Local names for national organizations?

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by dukedg

That is so interesting! When I was at Duke we heard about SPE because they had had their charter revoked and went out with a crazy party called "SPE ya later", probably in the early to mid-90's (Duke's website about greek life history is SO wrong!). Then they rechartered my senior year and everyone at Duke wanted to call them SPE and they kept telling us "no, it's SigEp". At the time they said they were doing this to distance their image from the SPEs that had been kicked off a few years earlier!

Interesting. SPE/SigEp got their charter revoked at W&L too, but are now back and I think mostly called SigEp. I'm pretty sure they were or are called "SPE" at Davidson too, because my aunt knew of "SPE". She went to Davidson in the late 70s so that could have changed by now, or they could not even be there anymore (many of the fraternities at Davidson left or left and then returned later due to the fraternity reforms the school imposed).

So it could be a regional VA/NC thing. Or mid-Atlantic if it happened at Penn State...

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

So it could be a regional VA/NC thing. Or mid-Atlantic if it happened at Penn State...

Well, don't quote me on that, I might have heard the term post-college, I just know I've heard it. We definitely referred to them mainly as SigEp that I can recall. Maybe some more recent grads can attest to whether they're ever called "SPE" there. (I much prefer "SigEp")

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

Well, don't quote me on that, I might have heard the term post-college, I just know I've heard it. We definitely referred to them mainly as SigEp that I can recall. Maybe some more recent grads can attest to whether they're ever called "SPE" there. (I much prefer "SigEp")

I definitely understand why national orgs want to supervise the nicknames on campus after experiencing the frustration of "girl Pi Phi" and "boy Pi Phi." So when SigEp came back to Duke I understand why they wanted the correct national brand... at the same time my heart tells me "SPE." LOL. I hung out there quite a bit before they left campus. (But that's a whole 'nother story.)

I also sympathize with Theta Chi being Theta when Kappa Alpha Theta isn't there, things like that. It's easier to say.

There are instances, of course, where two national orgs having the same nickname nationally. For example Kappa Alpha Psi and Kappa Kappa Gamma are both widely known as "Kappa."

Actually, there was a secret society at W&L known as the Sigma Society, wherein they took really popular guys from the "top" several fraternities and all the guys wore these mysterious/cool rings. Now Phi Beta Sigma is on campus and I wonder since they go by "Sigma" if that causes any confusion. They only revealed their first line at W&L in the spring of my senior year so I wasn't really there for much time after the NPHCs came. But, I did go to their step show that year which ROCKED OUT.