2003 expansion at wash u in st. louis

chio84 · #1 03-27-2006, 12:39 AM

just out of curiosity, does anyone know which chapters were invited to present at wash u in 2003? i know that chi omega was colonized, but i'm just curious about the other two contenders. thanks!

deadbear80 · #2 03-27-2006, 01:07 AM

There were a number of sororities that were initially invited to present when Wash U opened for colonization in 2003 (as there are many NPC sororities that at one time had a charter on campus). Once that list was narrowed down, the final 3 contenders were:

Chi Omega
Kappa Delta and
Zeta Tau Alpha

Of those 3, only ZTA had previously held a charter on campus.

With recent pledge classes in the 50+ range even with the addition of Chi Omega look for Wash U to possibly consider opening to expand in the next couple of years. While 50+ doesn't seem like a lot, I'm sure, to those of you from large state schools remember that Wash U is a private university with 6500 students total (male and female)...so having NPC chapters with over 150 members is pretty extraordinary.

ETA: In addition to Chi Omega, Wash U also has: Kappa Kappa Gamma, Delta Gamma, Pi Beta Phi, Alpha Phi, and Alpha Epsilon Phi on campus

chio84 · #3 03-27-2006, 01:25 AM

just out of curiosity.. it does seem like there is a lot of turnover at wash u, and that there really have been a lot of chapters closing down over the years. why is that? or is it like that everywhere?

SoCalGirl · #4 03-27-2006, 03:42 AM

I thought Sigma Kappa had a chapter there too. Did something happen to it, or am I thinking of the wrong school?

deadbear80 · #5 03-27-2006, 08:24 AM

No Sigma Kappa chapter at Wash U (at least in the 15 or so years). I think you're thinking of the wrong school (maybe University of Washington or Washington State which are in the State of Washington and not in St. Louis, Missouri? Also both St. Louis University and University of Missouri have SK chapters--maybe them?).

Besides Kappa Alpha Theta, which closed its doors in 2000, the last chapter to close before that was Alpha Chi Omega, which closed in 1989 or 1990, 10 years before. I wouldn't consider 2 chapters closing in 10 years high turnover!!! There were some rash closings in the late 1980s (Gamma Phi Beta was another casualty in 1988)...but since the re-charter of Delta Gamma in 1990, no chapter besides Theta has closed its doors and every current chapter on campus has remained strong. Why would you call that high turnover?!?!

I think ALMOST EVERY campus in the nation has suffered at least 1 closure over the past 20 years--and I think that's just the way the sorority world works. Sometimes preference for a certain chapter wanes (for a variety of reasons--maybe it's smaller than the others, maybe there's a bad reputation, etc.) and it's just time for it to close.

chio84, where do you go to school? Have there been no closures at your school in the past 5-10? What about 20?

irishpipes · #6 03-27-2006, 09:31 AM

I think this is close to accurate at Wash U.

KAT(1906-1973/1987-2000)*
PBP(1907)
DG(1911-1973/1990)
GPB(1917-1989)*
AXO(1920-1989)*
KKG(1921)
PM(1923-1966)*
AEP(1925)
DDD(1926-1954)*
AZD(1929-1963)*
ZTA(1931-1967)*
SDT(1951-1973)*
DPE(1963-1971)*
AP(1983)
XO(2003)

~Edited to add DG info~

deadbear80 · #7 03-27-2006, 10:49 AM

Irishpipes, That looks about right.

Here are the Delta Gamma dates: 1911-1973/1990-present

irishpipes · #8 03-27-2006, 11:49 AM

Thanks, DB! I think that does look like a high turnover campus. Not so much recently, but over the years, it seems that as a chapter gets older and established, they close. Not too many have been on that campus without a recolonization or a closure. I guess it has been 100 years though.

chio84 · #9 03-27-2006, 11:52 AM

i would rather not say my school, but yes, i had just always heard about this chapter or that chapter who had colonized at wash u, and had not heard the same about my own school. though i really don't know much about its past or whatever so who knows. but yearh, it does look like there was a lot of action in the sixties/late eighties. that's pretty sad to me, i cannot imagine how i would feel if my chapter closed.

deadbear80 · #10 03-27-2006, 12:25 PM

I know a lot of the late 1960/1970s closures had to do with an overall decrease in interest in Greek Life not just on Wash U's campus, but nation-wide. The 1980s turnover led to the closure of a couple of chapters that were significantly smaller than the others on campus.
Obviously there is a large interest currently on Wash U's campus (or there wouldn't be pledge classes of over 50 girls)--I do not forsee any current chapter closing any time soon. I think there is only a 20 girl difference (if that) between the size of the smallest chapter and the size of the largest...and all chapters are over 100 girls. If anything, expansion will happen again before there is another closure....leading to 7 chapters for the first time on campus since the late 1980s.

Drolefille · #11 03-27-2006, 01:09 PM

For the record, Sigma Kappa has a chapter at St. Louis University (mine!), but not at Wash U or at University of Missouri, St. Louis. Our University of Missouri (Columbia) chapter closed last year or the year before.

SmartBlondeGPhB · #12 03-27-2006, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by irishpipes
I think this is close to accurate at Wash U.

KAT(1906-1973/1987-2000)*
PBP(1907)
DG(1911-1973/1990)
GPB(1917-1988)*
AXO(1920-1989)*
KKG(1921)
PM(1923-1966)*
AEP(1925)
DDD(1926-1954)*
AZD(1929-1963)*
ZTA(1931-1967)*
SDT(1951-1973)*
DPE(1963-1971)*
AP(1983)
XO(2003)

~Edited to add DG info~

We actually closed in 1989 (or 1990 if you go by IH's date which is wrong). I was there in 1988 and we were still there.

SmartBlondeGPhB · #13 03-27-2006, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chio84
that's pretty sad to me, i cannot imagine how i would feel if my chapter closed.

The actual closing is not always the worst part....

It's not something you ever forget and not something you ever want to have happen to anyone else.

kchaptergphib · #14 03-27-2006, 04:58 PM

I was very close to going to school at Wash U (I graduated HS in 2001), and when I was there for pre-frosh weekend, I was told that sororities could not have houses. I imagine this was/is still true. That was really a huge deal for me, because I knew I wanted to check out the greek system when I got to college, and not having a house was a big drawback for me. I am sure there are folks here who had an undergrad experience like that- no chapter house, but for me it seemed really unappealing. I guess there are really strong chapters at Wash U, but I would think not having chapter houses could make retention rather hard...

deadbear80 · #15 03-27-2006, 05:02 PM

You're right, there are no chapter houses, for women that is. There are fraternity houses for men.
However, that also gives students the opportunity to live with whomever they want during their 4 years--greek or non-greek.
There are a lot of greeks at Wash U who might not have gone greek if we were the 'typical' greek campus--with houses and major competition. In fact, a lot of greeks live with other greeks who aren't part of their chapter.
It's all a matter of personal preference. I do not know people who left a chapter or decided not to rush simply because we don't have houses. If they did decide to leave, there were other reasons involved.