outrage

tiramasu · #1 11-26-2002, 12:43 PM

tell me what u think

i was outraged because a group of girls on my campus wanted to become a new sorority. however they didn't want to go throught the period of becoming a club for a year getting recommended to become a sorority and being on probation for a year. they wanted to just buy their letter and be done with it.
of course the sororities and frats were outraged. if this was allowed anyone could become greek it defeated the whole purpose. i had just pleged, and was pissed they were saying they didn't see anything in the other sororities that they liked, and tried to get us to sign a petition to allow this. we didnt' sign of course. thankfully we go the board to vote them down. i don't think they will try again. however there were harsh words exchanged between my sorority and the frat that wanted those girls to be their sisters. were kinda at odds now. but i believe they were totally wrong.

tiramasu
DELTA PHI MU

Kevlar281 · #2 11-26-2002, 12:48 PM

Groups that circumvent the expansion process rarely flourish for a substantial period of time. IMO they are all just flash in the pan organizations with no substance. As Executive Vice-President of IFC expansion is one of my responsibilities and we our currently dealing with a national fraternity that came on to campus as a club to avoid all the “hassle” of IFC standards.

texas*princess · #3 11-26-2002, 01:04 PM

while i can understand your concerns you kind of have to see it from their points of view.

many inter/national sororities began because they wanted to start a group that was different in some way from all of the rest. now many of them have been in existance for over a hundred years. i don't think they were putting down your sorority saying they didn't see anything they liked in it, they just wanted something different - whatever that may be.

Quote:

if this was allowed anyone could become greek it defeated the whole purpose

how does this "defeat the whole purpose" of being greek? it was my understanding being greek was to promote brotherly/sisterly love, friendships, scholarship, service and things like that? From what I've read on these boards most Greeks *encourage* others to be Greek as well.. whether it's joining their GLO, or another one.

is there a reason why you and some of the others are so deadset against this?

i know of a group of girls in south texas that wouldn't be in existance right now if our fellow Greeks wanted to just vote us down. while i went to school there, i was part of their interest group. and not that we just woke up one day and decided to form a new sorority, but we really gave it a lot of thought and put everything we had in it to make it happen. and now they are one of the prominent groups on the campus who have just colonized with an international sorority. and one of the reasons for deciding to form our interest group ? Because we wanted something different from the other sororities on campus.

anyways.. that's just my .02.

edited for my horrible spelling

shadokat · #4 11-26-2002, 05:12 PM

I understand that if they really wanted to become a sorority, they would go through the process that the campus has set in place. BUT, don't be offended that they don't find anything they relate to in the sororities that currently exist. Often times, that's how many greek systems grow! And growth in your system is many times healthy!

#5 11-26-2002, 05:24 PM

tiramasu -

Is it a local or a national group? For some national groups the processes might be at odds from top-down and down-up.

I agree with all that is being said about new organizations building up a greek system, though! If I remember correctly, the Amherst area is not particularly greek-friendly (though, correct me if I'm wrong!)

tiramasu · #6 11-26-2002, 07:13 PM

the group they were trying to form was not a national it was a local. and i did not have a problem if they wanted to form their own sorority for their own reasons. i am not against new sororities at all. i was against them becoming greeks by self proclaimation. they just wanted to say okay were a sorority now. when they asked us to sign their petition and we asked them what they were about they pretty much didn't have a clue. all they knew was that it was about sisterhood and they wanted to be the omegas sisters. and you are right about amherst not being very greek friendly. we are not allowed to have offcial houses. daemen is not negative towards us but they aren't espeacially enthusiastic either. We were at one point a national sorority from what i've been told and so were our brothers but i'm not really sure what happened. i've asked the alumni but no one really talks about it. ?
TIRAMASU
DELTA PHI MU

texas*princess · #7 11-26-2002, 07:27 PM

Hmmm... "Omega sisters" .. sounds familiar... actually if they watch that show "King of the Hill" that is probably where they got it from. The episode aired about a week ago and it was actually pretty hilarious.

I've read a few threads from ladies of GC who wanted to form new sororities, but their Greek councils were entirely against it, and it kind of makes me sad. Unless the other GLO's are all struggling I don't see why we couldn't spread the Greek love and welcome new members to the greek community.

the situation becomes totally different after you say they had no real clues as to why they want to form this new organization to begin with (besides just wanting to be an "Omega sister"). After reading several NPC's history on the websites, all of them had meaning when they first began.. same with many of the locals... they all formed with specific goals/ideals in mind.

With that said, if they are really wanting to follow through with it, they will take the time to sit down and discuss what exactly they want to do..

crystalline · #8 11-26-2002, 07:29 PM

Maybe they were just so excited that they hadn't thought it through all the way, and didn't really have anyone to guide them towards things they should be looking at.

Kevin · #9 11-26-2002, 08:49 PM

I can see why you'd want a group to want to prove that they are not flash-in-the-pan. You might consider adding a constitutional or bylaw item that requires a group to have existed for 3 or 4 years prior to being able to joining IFC/PHC (unless they're national and you've voted for expansion).

KellyO97 · #10 11-26-2002, 09:30 PM

Something very similar is happening at my campus....a group of girls want to start a sorority, even though their creation will almost certainly destroy at least one of the existing sororities on campus. When someone asked them why they would want to start a group that would hurt other sororities, one of them actually used the term "survival of the fittest"--very Panhellenic.

texas*princess · #11 11-26-2002, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KellyO97
Something very similar is happening at my campus....a group of girls want to start a sorority, even though their creation will almost certainly destroy at least one of the existing sororities on campus. When someone asked them why they would want to start a group that would hurt other sororities, one of them actually used the term "survival of the fittest"--very Panhellenic.

How would their creation destroy at least one of the other sororities? Are the sororities on your campus having a hard time reaching total? If so, maybe adding GLO's probably wouldn't be the smartest thing

KellyO97 · #12 11-26-2002, 10:29 PM

Only a few houses are at total, and only 4 out of 9 houses made quota during formal recruitment, but the new sorority was allowed to become a local anyway.....all Nationals were informed, and people tried to fight it, but in the end, the only option was to allow them to be a local. I am actually an alum, so I am not very involved in the situation, but we do not have a very stable greek system. Most houses really have to work for the girls they get. Trust me, we know it's not a good idea.......

crystalline · #13 11-27-2002, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KellyO97
Something very similar is happening at my campus....a group of girls want to start a sorority, even though their creation will almost certainly destroy at least one of the existing sororities on campus. When someone asked them why they would want to start a group that would hurt other sororities, one of them actually used the term "survival of the fittest"--very Panhellenic.

To play the devil's advocate, if they aren't satisfied with what the current greek system has to offer, they have the right to try to add to it. If they are different from the other sororities, it is possible that the girls they will attract wouldn't have chosen any of the other sororities anyway.

texas*princess · #14 12-02-2002, 11:16 PM

yep.. i agree w/ crystalline.

Blue Violet · #15 12-02-2002, 11:32 PM

I ditto everything crytalline has said on here so far. They can't be falted for not seeing themselves in the other houses. Why is it OK for a sorority to not see a girl in their house but if a group of girls want to do their own thing-it's all kinda hell?

I personally feel the greek system is in desperate need of new blood-at all levels. I say-good luck to them. Let them in. They want to have a sisterhood. Who says they have to define it according to anyone elses terms? Who says they need goals other than to be sisters? They may just be new and excited and in need of a bit of guidence-not resistance. Why not offer to help them along the journay?

This next statement is not directed at anyone in particular here are GC-but simply an observation of my own campus-Damn girls can be catty. In with the love-out with the hate.