FSU Panhellenic Extension Information

[Angels&Arrows]

Extension open forums will be held on Tuesday, March 16 at 8:30pm and Thursday, March 18 at 8:30pm. Flordia State's Panhellenic Council has received interest packets from the following organizations:

* Alpha Epsilon Phi
* Alpha Omicron Pi
* Alpha Phi
* Alpha Xi Delta
* Delta Phi Epsilon
* Sigma Delta Tau
* Sigma Kappa
* Sigma Sigma Sigma

Barbara, I am sure you can give more details. I just heard about this through a friend and found the information on the greek life website.

[PhiPsiRuss]

This list is of the sororities that have dormant chapters at FSU. As far as I'm aware, only Sigma Kappa and Tri-Sigma still own houses. Unless the other sororities are willing to put up the money for a competitive house, in my opinion, they shouldn't get serious consideration.

[Tom Earp]

Russell, you could very well be right on the money!

In checking just greekpages.com there is a long list of Soroities on campus and would be very hard to crack that line up even with a new recolonization. AXD was still listed on G P but it is a lot of times not updated.

With the size of many schools like UF having a house would be a main key for a competative situation. Plus, I dont think there are very many Greek Orgs. who will have the kind of money to build a new house when money can be put to better use at other schools.

Will be very interesting to see what transpires in the near future. I hope someone will keep us updated on this after the March 18 th meetings or as soon as possible after!

[Glitterkitty]

I do not think Tri Sigma or Sigms Kappa will be chosen because they just left campus about 4 years ago. WHile They were good girls, the reputation needs a while to die down I believe. They were forced off in the same year.

I do not think AOPi will colonize because they used to be on campus a long time ago and I heard they were banned. I could be wrong though. It's happened once before

AXiD might be a good choice. Alpha Phi is totally classy. But I really think they ought to bring AEPhi or Sigma Delta Tau on campus. I know that these two sororities are not Jewish, but with their founding histories and etc. I think they'd be a good match for a lot of the young ladies at FSU who are from the northeast. LOTS of girls from New York, Connecticut and Boston. Also, there is a huge population of girls from Miami and South Florida that are Jewish that I think would be intersted. besides, I do not know of any chapters of those groups in Florida. Just my opinion. Any group will be a great addition to the campus though.

Sigma Kappa and Tri-Sigma May have advantage though because they own houeing there-at least I think they still own it.

[USFSDTAlum]

SDT has active chapters at South Florida, Univ. of Tampa, as well as Miami. We have also had chapters at FSU and UF previously. I am not aware of the reasons behind their closings.

[smiley21]

AEPhi has chapters at University of Florida and Jacksonville University

[aopirose]

You’re right, Russell. This is a list of dormant chapters at FSU but it is also the list of sororities that responded to the RFP. What a coincidence that they all want to recolonize! I know that we are excited about the possibility of reopening Alpha Pi.

* Alpha Epsilon Phi (Phi Delta - 1976 -1979)
* Alpha Omicron Pi (Alpha Pi - 1928 - 1980)
* Alpha Phi (Gamma Phi - 1959 - 1972)
* Alpha Xi Delta (Alpha Omega - 1929 - 1980)
* Delta Phi Epsilon (Iota - 1925 -1971)
* Sigma Delta Tau (Gamma Lambda - 1989 - ?)
* Sigma Kappa (Omega - 1920 - ~1999)
* Sigma Sigma Sigma (Rho - 1920 - ~1999)

There is a local Jewish interest sorority there called Gamma Lambda. According to a very reliable source, they petitioned to bring back SDT. See the connection with the name? Maybe, they will get the chance one day.

Originally posted by russellwarshay
This list is of the sororities that have dormant chapters at FSU. As far as I'm aware, only Sigma Kappa and Tri-Sigma still own houses. Unless the other sororities are willing to put up the money for a competitive house, in my opinion, they shouldn't get serious consideration.

[mu_agd]

Originally posted by russellwarshay
This list is of the sororities that have dormant chapters at FSU. As far as I'm aware, only Sigma Kappa and Tri-Sigma still own houses. Unless the other sororities are willing to put up the money for a competitive house, in my opinion, they shouldn't get serious consideration.

i don't think it's fair to say that just b/c certain sororities already own houses on campus the others shouldn't get serious consideration. every sorority that is interested in presenting to the expansion committee should be allowed to. and if a sorority that doesn't already own a house is chosen, they could always rent a house from the ones that do.

[AOII_LB93]

Glitterkitty,
Somehow I don't necessarily know that it is in anyone's best interest to be saying things like "they were closed for practicing witchcraft" unless that is an actual fact. If it's not totally true why report it? And I'm not just saying this because it's AOII, I'm saying it about any org.

[PhiPsiRuss]

Sigma Kappa and Tri-Sigma have folded twice in the last 20 years at FSU. I believe, and I might be wrong, its because they came back to soon; less than 4 years.

