Alumnae Attending College Events

[MaggieMaggie]

I was devastated when my chapter closed, the second of approximately 10 different sororities that closed in the 1970s and 1980s at LSU. APhi has recolonized and I have found myself recharged and excited. I have kept up with many of my sisters. But, when I have received invitations to events over the years, I have just put them to the side.

I do follow what is now going on at Delta Tau at LSU and find myself so incredibly jazzed and proud. After many e-mails and invitations, several of us have decided to attend the Red Dress Gala and we have filled 2 tables and working on table 3. Ordered several red dresses and found one that is perfect. We have been encouraged to go and don't get the feeling we will be received as "those creepy old ladies" that usually show up at homecoming and don't plan on becoming a COL.

Now, my question to other older alumnae, "Is it silly to feel so excited and do you think we will appear silly to the younger members?" My old tee shirts have also "shrunk significantly" and I do feel a self conscious about my weight? I am a professional "serious" woman and am laughing a little at myself that I am so looking forward to going. My husband didn't hesitate to agree to go so I have a date too! Am I overthinking this and should I just go and have a great time? What are your experiences going to this type of function as a mature alumnae? Love to hear your feedback and stories.

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by MaggieMaggie

I was devastated when my chapter closed, the second of approximately 10 different sororities that closed in the 1970s and 1980s at LSU. APhi has recolonized and I have found myself recharged and excited. I have kept up with many of my sisters. But, when I have received invitations to events over the years, I have just put them to the side.

I do follow what is now going on at Delta Tau at LSU and find myself so incredibly jazzed and proud. After many e-mails and invitations, several of us have decided to attend the Red Dress Gala and we have filled 2 tables and working on table 3. Ordered several red dresses and found one that is perfect. We have been encouraged to go and don't get the feeling we will be received as "those creepy old ladies" that usually show up at homecoming and don't plan on becoming a COL.

Now, my question to other older alumnae, "Is it silly to feel so excited and do you think we will appear silly to the younger members?" My old tee shirts have also "shrunk significantly" and I do feel a self conscious about my weight? I am a professional "serious" woman and am laughing a little at myself that I am so looking forward to going. My husband didn't hesitate to agree to go so I have a date too! Am I overthinking this and should I just go and have a great time? What are your experiences going to this type of function as a mature alumnae? Love to hear your feedback and stories.

Maggie, Maggie. Go and enjoy!
I also saw my chapter close in the 1970s. I made darn sure I was there when it reopened just 4 years ago.
So did a bunch of other alumnae who were there in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. I try to come to events once or twice a year. I'd come more often but we live 2.5 hours away. Every year we still have a few alums return who haven't been on campus in decades.

The current members love love love to have alumnae come around. Don't be afraid to talk to them. Ask questions about the sorority's activities - ask about them. Don't bore them too much with tales of "way back when" but do tell them some things. They love seeing that their brand new chapter actually has history.

As for wearing a T shirt - if I was still in my 30s, I might, but as an overweight gray-haired grandma, I don't. I don't want anybody to think that all the current members look like me! BUT I do tend to wear a lot of anchors when I'm there!

It's a freakin' miracle to see your chapter revived, so make the most of it and celebrate it!

[33girl]

Your chapter recolonized at a notoriously tough school - it would be odder if you WEREN'T excited! The collegians are going to be so happy to have you there. If your letter shirts have magically shrunk (it happens to all of us) there are lots of places online to find larger ones.

[FSUZeta]

Go! Enjoy! Get involved!

[DubaiSis]

There is definitely a balance between the alumnae who love their lifetime membership and those who refuse to grow up or beyond their collegiate experience. I think it is critical to the life of the sorority for the Old Broads to socialize with the collegians so they can see that membership continues beyond that 4 years. Plus, being from an older chapter (yeah, single letter chapters!) some of them had such great stories to tell! Our favorites were of the hazing stories. Eeek!

[MaggieMaggie]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

There is definitely a balance between the alumnae who love their lifetime membership and those who refuse to grow up or beyond their collegiate experience. I think it is critical to the life of the sorority for the Old Broads to socialize with the collegians so they can see that membership continues beyond that 4 years. Plus, being from an older chapter (yeah, single letter chapters!) some of them had such great stories to tell! Our favorites were of the hazing stories. Eeek!

Yes, good ole days like when we'd set up in front of the DG house with our chairs and number cards waiting for the blind folded fraternity pledges to get tied to the anchor in their tidy whities. We'd then flash a card ranking them. It was a good inter-sorority bonding opportunity.

It was even old fashioned then but throwing out size 22 underwear to the guys with some of the well known "mean girl" names and numbers on them.

[carnation]

Originally Posted by MaggieMaggie

Yes, good ole days like when we'd set up in front of the DG house with our chairs and number cards waiting for the blind folded fraternity pledges to get tied to the anchor in their tidy whities.

I thought it was "tighty whities"!

[MaggieMaggie]

I have some truly amazing sisters who are now partners in law firms, engineers, doctors, forestry, entomology, police officers, CPAs, finance, stay at home moms, and talented artists. I even lost one sister in the 1998 bombing of the American Embassy in Kenya. She was an engineer working on a clean water project. Extremely amazing also since these sisters were pursuing these majors in the late 1970s. We studied hard, but yes, we could have a really good time too. Wait, no, I tell my dd all work/study and I had an arranged marriage to a Tulane grad. I mean, how else would I have met a boy from Tulane? LOL, she doesn't believe me?

[MaggieMaggie]

Had a wonderful time at the LSU Red Dress Gala. About 25 "vintage" sisters attended and before we all knew it, the songs, the rituals, the sisterhood came flooding back. It was an emotional good-bye and plan on attending next year if possible. The new house is about half completed. They have redone the old AEPhi house and it is my understanding ADP will move in when they re-colonize in the fall. Don't know if I am reading too much into this but heard a comment the house is going to be used as transitional housing when new chapters move on to campus? I hope this means some/all of the approximately 11 groups that closed in the 70s/80s are coming back? For a school the size of LSU, they don't have that many chapters anymore. So sad to see the letters off the Sigma Chi house. My brother belonged to that chapter in the 70s. The pledges all initiated TKE which is at least a plus for them. The TKE house has been really spruced up and looks lively again. I was a Pike Little sister and see they have moved out of their house into a much nicer house. What fun going down memory lane and great hopes for new memories. Have posted an album of pics on Facebook if anyone wants to check it out. AOE y'all.

[MaggieMaggie]

Oh, highlight is when the vintage girls took to the dance floor. One of my sisters started a dance line. As we started snaking through the crowd, the young sisters saw what we were doing and joined in the dance. By mid-song, almost every sister, young and vintage were holding each other's waists and dancing through the room in an unbroken line. What a show of sisterhood and great fun too!!!

[FSUZeta]

Fabulous! I am so glad you went.

[honeychile]

Loving this!! So glad to hear that you had a good time!

[Sororitysock]

What a great story. I'm so glad you went.

[AnchorAlumna]

Hurray, MaggieMaggie, so glad you went and had a blast! Hope you'll continue to reconnect!