UPenn Phi Sig Chapter Disbands - Page 3

Kevin · #31 11-08-2002, 12:14 AM

I think we sometimes misunderstand our HQ's/IHQ's. I work with (and have worked with) divisional officials and national officials on a fairly regular basis. I have been able to see that with around 200 UNIQUE chapters it is very difficult for Sigma Nu to deal with each one of us in the way it needs to be done.

We have a GREAT staff and they are able to pull it off very admirably. I can see that it is a great challenge to be able to work with chapters at schools like Kansas State and 'Ole Miss and then turn around and work with smaller East Coast chapters in the same day. Chapters are anywhere between under 10 members to over 200.

It's a challenge and we really should APPRECIATE these people when they are doing such great jobs... Or understand when they have their shortcomings.

Optimist Prime · #32 11-08-2002, 12:23 AM

Phisigsigchick,

Is RU for Radford?

Glitter650 · #33 11-08-2002, 12:55 AM

Optimist... I believe she means Rutgers Univ. in New Jersey...

amycat412 · #34 11-08-2002, 01:22 AM

I am changing the name of this thread to accurately reflect the subject matter:

UPenn Phi Sig Chapter Disbands

There are MANY phi sigs and not ALL of them hate their nationals, so...that's why.

Amy

Glitter650 · #35 11-08-2002, 01:53 AM

THANK YOU AMY !!!!!!! I was going to ask a MOD if that could be done because I didn't really like that subject line

phisig4eva · #36 11-08-2002, 04:47 AM

thank you very much amy

cause you know what

i LOVE my nationals.

pirepresent · #37 11-08-2002, 05:17 AM

I agree!!

I am a Phi Sig at a great big school and I am nothing but happy with the way they have treated us. They have been supportive and wonderful and there all the way.

PhiSig4eva I am right there with you!! I love my nationals!!

AngelPhiSig · #38 11-08-2002, 07:00 AM

Okay... dont get mad at me for this:

Ladies:
I feel that it is best not to bash CO on this board, if you feel that you must get feelings out, I think that the Phi Sig board is the best, and even better - send your concerns to CO (Phi Sigma Sigma Central Office - 23123 State Rd #7 Suite 250 - Boca Raton FL 33428) We as Phi Sigs know that CO is unorganized and trying to get better, but we dont need to be airing our dirty laundry on a more public board, you do not know what PNM's you might be convincing to not join, or if there might be someone who will start bashing the chapter of Phi Sig at their school. Its not like I can do anything to stop the talk about national here, but this is just my suggestion!

LITP
Alison

PS: Also, remember that it its National not NationalS
PPS: SMILE
PPPS: Josette George ROCKS... heh... (sorry, my chapter loves her... hehe... go NPC Delegate!)

The1calledTKE · #39 11-08-2002, 11:15 AM

This explains why they disbanned and quit Phi Sig.

http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vn.../3dcb7c81c69d2

IowaHawkeye · #40 11-08-2002, 11:21 AM

i applaud these women for doing what they felt was right even though it was probably a tough and emotional decision.

does anyone else feel that if total is usually 100+ - having 75 women is still very good? i guess i just see 75 women as awesome considering that total here is 120 and there are 2 groups surviving with way less than 75 at the moment. it sounds to me, like for the girls in the chapter, it was less to do with numbers, and more to do with how easily nationals would come in there and put them on alum.

IvySpice · #41 11-08-2002, 01:16 PM

I don't think they had 75; there were 75 names on the website, but some have quit since it was posted. Yesterday's article (http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vn...2?in_archive=1) suggested that they had "over 60." Some sororities at Penn are taking pledge classes of 50; Phi Sig was half the size of the "prestige" houses.

An anonymous Penn senior posting on the Daily Pennsylvanian site offered an inside interpretation, which I'll repost below. For what it's worth, this is the same impression I had of Phi Sig...they were the "uncool" house, but were probably better sisters than the "hot" houses.

Ivy

>>I have to agree with "Freshman" here. I didn't rush my freshman year because I thought all sorority girls were bitchy and shallow. Of course I was wrong--there are awesome girls in every house--but there was one house with which I was unconditionally wrong, and that is phi sig, which my roommate was a member of (until she deactivated a few days ago.)

