Schools that (should) open for expansion

[Low D Flat]

1. History of bullying "lower ranked" groups. Theta closed even though quotas at the time were over 100. I heard that Zetas suffered a similar fate (though quotas were not nearly so high.)

You are right on all points, yet ADPi successfully recolonized. Of all the groups bullied to death, only Theta was in the post-RFM era. Also, there are so many more students at Ole Miss now from all over the Southeast and even Ohio, Illinois, etc., as opposed to the days when it was more insular. If they can come up with land for houses, I'd be hopeful that new/returning groups would have a shot.

I find the Alabama houses quite overwhelming from the street; they give steroids/Disneyland to me. The redone KD, DDD, DG, and Chi O houses at Ole Miss, by contrast, do a great job of disguising their bulk and giving more of a classic feel. (KKG is a little more Bama-ish to my eye.)

[Cookiez17]

Originally Posted by Low D Flat

You are right on all points, yet ADPi successfully recolonized. Of all the groups bullied to death, only Theta was in the post-RFM era. Also, there are so many more students at Ole Miss now from all over the Southeast and even Ohio, Illinois, etc., as opposed to the days when it was more insular. If they can come up with land for houses, I'd be hopeful that new/returning groups would have a shot.

I find the Alabama houses quite overwhelming from the street; they give steroids/Disneyland to me. The redone KD, DDD, DG, and Chi O houses at Ole Miss, by contrast, do a great job of disguising their bulk and giving more of a classic feel. (KKG is a little more Bama-ish to my eye.)

I still remember when NPC called in every chapter on campus to tell everyone "stop bullying and being nasty to one another." Aphi and ADPi have done well and AXO is doing well so far.

Also, and this is somewhat related, more people are going to college in the south overall, as people want the big SEC experience and greek life.

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/educatio...h-now-235d7934

[carnation]

Sometimes when posters say "chapter ABC is doing well". they don't know the whole story.

[Low D Flat]

Originally Posted by carnation

Sometimes when posters say "chapter ABC is doing well". they don't know the whole story.

Intriguing. We'd love to learn more of the story. The public info does make clear that the newer chapters at Ole Miss have much lower GPAs, though the chapter sizes are pretty strong. The GPA contrast is not so dramatic at Alabama or Arkansas.

[*winter*]

I think I’ve posted on here about this book on here before…Jana Mathews’ book The Benefit of Friends has a whole chapter on the University of Arkansas and how, in general, large southern schools have really increased in both the amount of students and the quality of the applicant pool, over the past two decades. A big part of the appeal is in the “fun & Greek Life” experience.

There are a few other books that discuss this, but they’re not worth mentioning since most do so with a really biased, almost nasty undertone. It is ironic that the authors are on such a high horse, considering the lack of quality writing in their own books.

[carnation]

Originally Posted by Low D Flat

Intriguing. We'd love to learn more of the story. The public info does make clear that the newer chapters at Ole Miss have much lower GPAs, though the chapter sizes are pretty strong. The GPA contrast is not so dramatic at Alabama or Arkansas.

Sometimes we see posts that say, "Woo! ABC, the newest chapter, is doing so well at Whatever U!" People who know the campus know that ABC may have pledged 75 and then lost 20 in the first 2 weeks and 25 more before initiation--and that member retention overall is horrendous. They may also know that the chapter's grades are far below others or that few members show up at functions.

I have never heard if a school that publishes retention rates but low ones a real thing.

[Cheerio]

Originally Posted by carnation

Sometimes we see posts that say, "Woo! ABC, the newest chapter, is doing so well at Whatever U!" People who know the campus know that ABC may have pledged 75 and then lost 20 in the first 2 weeks and 25 more before initiation--and that member retention overall is horrendous. They may also know that the chapter's grades are far below others or that few members show up at functions.

I have never heard if a school that publishes retention rates but low ones a real thing.

If a new chapter is going to be automatically shunned by PNMs, what possesses a greek council and/or University that knows this to open their campus in the first place?

When a new chapter's grades are poor and members unmotivated, is that strictly a result of poor choice of new members by the colonizing NPC? Or does some blame go to a greek life/university that opened to a new group knowing the PNM pool was likely not up to snuff?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

If a new chapter is going to be automatically shunned by PNMs, what possesses a greek council and/or University that knows this to open their campus in the first place?

When a new chapter's grades are poor and members unmotivated, is that strictly a result of poor choice of new members by the colonizing NPC? Or does some blame go to a greek life/university that opened to a new group knowing the PNM pool was likely not up to snuff?

What possesses them? Some people deal in fantasy instead of reality and believe all the kum ba ya we're all Greek and equal line. Either that or the school is being pressured by parents whose daughters were cut (of course the daughters never tell the parents that they refused to consider anything but "top" chapters and behaved accordingly) and basically forces the Panhel to open.

Personally I believe that groups that start as locals on their own steam are more motivated and probably don't have the grade/motivation issues, but then the nationals come in and want to cherry pick members. You can't have it both ways.

I think about that great Carnegie Mellon expansion story on here and how the one group (that if you read between the lines was the most nationally prestigious) basically didn't vibe with the local or its members at all, but wanted to take them on just to have a chapter there - and would most likely have made things so uncomfortable for the women that they would have quit.

[aephi alum]

Originally Posted by Low D Flat

I find the Alabama houses quite overwhelming from the street; they give steroids/Disneyland to me.

That struck me as well. I evacuated to Tuscaloosa after Ida, and made a point of taking a drive around campus, and those houses are huge. They also struck me as pretty cookie-cutter for the most part - the house that stuck out to me was Phi Mu. It also struck me that if an NPC sorority were to colonize, where would they even put a house?

That's just physical infrastructure. I didn't go into any of the houses or talk to any members. If AEPhi still had a chapter there, I might have knocked on their door, but that chapter is dormant, and in any case recruitment had just ended and everyone was gearing up for football season.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

That struck me as well. I evacuated to Tuscaloosa after Ida, and made a point of taking a drive around campus, and those houses are huge. They also struck me as pretty cookie-cutter for the most part - the house that stuck out to me was Phi Mu. It also struck me that if an NPC sorority were to colonize, where would they even put a house?

That's just physical infrastructure. I didn't go into any of the houses or talk to any members. If AEPhi still had a chapter there, I might have knocked on their door, but that chapter is dormant, and in any case recruitment had just ended and everyone was gearing up for football season.

the Phi Mu house is a larger version of their original house....back when all were very different. They didn't want to build new but did when they were certain they could reuse the style. There are a couple of houses right now from the old rows that are "swing"houses - used for groups who want to rebuild or add on/renovate - fraternities included. Since it is UA land, they just hold on to them. That land could be used. And there is an old dorm to the southeast of the DG house that could torn down as well.

[Low D Flat]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

\They also struck me as pretty cookie-cutter for the most part.

Yes. Tri Delta is my favorite of the new houses for that reason. Points to Chi Omega for being the only organization that preserved its original house as part of the rebuild.