Ole Miss... Let's discuss!

[honeychile]

Part of me thinks that the only successful way to colonize at Ole Miss is to have a mass transfer of selected current. top drawer ABC actives to Ole Miss, then colonize from there.

Possibly the most negative thing you'll ever me say about Alpha Delta Pi is that I will NEVER understand why they built a fairly modern chapter house at Ole Miss! It was shooting themselves in the foot with a bazooka! Ole Miss is Deep South values personified - tradition, tradition, tradition!

[ZTAngel]

Originally posted by Angels&Arrows

I am sure it is possible, however it must be a chapter that bleeds southern tradition. One that the PNMs mother was possibly in at LSU, MSU, Southern Miss, UT, UA, UAL or AU. Most of those chapters are represented on campus already.

Yes. Many of these girls who go through recruitment at Ole Miss have known since they were in elementary school what sorority they want to join. It is because their mothers, grandmothers, sister, cousin, aunt, etc. were in this sorority. Because of this, a new sorority at Ole Miss must have a deep-rooted Southern heritage. The only sororities that are not currently on the Ole Miss campus that are considered big southern sororities are ZTA and ADPi. That brings us back to square one. Southern ladies would not join a chapter that has closed within the last few years; they would not want to be associated with that.

[33girl]

In other words, girls at Ole Miss would rather be in no sorority than the "wrong" sorority. If a dyed in the wool Pennsylvanian like me can figure this out it's a no brainer!

Oh well.

[Munchkin03]

So, maybe this is a question we should just leave as is?

The specific culture at Ole Miss, although in theory expansion would be a good idea, would not foster the addition of another chapter. For better or for worse, the reliance on Southern tradition dictates that only a few organizations that are not already there would have a fighting change; even so, a large financial outlay would have to be made immediately.

I'm with 33 when I say oh well. L

Let's not beat this dead horse any longer.

[OleMissGlitter]

As chapter adviser for AOII here at Ole Miss, I think that we are fine without another chapter currently. We need to work on our Greek and Panhellenic Relations first and then consider another chapter of a GLO. Yes, it would be hard without a house due to lack of land near other houses, but it could happen. I think without a house a new or pre-existing GLO, who has left in the past, could succeed if they marketed themselves to PNMs who perhaps cannot afford high dues. That is just my thought. I attend all of the adviser Panhellenic meetings and I can say that we are not getting a new GLO anytime soon. We are more concerned with other issues and other problems!

[33girl]

I was reading the comments from the link OleMissGlitter posted earlier. (that is, the comments people left the newspaper) It amused me that someone was griping about the fact that 92% of women got bids and it wasn't exclusive enough!! Anywhere else, you would see people moaning over the poor 8% that went bidless and how awful the system was for excluding them.

Just goes to show that this is a whole different animal!

[Little E]

I'm curious. Why does it seem that a chapter has to be at 200+ to be successful in the eyes the university. I guess I come from a different world, but my chapter is steady at 25, but looks at 40 as just too big. (we'd like to sabilize probably at about 35 in the next 5 years)

I guess what i'm wondering is why can't you have a sorority that doesn't fall completely into the 'southern' thing. Is NPC so stigmatized that it has become elitest? or is Ole Miss really that homogenous?

I honestly don't get it, nor do I fathom why you'd join a sorority system that seems so superficial in regards to tradition and reputation etc...

...I guess I really am a mid-westerner at heart, no matter how much I hate this flatness!

**edited cause i forgot to proof read and it wasn't what i meant.

[33girl]

Originally posted by Little E
I'm curious. Why does it seem that a chapter has to be at 200+ to be successful in the eyes of a national.

This isn't coming from NPC or the national, this is coming from the Ole Miss student body. Chi O, Phi Mu etc certainly don't expect their chapters in PA to have 250 people. But they know if they don't have that amount at Ole Miss, the chapter will be looked on as not strong.

I'm sure there are some women from northern chapters on their national councils that feel the same way about it as you do...but at this school it's just the way things are, and to have a chapter there you have to accept it.

[OleMissGlitter]

I honestly don't get it, nor do I fathom why you'd join a sorority system that seems so superficial in regards to tradition and reputation etc...

---by Little E

Little E, none of of the Chapters here are elitest and non-traditional. They each have rituals, chapter meetings, etc and they succeed in what they do, they just do it in a larger number.

You must realize that Ole Miss is based on traditions and these are traditions with a capital T. You have to look at the University of Mississippi as a whole. We have two sororities that are 100 years old, Chi Chapter of Tri Delta will be 100 in 2004 and Tau Chapter of Chi Omega was 100 in 1897; with the majority of our chapter being at least 40 years old or older, we have traditions that go far back into some families. In the state of Mississippi there are many universities but Ole Miss is the oldest and the first, 1848. Therefore, many Mississippians come here to continue their family's name and to continue their Greek heritages. (We also have many fraternities that are 100+ years old)

