A local sorority at USC?

[DTD Alum]

First of all, as an SC alumnus, the row is actually quite tame compared to what it used to be. I am far enough out of college to let you know that way before you got there, the row was much rowdier and with much bigger scandals. If anything, the row will continue to get tamer under Nikias.

Second, you just spelled out the problem with numbers yourself. Out of 10 sororities that could conceivably participate in formal rush (ADChi doesn't count), two cannot make quota year after year. Somebody in a Panhellenic GLO feel free to chime in, but it's my understanding that this is not the type of system that PHC would feel is ready for expansion. I think they usually wait until everybody is making quota, or close to it. But you have one house who usually only makes half of quota (usually people don't show up to bid day even if they technically do make quota), and one that was struggling financially to the point where they had to withdraw from formal rush.

Plus, the vast majority of women who don't receive bids drop out not because there is not a place for them, but because they were focused on a small handful of sororities and didn't get them and therefore decided to be GDI. I guarantee you that if they will not pledge the two houses that are struggling (and many will not even pledge "middle tier" houses), they are not jumping on board with a local colony. I'm sorry, it's just not going to happen. Not to mention, even if a national wanted to colonize your local, where is the room on the row? It's my understanding that several fraternity chapters (including at least one very established one) are SOL in terms of housing options because a chapter cannot function off the row, and there is simply no land. To complicate things further, you should maybe look into WHY the local that was previously here was founded. Before they colonized into a national, they served a very specific niche market that would be able to draw some PNMs away from the national GLOs. Unless your local could find another equally desirable niche market, I don't think they are comparable situations.

Sorority pledge classes are too big, but that's nothing new, this problem has been around for a bit. The 60s is really nothing out of the normal for USC.

For the boys, Kappa Sigma scandals are bad press, but you should have seen some of the scandals that have happened in the past. There are a couple in particular that happened over the past 10-15 years that make this look like nothing. Not to mention that the fraternity rankings are so liquid it would shock you. If I told you what the top houses were less than 10 years ago you probably wouldn't believe me, because half of it does not line up to what is apparently the case today. Fraternities are always rising, getting kicked off, falling, colonizing, etc.

You are 2013, so I'm guessing you are currently a sophomore. I think your best bet to go Greek is rushing next year, but you'll be a junior. Sophomores have a relatively easy time at rush, but juniors get massively cut. Every sorority takes a small handful (usually just the two that are considered free), but the two chapters that usually do not make quota are much more welcome to taking more than two juniors. So you can probably still get a bid, but your options are going to be much more limited than they may have been in the past. But frankly I would not hold my breath for another option (ie a colony or a local) to appear in the two years you have left. It's just not a plausible situation. Go through rush (or COB) next year, but be realistic about your options.

Sorry to say all this because I know it's not what you want to hear, but it's important to internalize because next fall will be your last chance to go Greek at USC, and even then it's pushing it.