Comments on new Office of Greek Life website? (please?)

[Liana]

I recently finished the University of Michigan Office of Greek Life website, and I wondered if any of you would take a look at it and tell me what you think. I'm not a member of a sorority but I basically worked off of the materials given to me (and I've been learning quite a bit about the Greek system!) so I don't think I screwed anything up badly...but if I have I'd like to know. So if you'd take a look at it I'd really appreciate it!
http://www.umich.edu/~greeks

[BlueReign]

It looks great!!

[Liana]

Thanks ^_^

Originally posted by BlueReign:
It looks great!!

[PenguinTrax]

Looks great...just a couple of suggestions..

Since you already use the correct term of "recruitment" in your frame menu, maybe change the header to say Interested in Fall Recruitment? or Interested in Membership Recruitment?

I only bring this up because of the terminology changes approved by the NPC this last year. Although most people refer to these events as 'rush', the terms preferred by the NPC should be used whenever possible.

For example, Rushees should be replaced with potential members. Events has replaced parties, etc. The Panhellenic office on campus should be able to provide you with these new terms.

Originally posted by Liana:
I don't think I screwed anything up badly...but if I have I'd like to know. So if you'd take a look at it I'd really appreciate it!

Liana, it looks like you have done a good job.
Since you asked for some imput, here is a list of up to date terminology: http://www.deltagamma.org/resource/recruit_terms.htm
Pgntrax is right, it is very important that the up to date terminology be used as stated by the National Panhellenic Conference for its groups.

GREAT JOB and thank you for soliciting input!

[Liana]

OK, thanks! I'll ask the lady I'm working for about the correct terminology, and see if she wants them changed (boss has last word about everything you know ^_^)

[Texas Alum]

Liana - I think the site looks super!!!

IMHO - I understand the need for the new terminology, and hate the terms at the same time!!! A high school senior has enough to think about those first days of the semester without trying to memorize phrases like Formal Membership Recruitment Acceptance and Intentional Single Preference. Plus, I think that the new term for "suicide" should not sound so innocuous -- it is a very serious decision and should be weighed heavily, and the name should reflect that.

(not that I have a better suggestion )

[This message has been edited by Texas Alum (edited August 01, 2000).]

[33girl]

Texas Alum & local sororities –

I agree with you totally about the terminology! “Suicide” did sound pretty bad, but “Intentional Single Preference” is too much of a mouthful! Maybe it could be shortened to “ISP” or “single pref” or something that doesn’t take a day to say. “Recruitment” sounds like the military, plus it also sounds like we have to talk people into joining. I don’t see what was wrong with rush – because that’s what it is, for both sides – a “rush” of excitement. It sounds much more inviting.

My big problem with all this politically correct terminology (everywhere, not just here) is that it seems to focus a lot more on what you SAY than on what you DO. If there are aspects of rush that should be changed (like dirty rushing or emphasis on looks), change them and do something concrete. Don’t just change words and think it made a big difference.

By the way – to answer the original question – the website looks beautiful!

[Liana]

OK! Thanks for all the advice. I've changed it where I caught it (but to be quite honest I'm thoroughly sick of the project - I've been working on it since last May! - so it's hard to go through it all for the millionth time and I very well may have missed huge chunks of information ^_^)

I have another question though - the lady I'm working for suggested a Famous Michigan Greeks section for the Fun Stuff section - trouble is, the only famous one that she could think of offhand is Gerald Ford. Is there somewhere I could look up such information easily?

[Liana]

This page is shaping up to be a college-long project, so may as well register now. Whee! ^_^

[Finer Woman10-A-91]

Design wise, the site looks great.

Content wise...its a bit on the thin side.

The Black Greeks actually look very underrepresented on the site. There is not mention at all of Black Greek organizations in the history of Greeks section. There is one picture with Iotas that represents the ALL of the Black Greeks yet there are 10 organizations listed in the BGA.

The attempt to recognize the BSA really seemed minimal. Although it appears the NPHC is not recognized on UMichigan's campus, I think its very important to recognize that 9 of the 10 groups listed are part of a bigger organization,especially since the NPHC governing body that has been established for over 70 years.

Additionally, all of the chapters names should be listed. That information is easily obtained by calling the National headquarters of the organization listed.

