Five Towson Sororities on Probation (Alcohol)

[ComradesTrue]

Originally Posted by BabyPiNK_FL

I wonder how this got to be such a tradition and how their bid day is structured. (I'm assuming they have houses and don't have to worry about certain things women at my school would) any info?

My school had houses, and there was no drinking on bid day. None. And honestly no one really gave it much of a thought... we were too busy getting to know our new sisters. Sober.

[BabyPiNK_FL]

Originally Posted by Blondie93

My school had houses, and there was no drinking on bid day. None. And honestly no one really gave it much of a thought... we were too busy getting to know our new sisters. Sober.

Don't worry. I wasn't referencing all chapters with houses. Just this particular campus I was wondering.

[WVU alpha phi]

Originally Posted by BabyPiNK_FL

What is with the urgent need to drink on bid day? This day is so important because you have to be out making sure that the new members feel welcome and they fully understand the time and financial commiment they are making since many blow it off during rush. They also need to be meeting the sisters and if they've been drinking, how many will they remember? I could not imagine drinking on bid day, nothing would get done and it'd be a fiasco! If my sisters had been drinking on bid day I would have quit on day one.

I wonder how this got to be such a tradition and how their bid day is structured. (I'm wondering if they have houses and don't have to worry about certain things women at my school would) any info?

Not sure how this is a tradition, but to answer your question, Towson sororities do not have houses.

[AXiDGirl10]

Originally Posted by AOPIROSES

i graduated from Towson many years ago. We had the running of the bulls event back then too. EVERYONE DRINKS.... yes its a dry rush. But lets get real ladies. We all know we drank back in college even when we werent always supposed to.

Its unfortunate that these girls were injured this year to the point where panhel felt it necessary to eliminate the event forever. I remember when I ran to AOII i got the hugest bruise on my knee. And then again when I was a rho chi and ran to them I was tackled and knocked in the face by elbows. Lot's of us got injured in some way or another. It was all part of the fun. Battle wounds if you can call them that.

And yes, when i was a rho chi I drank before bid day too just like these girls did (we never included new members. rho chi's would have a pre bid day party before meeting up with our rushees). We all did... girls from Alpha Phi to Phi Sig to Zeta to AGD, phi mu and KD and AZD. WE ALL DID IT!! We were just smart enough to do it responsibly and without getting caught. We knew we'd get in major trouble if we were caught, so we used our brains. No one was exempt from drinking ill tell you that.

Although, we ALSO DID NOT HAVE FACEBOOK BACK THEN. Facebook was a major issue in this case (from what i heard) where panhel went online and printed pictures that girls posted of themselves drinking before bid day was completed. I have pictures of myself drinking on past bid days. I just didnt have facebook back then to post them on.

I do think Panhel made a bigger deal out of this than they should have. But, whatever is necessary to keep our girls safe is fine by me. I just feel sorry for the future new members who won't get to experience all the fun that once was "The Running of the Bulls!"
(probably one of the most fun events that ALL sororities participated in as one)

I haven't posted in awhile and I've just been lurking, but I am inclined to reply to this...

I can't believe that an alumnae that graduated "many years ago" would say this. It WAS NOT made a bigger deal than it should have. Something needed to be done. Greek life at Towson needs to have many changes if we want to stay on this campus and improve our reputation. And we are working to make those necessary changes. We have had several programs and retreats to decide how we are going to do this.

We most likely will still have "Running of the Bulls," so don't worry, new members will still be able to experience this. We are just structuring it a little differently, so it will be safer. And we will have a more selective Rho Chi application process to ensure that the Rho Chis will be following and implementing the rules. We are also trying to plan several other fun alcohol-free events for all sororities to participate in on Bid Day.

I understand it was tradition, but seriously, do you want to keep a tradition that could possibly get all of Greek life eventually removed from Towson? We have a bad enough reputation as it is with the administration and the rest of campus.

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by AXiDGirl10

I haven't posted in awhile and I've just been lurking, but I am inclined to reply to this...

I missed you!