Each sorority might have 180+ members(some with over 200), but each carries out their sorority's ideals and reasons for existence with beauty, charm, intelligence, grace, and pride. At AOII, we have 190 members but we get to know our New Members as well as possible through our rituals, sisterhood events, and just hanging out at our house. All 9 of our wonderful sororities engage their new members and bring forth a feeling of sisterhood and love to their new members and members.
Yes, Tri Delta and Chi Omega might have been around for 100 years on our campus and AOII has only been here for 45 but we all still practice our rituals weekly, prepare our members to be the best they can be, and we are ALL very charitable. Just because we have 9 houses with an average of 190 members per chapter, does not mean we are fake, pretentious, not good members of our sorority, etc.


www.olemiss.edu

PS check our this former thread to find out how old are chapters are:
http://forums.greekchat.com/gcforums...5&pagenumber=2

[PhiPsiRuss]

Originally posted by ZTAngel
It doesn't quite work that way. Many of those pretty girls already have a sorority in mind that they want to join. Why would they join a colony when they can be an XYZ which is already established and a top-tier sorority? Also, it's not just pretty girls that make a chapter great. You need a well-rounded chapter in order to survive. A bunch of pretty faces won't keep a chapter going. The idea is to recruit pretty faces, leaders, girls on the honor roll, and girls who are good at sports. This mix makes a good chapter. Unfortunately, girls who excel at these things are usually already in an established chapter. At very competitive, southern universities like Ole Miss, it is hard to recruit these top girls because these girls will usually only want a specific sorority and naturally it is not the one that is colonizing.

Much of what you say is true. Its also true that less than 50% of women at Ole Miss go greek. Top flight women, who don't join a sorority can be found. Just go into the fraternities and ask the men. It really is that simple, provided that you have top flight recruiters.

[Little E]

Originally posted by OleMissGlitter

You must realize that Ole Miss is based on traditions and these are traditions with a capital T. You have to look at the University of Mississippi as a whole. We have two sororities that are 100 years old, Chi Chapter of Tri Delta will be 100 in 2004 and Tau Chapter of Chi Omega was 100 in 1897; with the majority of our chapter being at least 40 years old or older, we have traditions that go far back into some families. In the state of Mississippi there are many universities but Ole Miss is the oldest and the first, 1848. Therefore, many Mississippians come here to continue their family's name and to continue their Greek heritages. (We also have many fraternities that are 100+ years old)

This is the part that I think seems the most strange to me. I don't mean to diminish any of the chapters, I don't know them and cannot judge them, but this place really sounds like mars to me. I'm really sorry if my comments came off that way ( though i did edit afterwards to make sure that they were more what i meant)

But I still don't understand why all chapters have to be the same size. I understand a lot of women want to carry on family tradition, but aren't there women at Ole Miss who don't fit into the current system who might be better served by an NPC that was smaller and perhaps not so 'southern tradition'? It just seems like when you have something so steeped in tradition you automatically discount many women who may not have been 'right' (as determined by either the PNM or chapter) enough for membership in the major established orgs. I can understand if this group doesn't exist. But the image presented here make ole miss seem very homogenous.

[James]

I sort of agree with Russel here. There really is nothing that is impossible. Its just a matter of finding a way to do it. (and if any sorority wanted to pay me a consulting fee I would do it for them lol).

What I seem to be reading in this thread is that the traditional approach sororities have to a "Cold Start" won't work.

Having studied the way sororities and fraternities recruit I see the same problems, if the people don't come to us we really aren't that great at getting numbers to join. In effect: we don't recruit, we Rush. Despite all cute PC name changes.

I think we have been overly focused on the problems in this thread rather than the solutions. PErhaps we just aren't motivated enough.

Imagine someone was going to shoot you in the back of the head if you failed to come up with a successful plan to colonize a new NPC group at Old Miss. Do you think you could then? Or would you still deem it impossible?

Some quick questions.

Old Miss is 50% Greek?
Has 9 NPC groups?
Has first semester freshman Rush?

With thse elements it shouldn't be near impossible to at least place a 200 member starting group just based on sophomores juniors and seniors.

So stop telling us what you can't do, tell us how you could do.

[aopinthesky]

>>>But I still don't understand why all chapters have to be the same size. <<<

Sorry to hijack this thread, but Little E, please clarify something for me. Is there more than one NPC sorority on your campus? If there is, surely there is a campus total that all of those groups aim for. This is not a concept particular to Ole Miss, or to the "Southern Rush" that there is so much talk about lately on GC. On just about all campuses where there is a Panhellenic Council, there is an established quota and total. To remain below total is usually not good for the health of a chapter in the long run.
If you are on a campus where you are the only group, then I can understand why you don't have to be concerned about total.

[moe.ron]

Just mention that the chaper is endorsed by moe.ron, and it'll be the #1 chapter in about 2 hours.

[Little E]

My school could be the problem causing me just not fathom the world of Ole Miss. AST is the only national. We have a local that was started in 1896, then went DG for about 40 years till they had their charter pulled. We also have year old local that is requesting presentations as we speak.

So what is the rational for all chapter having to be the same size. I understand the equality thing. But people mention here all the time that there are small chapters in their system that are perfectly happy at a lower number than other groups, and still recieve enough support from their nat'l to continue in such a fashion.