Indiana University Recruitment

[IUGreekGirl]

There were several chapters that have recolonized in the last 20 years, AOII, Phi Mu.

And many fraternities survive very well without houses. Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Phi Kappa Tau, DKE have chapters larger than some that are housed. Some of them also return to campus. Delta Chi, Sigma Pi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, and Phi Kappa Sigma have all come back on campus within the last 3 years. As for sororities, Phi Mu actually went 10 years without a house in the 80s. That's the only one I know of for sure.

It can be done, it just has been in a long time since IU had the opportunity for an unhoused chapter. There is so much support from current Greeks on campus for this opportunity to be taken.
And honestly-- aren't the women who would join a chapter even if it didn't have a house the kind of women IU wants in the Greek Community?? Women who are joining because they want real sisterhood and not because sisterhood happens to come with a pretty house to live in?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by IUGreekGirl

And honestly-- aren't the women who would join a chapter even if it didn't have a house the kind of women IU wants in the Greek Community?? Women who are joining because they want real sisterhood and not because sisterhood happens to come with a pretty house to live in?

I don't think you can criticize women for wanting something that is a BIG part of the Greek experience at a school. It's not about a "pretty house" - it's about the fact that living with your sisters is seen as vital, in the same way that weekly meetings are seen as vital. As barnard1897 said, the size and/or newness of the physical structures does not correlate to their popularity with rushees or on campus.

When you market yourself as "outside the norm" too much, your pool of interested members eventually dries up. You either content yourself with being smaller and recruiting members in a different fashion, or you try to compete with the "normal" groups and flop.

FWIW, I advocated the same thing you're saying years ago...but years of reading about the IU sorority system on GC have changed my tune.