New to the site - looking to start a local and need help!

[xxstardust]

Hey guys .. just an update to let you all know what's been going on. (It's more for me I guess .. it's kind of cool to have a record of this!)

We met with the Dean at the other university, and he was SO helpful. He talked to us about policies, statistically how often Greeks come across his desk as opposed to other students, how we could set up policies to keep Greek life on the up-and-up, etc. He was also so supportive and proud of what we're doing, and it was a real boost to see that support from someone who doesn't know me from Jack, you know? He even offered to come and speak at our meeting with our administration, both as someone knowledgeable of the policy side and as a parent of two Greeks, who's seen a benefit in his own children. So we're really happy with how that met.

We're FINALLY getting a meeting together with the reslife director, Sarah and myself, and the girl who is part of the other interest group on campus. I am trying my best to keep a smile on my face in that regard, but I'm really starting to get a nervous feeling in my stomach in terms of working with her. She's a really nice girl, but she doesn't seem to really be serious about this, and it worries me. We've been trying for two, almost three WEEKS to get a meeting together, all four of us, so we can touch base and really move forward if we're all presenting together. But she is ALWAYS too busy to meet! I understand being busy, I really do. I take more credits then the average courseload, I work on campus, and I'm on the executive board of two other campus organizations in addition to working on this project. Trust me, I know busy! Sarah's just as busy too - and she works TWO jobs, and has to commute to campus so getting here for meetings involves travel time. And yet we still manage to find time to meet and talk. It's even more irratating when I see this girl's facebook statuses about how she's going to have a great crazy weekend ... really? You can't take a half an hour out of your partying on the weekends to meet with us??

Ugh, sorry to vent, but I had to get that out. It really does make me nervous - it seems like Sarah and I are putting SO much work into this and I don't want someone who's underprepared or not as serious about it hurt our chances of the administration approving Greek life. We've even pushed back the meeting with the Deans because she's just too busy! And it's not fair. If we wait too long we'll miss the Board of Trustees meeting and then we'll have to wait an entire semester for this to even be discussed.

Anyway, we're meeting tonight and hopefully it's a productive meeting. Sarah and I have gotten a good deal of the presentation powerpoint done and are getting binders full of complimentary information (academic journal articles, surveys we've taken, info from NPC/NIC websites, etc) ready to give to the Deans for review one week before our presentation. We're so close to being ready to present and make our case to the adminstration, and get the ball rolling on this .. and I hate being held back by someone else who's not willing to do their share. If in the end of this, the administration tells us no, Greek life isn't an option, I'll be sad but I'll know I worked my absolute hardest and gave it every ounce of passion that I had, and I can't do anything more than that. If it doesn't happen because of someone else ... I'll be even unhappier.

If anyone's still reading, I'm sorry for the melancholy sort of tone of this post. It's just frustrating to work so hard and feel like someone's holding you back by the hem of your shirt. Regardless, I AM still excited about this and I AM still working hard to make this a reality. There are so many girls here interested in this .. all we have to do is open the door in the minds of the administration, and we can prove how much of a benefit we could be to the campus.

ETA: Is there any way I can change the name of the thread/the board where it's located, as the focus has shifted away from starting a local?

[xxstardust]

Let me be the first to eat my words. I was completely off base - she is JUST as devoted and passionate about this as we are, and I have no worries about working as a united front.

We have three meetings this week to finish our presentation and information binders. On the 12th, we're delivering the binders of information that accompany our presentation to the 3 deans we'll be presenting to, in order to give them a week's time to review the material and come up with any questions they have for us. Then we're having a practice for the presentation the 16th and a formal dress rehearsal that we're going to invite parents, some faculty, and the Dean from the other school to, so that they can critique us and make sure that we are as prepared as humanly possible. Then we presenting during the week of the 19th!

[Psi U MC Vito]

BTW, keep updating, because I know I for one and interested in this.

[AZ-AlphaXi]

good luck .. all that preperation and practice leads to you making your own luck!!

please let us know how it goes ... as the old saying goes .. practice makes perfect

[xxstardust]

It's so nice to know you guys are reading and interested in what we're trying to do

So our presentation date is set! We are presenting 10/26 at 10am ... ahhh I'm nervous! But not really ... I know that we are so well researched, and in the two weeks we have left will become so well rehearsed, that we are truly giving it our very best shot with everything we have.

