Kappa Alpha Theta at Harvard Closing

[thetalady]

I am absolutely sick at the announcement that the Kappa Alpha Theta chapter at Harvard University is closing due to pressure from the university.

https://www.kappaalphatheta.org/blog...ot-have-chosen

[APhi2KD]

NOOOOOO!!!
That only leaves ΑΦ and ΔΓ, am I right?
This is so wrong.

[NYCMS]

Originally Posted by APhi2KD

NOOOOOO!!!
That only leaves ΑΦ and ΔΓ, am I right?
This is so wrong.

I think someone posted in another thread that DG is closing...so only Alpha Phi.

Kappa's members (or many of them) - now that their chapter has closed - have re-organized themselves as a social club open to all genders. They've named it Fleur de Lis, one of their symbols.

[33girl]

Here’s the whole thing - how are they going to MAKE men join these clubs even if they aren’t single gender? They will end up being a de facto sorority, without national oversight.

[APhi2KD]

Forest. Trees. GAH!!!

[PhilTau]

Harvard did not treat Theta (and other sororities) very well. I would guess that Theta may be glad they no longer have to deal the eccentricities of that school and the people who work there. I do respect Theta's integrity in not letting Harvard push them around or make them become something that they have no desire to become.

Regarding reorganizing the former Harvard sororities into social clubs open to all genders -- there is a well-worn model for this. It may not be very popular to post this, but I recall back in the last century, some fraternity chapters were de facto co-ed organizations. Almost all fraternities had little sister organizations. Some had little sister groups with membership numbers almost equaling the male active membership.

Don't get me wrong, there were and are very good reasons for fraternities eliminating the little sister auxiliary groups. My point is that, from a current student's perspective, multi-gender fraternal collegiate groups have been done before - long ago - and in many instances quite successfully.

[Titchou]

DElta Gamma has left as well.

[lake]

This just makes me angry. I was really rooting for the remaining chapters and was proud of how they stood up to Harvard, but I understand why they chose not to continue.

I guess now that the evil single-gender Greek orgs are leaving, that will make Harvard a social utopia? 🙄🙄🙄

Just dumb.

[GreekOne]

So disappointing! I was so proud of DG, Alpha Phi and Theta for taking a stand. I guess the collegians simply felt the battle was not worth it. The votes to back down came from the collegians, not the HQs.

[AGDee]

This whole thing makes me so sick. Misogyny through and through. Take away all opportunities for women to have a safe space, leadership opportunities without oppression, and being forced to live in the "good ole boys" world without respite. Of course, since women aren't paid equally, I suppose their alumnae withholding donations or the like wouldn't have much of an effect.

[thetalady]

From Vanity Fair: What’s Really Behind the Civil War to End Harvard’s Fraternities?

[NinjaPoodle]

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2...ender-neutral/

more info on the policy
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2...-stay-mainbar/

[Kevin]

Reading that Vanity Fair article... wow... what a shitshow. I think closing shop is the ethical thing to do for Greek organizations. If they chose to stay and fight the good fight, they are potentially putting anyone who signs up for their cause at risk of losing a Harvard education worth potentially millions of dollars.

[shadokat]

Interestingly, I scoured the internet for information about Fleur De Lis, which is actually on Facebook as The Fleur. There isn't a single guy outside of what looks to be their formal, who I may wrongly be assuming, but are the dates of the women.

I also read that Vanity Fair article, and there is no better word for it than shitshow. And I still don't get what the purpose is. It's a shame that they have forced this issue so far.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by PhilTau

Regarding reorganizing the former Harvard sororities into social clubs open to all genders -- there is a well-worn model for this. It may not be very popular to post this, but I recall back in the last century, some fraternity chapters were de facto co-ed organizations. Almost all fraternities had little sister organizations. Some had little sister groups with membership numbers almost equaling the male active membership.

Don't get me wrong, there were and are very good reasons for fraternities eliminating the little sister auxiliary groups. My point is that, from a current student's perspective, multi-gender fraternal collegiate groups have been done before - long ago - and in many instances quite successfully.

Um no. I know I’ve told the story on here of the little sisters who basically ran the fraternity because the brothers were feather heads, but that is an anomaly. Brothers and little sisters have two different pledge programs and two different initiation rituals. It was not, repeat, NOT, anything you could call a “multi gender collegiate group.” Especially since in many cases, the little sisters could also belong to NPC sororities.

Originally Posted by GreekOne

So disappointing! I was so proud of DG, Alpha Phi and Theta for taking a stand. I guess the collegians simply felt the battle was not worth it. The votes to back down came from the collegians, not the HQs.

That’s unnecessarily harsh. These collegians are giving up scholarship money and campus positions that could help them in their future career if they stay in Greek organizations. It would be wonderful if none of the members had to worry about things like that, but probably the only students who don’t are the ones that Harvard administration think all Greeks are - the outrageously rich with family connections who really don’t have to worry about grades. If the chapters ended up being solely composed of such students, Harvard would just point to it as “see, we were right when we said this is what Greeks are about.”