Is anyone else's rush experience like ....

[Buttonz]

Originally Posted by cutie_cat_4ever

I could understand the need to re-vamp Greek life at commuter schools. One thing that we're lacking of is the sprit, and it's esp hard when you don't have houses to live in to strengthen sisterhood. I know our school, rumor has it, is trying to make sorority floors. But then more than half of the ladies are commuters, which makes it even harder.

The school in question is a 100% commuter school., so there is a big lack of spirt and unity among the GLOs, among other things.

[cutie_cat_4ever]

Originally Posted by Buttonz

The school in question is a 100% commuter school., so there is a big lack of spirt and unity among the GLOs, among other things.

Mines is a commuter school too. I think from what I've seen, there is only this one NPC and a few latina sororities that are really active at school. Besides that, it just seems dead *shrugs*

Are you planning to become a greek advisor in the future for your school?

[ThetaPrincess24]

how come this school does not send out a greek life booklet or something to all new freshman or transfers coming to the college/university? UK did when i first started there as a freshman (though i chose not to go greek there), and EKU sent one out when I transferred there. Do not all schools with greek life do this? I think it's a good way to let newbies know about greek life and what greek options they have on their campus.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by ThetaPrincess24

how come this school does not send out a greek life booklet or something to all new freshman or transfers coming to the college/university? UK did when i first started there as a freshman (though i chose not to go greek there), and EKU sent one out when I transferred there. Do not all schools with greek life do this? I think it's a good way to let newbies know about greek life and what greek options they have on their campus.

Umm, lots of schools barely have the sororities and fraternities listed or mentioned on their webpage or student handbook, let alone send out a Greek life booklet. If they don't like having Greeks and don't want students to join, they're not going to publicize it.

[AEPhiSierra]

I am sooo annoyed that I didn't notice this thread when was first posted. As it is a school in my area I would love to see how pledging is going for her too. If it's the group I suspect it to be they have a lot of girls drop during pledging.

[Buttonz]

Originally Posted by AEPhiSierra

I am sooo annoyed that I didn't notice this thread when was first posted. As it is a school in my area I would love to see how pledging is going for her too. If it's the group I suspect it to be they have a lot of girls drop during pledging.

I sent you a PM. I'd be very shocked if I was wrong with the group that you suspect it is.

[PhoenixAzul]

I don't understand it either, but it's how they are. I ave up a long time ago trying to understand the locals on the campus. I really wish they'd force all the locals to go national, but I don't think that will ever happen, sadly.

*I have no problems with locals at all....I have a problem with chapters (or groups, in the case of a local) that haze and don't respect anyone besides themselves.

< Note, not attacking Buttonz, she just happens to have the unfortunate quote >

I understand what you're saying, but I don't know if it would fix the problem to go national, wouldn't the local "traditions" (as dubious as they are ) stick around, just with some poor NPC's letters attached?. Just changing the letters and putting in some programming doesn't fix deep ingrained internal problems. I think it would have to be the full disolution of the group, meaning let it be dormant and then colonize a new (local or NPC or whatever) many years later. Perhaps greater oversight by Greek Life/Student Affairs?

I always go through the doomsday scenario of Otterbein's system going all-national. I say doomsday because I think that a LOT of women would be really, truly, seriously heartbroken to have their 70+ year old history wiped out and replaced by something else that they never pledged fidelity to, especially if it was simply mandated that we MUST be national by someone outside of our sorority. It would just hurt. I know that's not what you're getting at , but I can understand why people would fight to stay local. If it was of the general concensus of the campus sorority council and chapter members/alum, then ok, yeah, people will still be upset but eventually will suck it up, but if its administrators or just the NPC's on campus telling the locals/regionals to be national, there's gonna be some friction. The concept of "being local" is sort of isolating, and the defending of their existance is something that most local chapters (not looking for colonization) take very, very very seriously. Call it culture, I suppose.

That all being said, I'm absolutely, 100000% with everyone else saying, "RUN AWAY! RUN FAR FAR AWAY!". If they're admitting this in public, imagine what they'd do behind closed doors. Please remember that not all locals are hazers, not all nationals are angels, and vice versa of course.

So yes and no, people do have rush experiences like this. But they have rush experiences like this in almost every system, no matter what the type of sorority. It's part of the diaspora. You, fortunately, were smart enough to recognize that this org probably isn't *quite* up to snuff. Sooo, now that you know what you *don't* want, go get what you do .

