Sorority Mixer Help!
 

So I’m the social chair for my sorority. We’re relatively new and have only been on campus for 5 years (this is our sixth). We have had really good pledge classes the past three years but still have a lower middle tier status as chapters are still a little unsure of us. We have good looking, active, and diverse girls; especially after our last pledge class. I’m trying to get us exchanges with some of the upper tier frats this year but they won’t approach us for exchanges. The founding class (which is all graduated now) didn’t have good experiences with said chapters and they haven’t approached us since. Is there any way to improve relations with those fraternity chapters, especially since our pledge classes have changed the chapter so much since it’s founding?

Hello! My chapter is relatively new on our campus too (all our alphas have graduated, but the youngest ones only like two years ago), so I understand how important it is to build an identity as a chapter during those formative years. If fraternities are hesitant to mix, I'd recommend showing them how fun y'all are to be around by being active in their philanthropy events and making friends with them outside of the greek life sphere. If members share classes or work at on-campus jobs together, those connections will help form relationships between chapters. It's also important that they know you're not trying to mix with them just because they're in a "top tier" chapter, but rather because you're branching out. Hope that helps!

It's 2017. Why on earth are you waiting for them to approach you? Just call their social chair. If they persist in thinking of you as you were 6 years ago then they're closed minded jerks, tier notwithstanding, and really not worth your time.

A few months back, someone from a fraternity had a similar question.

Here's what I suggested then. What I did not say in that older post is that some of the more established fraternities/sororities may have their social calendar set a year in advance. And though a particular social chair may be a polite, nice person and well intentioned, if you get any hint that you may have trouble scheduling with him, don't hesitate to bypass him. (Oh, where I say sorority, put in fraternity. You know what I mean.)

"Offer to help a particular sorority with their charity work or event. Then, if they accept, be sure to have everyone in your chapter show up en masse at the event prepared to stay all day and work hard along with the sorority. Benefits are as follows: 1) doesn't cost anything; 2) they get to see you as a group; 3) you have a better opportunity to get to know them; 4) the ice (so to speak) will be broken; 5) they will be seeing you in a good light (i.e., sober); 6) you will be mixing with them longer than at some lame party you might throw; 7) they can see how cool and enterprising you all are; 8) you will be with them long enough to learn their names; 9) their drunk, lazy-ass boyfriends won't likely be there; and 10) it doesn't cost anything."

"Good luck."

"PS - Bypass the sorority's social chair. Instead - contact the sorority's committee in charge of their charity stuff."