University of Texas-Austin Roundup

[dnall]

Originally Posted by 33girl

You would have to assume that she was being accompanied by anyone who knew her on sight to know she was a legacy (not that that should matter). Her MOM went there, not her sister. Plus you have to remember you can't swing a dead flea without hitting a legacy at Texas.

As someone who remembers wet fraternity rush, the fact is, LOTS of guys showed up who had absolutely NO intention of pledging a fraternity - they were there for the free booze, food and girls. I'm sure there are plenty of people (male and female) at Roundup parties doing exactly the same thing.

hence the wristband thing. So you have to talk to someone and they can decide if they're willing to give you a band or not. And then not all the events are really wide open just because you have a band, or at least most of them have a VIP where the real business gets done.

As far as someone taking care of the girl, I guess that would be nice, but you have to remember this is not a small tight knit community you're talking about. It's over 50k students & the sororities are some of the biggest chapters in the country. Literally girls don't know all their sorority sisters, much less some random girl.

And, UT has a different system than I've seen anywhere else. It's all west campus (walking distance). So, black outs are pretty routine. Sororities do pledge class mixers every week that are all about getting smashed at fraternity houses (contrary to NPC rules). There's parties there with thousands of people in them. They have their system to keep things relatively safe, and I wouldn't necessarily say the parties are better than some other places, but I do think they tend to be a bit drunker than most places.

Still, far as being a guy or girl considering rush and deciding to go or not, I lean toward going. Absolutely you can make a fool of yourself & harm your chances, but you can also make a good impression. The difference is mostly self-control & maybe some luck. I'd rather take my chances than not. If you're going to be a fool in social situations, that's going to come out later anyway.

[TriDeltaSallie]

Originally Posted by dnall

Sororities do pledge class mixers every week that are all about getting smashed at fraternity houses (contrary to NPC rules).

So the national organizations of these UT chapters are just ignoring the obvious because... it is Texas? Some other reason?

[AnchorAlum]

Originally Posted by TriDeltaSallie

So the national organizations of these UT chapters are just ignoring the obvious because... it is Texas? Some other reason?

Texas makes its own rules, yes. I found it sort of surprising when I first moved there and they had summer rush parties in Dallas. HUGE no no where I came from in Florida. There are houses where the girls have already decided who is cut from first round before the actual first round.

[dnall]

Originally Posted by TriDeltaSallie

So the national organizations of these UT chapters are just ignoring the obvious because... it is Texas? Some other reason?

When you get the legislature pounding on the regents, alumni suing, and donors responsible for things like the McCombs school of business in your ear so that you'll take more a hands off approach, then that's what you get. The same is true in a lot of other old big greeks systems at tier 1 universities, but UT seems to be more the wild west on some specific ways of doing things. It's not unregulated, and it's not necessarily all that bad a thing. It's just different & to some extent has to be seen to be believed or understood.

Originally Posted by LadyLonghorn

So basically you're a long graduated SWT alum who claims his source is a couple of active sorority girls. Awesome that you're able to spout your expertise here based on a bunch of hearsay. Since you insist, I will tell you exactly what items in your post are untruths, but really, Carnation ought to be deleting your posts because once again you are publicly libeling an entire Greek system, but in particular the sororities.

I am a long graduated SWT alum who served several years on the advisory board for our chapter at UT, and do have quite a bit more experience and connections to base my knowledge on than a couple sorority actives. BUT...

I'm not claiming to be an expert, nor would I expect anyone else to regardless of their experience.

To the extent this thread is about sorority recruitment, I clearly defer to sorority women. I advised two things. I said I would accept a little risk to gain all the advantage I could get. That's my personality. Anyone reading that view can decide for themselves if the risks of showing up to roundup versus not is too big a risk to make them more competitive. The other thing I said was I don't think it important that they go to social events; the daytime philanthropy oriented events by each sorority are a very good compromise to see/be seen without much risk of making a fool of yourself.

In regard to your complaints about what I said, I was just shooting off the cuff. Maybe I wasn't very clear. I'll try to clarify.

VIP: there's normally a blocked off area, upstairs or whatever. I wouldn't send a future PNM there to get recruited, but it is a different aspect of the party then the crowded club scene downstairs or out back.

Small tight knit: UT has a huge greek system. Yes, once into that you know a lot of people and do look out for each other. But, it isn't like a much smaller community where everyone knows everyone. Plenty acts of random kindness happen, but a random girl no one knows passed out at a party isn't necessarily going to be instantly snatched up and cared for by the first greek that sees her. I'm not saying anything bad about UT, it's just the dynamics of big groups. If you try to take care of every single seriously drunk person you see, that's all you'll ever be doing.

