NPC sororities in Hawaii and Alaska

[CutiePie2000]

For the longest time, there were no NPC sororities with chapters in Hawaii nor
Alaska.

OohTeenyWahine, I know you're out there, so maybe you can just describe a bit about the sorority system at U of Hawaii -Manoa (I've visited your campus, around the time when AGD was a colony)? Can you tell a bit about the other sororities on campus, even though they're local, not NPC? Also, how does AGD conduct recruitment, since there is no other NPC group on campus to "compete" with?

As for Alaska, I saw on the Sigma Sigma Sigma website that they're the 1st NPC sorority to establish chapters in Alaska, which I think is very commendable. If someone "in the know" can tell a bit about the sorority situation in Alaska, I would be interested to know. (I think one of the NPHC sorority's has established a chapter or two in Alaska also).

Looking forward to hearing what everyone has to say....

To add to ZT Angel's post, I went to greekpages and the Tri-Sigs are also at Alaska-Anchorage. They're the only nationals over there.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally posted by OohTeenyWahine:
To add to ZT Angel's post, I went to greekpages and the Tri-Sigs are also at Alaska-Anchorage. They're the only nationals over there.

You're absolutely right!!
This is from http://www.sigmasigmasigma.org/

The Tri Sig Collegiate chapters of Alaska are: University of Alaska-Anchorage, Eta Zeta
in Anchorage, AK & University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Zeta Mu in Fairbanks, AK.

Also OohTeenyWahine, when you said, "the locals still believe that a pledge must prove how much she wants to be in their sorority"...that is TERRIBLE! I've been hazed (by the rowing team, not a sorority), so this appalls me!!

Hopefully another NPC group will come to Hawaii, but I would imagine that it is expensive to keep up/monitor a fledgling colony/chapter in Hawaii. I bet your campus is the preferred destination of your Chapter Consultants, too!?

[tcsparky]

OohTeenyWahine,
I know that there are several Delta Zeta alumnae in Hawaii. If there are some girls interested in starting a colony there, that would be a good org to start with. You would have some alumni support. Maybe one of the locals would be interested in going National? It's an idea to check out.

I hope that one of the locals decide to go national. I've been at UH for 4 1/2 years already and I've seen that there hasn't been much change with their recruitment numbers. They'll get maybe 5-7 (if they're lucky) and in January when pledging's over they'll end up with 3. They all handle pledging the same way: nice and sweet at the rushes, and after pledge installation they force a pledge to memories 20+ different greetings for the sisters. I don't agree with that, and looking back at what I had to, I'd consider that hazing. Luckily I wasn't hurt, but I do believe that we should get rid of that kind of garbage before all the greeks get eliminated! One sorority decided not to rush this fall and another sorority "came back from the dead" this semester and had a fabulous recruitment (the best turnaround I've ever seen in my LIFE!).

I've talked to the president of the NPC alumnae chapter here in Hawaii. I forgot her name (Susan something I think), but I do remember that she's a Sigma Kappa. I don't know if they've talked about getting more NPC sororities on campus, but I'll try and find out some more info at the Panhellenic wine tasting. I'm loyal to AGD, but I'd certainly help out as much as I can if another NPC wants to colonize!

*BTW, yes, Leadership Advisors and Consultants are always requesting to come to our chapter. Right now we have a LA from the Troy State Chapter and she has totally turned our chapter around! She'll be with us for another year and a half while she gets her masters degree!

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*I'm an Alpha Gam...Yes I am, Yes I am!*

[carnation]

Hi, Teeny Wahine!!I used to go to UH in the late seventies and I was wondering--did Teh Shih Cheh fold? It was a very strong Chinese sorority. Also--is the hazing with the locals really bad? The Gamma Chi Sigmas used to make their pledges carry jack o' lanterns everywhere--of course, that wasn't the worst of it. That's the situation with the local sororities here at the college where I teach and they're all probably going to be made to go national in the spring due to risk management issues.

[kmullini]

Beta Theta Pi has an Alumni Association in Honolulu, Hawaii. I know there was a chapter there but I guess it went inactive.

Kevin Mullinix
Beta Theta Pi Alum
Epsilon Mu
George Mason '97

Carnation-I haven't heard that name you mentioned, but I'm thinking that it could've been transformed into Kappa Sigma Chi. I don't know too much about their history, but I know that they were formed after the war as a Chinese interest group (once coed, now just females).

