Rivalry

phisig4life · #1 01-27-2003, 09:39 PM

I go to a small school and we only have 3 soroities on campus...my soroity is the largest and the other two are a bit smaller. We have panhell and that's good but for the most part the 2 smaller sororities tend to team up against us. Often we are held back b/c we are the largest. We put much time and effort in helping the other sororites recruit but their numbers don't seem to be improving and there is only so much we can do. It's creating quite a bit of tension at panhell meetings, and the rivalry between us is getting a little too intense. Any ideas on how we can meet a reasonable agreement?

MSSTCY1 · #2 01-28-2003, 04:13 AM

You HELP them recruit?

Your sorority must be a great group of girls because I cannot think of a single sorority at my school that would ever try and help another group recruit.

It's very hard to stop a rivalry once its started, the only thing I can think of is trying to unite all three sororites. Maybe do a mixer with the other two group, host events on campus, or even do a philanthropy together. If there are any girls in your sorority that know any of the other girls, maybe they could plan it together.

Your group must be doing something right to get all those girls that the others aren't. Kudos to you

AOX81 · #3 01-28-2003, 09:59 AM

If you figure something out please let me know. My school is in a similar situation. We are local and we have two NPC sororities. We are the largest of all three and we also used to help recruit for Greek life as a whole. Last semester we dropped out of our local PC because we didn't want to put up with the constant bickering and disputes.

Good luck to you!

--Can't we all just get along?

oceanphi01 · #4 01-28-2003, 11:29 AM

That's the same thing that has been happening on our campus. It's a small campus with an even smaller Greek system and there are only two NPC sororities. The competition is incredibly intense, but since I was initiated we've been trying to promote good relations between the two. A good point is that a new local sorority has started up-- Delta Psi Sigma. They eventually want to go National, but they can't. With them it eases a lot of the tension between us and Gamma Phi Beta, especially during Greek Week.

AlphaGamGirlAY · #5 01-28-2003, 12:13 PM

So at my campus, we've got 11 NPC sororities and like 10 or 11 IFC frats. I know the fraternities are pretty much every group for themselves and the sororities have some rivalry. It boils down to big chapters vs. smaller chapters and it sucks.

White_Chocolate · #6 01-28-2003, 05:24 PM

rivalries suck
i think thats why i want to go somewhere that has a bigger chapter
i'm sick of the other sororities telling girls that we do drugs and drink(which is true for those over 21) especially when the guys all like us because we try to stay neutral. we've lost 2 potentials because another sorority girl told her mom that we were partiers(we're the only ones that throw socials and we invite EVERYONE to attend). one girl has been forbidden to hang around us. and it's quite unfair.

but what can be done??? the innocent will STILL suffer with the guilty.

shadowstar · #7 01-29-2003, 01:51 PM

i hate to say it, but there probably will not be a resolution. i think there has been competition between sororities for as long as they have existed. on my campus, my house was the smallest and we were always battling with the bigger houses for women, and we always lost. It's hard to not be resentful of the house(s) that is pulling in the numbers when that's what you need to stay afloat. All the houses were like "we want to help you" but the only way they honestly could have helped was to have given all of their pledge classes to us!! (Although ZTA gets props for co-hosting an open house with us.) At any rate, the smaller houses probably feel the need to band together against the house that's "taking away their women", just out of survival instinct. If I were you, I would just conduct business for your house and not worry about helping them out, because you won't be able to solve their problems. They're small because there's something inherently wrong in how the chapters are operating that they aren't getting the numbers they want/need. I also would definitely encourage suggesting social or philanthropic things you could all do together, but don't bend over backwards or try to make your house suffer or anything at the sake of helping them out or trying to stop a rivalry that might have deeper roots for the other houses than just competitiveness. Don't be mean and nasty to each other, but don't feel like you are required to have anything more than a healthy working relationship. Best of luck!!

XOMichelle · #8 01-29-2003, 08:25 PM

You just have to remember that the greek system, especially at smaller schools, needs to be unified if it is going to stay alive.

I think a good way to ease tension is to do fun events with other soririties (like throw parties or mixers or do community service), that will allow you to get to know eachother on an individual baisis. That will make being greek better than being XYZ or ABC, and allow you to recruit more members.

Since you are the bigger sorority, the other girls probably don't like you or are jealous because if it. You need to be big about rivalry, and telly our girls to take the time to socialize at the events you have together.

Good luck!
ll,
M

phisig4life · #9 01-29-2003, 08:53 PM

okay all this advice has been great but it doesn't help us with the voting at panhell..b/c the two sororities team against us alot of times things that are good for the system as a whole are voted down b/c they were our idea. The first time this happened i thought it was just b/c they didn't like the idea but when EVERYTIME our girls propose something and all the other girls vote it down its a problem.We also get punished more harshly for infractions. We host events alot but we only have the minimum people show up b/c WE hosted it. It doesn't hurt our recruitment luckily but i've spoken to girls that have gone through formal recruitment and they choose Not to look at the two smaller soroities b/c even they can feel the petty vibes that they give off. I guess its just going to be one of those frustrating situations that never really gets resolved b/c no matter how much our girls would like to work it out if the other sororites don't want to they won't.