Alabama Recruitment

[ladybug12]

I agree, not getting to live in for at least a year is a shame. But, pledge classes at Ole Miss are estimated to be 150-170 this year...and who wants to build a house for that many to live in? And where would you add additional space? Most have maximized their add-on capability by adding a third floor, etc.

As you said, these newer builds are putting a premium on dining and meeting space so that the members can at least get together in the house for some quality time.

And many universities have invested in freshman housing and require all freshmen to live on campus in dorms to "bond with the university" by having that on-campus experience. I can think of very few schools who allow women to move into sorority housing as freshmen...University of Washington is one that comes to mind.

[g41965]

A 40000 square foot house still has a lot construction cost. I'd be putting 10 percent away every yearyou never know the 60s could return.

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by g41965

A 40000 square foot house still has a lot construction cost. I'd be putting 10 percent away every year-you never know the 60s could return.

I'm with you. When I lived in the house, we could not fill it. Ultimately that's why we folded.
I'm a pessimist...that way I'm never disappointed.

[AGDAlum]

Originally Posted by ladybug12

I agree, not getting to live in for at least a year is a shame. But, pledge classes at Ole Miss are estimated to be 150-170 this year...and who wants to build a house for that many to live in?

A house with capacity for a new member class of 170 + initiated members would be a residence hall. With a fancier living room.

[AlphaXi_Husky]

Originally Posted by ladybug12

And many universities have invested in freshman housing and require all freshmen to live on campus in dorms to "bond with the university" by having that on-campus experience. I can think of very few schools who allow women to move into sorority housing as freshmen...University of Washington is one that comes to mind.

sidebar:

I wish UW had enough on-campus housing to have freshman live in the dorms, but the university relies on the Greek System to help fill the housing need. Believe me, it is a pain in the rear to try and figure out how many beds to hold open and then have all your new members move in on Bid Day. And then if you get quota additions you weren't expecting and you have to find room somewhere for those new members. Nightmare.


While it's a shame there are members who won't get to live in chapter facilities at all, I love the setup of the Bama houses - all that community space and then beds enough for some.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by ladybug12

As you said, these newer builds are putting a premium on dining and meeting space so that the members can at least get together in the house for some quality time.

Not only that, I'm guessing that most of the members who don't live in the house and just do meals and meetings there live together in this or that permutation... Which is the best of both worlds.

[Loyally Kappa]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Not only that, I'm guessing that most of the members who don't live in the house and just do meals and meetings there live together in this or that permutation... Which is the best of both worlds.

During their sophomore year, each of my girls rented a house near campus and lived with four of their sorority sisters. I think five unrelated persons living together in a single residence is what is allowed in Tuscaloosa.

[Titchou]

The university holds the mortgages on all of them. A refi wouldn't be much of an issue.

[Sciencewoman]

As the president of an AHC that built a new house last year, I'm not worried. Back in the day, I lived in for 3 years and our chapter size closely matched the bed number...that was much more worrisome than the current situation where we have many live-outs who pay parlor fees and support the house. If chapter numbers got low, the HCBs faced big trouble meeting costs. Now, with RFM and the trend toward more live-outs, a "doomsday" scenario is less likely. It is sad that many women won't have a chance to live in, but it is also safer from a financial perspective.

If anything, this could make Indiana move away from bed quota...the live-out parlor fees really do help the budget and support the upgrades.

[IndianaSigKap]

[QUOTE=Sciencewoman;2326453 If anything, this could make Indiana move away from bed quota...the live-out parlor fees really do help the budget and support the upgrades.[/QUOTE]

Many tried to use this exact rationale when advocating a move from bed quota, it fell on deaf ears. Indiana is making baby steps, not there yet, but the initial steps are encouraging.

[Sciencewoman]

^^^ Do they do that at Washington State, too?

[AlphaXi_Husky]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

^^^ Do they do that at Washington State, too?

Nope. As far as I know, there are only two campuses in the nation where freshman move in right after getting a bid. I'm having trouble remembering the other campus off hand though.

[DubaiSis]

I was worried about the real estate cost at some of those schools too, as Alpha Xi Delta is getting ready to colonize at 2 very expensive housing schools (South Carolina and UCLA) and I am kind of expecting us to pull the trigger at Bama in the next 5 years (no, I don't know anything, even rumor). But when I heard the cost of membership, even for non-live-ins, my worries disappeared. The mortgage payments have to be a piece of cake for those chapters. And I'm sure all of our headquarters have excellent financial teams who would know to pay heavy early to ease the burden for when that day does eventually come when quota goes to 30 or your chapter becomes THAT chapter for a couple years, and half of the house has to live in. Still, even in that scenario, not every last member has to live in so there's a lot of buffer.

[ChioLu]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

I was worried about the real estate cost at some of those schools too, as Alpha Xi Delta is getting ready to colonize at 2 very expensive housing schools (South Carolina and UCLA) and I am kind of expecting us to pull the trigger at Bama in the next 5 years (no, I don't know anything, even rumor). But when I heard the cost of membership, even for non-live-ins, my worries disappeared. The mortgage payments have to be a piece of cake for those chapters. And I'm sure all of our headquarters have excellent financial teams who would know to pay heavy early to ease the burden for when that day does eventually come when quota goes to 30 or your chapter becomes THAT chapter for a couple years, and half of the house has to live in. Still, even in that scenario, not every last member has to live in so there's a lot of buffer.

Looking forward to seeing the new AXD house at UCLA. I saw the renderings during the Extention Presentations and it looked gorgeous!

[Griffins&Quills]

Originally Posted by ChioLu

Looking forward to seeing the new AXD house at UCLA. I saw the renderings during the Extention Presentations and it looked gorgeous!

I haven't seen the renderings , but that's exciting!