Huge vs Small Greek Schools

meheron · #1 08-28-2002, 11:37 PM

Do you like it that your school is mostly greek or do you like it that your schools greek system is small?

At BSU in good old Muncie IN the greek system is very small. Maybe 10-15% of campus. Sometimes I wish that we had more support in times of recruitment and when we are trying to get people to play in our Smackdown Volleyball Tournament, but the fact that when we have tournaments and other function such as homecoming events, I know or have seen most of the people around is a good feeling. Now granted the are over 2000 that are greek at BSU but a lot of schools are much bigger. I joined the greek system so I could feel more part of the university and part of a strong orgaization and I feel that both of my needs we met during my undergraduate years.

33girl · #2 08-29-2002, 10:08 AM

When I was in school Clarion's greek system was maybe 15-20% of the student population. I liked it...it was big enough, but it didn't overwhelm the campus or make people feel like they "had" to go Greek. You chose it if you wanted, but you weren't a social outcast if you didn't.

ROWDYsister · #3 08-30-2002, 02:34 AM

Because my school is so freaking huge the percentage of students who are Greek isn't very high but it sure feels like everyone and their momma is, though. I think it's fun the way things are...Wednesdays when everyone's in letters it's like Greeks on parade. In class I squint to try and read everyone's event t-shirts. And the best thing is when you're at a party and can look around and basically name the house each person is in not b/c of how they look but b/c you JUST KNOW.

Plus, b/c not a huge number of kids are Greek, people aren't forced into Greek life just to have a social life even when they're not cut out for it. When you're Greek, you WANT to be be Greek. And if you don't feel like like having a Greeky night, it's so so easy to find a random apartment party with people who couldn't be happier being GDI.

BSUPhiSig'92 · #4 08-30-2002, 11:00 AM

Being a BSU alum myself (Go Cardinals!), I totally identify with you Meheron. It wasn't until I became a Greek Advisor at my current school that I totally came to appreciate the Greek system at Ball State! At 10-15% of the student body (the same range it was when I was there from 1987-92) the Greek population is right on track with the national average. At Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, about 4% of the student body is Greek. It can get a little frustrating with it being so small sometimes

But we are still mostly a commuter campus, and the University is somewhat dependent on Greeks to make things happen, show up for events, etc. One thing I always thought we needed more of at Ball State (and really, really need at SIUE) is more tradition. The few traditions we had seem to really be going by the wayside at BSU (Watermelon Bust, Bike-a-Thon, nobody seems to wear letters there anymore), plus the University has cracked down so much.

Since I started at SIUE in 1999, we have been trying to create some traditional events (our Ebony & Ivory Stepshow, Back to School Concert, and this year, our first Greek Carnival).

BSUPhiSig'92 · #5 08-30-2002, 11:03 AM

ROWDYsister, is the Greek-letter Wednesdays a planned thing, or does it just seem to happen that way? AT UF that seems amazing! I have trouble just getting my few hundred students to get organized enough to wear their letter on the same day for Greek Week!

KappaKittyCat · #6 08-30-2002, 11:17 AM

At my school it's less than 9%, and even that's hard to come by. It's a higher percentage of fraternity men than sorority women, partially because there are more women in the student body but more fraternities for the men to choose from, and partially because, until this year, the school only allowed fraternities to be housed. This year one sorority has a house and the others will be applying for one for next year, so it'll be interesting to see how that affects Greek life.

But the administration needs us, even though they'll never admit it. If there weren't Greeks to have parties, etc., the alcohol troubles on the campus would grow exponentially. Greeks are the only ones allowed to have massive BYOB parties. We provide the social outlet for the entire campus.

Hmm...

FuzzieAlum · #7 08-30-2002, 12:10 PM

I don't know if there are really fewer sorority women because there are MORE women. At my school, we had the exact opposite theory - there was a smaller percentage of Greek women because they didn't have to go Greek to meet guys.

I think, though, that at most every school more men than women are Greek, regardless of the campus makeup. Anyone have a good theory as to why?

lifesaver · #8 08-30-2002, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ROWDYsister
Because my school is so freaking huge the percentage of students who are Greek isn't very high but it sure feels like everyone and their momma is, though. I think it's fun the way things are...Wednesdays when everyone's in letters it's like Greeks on parade. In class I squint to try and read everyone's event t-shirts. And the best thing is when you're at a party and can look around and basically name the house each person is in not b/c of how they look but b/c you JUST KNOW.

Plus, b/c not a huge number of kids are Greek, people aren't forced into Greek life just to have a social life even when they're not cut out for it. When you're Greek, you WANT to be be Greek. And if you don't feel like like having a Greeky night, it's so so easy to find a random apartment party with people who couldn't be happier being GDI.

hahhah. One, I dig the term "greeky night", and I dig how we actually all know what that means, lol

Two, Thats so true, how you can tell what org someoen is in, not by how they are dressed, but you can just tell. So very true. hahah.

ROWDYsister · #9 08-30-2002, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BSUPhiSig'92
ROWDYsister, is the Greek-letter Wednesdays a planned thing, or does it just seem to happen that way? AT UF that seems amazing! I have trouble just getting my few hundred students to get organized enough to wear their letter on the same day for Greek Week!

It's a planned thing. Everyone wears jerseys or event t-shirts and every kind of tote bag or cap or anything with letters. It's cool.

Tom Earp · #10 08-30-2002, 04:35 PM

Greeks on may Campuses feel degraded to be a member of a Greek Org and are in the Minority!

Why, Hell I dont know!

KKat, I agree totally, if not for Greeks on many Campuses what would Home Coming Be, Participation at Sporting Events, Charitable Functions, Being on Commitees, Writing the School News Rag, ETC!

I think I am finally getting through to my Guys, Be Proud and Wear your Letters when you do all of the good things that we as Greeks Do!

We now have a DZ who is the Greek Event Coordinator who likes us and spent half a day at our mentoring session (On A Sat) with the Active Chapter and Alums who came there to run it!

I am now wishing we had a DZ Chapter at the PITT!

6 Fraternitys and 3 Soroitys with a Population of 6,500 +!

What is wrong with this picture!

meheron · #11 09-03-2002, 03:16 PM

I think if my school BSU lost their greek chapters events would not happen. It seems to me that 95% of everything that happens on campus is put on or hosted by the greek system even though we are such a small percentage of the school. I have always wondered what it would be like here, and how much fun it might be if we were more like 75% of the school. It would be a lot of fun.