Colonization at the University of Alabama?!?

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

They're there, but they seem to have an awful lot of inside squabbles where several people quit. And at the most, they seem to have from 10 to 30 members, hardly enough to maintain a house or any other physical presence on campus. The non-Southern belles seem to go to non-Southern girls.
...As far as an ideal number of members to start with, you'd have to have at least average chapter size, simply to maintain that big house. And yes, you'd have to have a LOT of NMs to be competitive. And they'd better be mostly girls from Alabama. Chapters with a high percentage of out-of-state members struggle.

I'm really not sure if I should be offended by this post but I WAS. Seeing how we are one of the non-Southern groups on that campus and definitely bigger than the numbers you list there and we don't have inside struggles.....

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by SmartBlondeGPhB

I'm really not sure if I should be offended by this post but I WAS. Seeing how we are one of the non-Southern groups on that campus and definitely bigger than the numbers you list there and we don't have inside struggles.....

I'm so sorry, SmartBlondeGPhB, I was NOT referring to Gamma Phi Beta, but to the two or three non-NPC groups that sprang up in 2001-02. Please see my reply above.

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

I'm so sorry, SmartBlondeGPhB, I was NOT referring to Gamma Phi Beta, but to the two or three non-NPC groups that sprang up in 2001-02. Please see my reply above.

I saw it after, thanks.

[notmanhattan]

A Delta Gamma CDC (Collegiate Development Consultant) was visiting at our campus last week and affirmed the rumors the Alabama WILL be opening for colonization and the Delta Gamma is interested in recolonizing there.

Also from the mouth of the Greek Advisor on UGA's campus, DPhiE will be closing in May of this year and the campus will be opening for colonization as soon as 2008. Interesting...
Thoughts?

[texas*princess]

Originally Posted by notmanhattan

A Delta Gamma CDC (Collegiate Development Consultant) was visiting at our campus last week and affirmed the rumors the Alabama WILL be opening for colonization and the Delta Gamma is interested in recolonizing there.

Also from the mouth of the Greek Advisor on UGA's campus, DPhiE will be closing in May of this year and the campus will be opening for colonization as soon as 2008. Interesting...
Thoughts?

Based on what I've heard about the super "Southern" schools it will be interesting to see how the new chapter of whoever colonizes will do since they haven't been there since the beginning of time like the other groups.

I'm sure overall they will be fine, but I feel like I've read lots of stories that girls are a lot less likely to go through recruitment with an open mind at schools like that and tend to prefer the chapters that have been there 324321354 years

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by notmanhattan

A Delta Gamma CDC (Collegiate Development Consultant) was visiting at our campus last week and affirmed the rumors the Alabama WILL be opening for colonization and the Delta Gamma is interested in recolonizing there.

Also from the mouth of the Greek Advisor on UGA's campus, DPhiE will be closing in May of this year and the campus will be opening for colonization as soon as 2008. Interesting...
Thoughts?

Yea DG trying to go to Alabama! I think that could work out nicely, and you may have more alums around than a lot of other groups. (I Mapquested to see how far Mississippi State was Tuscaloosa, and it's only 83 miles. Surely you'd get support from them as well as the Auburn and UGA groups and alums.)

(I'm not slighting any other groups: I don't even know who is already there and who would try to expand.)

The UGA thing is really interesting. I'm really sorry about D Phi E. I expected them to grow back strong. When I was at Georgia, DPhiE (on campus since 1935) and SDT (on campus since 1924) were both traditionally Jewish groups on the campus (although I'm think they both had non-Jewish members and other GLOs had Jewish members). DPhiE was actually the larger of the two groups then, although both were strong and well regarded, and I thought that given a little time, DPhiE would cycle back strong. It's a shame to lose them.

It's a weird time for expansion because especially with fraternities, there are more groups than houses. Apparently there's a relatively recent local law about where Greek housing can be constructed in town, not to mention the whole craziness with the fraternities on Lumpkin and where they will ultimately go. Unless a group could count on actually buying the DPhiE house, which would seem kind of unlikely, it's hard to see how a new group will be able to enter on equal footing with the rest.

[notyouraverage]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

Apparently there's a relatively recent local law about where Greek housing can be constructed in town, not to mention the whole craziness with the fraternities on Lumpkin and where they will ultimately go. Unless a group could count on actually buying the DPhiE house, which would seem kind of unlikely, it's hard to see how a new group will be able to enter on equal footing with the rest.

The new laws have less to do with where and more to do with how. They've made it very difficult for fraternities and sororities to build by enacting impossible parking requirements. A fraternity may have 150 members but only room in the house for 40. The city wants the parking lot to be big enough for all 150 members. No fraternity or sorority on campus currently lives up to that standard. In addition to that, they mostly just created more red tape for an organization trying to build. The organizations have more hoops to jump through when trying to get building plans approved - more forms to fill out, more signatures to get.

Really though, there are plenty of threads on this topic, and I didn't mean to hijack this one. My blood just boils every time I think about it.

I don't know what will happen to the DPhiE house. It's very different from other greek houses on campus, but I think it's stunning. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for its fate. And honestly, who will extend here? We've already got pretty much all the sororities that have strong southern reputations. Anyone have any thoughts on who could make it?

[BabyPiNK_FL]

well..coming from a school with a really big parking problem I can see the point. If you have meetings in the house but can't accomodate all the cars then you end up causing issues on the road ways, people walking from all over, etc. It might be more expensive, but in the end it would be easier for the group members. But only if they can afford to do so. A small parking garage might be effective if allowed...other than that, maybe a shuttle on meeting days?

[OleMissGlitter]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

Yea DG trying to go to Alabama! I think that could work out nicely, and you may have more alums around than a lot of other groups. (I Mapquested to see how far Mississippi State was Tuscaloosa, and it's only 83 miles. Surely you'd get support from them as well as the Auburn and UGA groups and alums.)

You also have your Alpha Psi chapter at Ole Miss which is only about 160 miles to Tuscaloosa that could help with a new colony.

[Titchou]

There are also DG chapters at UAB, Montevallo and Spring Hill....

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by notmanhattan

Also from the mouth of the Greek Advisor on UGA's campus, DPhiE will be closing in May of this year and the campus will be opening for colonization as soon as 2008. Interesting...
Thoughts?

You mean DPhiE at UGA, right? They pulled out of U of Alabama about 35 years ago. I'm very sorry to hear that. I believe they tried really hard to stay on at UGA.