Alpha Chi Omega and Phi Mu - Arkansas

[starryeyed]

When did AChiO close at Arkansas?

[Titchou]

I believe that was stated in the post prior to yours.

[starryeyed]

Does anyone know how it is going with the colonies?

[tpiazza]

I have a question about the colonization process.
I am not going through the colonization process, but I know many girls that are. During rush we were all told on pref night that if you sign a pref card, but do not accept your bid, that you could still go for Alpha Chi or Phi Mu. Some girls were unsure of the houses they preffed, but went ahead and signed a card because they thought it wouldn't hurt them. Those girls are now being told by Alpha Chi and Phi Mu that they are not allowed to colonize. Does anyone know exactly what is going on?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by tpiazza

During rush we were all told on pref night that if you sign a pref card, but do not accept your bid, that you could still go for Alpha Chi or Phi Mu.

Who exactly told you this?

[wavycutchip]

Hi tpiazza - Yes, women who signed a bid card, but did not accept their bid (ie, did not go through 1st degree or dropped out of the new member program) are not allowed to accept a bid to either Alpha Chi or Phi Mu this year. When you sign a bid card (or more specifically for Arkansas a MRABA) after pref night, it is binding for 1 year, based on NPC rules. They are not eligible to pledge another sorority (any at Arkansas) until Fall 2013.

[FSUZeta]

They should not have signed a bid card. By signing the bid card, they are bound to the sorority that extended them a bid for one year(whether they drop their membership with that sorority or whether they make a go of it). I would advise them to give the sorority that bid them the very best chance to win them over. If they still are unhappy with their decision in a month or so, they can drop their membership and wait until Fall 2013 and try again (but realizing that at Arkansas, it will be more difficult to receive a bid as a sophomore),

[tpiazza]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Who exactly told you this?

The ladies who were in the pref card room at the signing tables. They said that if you signed a pref card, you could not go through recruitment for any other sororities unless it was Alpha Chi and Phi Mu. The problem is a lot of the girls that went ahead and signed a pref card are sophomores who will not want to rush as juniors. Maybe there was confusion? I'm not sure. I'm just so sad for some fantastic girls (AND some legacies to the colonizing sororities) who are now unable to join a sorority.

[FSUZeta]

If they signed a bid card, but did not receive a bid, they are eligible. If they received a bid, their best choice is to make it work with the sorority that wanted them as a member.

They also need to realize that there is no guarantee that they would be invited to be a member of either colony. Not everyone who seeks membership in a colony will receive an invitation to join.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by tpiazza

The ladies who were in the pref card room at the signing tables. They said that if you signed a pref card, you could not go through recruitment for any other sororities unless it was Alpha Chi and Phi Mu. The problem is a lot of the girls that went ahead and signed a pref card are sophomores who will not want to rush as juniors. Maybe there was confusion? I'm not sure. I'm just so sad for some fantastic girls (AND some legacies to the colonizing sororities) who are now unable to join a sorority.

But WHO were they? Members of the AXO and Phi Mu colonizing teams? Rho Gammas or other women from Panhel? The Greek advisor? Alumnae?

As wcc and FSUalum have both said, once a rushee signed a pref card, she is bound to the sororities she wrote on that card if one of them gives her a bid - colonies or no colonies. If women were led to believe that they could reject what they got in favor of a colony, something went terribly wrong.

[wavycutchip]

It was addressed in the Recruitment booklet: http://issuu.com/uagreeks/docs/2012_...tment_magazine. See pg. 13. under "What does accepting a bid entail?"

It sounds like there was some misinformation during pref card (bid card/MRABA) signing. No, there isn't anything that can be done. I agree with the suggestions from FSUZeta.

[tpiazza]

Originally Posted by 33girl

But WHO were they? Members of the AXO and Phi Mu colonizing teams? Rho Gammas or other women from Panhel? The Greek advisor? Alumnae?

I'm honestly not sure. It was most likely a Gamma Chi.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by tpiazza

I'm just so sad for some fantastic girls (AND some legacies to the colonizing sororities) who are now unable to join a sorority.

Well, they got bids, so they are able to join a sorority! Yay! Everyone gets what they want!

See how easy that was?

[DubaiSis]

Originally Posted by tpiazza

...Some girls were unsure of the houses they preffed,...

I'm sure this is what these girls are telling you now (I don't even know what houses I had on my list!), but think back. You attended 2 or 3 parties that lasted an hour each, were phenomenally emotional and personal. You went straight from those parties to the MRABA signing room. And you forgot which parties you were just at? Again, I know this isn't YOU speaking, but I call baloney. These girls were disappointed with what they got and are trying to let themselves off the hook. Or, they're seeing the girls go through colony recruitment and wished they'd held out.

If the Gamma Chis really did say this to any girls, there needs to be hell to pay, because being told something exactly 100% false will not change the outcome. I would press your friends to tell the Greek Life office of this MASSIVE infraction if and only if they can come up with real life girls who possibly ruined the Greek futures of scores of girls. They forgot who? Again, I call BS and you should stop listening to these girls.

[tpiazza]

DubaiSis,
I wasn't meaning they didn't remember the houses. I meant it as they said they didn't know how much they really loved the houses they went to.