Getting rid of collegians because they don't fit the image?

[AEPhiSierra]

Am I the only one who actually believes image could have played a significant part in closing chapter. I doubt the group was actually told that was the reason though because it's not the politically correct thing to do. While I am not saying national orgs have a singular image of what they want every chapter to look, act, dress like, etc. I don't find it hard to believe that a chapter could fall into an image that a national organization doesn't like and doesn't want to represent their organization. I would think that chapters with this problem tend to be smaller and that would be the official reason for the closure. They probably didn't like their image and figured restructuring would be the easiest and cheapest way to improve the image and resultingly bring them up to total.

Also, I don't really think there is a one year rule with NPC chapters being able to come back on campus, I think it is a courtesy that is extended by some campuses (give the org another try b/c they have been there for a while and/or its' easier than going through a whole expansion process). They probably kept 12 members so they could keep the charter but my guess is those 12 will not have the final say when it comes to new member selection

[kddani]

With image, maybe there was a chapter problem with drinking and drugs? That would certainly cause a bad image.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by kddani

With image, maybe there was a chapter problem with drinking and drugs? That would certainly cause a bad image.

You're getting this one confused with the other thread.

According to the OP in LJ, there was none of that going on in the chapter at DePauw.

[kddani]

Originally Posted by 33girl

You're getting this one confused with the other thread.

According to the OP in LJ, there was none of that going on in the chapter at DePauw.

Of course, I wouldn't necessarily trust that to be truthful

Plus, he's not even on campus anymore, so it seems like his information is based solely on hearsay and the gossip chain.

[33girl]

I'm gonna be really shallow here.

I looked at the site of the chapter in question and they just don't strike me as big partyers/druggies.

[kddani]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I'm gonna be really shallow here.

I looked at the site of the chapter in question and they just don't strike me as big partyers/druggies.

What makes you say that, out of curiousity? How can you judge by how they appear? I know young women of all shapes, sizes, colors and levels of beauty who partied like crazy.

But of course, all of us are speculating based on some random fraternity alumnus from that campus's LJ rant

[irishpipes]

And to answer your question about why they left some active members: they could not get a guarantee from the University or the Pan-Hellenic Council that they chapter (which happens to be, I believe, their oldest surviving chapter) would be allowed to re-open its doors once the last "old" member graduated.

This information must be incorrect. The chapters at DePauw are:
Alpha Phi 1887
Alpha Chi Omega 1885
Delta Gamma 1949
Delta Zeta 1909
Kappa Alpha Theta 1870
Kappa Kappa Gamma 1875
Pi Beta Phi 1942

He references the "oldest surviving chapter." Well, DePauw hosts the Alpha chapters of both Kappa Alpha Theta and Alpha Chi Omega. They don't have "image" problems at DePauw, unless things have changed drastically recently. No other chapter could be the oldest surviving. Alpha Phi, DG, and KKG all still have their Alphas open, ane we all know DG and Pi Phi have chapters older than 1949 and 1942. The LJ poster didn't have these facts straight, which could lead one to believe that other facts are not straight...

[33girl]

Dani, I said I was being shallow, LOL.

IP - when he says "their oldest surviving chapter" he means "their" as in the national sorority, not "their" as in DePauw.

Originally Posted by 33girl

Dani, I said I was being shallow, LOL.

IP - when he says "their oldest surviving chapter" he means "their" as in the national sorority, not "their" as in DePauw.

Loved your last sentence, btw.

*shaking my head at some of these douchebags*

[archangel689]

I'm not one to go and defend this type of behavior normally, but as a brother that joined in colony status and a founding father...


IMAGE IS SO highly regarded because recruitment is so important at this time and it so incredibly difficult to find new members because you are small and everyone looks on you as weak.

Members HAD TO PUT THE GROUP before themselves in order for the group to survive! Men that didn't shave, or had bad habits with regard to showering, or had bad clothing style are asked to fix these things, and a lot of times they didn't want to! and left the group because of it... and this is perfectly acceptable...

We never asked anything of anyone that they couldn't control... and we certainly never booted anyone because of genetics... We never asked that you not be your self, we just simply asked that you be your best self.... and represent us as best you can.

I think that DZ has probably endured the same problems we did... and are attempted the same thing, and It doesn't surprise me that a large faction of their group quit, or left or was asked to leave, THIS IS COMMON FOR COLONIES AS the group figures out and ESTABLISHES its identity!!!

Unfortunately, I think that these girls, were not willing to make the needed changes to support growth of the colony!!!

Now that our colony is a chapter, and is now stablizing, I've noticed that because their reputation has been built, recruiting is FAR FAR FAR easier and the guys worry a lot less about image...

It's really hard starting a colony, especially when you're dealing with freshmen who are retarded and superficial as hell and inspect who they join with a microscope.

I saw this covered on CNN and I was outraged that this was displayed on TV like a fucking soap opera, and that pledged author needs to put a sock in it.

[GDIfly]

They weren't colonizing; they were dwindling. There is a huge difference between choosing founding members based on their ability to recruit a strong alpha class and kicking out initiated sisters because they aren't recruiting the prettiest, thinnest, whitest, and/or sluttiest girls.

[exlurker]

Originally Posted by AEPhiSierra

Am I the only one who actually believes image could have played a significant part . . . .

AEPhiSierra, I don't find it too hard to believe; the relatively recent report of DePauw's Greek commission , which is in PDF and can be accessed with a click or two from:

http://www.depauw.edu/univ/greekfacts/

mentions in its section on "Affiliation" (i.e., recruitment / intake) -- page 14 of the report, at least as it showed up on my screen -- that for the seven NPC sororities, the "stereotypes" are "pervasive," the competition among sororities is "intense," and many women are interested in joining only certain chapters. Those who do not get bids at all, or who don't get bids to the chapter(s) they want, "harbor resentment for years." The report mentions that 31 percent of Greek women at DePauw think the recruitment process "is not fair."

So I can imagine that "image" could be a huge problem in that particular Greek system. I'm not saying it was (or that it should be in a perfect world), but I think it could have been.

[seraphimsprite]

I'm not to sure why this is so hard to believe either. I think there are probably some details missing from the story, sure, but I think we all know that a national doing a reorganization because of numbers alone is certainly not unheard of. And if the chapter's national thought that a certain image was what was necessary to rebuild the chapter on that campus then they're only going to keep those members that have that image. The one thing that struck me about his post was that he mentioned that it was a chapter of "independent-minded women." The image issues may not be about appearance but may be just about commitment to the sorority and a willingness to become a more traditional chapter. On a campus with greek life as steeped in tradition as DePauw being the "independent-minded" chapter is likely going to hurt them during recruitment, so yeah, I can definitely see a national organization deciding that they needed more "traditional sorority girls" to rebuild their chapter.

And no, that doesn't mean I agree with the decision, (if that's really what happened) just that I can see it happening.