The Gamma Chi Sigmas are still doing their pumpkin thing!!! Every October 1st they meet with their pledges (you know they call em peeons now?--just like the KEOs) and they make their pumpkins that they have to carry until Halloween. The Waks still have to carry the dead chrysanthemums and pink boxes. Those in the locals don't consider it hazing, but I do. When comparing their actions with hazing we've heard about in the news, it's fairly controlled. Still, waking up at 4:30 in the morning during finals week IN THE RAIN to go running for physical training is considered hazing to me. Physical training ("PT") is becoming big among the locals. I don't know if the school knows about it, but I know my chapter advisor was going to say something after we saw a PhiSig running away in tears after her pledge meeting. It's so bad that it breaks my heart to see them go through that. Some of the pledges endure the torture all the way to January and some get "dinged" (dropped) on purpose just because the frats/sororities think it's funny. It hurts the reputation of ALL the greeks on campus, but us and the TKEs do all we can to educate everyone on how going greek can be safe and hazing-free.

KMullini-about Beta Theta Pi. I entered UH in Fall 1997 and I think their chapter was gone by then. I've looked through different scrapbooks and they were in em up until 1996 (I think). The SigEps were also here, but they lost their chapter in 1998, and I believe that was their last pledge class. Last I heard both chapters were lost because their members didn't do enough to fill quota and basically they just let everything go. The TKEs were in trouble too, but the effort of ONE alum kept their chapter going, and now they're back on their feet again!!

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*I'm an Alpha Gam...Yes I am, Yes I am!*

Hi CutiePie2000!

As you probably know, AGD was colonized here in 1992, being the first NPC sorority to find its way here! Since then, no other NPC sorority has attempted to start a colony here.

Along with AGD, we have Gamma Chi Sigma, Beta Beta Gamma, Kappa Sigma Chi, Phi Sigma Rho, and Wakaba Kai Sorority. BBG, the Kappas, and Waks were all created in the post-WWII years as Korean, Chinese, and Japanese interest clubs, respectively. The local sororities are governed by the Inter-Sorority Council and have recruitment only once a school year, in the fall.

During recruitment, we tell potential rushees that AGD is the only NPC sorority on campus. Many girls that come to us are from the mainland, where a lot of them know about NPC and the different sororities. While our chapter is relatively small in comparison to the other AGD chapters in North America, our sorority is the largest on campus. We get an average of 10-12 girls each fall who accept our bids and usually all of them make it to initiation. The spring rush number is somewhat smaller, but we've handed out bids to a few girls...and we're gearing up for that right now!

I think the problem that the local sororities have is their pledge process. While most NPC sororities require a new member to go through weeks of fraternity education, the locals still believe that a pledge must prove how much she wants to be in their sorority. Being a local DP myself, I've witnessed the name calling, emotional torture, hell camps, etc. Because of that, they've earned a negative reputation. I mean, how can you not get a negative rep when a pledge has to greet you as loud as possible in our dining commons?

Luckily, AGD has been fortunate to avoid that reputation. A lot of our sisters (alums and collegians alike) hold important positions on campus that help us promote AGD. Over the years I'd say that tension has formed between AGD and the locals, but we're trying to get past that now by having beach days and picnics. It's difficult to participate in their events because they run on a different calendar than we do.

Looking at all of this, I wish that someone would start another NPC colony here at UH. The Greek system here isn't as strong as it is on the mainland, so it would be wonderful if another NPC and IFC found its way here. But for now, it's just us and the TKEs!

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*I'm an Alpha Gam...Yes I am, Yes I am!*

[ZTAngel]

I know that Tri-Sigma and Sig Ep are at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks.

[CutiePie2000]

Still, waking up at 4:30 in the morning during finals week IN THE RAIN to go running for physical training is considered hazing to me. Physical training ("PT") is becoming big among the locals.

OohTeenyWahine, the fact that the locals are doing the above is just terrible!! They're missing the point entirely of what university is, which is to get an education. Disturbing someone's sleep during finals?? What are they trying to do, make their members fail out of school?

I really commend you on your "Panhellenic Spirit" when you said that "I'm loyal to AGD, but I'd certainly help out as much as I can if another NPC wants to colonize!"
You sound like a class act and AGD is very lucky to have you!
(I'm glad you walked away from the local that hazed you and pursued AGD instead....YAY!!!)