Chapter size: Sororities at UT are absolutely in that top tier in size. There's pros & cons to that. One of the cons is you aren't going to know every girl as well as you do in smaller chapters. I have seen dozen of instances where a girl didn't know another girl was in her sorority. I'm not saying every chapter at UT is like that, I wouldn't begin to know, but it does happen. Some people may think that's a bad thing, but the other side of that coin is they're able to accomplish spectacular things and raise huge amounts for their philanthropies because they have that kind of resources to work with. They're still good chapters, it's just different than what a lot of other greeks experience.

West Campus: the vast majority of fraternity houses are in west campus, which is all walking distance. Stuff will happen downtown & elsewhere, but west campus has always been ground zero.

Blackouts: they happen everywhere. Again just the rule of large numbers. One person passed out on the couch in a 15k square foot house that's had several hundred at a party is less surprising than another campus where they had a hundred people there total for the night. It's nothing bad about UT, it just happens.

Pledge Class mixers: Most sororities do pledge class mixers about weekly. I don't know that every sorority does it or tolerates what a lot of them are doing, but a good number of those events are at fraternity houses with a lot of alcohol. It's not necessarily bad, there are chaperons and rides, but it is done pretty openly. The only reason I mentioned it was to point out that Texas plays by a little bit different set of rules than a lot of other places.

Drunker: I've been involved with greek systems and fraternity chapters all over the country. UT is unique. It comes with its own advantages and disadvantages that are different than other places. It is not unregulated, but in some specific respects it is more the wild west than folks from a lot of other places would believe without seeing it. In other ways it's more regulated than other places. It's just different. I think any place you have a very large old greek system (ie money to spend on parties) based in walking distance to a campus (accessibility) where there are wet houses in a moderately regulated system (opportunity) you're going to get a very large party scene that isn't necessarily the norm everywhere else. That isn't bad about UT, but it is different.

Anyway, that is what I was trying to say about UT in general. I'm sure readers would welcome any different views you care to offer, and they can make up their own minds. Again, with regard to sorority recruitment I don't particularly claim any expertise and would defer to others on that aspect. I was just trying to inform outside greeks of my knowledge of the environment so they can form their own advice for the OP & anyone else that may happen along the thread in the future. I'm sorry my swerve touched a nerve. Moving on.

[LadyLonghorn]

Originally Posted by dnall

hence the wristband thing. So you have to talk to someone and they can decide if they're willing to give you a band or not. And then not all the events are really wide open just because you have a band, or at least most of them have a VIP where the real business gets done.

As far as someone taking care of the girl, I guess that would be nice, but you have to remember this is not a small tight knit community you're talking about. It's over 50k students & the sororities are some of the biggest chapters in the country. Literally girls don't know all their sorority sisters, much less some random girl.

And, UT has a different system than I've seen anywhere else. It's all west campus (walking distance). So, black outs are pretty routine. Sororities do pledge class mixers every week that are all about getting smashed at fraternity houses (contrary to NPC rules). There's parties there with thousands of people in them. They have their system to keep things relatively safe, and I wouldn't necessarily say the parties are better than some other places, but I do think they tend to be a bit drunker than most places.

Still, far as being a guy or girl considering rush and deciding to go or not, I lean toward going. Absolutely you can make a fool of yourself & harm your chances, but you can also make a good impression. The difference is mostly self-control & maybe some luck. I'd rather take my chances than not. If you're going to be a fool in social situations, that's going to come out later anyway.

You have no idea what you're talking about. You are not and never have been a UT student. You are not a sorority member, much less one at UT. You need to step away from the keyboard because there are so many factual errors in your post, I don't even know where to start.

[AZTheta]

Originally Posted by LadyLonghorn

You have no idea what you're talking about. You are not and never have been a UT student. You are not a sorority member, much less one at UT. You need to step away from the keyboard because there are so many factual errors in your post, I don't even know where to start.

WORD.

I am sitting in the bleachers where I belong; this is a Texas thread. I do appreciate what you said, although I fear it will fall on deaf ears.

[dnall]

Originally Posted by LadyLonghorn

You have no idea what you're talking about. You are not and never have been a UT student. You are not a sorority member, much less one at UT. You need to step away from the keyboard because there are so many factual errors in your post, I don't even know where to start.

Actually, I was a UT student though I ultimately got my degree elsewhere.

It has been some time since I was in school, I have rotated through adviser, housing corp, and national officer positions since then, including for UT. I have been to events there as recently as last semester. Of course I've never been in a sorority, but I do know several girls that are current actives at UT. I'm not as well versed as maybe a current fraternity officer, but I feel like I have a decent handle on what's going on.

I'm not trying to pick an argument. I'm open to correction, but I also stand by what I said. If we can have a calm discussion of the facts, that seems like it would be more helpful for anyone reading it.

