Quote:
Originally Posted by Ole Miss Phi Mu
Personally I would love to see a new chapter at Ole Miss. But like everyone else has said, it would be extremely difficult for one to get going and not fail. When quota's at 80-90 it is hard to get to know everyone in your pledge class and it would be nice if there was another sorority to lighten the load. Of course, rumor is around campus, that there will be a new sorority by 2010. I don't know if it's true, but that's what everyone's been saying for the past few months.
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Agreed with Ole Miss Phi Mu. As an advisor for AOII, I can tell you that one is needed. However, Panhellenic would have to be open for extension and do their process. Then the chapters would have to vote and of course follow the NPC Greenbook Process. After that is done, I think it would have to come down to a group that is strong in the South and they have to be willing to build a new house. I work on campus and I honestly don't think that the University is going to release the former ADPi house (now Honor's College) or the former ZTA house (now School of Applied Sciences' Lenior Hall) back to Panhellenic for a sorority to use. I know ADPi and ZTA houses were both renovated to have offices and to perform more like an academic building than a sorority house. There is a large parking lot next to Tri Delta and across from KKG that could hold a sorority house. However, parking is at a premium on campus so that might not come easily. There has been talk about once the old NPHC houses are gone perhaps of using that land to build one or two more sorority houses there (there were 3 NPHC houses that are vacant because of the new Residential Colleges going in near their location across from Northgate Apartments Student Housing). However, they are not finished removing all of the little white houses that housed faculty and 3 NPHC groups so who knows if that will happen.
I have personally seen where things are "changing" a bit for sororities at Ole Miss. When I went through recruitment in 1996, an out-of-state girl like me would never have received a bid to one of the "big houses" without being a huge legacy. That has changed. I know of many out-of-state PNMs who go through recruitment and are not legacies and they are getting their first choice. I think the demographics of PNMs have changed since more and more out-of-state students are coming here. I think something like 30% of students are from out-of-state. So, of course sororities have to look at the fabulous list of out-of-state students who enroll. I can remember when a friend of mine pledged Tri Delta, she was the only member from LA at the time. So things are changing.
I am not going to say that just any NPC group can come down here and start up a chapter. It has to be well-planned and their PR Blitz has to be amazing. I also think nearby chapters and alumnae have to be readily available to help out. I know AOIIs from Ole Miss helped with 3 different events when AOII was colonizing the University of Arkansas two years ago. Therefore, local support from collegians and alumnae would have to be assumed no matter what. And of course a pretty, Southern-style house most ensue not that long afterwards. I believe quota was 52 when I went through recruitment in 1996. This past year it was 84, so in 11 years you can see how much it has grown.
I am pretty sure that our current Panhellenic Advisor and Officers are working on the extension process from the University’s end. I know they put out booklets last year that had data in them about each sorority and numbers and GPA and things like that. I don’t ever recall seeing anything like that in the past, so they must be getting ready for something. I would think that they would have to have stats ready to give out one they vote to open up for extension.
Okay, Ole Miss needs a new NPC sorority, stat. How can you have any kind of sisterhood in a chapter that huge?? (Note: I come from a school where total was 80.)
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