Tiers in The SEC

[ajuhdg]

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

I rank my own University low because it's being increasingly flooded with the Plano area of north Dallas and Northwest Arkansas. The Delta part of Arkansas is slowly dying out as people move away. We may sink further it seems.

What's wrong with people from Plano!?

Flame away here, but why is it so wrong for us to talk about 'Tiers'? They do exist, and it's a part of greek life whether or not we agree with the rankings or basis fro criteria. There was a post many moons ago about the tiers actually coming out in Texas Monthly magazine. I read the article recently describing the layout of the system at Cornell. I know we don't always get the most intelligent PNM's around here, but if we preface it with all the NPC spirit 'go in with an open-mind'. I guess on the one side I see how it can be hurtful to shallow people who take everything they read on line as the gospel. But, at the other side, we are here to discuss everything related to greek life. I just don't understand why 'Tiering' is like the uncle in prison, the one we all know about, but nobody ever brings up at the family reunion.

It just doesn't make sense to me that people are verbally attacked and chased off the forums for having an opinon about anything from Reality shows to alumnae initiation, but we can't talk about something like this. Why do we encourage 'users' of this site to have thick skin? I've been to the 'other' sites to read what people's opinions of DG are at other schools, and while it sucks to read that they are the 'crack whores' at one school and 'the fatties' at another, it doesn't hurt my own experience and opinion of what an awesome organization I belong to. (And, I KNOW that others aren't able to figure it out for themselves.)

Just something I was thinking about...

[banditone]

DG are hotties at my school

[33girl]

Originally Posted by ajuhdg

Flame away here, but why is it so wrong for us to talk about 'Tiers'?

Once you post on GC "XYZ is the sorority no one wants to join" it's on the internet forever. People can keep pullling that up when they google. There's a post on here about sororities at a competitive school that talks about the most unpopular house on campus from several years ago. Even though the chapter has turned around and is doing much better - people can still pull that up and still read that "XYZ is the weakest house at Google U."

Not only that - you have no idea who is writing what. The absurdity of this has been pointed out (i.e. me talking about how awesome the AXOs at my school were when we have no AXOs).

[banditone]

What's funny is that no one ever says "blah blah fraternity, the one no one wants to join". Or the like.

[skylark]

Originally Posted by banditone

What's funny is that no one ever says "blah blah fraternity, the one no one wants to join". Or the like.

I think that is because of the perceived notion that through formal recruitment (for sororities) no woman would choose the smallest or least popular sorority... and because of the secrecy over the process and people's rankings, we rarely have enough info to dispel that myth. In contrast, with the guys often not having a coordinated system of recruitment, fewer people doubt that the people who joined XYZ fraternity wanted to be there (rather than just ending up there after an elaborate bid matching system).

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by banditone

What's funny is that no one ever says "blah blah fraternity, the one no one wants to join". Or the like.

I think this is a reflection in the way that sororities do recruitment. A fraternity can target the guys they want and only take those guys without a ton of pressure for not taking 60 of them. And the group overall can be smaller as long as they are financially healthy and it's no big deal.

With sororities, you have to take quota and be at total or it reflects poorly on the group.

ETA: I see Skylark has already said this, but I replied before I read all the way through.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by SECdomination

I don't think I can give W&L such an easy pass.

The good:
-Almost everyone who goes there comes from a) money, or b) a decent family. Otherwise, why would you even look there?
-The school has many well-to-do southerners, and because it's so small, others will conform in order to "fit in". Just like high school.
-They're ALL conservatives!

I've made more than one visit to the school, and almost everyone I met was obsessed with The Real World, rap music, and pot smoking. But they all wore polo and pearls, so it was OK?
I don't think schools like W&L can be compared to schools 35 times their size.

Interesting. Thanks for your candid response. I actually think your list of "the good" is somewhat inaccurate. Except, not the second one. A good majority (60-70%?) are indeed from money or a decent family (using the sense of the terms that I know you mean. But there are a LOT who are not. At the same time, as you mention most of those who are not conform to the model of those who are.

As for the conservative thing, I think you underestimate the number of liberals at W&L. There are a significant number. Also, a lot of the supposed conservative students are really moderates who just lean a bit conservative. But, again, most of them dress & look like conservatives.

As for the Real World, rap music, and pot-smoking.... LOL. It definitely depends on where you hang out. I don't remember anyone watching the Real World! Rap music is a weird thing definitely, because even the guys in the very "top" groups or whatever definitely listened to rap music. Not sure why that was. Everyone at W&L just seemed to like rap music. I like it too. Everyone seemed to like jam music too (which I can't stand and think is just.... ugh, trashy and awful). Pot-smoking... there were definitely fraternities that had strong reputations for that. It was pretty common I guess, but not as common as rap music. It's another thing I can't stand and think is just 100% trashy (no matter what class you are).

The other big thing about W&L was open parties, so all members of all groups could show up at every other house's parties. Or non-Greeks, for that matter. Which on one level is nice and on the other level created a LOT of security problems.