Question Re: Southern Rush

KillarneyRose · #1 09-25-2001, 09:59 PM

Here is a scenario I came up with and I wanted to run it past some of our GC ladies who were are) actives down south.

Say a girl wants to go to one of the schools with cut-throat rush (i.e. 'bama, UGa, LSU, etc) and is familiar enough with the houses there to know which one she would want to join if rush went perfectly. Just to use a random example, I'll use my house, Delta Zeta. So what she does is start her freshman year at XYZ University up north which does not have such a strong Greek system, pledge Delta Zeta, get initiated and then the next semester transfers to the southern school where she affiliates to the chapter she's wanted all along.

Have any of you ever heard of someone doing this? If I'm not mistaken, the new chapter would have to take a member in good standing (I think). I know it sounds like a lot of trouble, but I wondered if, given the level of competition, some women would actually do this?

The1calledTKE · #2 09-25-2001, 10:06 PM

Its probably possible and I am sure it happens. I have heard and seen where a couple of people where part of a GLO at another campus transfer and pledge up to a different GLO at the new university. I assume they never told the new university they were part of an GLO at the other campus.

AOIIAngel · #3 09-25-2001, 10:10 PM

Wow, you know, I havent ever heard of that, but I guess actually you could. As long as you are pledge DZ at your current school, stay in good standing and active both in your chapter and in your school, and transfer to a larger college and reaffiliate with your new chapter. It doesnt quite seem fair, but I guess it can happen!! Just curious, is this something you think is going on? I doubt there is anything that can be done to stop it. But I am sure if the current chapter saw something special in here to extend the bid, then her new chapter would love her just as much.

tcsparky · #4 09-25-2001, 10:13 PM

I know of two girls who began at other schools with the intention of transferring to mine during their sophmore or junior years. They intentionally pledged weak houses at their first schools because they wanted to be in those orgs at my school. Problem was, the chapters at my school had to take a vote on accepting them for members, and voted not to do so. They were not obligated to accept them. The girls had to take alum status.

shadokat · #5 09-25-2001, 10:35 PM

I know that when women pledge D Phi E, and then transfer, they are offered two options. 1) Join the new chapter if one exists on the campus they are transferring to or 2) go alumnae. I've never heard of such an absurd thing as voting to see if an initiated sister can join a chapter. How offensive to an initiated member!! But the scenario that you lay out is perfectly possible and probably does happen. Someone from one of those schools could tell us if this voting happens or not.

PenguinTrax · #6 09-25-2001, 10:43 PM

Many NPC groups require collegiate chapters to vote on accepting a transfer student from another chapter. It is not uncommon at all. An initiated, transferring sister has the option to affiliate with the local collegiate chapter or obtain alumnae status and participate on that level.

Barbara

ZTAngel · #7 09-25-2001, 10:48 PM

I am almost positive that I remember seeing a post in the thread titled "LSU Rush" that talked about how girls will rush a sorority at one school where recruitment isn't so cut-throat. Once they pledge that sorority and become an initiated member, these girls will transfer to LSU just so that they can say I was a member of XYZ at LSU. Seems like a lot of work just to be able to say that they were a member of some school's most prestigious sorority.

Betarulz! · #8 09-25-2001, 11:12 PM

I find this incredibly clever, using something that I would normally consider a liability (the association with a weak house at XYZ university--I'm sure most of you have had some contact with this) and then transfering to a place where the GLO is highly regarded. Especially in the south where rush is so competitive.

I find it very cruel however that the chapter wouldn't take them in. I mean isn't that one of the things our organizations always brag about: Lifelong brother/sister hood? and don't most people always take pride in the fact that they can meet a person from a different chapter and have a bond that is deeper than most anything? It seems to me that having to be held to a vote is contradictory to what GLO's say they stand for.

