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Using other group's emblems/letters can be a slippery slope for any local group, interest group or not. A couple of years ago, a group at Texas Tech formed, hoping to colonize a national-they liked DZ, so they called themselves DZA...used pink & green, turtles, etc. While DZ national was happy to talk with them, Tech's College Panhellenic wasn't ready to expand. In the meantime, some of the other groups (but not all) on campus seemed offended that they would dare form a local sorority & actually threatened to "report" them to DZ national (who was quite aware of their existence, and supportive of their efforts). When it became clear that expansion wasn't going to happen, they dissolved for a while. They're back now, but changed their colors & symbols (to Pink & black, and candles instead of lamps), and I hear they have been concentrating on their sisterhood...they now ignore the unfriendliness of some of the national sorority women on campus, although some are still pretty harsh about them. They have been successful in recruitment & as participants in campus events, though, so I don't think they are going away. They did put a clause in their constitution that if DZ National ever colonized at Tech, they would change their name or dissolve....I don't hold my breath that Tech will expand anytime soon--and if they do, they'll probably invite a group that has been there before (Phi Mu, Sigma Kappa & GPB have histories there). *sigh*
There was also a group at Tarleton that wanted to colonize Chi Omega-they called themselves Chi Omega Nu, and used pretty much all the same colors/symbols. It was started by a transfer student who had pledged Chi O @ her original school...I don't know if they are there anymore. That campus can't support another sorority (although the groups are strong, Greek life just isn't that big) and even if they could, I suspect Chi O would not be open to colonizing there, since one chapter has folded there in the past, and another chapter there has taken almost 10 years since colonizing to reach total--and still has trouble making quota during formal. I don't think the Tarleton Sororities were that down on the idea, though. Locals at TSU aren't that unusual, so they weren't spurned as "posers" like the group at Tech.
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