC Fraternities 21
# of NPC Sororities 14
# of Locals 1 (founded 1952)
# of NPHC groups 8
# of Multi cultural groups 4
Wet or Dry Campus? DRY

What type of housing arrangements does your system have (BE SPECIFIC - none, dorm floors, chapter houses close to/on campus owned by chapters, chapter houses far off campus owned by chapters, normal houses rented by chapters off campus, etc.)

Most chapters (13 of 14 Sororities and 19 of 21 Fraternities) have large chapter houses, with room from any where from 45 to 120 members. These are located on campus, along 16th Street on the Eastern edge of the main part of City Campus, and R Street along the Southern edge of City Campus with what I would call the center of the greek system lieing at the Corner of 16th and R. There are 4 fraternity houses that historically were more agriculturally based (AGS, AGN, AGP and Farmhouse) that exist on East Campus, with in the residential neighborhood that is south of East Campus. All the chapter houses are owned by Alumni Housing Corporations and most were built pre WWII, and then expanded during the early '60s. For the Fraternities, most incoming freshmen men who join a house will live in that chapter house for their first two or three years, most from the very first day of class.

Plans for construction?

Newly announced campus master plan has proposed for the construction of 4-5 chapter houses at the Northeast corner of 17th and R Street. My guess is the timeline for that is probably +10 years before it happens.

Do those with chapter houses have sleeping dorms, open airs, cold airs, porches, etc.?

Most chapters have abandoned open air dorms, although a few still use them.

Parties thrown in the fraternity houses?

No. For the most part, the fraternity houses are "dry". Any drinking done in the houses is kept very low key. Official Parties take place at bars and social halls, rented out for the occasion, with primers (what we call pre-parties) taking place at off campus houses and duplexes of upper class fraternity members.

Your city easy on underage drinking?

I would say so, most big parties that get broken up result in no MIP's unless someone is just stupid and walks outside with a drink in hand

Are bars in your city easy to drink underage in?

Absolutely not. Very difficult to get into the bars even with a fake ID. Most people don't try it.

Type of Fraternity Rush (Open, structured, summer, other)

Summer rush, which begins on Friday afternoon of our finals week. Those HS seniors interested in going through rush fill out a rush application in order to be considered. 99% of incoming pledges, with the exception of those that rush Pike, bid during the summer months. Rush lasts until Friday of the first week of Fall Semester. Most pledges move into the fraternity houses in the fall of their freshmen year, the week before classes start.

When Sorority recruitment takes place for your system:

Takes place the week before Classes Start. Introduction day is Monday, First round of 8 on Tuesday, 5 on Wednesday, Pref on Thursday and Bid Day on Friday. Sorority girls are usually on Lockdown from the previous Saturday night or Sunday morning until Thursday. Incoming freshmen and others going through rush are allowed to move into the dorms on Sunday while everyone else must wait until Thursday.

Do Greeks run things at your school? Absolutely, nothing would get done if it weren't for greeks, with the exception of the campus newspaper which is decidely anti-greek.

Last Time Greek was Student Body President?
Currently a Pike is President. While I was an undergrad, a Kappa, a SigEp, and a member of Farmhouse were all Presidents of the Student Government.

Last Time Greek was Homecoming King? 2004, a SigEp
Last Time Greek was Homecoming Queen? 2004 a Gamma Phi Homecoming 2005 is this week, and I guarentee at least one of the royalty winners will be Greek

Describe your typical Greek social Semester?(Are they called mixers/parties/exchanges, must they be registered, how many do you have a semester, any other "greek" sponsored social outlets, is having a party with another house a common thing or a rare thing, describe as much as possible)