If you can tell me what you found fatally flawed, I can try to clear up any misunderstanding in the way I said it. Or if I 'm wrong, I'll be more than happy to admit that too.

[BAckbOwlsgIrl]

I did not say that her sister went there nor her mother.

[srmom]

I knew of one girl whose grandfather was an extremely FAMOUS legal type and her Mom was in one of the "Big 6" at UT. She went down to roundup and passed out in a fraternity house, so trashed that she wet her pants while passed out.

Hence my disclaimer of "no preclivity for wild behavior, and the wish for a successful rush".

A major part of attending round up events, whether you are a guy or a girl, is knowing that you are being observed. If you act like an embarrassment to yourself, nobody is going to want you to be an embarrassment to their organization - so don't act like a drunk fool or an obnoxious creeper.

That also goes for posting bad pictures on facebook, making outrageous wall posts, etc.

[LadyLonghorn]

Originally Posted by dnall

Actually, I was a UT student though I ultimately got my degree elsewhere.

It has been some time since I was in school, I have rotated through adviser, housing corp, and national officer positions since then, including for UT. I have been to events there as recently as last semester. Of course I've never been in a sorority, but I do know several girls that are current actives at UT. I'm not as well versed as maybe a current fraternity officer, but I feel like I have a decent handle on what's going on.

I'm not trying to pick an argument. I'm open to correction, but I also stand by what I said. If we can have a calm discussion of the facts, that seems like it would be more helpful for anyone reading it.

If you can tell me what you found fatally flawed, I can try to clear up any misunderstanding in the way I said it. Or if I 'm wrong, I'll be more than happy to admit that too.

Originally Posted by dnall

hence the wristband thing. So you have to talk to someone and they can decide if they're willing to give you a band or not. And then not all the events are really wide open just because you have a band, or at least most of them have a VIP where the real business gets done.

As far as someone taking care of the girl, I guess that would be nice, but you have to remember this is not a small tight knit community you're talking about. It's over 50k students & the sororities are some of the biggest chapters in the country. Literally girls don't know all their sorority sisters, much less some random girl.

And, UT has a different system than I've seen anywhere else. It's all west campus (walking distance). So, black outs are pretty routine. Sororities do pledge class mixers every week that are all about getting smashed at fraternity houses (contrary to NPC rules). There's parties there with thousands of people in them. They have their system to keep things relatively safe, and I wouldn't necessarily say the parties are better than some other places, but I do think they tend to be a bit drunker than most places.

Still, far as being a guy or girl considering rush and deciding to go or not, I lean toward going. Absolutely you can make a fool of yourself & harm your chances, but you can also make a good impression. The difference is mostly self-control & maybe some luck. I'd rather take my chances than not. If you're going to be a fool in social situations, that's going to come out later anyway.

So basically you're a long graduated SWT alum who claims his source is a couple of active sorority girls. Awesome that you're able to spout your expertise here based on a bunch of hearsay. Since you insist, I will tell you exactly what items in your post are untruths, but really, Carnation ought to be deleting your posts because once again you are publicly libeling an entire Greek system, but in particular the sororities.

Originally Posted by dnall

VIP where the real business gets done.

Originally Posted by dnall

this is not a small tight knit community you're talking about.

Originally Posted by dnall

the sororities are some of the biggest chapters in the country. Literally girls don't know all their sorority sisters

Originally Posted by dnall

It's all west campus

Originally Posted by dnall

So, black outs are pretty routine.

Originally Posted by dnall

Sororities do pledge class mixers every week that are all about getting smashed at fraternity houses (contrary to NPC rules).

Originally Posted by dnall

I do think they tend to be a bit drunker than most places.

[Eightisgreat]

Is there a boy in the girl lane? Where is the State Patrol when you need one?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Eightisgreat

Is there a boy in the girl lane? Where is the State Patrol when you need one?

He did ok in the girl lane before and I told him so. My bad. Apparently his head has swelled like Peter Brady's after he prevented an accident.

[DrPhil]

It is all 33girl's fault.

I am more humored by his saying he's open to correction, and he stands by what he says, but he'd be happy to admit if he's wrong. Confusion.

[Just interested]

I think most of the UT chapters have 170+ girls in them. Not sure what total is right now. I don't know if you consider that bigger than average. Maybe not for an SEC school but they run about the same as Texas A&M but not as big as say LSU or Ole Miss.

[Low C Sharp]

NPC groups in that enviro (from my experience) do still spend money. Not on big social events like a fraternity wouls, but more on a lot of little philanthropy &/or ice cream social kind of things in order to keep their name out there and create contact opportunities.

Is this the case at SMU? I'm trying to come up with the deferred-rush schools that are most similar to Texas socially. Maybe SMU and UVA.
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