FYI...The name Black Greek Association is actually a misleading name ( I know you did not make it up). But the truth is none of the organizations listed exclude white members from joining. Its very important that a statement (non discrimination)be made.

visit www.nphc.org for more information.

Originally posted by Liana:
I recently finished the University of Michigan Office of Greek Life website, and I wondered if any of you would take a look at it and tell me what you think. I'm not a member of a sorority but I basically worked off of the materials given to me (and I've been learning quite a bit about the Greek system!) so I don't think I screwed anything up badly...but if I have I'd like to know. So if you'd take a look at it I'd really appreciate it!
http://www.umich.edu/~greeks

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Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated...Every Finer Woman's Dream!

[Corbin Dallas]

The only place I saw under-representation of the "Black Greeks" was in the photo gallery and the history, and it could be that they don't have any photos of them, in which case, I suppose they should contact the BGA and get a couple of photos. Considering the history on this page only covers the start of the Greek System, and a few other sidenotes, I think it should be noted when the first BGLO came on campus, and when the BGA was formed. It looked to me like all of the chapters were listed, unless it had been changed from when you viewed it to when I viewed it. Under the BGA info paragraph, I think it would be a good idea to note which ones belong to the NPHC, but if the BGA wrote this paragraph, it must be what they want representing their organization.

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Steve Corbin
Lambda Chi Alpha
Theta Kappa Chapter
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech.

[Liana]

Thank you very much for looking through my page thoroughly, and posting about it.

For the history section, I did a lot of searching and there wasn't much I found to start with - a ton of information on the early days of Chi Psi and Beta Theta Pi, and then basically nothing after that except for a handful of mentions. But you're right - I need to find some BGA information for the history section. I had a couple of BGA members who said they would contact me with more information, but (just like the Panhel members and the IFC members) never did and the site had to be put up ASAP. I'll ask the lady I work for for any information she can give me, though I honestly don't know how much that will be.

The Iotas picture - it's really more of a design element than anything else, like the picture of the three Panhellenic women and the two IFC guys on the same page. It's not intended to represent the eight BGA organizations.

Basically, I worked from all the information that the lady I'm working for gave me, and the NPHC isn't mentioned once - I didn't know about it until I started reading through this site, which was some time after I had finished the main body of the information. I'm not sure to what extent the NPHC is recognized here, given that it wasn't mentioned at all, but I will definitely ask if it should be mentioned.

I forgot about the missing chapter names...that was one of the many things that I thought "Oh, darn, I've got so much to do so I'll find those later" and promptly forgot about. So I'll find the ones I'm missing.

And I'll see what kind of non-discrimination statement she wants me to put in, because it probably is something that should go there.

Thank you very much for taking the time to help me make this page better and more informational.

Originally posted by Finer Woman10-A-91:
Design wise, the site looks great.

Content wise...its a bit on the thin side.

The Black Greeks actually look very underrepresented on the site. There is not mention at all of Black Greek organizations in the history of Greeks section. There is one picture with Iotas that represents the ALL of the Black Greeks yet there are 10 organizations listed in the BGA.

The attempt to recognize the BSA really seemed minimal. Although it appears the NPHC is not recognized on UMichigan's campus, I think its very important to recognize that 9 of the 10 groups listed are part of a bigger organization,especially since the NPHC governing body that has been established for over 70 years.

Additionally, all of the chapters names should be listed. That information is easily obtained by calling the National headquarters of the organization listed.

FYI...The name Black Greek Association is actually a misleading name ( I know you did not make it up). But the truth is none of the organizations listed exclude white members from joining. Its very important that a statement (non discrimination)be made.

visit www.nphc.org for more information.

[NUPE4LIFE]

I totally agree with Finer Woman. The NPHC orgs. need to be more represented. You provide no information at all that would be remotely useful to anyone interested in any of the orgs. Other than that, it looks okay.

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KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY, INC.
SPR 97
XI LAMBDA

[Texas Alum]

Originally posted by Liana:

I have another question though - the lady I'm working for suggested a Famous Michigan Greeks section for the Fun Stuff section - trouble is, the only famous one that she could think of offhand is Gerald Ford. Is there somewhere I could look up such information easily?

I would recommend asking each chapter themselves! I know exactly who all my famous sisters are, but might not know about lots of other chapters. Or, e-mail the national orgs.? lots of them have that info directly on their websites.