We call them parties, and we have 2 house parties (or simply all-house parties) in which a fraternity and sorority hang out, and 4 house parties. Supposed to be registered, but that rarely happens. 4 house parties tend to be bigger themes (or date parties) with a rented dance hall or bar, and usually vans with designated drivers to transport party goers from off campus primer to 3rd party vendor. 2 house parties are more low key, and may or may not have a theme. Usually don't have a dance afterwords for the primer.
Most chapters have a winter and a spring formal (though they're really semi-formals), and no one does weekend trips like I've heard of at other schools.
We're not limited to only a certain number of big events a semster. Usually there is at least one theme party or all-house party every two weeks, if not every week. If no events are planned, then most fraternities, at least early on in the year will have some sort of random house party every week. We also have "froshes" which have changed just this year, although the old style froshes continue illegally. Old style - the type I grew up with: Thursday night, fraternity and sorority pledge class get together for some sort of sober activity, then go to an off campus house and party. New style in response to risk management issues: 2 fraternities and 2 sororities (as assigned by Greek Affairs) go to some local establishment at around dinner time on Friday night, and hang out. Lasts until about 7pm, then everyone goes about their business for the rest of the night. Needless to say the friday night froshes are becoming less and less popular. Other "greek" social activities include the All-Greek Dance which I think was discontinued this year, and "The Frosh" which used to be organized by Jr. IFC and Jr. PanHel, in April as a freshman only party.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that on Monday nights we often have dinner exchanges. Every chapter has a formal dinner on Monday night with Chapter following afterwards. Dinner exchanges involve 1/2 a fraternity eating at a sorority house while 1/2 of the sorority eats at the fraternity house.

Good relationship with the University Administration?

For the most part I would say so. Our current head of Judicial Affairs is a SigEp I think, and he's trying to be very proactive in his decisions and work with making chapters better rather than kicking them off campus. Our Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs was also a member of SigEp I believe, but he's retiring this year.

Good relationship with Greek Affairs/Greek Life?

Yes most people like our head of Greek Affairs and EVERYONE loves her Secretary, a woman who underwent Alumni Initiation last fall into Gamma Phi.

Is your director of Greek Affairs Greek? From your Campus?

She is an UNL Alum and is a member of Alpha Chi Omega. Think she went to school in the mid 70's

Average dues associated with being in a chapter? More or less than living in Residence Halls?

Average Fraternity: ~$4600/yr for those living in the Chapter house
Average Sorority: ~$5200/yr for those living in the Chapter house.
Residence Hall Fees range from $5800 to $6800/yr
Much Cheaper to live in the Greek System, plus lots of other "hidden" savings, like many chapters have parking lots, dues include intramural and social fees, and so on.

Hazing, common or uncommon? For the most part uncommon. Most fraternity guys know which houses haze, and which don't. Sometimes there's a surprise and someone gets caught, but for the most part hazing is not that big of concern on campus.

Describe the types of philanthropies chapters do?
Almost all chapter have some sort of "food" philanthropy. Run on a Thursday night from 9pm to 2am, the chapter serves some type of food (each has their own "claimed", Tri Delt has Pancakes, Beta - Tacos, SigEp - Sausage, Gamma Phi- French Toast), and members sell tickets to raise money. Great when coming home from the Bars. Most sororities have some sort of sports tournament as well, with the entry fees from the fraternity teams going to the cause. Some fraternities do the same. Level of actual community service varies from chapter to chapter, while philanthropy involvement is pretty set. Competitions between the sororities (Derby Days, Paddy Murphy) have become less and less popular with the ladies over the four years I was in undergrad. Most chapters have a partnership with one of the Lincoln Elementary schools, but actual levels of mentoring vary widely. A lot of fraternities also do adopt-a-highway.

Any notable traditions for the Greek System?
Used to be many, now not so much. Homecoming is a big deal, with lots of work spent on huge lawn displays (though not as impressive as some other place). Greek Week struggles, though is improving. The system has really improved over the last 15 years, and many chapters win the top awards that their general/inter/national organizations hand out at conventions. The UNL Greek System is full of leaders and most chapters have recently had a member travel for their organization as some sort of consultant.

EDIT: Maybe not so much tradition as convention but every IFC and NPC group has formal dinner (suit and tie for the guys, dresses for girls) on Monday night with Chapter meetings afterwards.