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

The reason they think the probation is harsh (social probation until Spring Break 08 and University probation until fall 2008) is that the error in judgement was committed by recruitment couselors who were not in contact with the sororities who had counseled their members that there would be no drinking allowed on bid day. The Panhellenic advisor apparently failed to enforce this policy. The women of the chapter did not drink on bid day but cannot have any socials and are on social probation for nearly the entire school year after doing nothing wrong. Social probation for the women caught drinking would be appropriate. Social probation for chapters who followed the rules except for their members out of their reach is inappropriate. Also, three chapters had drinking recruitment counselor sisters but no harsh probation...not sure how that is fair either.

Obviously some of these chapters are guilty of a little more than having recruitment counselors drink.

NPC rush IS DRY. That means no drinking, to make sure it's clear. Every member of an NPC sorority has the responsibility to know and follow recruitment rules. If no copies were given to the chapter, their Recruitment officer should have marched to the Panhellenic adviser's office and gotten a copy to distribute to members. There's no excuses on that one.

While some responsibility definitely does rest on the adviser's shoulders, it ultimately falls on the shoulders of the girls who actually did this. We're in college, we're old enough to use common sense. Tradition or not, it's not NPC-legal. And of ALL people, the recruitment counselors should know EVERY recruitment rule way before it ever starts.

I do have to say it's pretty ridiculous that these girls weren't sent home. If we (recruitment team) ever show up to an official event (including the men's fraternity parties, as according to IFC, they are also dry parties) having had a drop, we're kicked off of the team, no questions asked.

I realize it's really hard to control or police every member of a chapter when they're out on their own time, but it is the chapter's responsibility to police them at official events, when there are tons of sisters to watch out for each other. There's just really no excuse for any of this. If it's an official rush event, including an official Bid Day activity (from running to whatever official event the chapter holds), it has to be dry.

And I have to say I am not very sympathetic at all to this whining about the punishment. I know every campus has different attitudes towards alcohol, but on mine if our chapters were pulling this...stuff...our punishments would be a lot more harsh.

[Elephant Walk]

Last year a Rho Chi got caught for being ridiculously drunk by IFC.

Now he's the head justice of j-board.

I love Arkansas.

[nittanyalum]

G&P if you "feel" so much for these girls and acknowledge that what was going on needed to have light shed on it, perhaps continuing to call them the "rat" sorority isn't the best way to help them move on from taking the brunt of the situation. And how do you know what's actually gone on within the chapter and what's been said? Unless you are a member of the org, you know what you know second-hand, even if you've talked to some members within the chapter. It doesn't mean you're getting the full story.

Why are you all still bitching about this advisor 6 months later? People got busted doing the wrong thing and you need to fix that crap. Don't blame the adult advisor who did the right thing; hopefully all the kiddos on the campus will grow up into responsible adults one day too. Quit the complaining, put on your big girl panties, deal with the fallout of the bad decisions and learn to make better ones. Good life lessons that you'll benefit from later.

[VandalSquirrel]

greekandproud

How do you know what did or didn't happen in another chapter? Often risk management and other issues are kept confidential for many reasons and involving other people may cause more problems or violations. If you're not a member of the chapter where the advisor "narced" you likely have no idea what happened. Lastly, due to confidentiality and privacy issues members of that chapter may not even be aware of what really happened.

I know for my own chapter misinformation flies left and right, and I am pretty sure all greek organizations experience the same phenomena. Furthermore if the advisor works for the University (which I believe is public) there are FERPA and other confidentiality laws and regulations at work. Risk Management and other violations are very complicated and I think what many posters are trying to convey is that this is likely a very complex issue that admittedly members and alumnae from your campus have agreed needed to be dealt with.

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by greekandproud

By calling them the "rat" sorority is not meant to be offensive.

It is. So stop doing it. And the sorority you think you're "protecting" was already "outed" earlier in this thread (when it was TIMELY back in the fall, why are you still drudging this up?), so you're not doing them any favors. And by the way I'm an alumna of that GLO, so I'll get in your face about this all I want.

what i do not support is her lying to the chapter and throwing them to the wolves with out any support and only saying "oh, it'll blow over."