Gamma Phi Beta folded sometime before I was a freshman (Fall 1985 is when I started at FSU) and they came back successfully. Gamma Phi retained ownership of their house, so they were able to be competitive when they returned (1986?) I'm sure that there were nasty rumors and innuendo about Gamma Phi, but they just moved forward and past that.

I never heard the witchcraft rumor about AOPi, so I doubt its validity. Even if there is some grain of truth, I wouldn't hold that against them. 15 years ago, one of the sororities, who shall remain nameless, had one of their sisters involved in a local scandal. Her house was named. They were able to move past that. I don't believe that FSU institutionalizes superficiality like some other Southern schools; at least not beyond a 4-5 year period. AOPi owned a higly competitive house that was sold to Sig Ep. Sig Ep, from what I've read is moving to a new development. If anyone knows who owns that house now, that information will be helpful.

AEPhi and SDT have strong Jewish roots, and I believe that this would hurt them. Not because of anti-semitism, but because every house on campus, including those with a reputation as "very Christian houses," has Jewish members. SDT colonized at FSU in 1989, and folded 2-3 years later. They got a decent amount of women, but they didn't have competitive housing. There is simply insufficient demand for a Jewish sorority at FSU without a competitive house.

DPhiE also is known as a "Jewish sorority" in that neck of the woods, so I would classify them with AEPhi and SDT for the sake of local/regional perceptions. Also, DPhiE was there from 1925-1950, and then again from 1968-1971. I don't know if they accumulated sufficient assets, and if they did, I have no idea if they still possess the funds to get competitive housing.

I don't know why Alpha Phi folded, but they had a great house. It is now owned by the university.

One of my pledge brothers's mom was a FSU AZD, so I do know why Alpha Xi folded. I won't repeat it in public, but its the same type of scandal that I alluded to earlier in this post, with another house. If no one from the region, who is college age, knows, then they are in the clear. They had a competitive house, that was then sold to Lambda Chi.

Basically, as I see it, there is no real demand for any type of new sorority at FSU, if there is no competitive housing. What did Alpha Phi, AZD, and AOPi do with the money, when they sold their assets? If it is now available to buy, or build, then all three deserve a shot.

[PhiPsiRuss]

Originally posted by mu_agd
i don't think it's fair to say that just b/c certain sororities already own houses on campus the others shouldn't get serious consideration.

I'm not saying that only Sigma Kappa or Tri-Sigma should be considered, if other organizations will provide competitive housing. The real estate in the area, where a new sorority would have to be, is tight with regard to the availability of competitive housing. If a sorority isn't bringing the necessary assets to the table, then they will probably fail. Why have a national sorority commit a RC, for a full year, to a project that will fail within 5 years?

[33girl]

Originally posted by russellwarshay
I'm not saying that only Sigma Kappa or Tri-Sigma should be considered, if other organizations will provide competitive housing. The real estate in the area, where a new sorority would have to be, is tight with regard to the availability of competitive housing. If a sorority isn't bringing the necessary assets to the table, then they will probably fail. Why have a national sorority commit a RC, for a full year, to a project that will fail within 5 years?

I'm sure the sororities looking at the opportunity are well aware they need competitive housing....I don't think anyone is going to come on campus with a double wide LOL.

I know that in this kind of situation sororities are loath to sell a house that could be viable in the future, but if it's going to take 10+ years and the house is just sitting there, why wouldn't they unload it? It's kind of like banking on a maybe that might never happen.

[bruinaphi]

I know that Alpha Phi is committed to finding comparable housing for a possible new chapter at FSU. It will be good for a new chapter to start over with a new competitive facility as an asset.

[astroAPhi]

Man I would love to see A Phi at FSU. My best friend goes there, and when she went through Formal Recruitment I was so sad that there was no A Phi chapter there. She ended up dropping out right before Pref because she didn't get her top choice.

She'll be there an extra year (she switched from Special Ed to Nursing late in the game), but somehow I doubt even a colonizing house at FSU would take 5th year seniors.

Good luck to all of the sororities interested in expanding at FSU!

[ladybug1116]

Wow! I am shocked to read this thread and to hear what Barbara has to say. I am a bit surprised to hear about the expansion as 2 sororities closed while I was on campus and I know of at least one active chapter struggling for numbers, possibly two. Have recruitment numbers really soared since I graduated in 2001? What is being done with the struggling chapter(s)?

In regards to the housing issue of the 2 closed sorority chapters....both are being rented by fraternities at this time. I would assume those fraternities do plan to move to the new Greek Park being built just off campus (sorry Russell, can't remember the name of the road...but it's just between Pensacola and Tennessee near the old BW-3s) and that a sorority, if recolonized would be able to move into one of those houses. (At this time I do not believe any sororities are moving to the Greek Park).

And on a side note...while FSU does have a lot of girls from South Florida and the Northeast I have to wonder how well a chapter with a certain religious prominence would fare. Right now all of the chapters are very diverse...my chapter had/has a large number of Jewish sisters and I know several other chapters do as well.

At any rate it should be interesting to see what, if anything, happens.