Now granted, I don't know how well the transition would go for someone transfering--chapters are all different, and it's very possible that one wouldn't like the members at the new chapter, plus it would be difficult to come in as a junior or senior particularly and enjoy the same bond that they were accustomed too. But still once a ______ always a _______.

amycat412 · #9 09-25-2001, 11:16 PM

I know someone personally who rushed and pledged Chi O at my school in California, where we were a diverse, good chapter-- she got initiated and pretty much immediately transferred to a large SEC school and affiliated.

carnation · #10 09-25-2001, 11:36 PM

KillarneyRose--

Actually, this happens quite a bit in the deep South, which is a major reason that chapter totals were instituted. A girl would pledge AB at a medium-sized school with the intention to transfer right after initiation, usually in the sophomore year...some sororities ended up unfairly huge due to transfers.

Most national GLOs now require a chapter vote for this very reason and others. I started a thread on affiliation about a year ago because I had mixed feelings on it. On one hand, seems like once an AB, always an AB; on the other hand, I saw some pretty awful girls try that routine to get into desirable groups at Auburn. Like a girl with a really slutty rep would think it was her ticket to this sweet, highly Christian group and frankly, you couldn't blame them for turning her down. (And it was always obvious in cases like this that the girl just wanted to wear the letters, not help give the group a great reputation.)

AXO Alum told a story on my thread in which a girl with some major problems affiliated with a group at her own campus and really hurt them with her weird and crazy behavior. So I can see why the rule is there for taking a vote; I just sometimes wish it didn't have to be that way, because some people have legitimate reasons to transfer.

SoCalGirl · #11 09-25-2001, 11:58 PM

I'm confused; I thought that affiliate members weren't counted in chapter total.

Angels&Arrows · #12 09-26-2001, 09:47 AM

WOW!!! I have seen this happen many times and have even posted about it under my pre-new-GC board name (when I lost my password)!!!

I graduated from a midsize school in the south. Girls would pledge a sorority and then transfer to Ole Miss. Another example: XYZ was rather selective at my school, but not at Miss State. PNMs would pledge at State and then transfer to USM. I have been out of school for many years, but can only imagine this still happens. I know a young lady (not so young anymore) very well, her mother sent her to USM to pledge a sorority and then transfer to 'Bama. Her family was very well-to-do in Birmingham and her mother wanted to ensure that she received a bid from a sorority that was well respected at 'Bama and was concerned about her rushing at 'Bama. I know this sounds ludicrous, but it is true. I am sure it is not the norm, but it does happen.

I know our chapter votes on a member affiliating, after they have been with us for one semester.

maggieaxid · #13 09-26-2001, 09:58 AM

I went to a mid-sized school in NC with a pretty comptetive greek system...especially the sororities. Of a school that was a total of 5,000 students, 65% of all women were greek.
There were a few instances that I can think of when girls would become a member of a prestigous southern sorority at my school and then transfer to Bama, UNC, Duke, FSU, ect.
On the other hand though, my chapter had a member come from a school in West Virginia, and we made it a point to get to know her and get her involved. She ended up being a huge asset to our chapter. But we also had a member come from a northern school and she wanted nothing to do with us, so we just left her alone.

justamom · #14 09-26-2001, 10:29 AM

It was THE way to go in the 70's. There were always girls who did this. They were usually from other states. The cases I remember most transfered to LSU or UT. XO probably had this happen to them more than anyone. I myself transfered to UT for a semester and affiliated with my soro, but missed my old friends so much I returned. I was too dumb to know what soro was considered this or that and had no motive for the transfer except wanting a change of scene. The year I transfered my soro had 6 or 7 affiliates and we did NOT receive a real warm welcome until we proved ourselves. Hate to say it, but I didn't care too much...they were really snobby.

dzrose93 · #15 09-26-2001, 12:09 PM

KillarneyRose,

Yes, girls definitely do this. I know several from my college who only went to my school because it was easier to get into a sorority there (not as many girls went through Rush compared to the numbers going through at larger schools). They got into the sorority they wanted, and then transferred after initiation to UGA. To me, that's a little over the top, and I wouldn't have ever even thought of doing it, but for some girls being in a specific house was their top priority at college and they would do whatever it took to get there. Hope this answers your question!

DZ Love,
Carrie