PNM's over age 25....(questions and some musings)

[SoCalGirl]

By the time I was in my late 20s I had graduated, took a couple years off sorority life, joined the alumnae chapter, held officer positions, became an advisor, got burned out on it all and decided to take more years off.

When I was an advisor in my mid 20s I felt soooooo old at events. I was there to chaperone, advise, and guide. Not party. If anything went down, I was the adult. The girls saw me as old-ish at least. To the freshman and sophomores I must have seemed ancient. To the seniors, I was the sympathetic ear that understood their own burn out. When 21-23 year olds are "over it" you can't quite comprehend why someone over 23 would want in on those experiences.

My chapter did pledge a woman who was a lot older but nobody realized it until after bid day. She came off as young and apparently age must not have been on the rush application. (Our advisors at the time never ever would have knowingly let that happen.) Everyone loved her and she was initiated but she did not return to the chapter after the end of the year. She worked, had a long commute, and a fiancee. She realized her priorities were elsewhere. We all understood completely.

[LouisaMay]

I see things a little more like 33girl stated. (Maybe it is because we are from the same neck of the woods!) My college didn't have a wide age range, but it was not unheard of to have older pledges--especially among the fraternity men.

When I first became a volunteer for ASA, I worked with a chapter that had a woman in her mid-forties. She was serving as chapter president when I met her. She was absolutely loved by her chapter, but there was no doubt that she was in more of an advisor role than anything else. I'm sure she did not have the "typical" sorority experience--whatever that means. She was able to come into a sorority, experience the rituals and traditions and friendships, but she didn't seem to want or expect all of the stuff that usually comes with collegiate membership. She had children, a husband, a job, and a home nearby, but she devoted her free time to ASA like other people might be devoted to the YMCA or their church or the PTA. She made it work, and I was so impressed by the way the younger sisters accepted her. It was a period of real growth for the chapter!

So like 33 basically said, something like that was fine at that school but would be DEATH to a sorority somewhere else.

[tigerivy]

I think it depends on the "typical age" of Greek life at your school.
I went to a big midwest school with huge greek life. It was considered "weird" even for people who were in their fifth year (due to majors or something) to be involved in the GLO. at our school, it was definitely 22 and out.
I think that you were just trying to make an experience happen that, unfortuately due to life situations, you had already missed.
Greek Life at your school was clearly not one of the situations (like some posters described above) where older students could join.
I do hope that you have adjusted to college and realize that eating pizza, dating and going out are not limited to GLOs. And, unfortunately, you are in the minority at most schools- being 28, single, ready to party and get involved. I think you may just need to make your own niche instead of trying to fit into someone else's.

[misscherrypie]

Hey tigerivy,
I don't know how it ended up that way, but I've made several friends (mid to late twenties who are all single and live in the dorms) via the person I met in the food line, and they introduced me to the GLO interest group on campus that we're all busily involved with. On top of the other activities that keep me busy and involved here.

We do lots of the things that I had wanted to do with others, and I don't feel so "out of the loop" as I did in retrospect trying to stuff myself into among the Traditionally aged students and we all have past experiences that are relatively similar, which is comforting.

What a difference a couple of weeks makes.
About three quarters of our group consists of upperclassmen, and it's probably very unlikely with the situation that exists on campus (no GLO expansion for the foreseeable future) and for other reasons, that we'll end up as a colony for any GLO while our core group is still in Undergrad. I hope that will change for our Freshmen and Sophomores and those who become members in the years to come.

[BadCat25]

It is possible for the older PNM to get a bid, provided she is
Rich "Do you know where I can rent a garage space? I don't want to leave my Bentley out in the rain." or
Gorgeous " I know everone thinks being a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model is easy, but......" or
Famous " Winning a gold medal at the London games was the high point of my life." or even
Married " I am sure my husband would let us use his private jet for the new member retreat."

[KSUViolet06]

I'm confused. You're part of a GLO interest group now? What exactly does that mean?

[misscherrypie]

The jist is this:
Several groups on campus (I believe that there is more than three of them, and less than several) are interest groups for specific GLOs. As in, they would like to see XYZ GLO expand to our campus but Greek Life said "not right now". Greek Life and the Student Government (ASUN) told those who were interested in expansion for these various groups to form interest groups, and create their own community, and when the campus was interested in expansion, GL would make this known and whichever NPC, NPHC, IPC or other GLO's otherwise not under an umbrella org who were interested in expansion to our campus could present themselves and the interest groups would/could be chosen to become colonies. Or not. Either way, the groups exist, they aren't considered to be a part of Greek Life, but they probably will be in the future when the campus opens for expansion and are selected to colonize.

This is how at least two of the IPC GLOs on campus came to campus within the past several years, and some of the MCG GLOs as well. NPC, I don't know.....that was before my time.

The interest group that I was invited to join is an interest group for a specific GLO that has existed on our campus in the past. The group has been in existence and active for a few years now.

I don't know if this is the norm, but that's how it's done here. I know that the new service org that I joined is interested in re colonizing Alpha Phi Omega and APO National told them to form an interest group under a name of our choosing (We're Green and Blue Service Organization at the University of Nevada), become active, and then take things from there after that with APO with our school's authorization.

I hope that this makes sense.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by misscherrypie

The jist is this:
Several groups on campus (I believe that there is more than three of them, and less than several) are interest groups for specific GLOs. As in, they would like to see XYZ GLO expand to our campus but Greek Life said "not right now". Greek Life and the Student Government (ASUN) told those who were interested in expansion for these various groups to form interest groups, and create their own community, and when the campus was interested in expansion, GL would make this known and whichever NPC, NPHC, IPC or other GLO's otherwise not under an umbrella org who were interested in expansion to our campus could present themselves and the interest groups would/could be chosen to become colonies. Or not. Either way, the groups exist, they aren't considered to be a part of Greek Life, but they probably will be in the future when the campus opens for expansion and are selected to colonize.