[Buttonz]

Originally Posted by PhoenixAzul

< Note, not attacking Buttonz, she just happens to have the unfortunate quote >

I understand what you're saying, but I don't know if it would fix the problem to go national, wouldn't the local "traditions" (as dubious as they are ) stick around, just with some poor NPC's letters attached?. Just changing the letters and putting in some programming doesn't fix deep ingrained internal problems. I think it would have to be the full disolution of the group, meaning let it be dormant and then colonize a new (local or NPC or whatever) many years later. Perhaps greater oversight by Greek Life/Student Affairs?

I always go through the doomsday scenario of Otterbein's system going all-national. I say doomsday because I think that a LOT of women would be really, truly, seriously heartbroken to have their 70+ year old history wiped out and replaced by something else that they never pledged fidelity to, especially if it was simply mandated that we MUST be national by someone outside of our sorority. It would just hurt. I know that's not what you're getting at , but I can understand why people would fight to stay local. If it was of the general concensus of the campus sorority council and chapter members/alum, then ok, yeah, people will still be upset but eventually will suck it up, but if its administrators or just the NPC's on campus telling the locals/regionals to be national, there's gonna be some friction. The concept of "being local" is sort of isolating, and the defending of their existance is something that most local chapters (not looking for colonization) take very, very very seriously. Call it culture, I suppose.

O, don't get me wrong, I understand where you are coming from, and what you said might be for the best. But I also think that getting these groups to go national, with a HQ overseeing them, a lot of things will have to be changed. Also, it would be nice ot have everyone having to participate in formal rush, but hat is more of a fault of the schools then of the local/NPC debate.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by PhoenixAzul

< Note, not attacking Buttonz, she just happens to have the unfortunate quote >

I understand what you're saying, but I don't know if it would fix the problem to go national, wouldn't the local "traditions" (as dubious as they are ) stick around, just with some poor NPC's letters attached?. Just changing the letters and putting in some programming doesn't fix deep ingrained internal problems. I think it would have to be the full disolution of the group, meaning let it be dormant and then colonize a new (local or NPC or whatever) many years later. Perhaps greater oversight by Greek Life/Student Affairs?

I always go through the doomsday scenario of Otterbein's system going all-national. I say doomsday because I think that a LOT of women would be really, truly, seriously heartbroken to have their 70+ year old history wiped out and replaced by something else that they never pledged fidelity to, especially if it was simply mandated that we MUST be national by someone outside of our sorority. It would just hurt. I know that's not what you're getting at , but I can understand why people would fight to stay local. If it was of the general concensus of the campus sorority council and chapter members/alum, then ok, yeah, people will still be upset but eventually will suck it up, but if its administrators or just the NPC's on campus telling the locals/regionals to be national, there's gonna be some friction. The concept of "being local" is sort of isolating, and the defending of their existance is something that most local chapters (not looking for colonization) take very, very very seriously. Call it culture, I suppose.

My campus decided to switch from all-locals to all-nationals in one swoop. I've been told it was because of hazing and the school's displeasure with having no real oversight re: rules, standards, etc. They just thought having (inter)national organizations would keep local chapters accountable and that the national reputations of NPC/NIC would actually draw more students into Greek Life (which it did). Almost all of the NPC sororities now on campus were orginally locals, meaning members of the local were actually initiated into Gamma Phi Beta along with the first pledge class (my class). So, some were members of both the local and NPC sorority.

The transition appeared to go pretty smoothly. All of the organizations sent consultants who remained with the chapters for the first full academic year and helped us learn new rules, bylaws, election procedures, ritual, songs, and international traditions. Some of the older members (mostly juniors and seniors) were a little resistant to change, but even they mostly went along with everything.

That said, for the years I was on campus, I became familiar with many of our local's traditions. Gamma Phi actually encouraged us to adopt the local's colors and motto as our chapter colors/motto. Our chapter's candle-pass song was actually written by the soon-to-be-fiance of one of our local's members from years past, so we retained the song and the chapter still sings it...it's a song no other Gamma Phi chapter sings, and is therefore very special to the chapter. So, going national does not always mean abandoning your roots.

ETA: although hazing supposedly occurred in the local system on my campus, my chapter of Gamma Phi NEVER hazed. I don't know if the local did before, but if it did, that was one tradition that did not stick around.