University of Texas-Austin Roundup

[Just interested]

When in doubt, stay home! Do you have any friends that were in sororities at UT? They would be your best guides. From what I understand, it is a lot calmer than in years past and not as "necessary" but again I'm only getting third hand information. I do know that most if not all of the sororities will be having some kind of event on the 25th.

[AGDee]

It sounds to me like the compromise of attending the day time events but not the fraternity parties is the best option. That way she can start to get her name/face known with the sororities but not have to deal with the social pressures/minefield side of the parties.

[Ladybugmom]

Originally Posted by AGDee

It sounds to me like the compromise of attending the day time events but not the fraternity parties is the best option. That way she can start to get her name/face known with the sororities but not have to deal with the social pressures/minefield side of the parties.

This^^^^

[srmom]

Just to chime in (haven't been on gc in a while ), as a mom of sons at UT, Round Up is a BLAST!

Looking at their pictures, it is clear that it is as much or more of a sorority recruiting event as fraternity. Not only are all the sorority girls wearing startlingly bright clothes and accessories with their letters proudly displayed, but the boys are wearing them as well. At chapter on Monday before Round Up, the sororities come by and drop off their gear at the fraternities, and the guys line up and take what will become a staple for their upcoming year's wardrobe (thank you, girls !).

Anyway, many, many high school girls attend, going in groups and staying on floors of sorority girls hosting them. These are pre-pre recruitment unofficial visits, and do not fall under the silence period. Panhellenic recommends that seniors not attend, but they do (just as they did back in my high school days - the more things change, the more they stay the same at UT).

As long as girls are in a group, have no preclivity for wild behavior (and want to have a successful rush) especially if they are staying with upperclassmen, they'll be fine - they'll be escorted from party to party and watched over like little ducklings.

And -to answer before it gets asked -

Camp: as in Waldemar, Mystic and Longhorn (co-ed) -popular girl's camps in Texas where a ton of future Longhorn Greeks go every summer since they could walk

NCL: as in National Charity League - a volunteer organization that moms and daughters participate together in requiring a certain number of hours at designated charity organizations, starts in junior high, goes through senior year, culminates in a fancy "Presentation" event.

As a boy mom, I'm glad to say I didn't have to worry about this stuff!

[AXOrushadvisor]

The camp thing has been on here before with UT. My dd went to Camp Mystic- we live in the southwest, but my in laws are from Austin. I can tell you there are tons of sorority women working at Mystic for the summer and even more HS Seniors headed for recruitment. I always pick up AXO recruitment shirts for my daughter- she likes to sleep in them. She would always get tons of questions about what her affiliation was with AXO when she was at camp wearing the shirts. On a side note, I have heard that if you are an M girl at Mystic that will set the stage for your recruitment at UT. That the groups know that you are a well rounded nice girl if you get that distinction.

[Just interested]

Thank you srmom, that is exactly what I wanted to say. Round-up has been for generations (since I was a kid in the early 60's, at least) for the HS seniors to go to UT to see what college is like. It is so much fun and at one time, I don't know about now, there were kids went who went that weren't even going to UT. It is for HS seniors. It's Round-Up (rounding up all the HS seniors for college)

Fun! Fun! and more Fun!

[Ladybugmom]

XXXOOOO

[Regina.George]

Originally Posted by Ladybugmom

lol SRMOM..My D said that her sorority has a spread sheet of all of the fraternities and who they are providing shirts/gear for.. It really is a big deal! I can hardly wait to get the bill She is more excited about Roundup than she was Springbreak! She also said that they get points for inviting senior girls to roundup. They want them to come, especially to the events at the sorority houses. Roundup has been a very big deal for years..I even attended in the stone ages and have some great pictures in the archives...so much fun!
Thanks SRmom for clarifying camp and NCL..two big factors here in Texas..

[Ladybugmom]

^^thanks for the QFP Cute..Actually 33girl..that is an edict from IFC..what I am referring to are the philanthropy events that take place at ALL of the sorority houses during the day..NOT the fraternity events. Each sorority has a daytime event where they are trying to raise money for thier respective philanthropy. I could go, you could go, Grandma Betty could go. I would not encourage any senior girls to attend any fraternity events. The wristbands they are referring to are for the fraternity events that take place at thier respective houses (mostly at night).

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Ladybugmom

^^thanks for the QFP Cute..Actually 33girl..that is an edict from IFC.

Oh come now.

We all know that the IFC is only saying that because they're being forced to from higher up. Show me a bunch of guys who don't want a brand new crop of girls to plop down into their midst and I'll show you...a bunch of gay guys. LOL

[AnchorAlum]

I knew of one girl whose grandfather was an extremely FAMOUS legal type and her Mom was in one of the "Big 6" at UT. She went down to roundup and passed out in a fraternity house, so trashed that she wet her pants while passed out.

It was such a big deal she ended up not even going to UT. Her Mom never understood why she insisted that she didn't want to go to Austin. We were all afraid to tell her and she never found out.

[barbino]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlum

I knew of one girl whose grandfather was an extremely FAMOUS legal type and her Mom was in one of the "Big 6" at UT. She went down to roundup and passed out in a fraternity house, so trashed that she wet her pants while passed out.

It was such a big deal she ended up not even going to UT. Her Mom never understood why she insisted that she didn't want to go to Austin. We were all afraid to tell her and she never found out.

The stuff that legends are made of ...

[LadyLonghorn]

Originally Posted by barbino

The stuff that legends are made of ...

Stuff like that happens all the time. Although planning to attend just the sorority functions is a good plan, once you're on campus and see how epic the parties are and have all kinds of girls (and obviously guys) urging you to go, it's very hard to say no.

[BAckbOwlsgIrl]

Don't all throw stones, fruit or other virtual objects at me, but, what happened to looking out for each other? Regardless of what chapter we are a member of, let alone a member at all?

Color me Pollyanna, not being from Texas and understanding all of the culture, but perhaps if someone had noticed that said aforementioned connected legacy was in such terrible shape, took the extra time to look out for her and get her to a safe place, then this poor thing would not have occurred. Isn't that what sisterhood and Panhellenic spirit is all about? Looking out for each other in good times and bad. Please tell me that Panhellenic would not have frowned upon such an act or considered it dirty rushing. We all have stories to tell of either ourselves or our sisters who drank too much and did something less than eloquent but they got taken care of. Instead of feeling ashamed, think of what that woman would have seen if someone had made the simple effort to take care of her; the true meaning of sisterhood. Oh, and if word did around campus about the sisters/chapter who helped her, I would only hope that it would boast their reputation to be caring, warm, strong and dependable instead of the ones who helped "that drunk girl."

Time to get off of my soapbox...

[33girl]

You would have to assume that she was being accompanied by anyone who knew her on sight to know she was a legacy (not that that should matter). Her MOM went there, not her sister. Plus you have to remember you can't swing a dead flea without hitting a legacy at Texas.

As someone who remembers wet fraternity rush, the fact is, LOTS of guys showed up who had absolutely NO intention of pledging a fraternity - they were there for the free booze, food and girls. I'm sure there are plenty of people (male and female) at Roundup parties doing exactly the same thing.