This is how at least two of the IPC GLOs on campus came to campus within the past several years, and some of the MCG GLOs as well. NPC, I don't know.....that was before my time.

The interest group that I was invited to join is an interest group for a specific GLO that has existed on our campus in the past. The group has been in existence and active for a few years now.

I don't know if this is the norm, but that's how it's done here. I know that the new service org that I joined is interested in re colonizing Alpha Phi Omega and APO National told them to form an interest group under a name of our choosing (We're Green and Blue Service Organization at the University of Nevada), become active, and then take things from there after that with APO with our school's authorization.

I hope that this makes sense.

Are you in an APO interest group AND an NPC interest group? Or is there no second group? Or is the second group non-NPC?

Because that's not how NPC expansion works, on any campus. I'd hate for you to think you were on the path to NPC membership.

[misscherrypie]

APO interest group + Non NPC interest group.
Two separate groups.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by misscherrypie

The jist is this:
Several groups on campus (I believe that there is more than three of them, and less than several) are interest groups for specific GLOs. As in, they would like to see XYZ GLO expand to our campus but Greek Life said "not right now". Greek Life and the Student Government (ASUN) told those who were interested in expansion for these various groups to form interest groups, and create their own community, and when the campus was interested in expansion, GL would make this known and whichever NPC, NPHC, IPC or other GLO's otherwise not under an umbrella org who were interested in expansion to our campus could present themselves and the interest groups would/could be chosen to become colonies. Or not.

Let me translate. GL and SG have told you and the others to do this in the hopes that you'll put all your energy into this and leave them alone, thinking you have an "in" if any new groups come. When actually, what they're doing is the equivalent of the Omegas putting you in the corner with Jugdish and Sirajul.

The fact is - and it's been talked about in several stories on here - there have been quite a few instances of 1) NPCs coming to colonize a campus, taking a second look at the interest group, saying "no thank you" and recruiting a different bunch of girls 2) NPCs coming to a school thinking they are doing a "ground up" colonization, being presented with an interest group they never knew about (because Panhellenic never told them) and telling all the women they have to rush as individuals....when the women were under the impression they would be accepted as a group.

I'm not sure what the "non NPC" group is, but I'm going to say if it's been around for years without coming to fruition, that's not really a good sign.

[ree-Xi]

Originally Posted by misscherrypie

The jist is this:
Several groups on campus (I believe that there is more than three of them, and less than several) are interest groups for specific GLOs. As in, they would like to see XYZ GLO expand to our campus but Greek Life said "not right now". Greek Life and the Student Government (ASUN) told those who were interested in expansion for these various groups to form interest groups, and create their own community, and when the campus was interested in expansion, GL would make this known and whichever NPC, NPHC, IPC or other GLO's otherwise not under an umbrella org who were interested in expansion to our campus could present themselves and the interest groups would/could be chosen to become colonies. Or not. Either way, the groups exist, they aren't considered to be a part of Greek Life, but they probably will be in the future when the campus opens for expansion and are selected to colonize.

This is how at least two of the IPC GLOs on campus came to campus within the past several years, and some of the MCG GLOs as well. NPC, I don't know.....that was before my time.

The interest group that I was invited to join is an interest group for a specific GLO that has existed on our campus in the past. The group has been in existence and active for a few years now.

I don't know if this is the norm, but that's how it's done here. I know that the new service org that I joined is interested in re colonizing Alpha Phi Omega and APO National told them to form an interest group under a name of our choosing (We're Green and Blue Service Organization at the University of Nevada), become active, and then take things from there after that with APO with our school's authorization.

I hope that this makes sense.

That was fast. It's been what, a few days, and you're already "Philanthropy Chair".

[misscherrypie]

Hmmm. That's not something that I considered even being a possibility. That's really a shame. Why wouldn't GL be up front from the beginning? However, I can see why at the same time.

Since I accepted the Philanthropy Chair, and I believe in the group under its own merits and doings as a campus org, I'd love to remain and continue participating.

I don't want to start a fight: but do you guys think that I should bring up these points to the membership at an upcoming meeting.....or let things go on?

This is a fantastic group of ladies and they are doing a fabulous job as an org just being itself....and that may attract even a larger membership. However, a situation where people say "WTH? I thought that we'd become XYZ...this sucks!" and jump ship for Circle K or another campus org, leaving no org in its place would be a mess, I think.

Then again....our campus has over 200 organizations anyway....so, lack of choice isn't an issue.

[misscherrypie]

Originally Posted by ree-Xi

That was fast. It's been what, a few days, and you're already "Philanthropy Chair".

First meeting of the year was last week, immediate elections. I spoke about my background and the volunteer events that I chaired and organized before moving to Reno before the membership....and it was like that.

[sigmagirl10]

Regarding these colonizations (or hopeful colonizations) happening from an interest group for a specific organization, I know it's not unheard of. At the University of California Merced--relatively new university--which was trying to get its Greek life up and running quickly, there were quite a few interest groups for specific NPC sororities. They had names reflecting characteristics of that group (ex: a group with angels in the name and wine as one of their colors). This was a couple of years ago, so I'm not entirely sure what the situation is, though regarding that specific group, I know that Merced doesn't currently have a chapter of Pi Beta Phi.

Does anyone know more about UC Merced Greek Life and could comment more on this interest group based colonization?

[misscherrypie]

I don't know if that's the case here....our school has been around since the late 19th century and three of the five NPC GLOs were chartered several decades ago, with Delta Gamma and Sigma Kappa being the two most recent to come to campus, in 2002 and 2006.

Otherwise, I'm clueless.