Their sorority was really close (apparently people don't know each other's names in some of the houses!) and the girls were basically model Penn Citizens...they got the GPA award for the highest in the greek system and did lots of community service.

What is really disappointing is what my roommate told me as the main reason the national chapter wanted to kick them out. It wasn't so much low numbers (which they did have a problem with) but it was that the sorority didn't really fit their ideals...the girls weren't "cool" enough. As in, the fact that the sorority was not made up of "Penn Girls" was the REASON they wanted to disband it.

I think this is really disappointing because people like "Freshman" are so much less likely to join the greek system at all. Do we really want the norm for sororities at Penn to be bitchy, shallow, dumb girls? This is not to say that's what the other houses are like--it's just that disbanding this one in particular sets a really bad tone, and may affect who decides to rush this winter.

Senior
>>

edit: "Penn Girl" is campus lingo for a rich, skinny Long Island or New Jersey Jew with a perfect tan who isn't particularly studious or nice.

MoxieGrrl · #42 11-08-2002, 04:03 PM

I do not know if the Penn girls tried to contact their National HQ or not. While some may say, "Oh! If you just tell HQ you are in trouble, they will send someone to help you!" From what I have seen and heard (not in this sit. necessarily) that is NOT always true. Some National HQ see a consulant coming in as a gift or a reward of some sort. I guess they have the outlook of, "We dont' have a whole lot of money to play around with. Why spend this cash on a group that isn't very big/doing well and might end up failing after we provide this service?" So what happens? A CDC, TLC or NO comes in to a huge, successful chapter, checks out what they are doing, and pretty much pats them on the head and leaves. That is not helping the struggling "black sheep" chapters at all.

I do not know very much about Phi Sig nationally, so I would never judge their national organization. But I will judge Penn's Greek life and say that they should all be ashamed of themselves.

shadokat · #43 11-08-2002, 04:55 PM

I can understand that the women at Phi Sig at Penn would be upset, but I would think that Phi Sigma Sigma national has given them the opportunity to improve their situation and they haven't done so. Therefore, Phi Sigma Sigma needs to make sure that they will have a viable future at Penn, and thus, chose to recolonize the chapter. This happens OFTEN with MANY national sorority chapters. Being a part of the sorority is a privilege, not a right, and just because you get initiated doesn't mean you are allowed to slack. Not saying they did, but I know Penn as I used to work there, and the sorority system there is not hurting for numbers. They just expanded with Sigma Kappa, so the # of women going through and joining chapters was rising for that to happen.

Phi Sigma Sigma national has every right to make sure that the chapter is functioning to its capacity, especially with the house. Unfortunately, sororities and fraternities are businesses, and money is an issue, as much as we don't like it.

I know women from Phi Sigma Sigma national, and they are awesome people. They wouldn't just swoop in and take away a chapter or refuse to work in a reasonable situation.

shadokat · #44 11-08-2002, 05:01 PM

What national are you referring to Moxie? I know our International Organization doesn't send Leadership Consultants to chapters as a gift. The chapters who receive visits are those with issues to deal with and problems to work on. The bigger chapters get visits also, but just not for as long. The point of our Leadership Consultant program is to help troubled chapters, not reward bigger ones. But bigger chapters don't deserve to be left with no support either, so they receive at least one visit from a volunteer or LC each semester.

Quote:

Originally posted by MoxieGrrl
I do not know if the Penn girls tried to contact their National HQ or not. While some may say, "Oh! If you just tell HQ you are in trouble, they will send someone to help you!" From what I have seen and heard (not in this sit. necessarily) that is NOT always true. Some National HQ see a consulant coming in as a gift or a reward of some sort. I guess they have the outlook of, "We dont' have a whole lot of money to play around with. Why spend this cash on a group that isn't very big/doing well and might end up failing after we provide this service?" So what happens? A CDC, TLC or NO comes in to a huge, successful chapter, checks out what they are doing, and pretty much pats them on the head and leaves. That is not helping the struggling "black sheep" chapters at all.

I do not know very much about Phi Sig nationally, so I would never judge their national organization. But I will judge Penn's Greek life and say that they should all be ashamed of themselves.

MoxieGrrl · #45 11-08-2002, 05:32 PM

I PM'd you, shadokat