It doesn't matter if you "mind" anything here because it's not your chapter or GLO. MYOB. And stop discussing other people's business on the internet.

Really. Calm down. This is just a discussion sweetheart. No need to get all pissy.

Don't call me sweetheart. And oh, you haven't even seen me pissy yet.

[Just interested]

Amen, nittanyalum. Enough is enough.

[nittanyalum]

Aaaaannnnddddd... *poof*

There she went. Byesie bye bye.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by greekandproud

I think the key word here is ADVISER. Yes, the adviser is part of the sorority and represents the organization, and a sorority should take responsibility for the actions their organization commit. However, this was a huge, monumental stance that the collegiate members had no say in. This was something that would effect the sisters and not the advisers. While their chapter adviser felt it was necessary, this was something that should have been cleared with the chapter, and after talking to some of the sisters of the "rat" sorority, it is clear to me that they had no idea what was going on or what happened. The adviser should have gone to the other chapter advisers first, and discussed the matter with the whole exec board to let them decide what should have been done.

I think you have a great point - especially if, as has been reported, all the sororities had members who were Rho Chis and drinking. When the one who blows the whistle gets a lesser penalty, even if they did the same thing, it isn't going to go over well.

If you're an advisor, you should be looking at the state of the whole Greek system, not just your chapter. If she thought this practice was dangerous for her girls, it is dangerous for all the other sororities also.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by greekandproud

There has been a blatant disregard for the rules of recruitment on this campus. All Rec Chairs are given a copy of Towson's Rush rules and they are then take those rules to their chapters and make sure everyone understands. It plainly states that Rush is Dry. The Rho Chis are told not to drink, they KNOW they are not supposed to drink. The Rho Chi's form my chapter told me they were told no tot drink at training. Those who are guilty they knew the where wrong, and they are mad they finally got caught. However, our Rho Chi's also mentioned that the training was a joke and not much was accomplished.

Again, this unsatisfactory training just shows that the PanHel at Towson is extremely weak and in need of a strong, RESPONSIBLY leader. The fact that this kind of tradition had gone on for this long is sad. And if you really need to drink, at least be smart about it. Holding beer cans while on the field at bid day just isn't a smart move.


Many of the greeks here were furious with the chapter that was rumored to be the "rat". Everyone ranted about how an adviser turned in pictures and got everyone in trouble. I think the key word here is ADVISER. Yes, the adviser is part of the sorority and represents the organization, and a sorority should take responsibility for the actions their organization commit. However, this was a huge, monumental stance that the collegiate members had no say in. This was something that would effect the sisters and not the advisers. While their chapter adviser felt it was necessary, this was something that should have been cleared with the chapter, and after talking to some of the sisters of the "rat" sorority, it is clear to me that they had no idea what was going on or what happened. The adviser should have gone to the other chapter advisers first, and discussed the matter with the whole exec board to let them decide what should have been done. The collegiate sisters weren't even paying attention to the alcohol on bid day. All the sisters were greeting their new pledge class which i have heard was the biggest they had in years. They didn't have time to worry about who was breaking what rule.

I have been saying the whole time that there is a problem with the Panhellenic system at Towson. There is a poor example passed down from year to year and condoned by the panhellenic adviser.

As for the comments about the "rat" adviser....it's her job to report these actions. She has a responsibility to act. This does not include discussing it with the collegiate members and letting this behavior go on! You say you want things to change...it takes someone acting instead of wishing to actually make changes.

"Something of Value," a Panhellenic program, came to Towson and reviewed what was going on. There recommendations should be inacted in full, but I know they wont.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

As for the comments about the "rat" adviser....it's her job to report these actions. She has a responsibility to act. This does not include discussing it with the collegiate members and letting this behavior go on! You say you want things to change...it takes someone acting instead of wishing to actually make changes.

I think what g & p meant was that knowing the climate of the campus, the advisor should have given the chapter a heads up and let them know she was reporting it, so they would be more prepared for any backlash that came their way. (The behavior - drinking at bid day - was already over & done with.) From his/her post, it sounds like the collegians were getting ragged on and they didn't even know why. I don't think g & p meant the advisor shouldn't have reported it.