Today was interesting in a lot of ways. For one, I had a long conversation with one of my anthropology professors today about what we're doing, trying to gauge the faculty response. His comment was typical of what we've heard from several faculty members and administrators - he's a little skeptical of Greek life in general, and has some reservations about having it at my school, but he also said that since we're obviously well researched and are also obviously good representatives for the positives Greek life can bring, he's willing to be open minded and hear and see what we're about and what we think Greek life can do to enhance our school. He's also very much in support of giving us a probationary period so we can prove ourselves to be above the stereotypes - which is really the best thing that can happen from all this. If they're just willing to give us a chance to prove the stereotypes and misconceptions wrong, I know we can show them that Greek life can really be a success.

Talking with my professor was also really helpful in terms of really getting a better handle on what the concerns of the faculty might be, and just talking out my viewpoints with someone really helped to strength them in my own mind. I think I did a decent job at least making him start to think about it and open his mind a little bit

Also today - I went to a grad school reception (I'm planning to stay at my school a 5th year in an MAT program) and met a very nice girl from a school not too far from us .... and she happens to be the PR chair of her university's Panhellenic Council! She was so sweet and seemed SO excited to hear that we're trying to bring Greek life to her school! I mentioned to her the Meet the Greeks program we're having and how we can't have NPC groups come for their specific groups but we can have Greek women come and speak about being Greek in general and about the benefits. I used the Rho Chi analogy and she told me she's a Rho Chi at her school, and would talk to the Panhellenic president about having the Rho Chis come to our Meet the Greeks! Which would be SO AWESOME! I'll double check with the NPC extension chair to make sure that's okay, but from our previous exchange I think it should be okay to do that.

Finally, I finished our powerpoint presentation. If anyone wants to give it a look-over and tell me what you think, I'd really appreciate it!

[Sunflowers]

I know your big presentation is coming up, so well wishes are coming from my direction! Good luck, and I hope everything goes well for you guys!

[xxstardust]

Awh, thank you so much Sunflowers! I really appreciate it .... our presentation is in less then a week and I'm starting to get some SERIOUS butterflies in my stomach!
I know I shouldn't be nervous. We've worked very hard to be as prepared as possible, and I KNOW we know everything in our presentation backwards and forwards. The Deans are very open-minded and really do have the students' interests at heart ... so why won't my heart stop pounding about a mile a minute every time I think about our presentation!

We brought research binders to each of the Deans this Monday, so that they have a week prior to the presentation to go through the info we've accumulated, familiarize themselves with some of the terminology and basics of GLOs, and come up with questions and concerns in advance. I think they were SHOCKED (and hopefully impressed) by how much research we've done. They knew they were getting some background info, but I think they were expected a manila folder's worth or so. We have 1 1/2 inch binders literally full to the brim with information and research, academic journals and studies, and an interested students list 26(!!!) pages long.

I'm so proud of all the work we've done so far, and I can only hope and pray that the Deans see that, see the dedication and desire of the students here, and that we don't stall out now.

Also, today Sarah and myself, along with our staff advisor, are going to meet with a woman who works with the NPC who lives just a town or two over, and who works in the same town as my university! The NPC Extension chair passed her name on to me and said she'd be an excellent resource, and she said she'd be happy to meet with us and help us navigate this journey and help in any way she can. Which is really exciting! We've done a lot of research, but she obviously has years of experience and knowledge with all the rules and procedures, and can help us make sure that we don't mess anything up when (I refuse to jinx things by saying if ..) we get approved.

Thank you for keeping us and our project in your thoughts, guys. I really, really appreciate it- it means so much to know that I have the support of other Greeks out there. It might sound silly and sappy but it's still nice to know.

I'll update you guys after our meeting today!

[ComradesTrue]

^^^ Wow. Sounds like you have worked very hard. Very impressive.

Best of luck to you. I will be interested to learn how things turn out.

[xxstardust]

Hey girls/guys - just an update really, REALLY quick to know that in terms of Greek life efforts all is wonderful right now, presentation is in just 3 days, Monday at 10am! However my personal life, in terms of my on campus living situation is a train wreck right now so I may be gone for a few days ... I'll be let you know ASAP how the presentation goes/how the meeting with the NPC rep went!!

[xxstardust]

Hi everyone! Things in my personal life have started to hit a lull, thankfully, so I have time to catch up here

Our meeting on Wednesday was really, really great. We were expecting maybe a half hour meeting ... we were there for over two hours discussing everything under the sun. Benefits and negatives about Greek life and how best to describe them to the administration, issues about liability insurance, how many groups we should have (she thinks that having just one sorority colonize at first would be a bad idea, because A)we're a small school and if we had a couple smaller groups we'd be more analogous to the rest of the campus groups and b)they'd get so well established that they'd eat another group alive when they eventually tried to colonize as the Greek system grew .. she thinks two or even three at first would be much better, but anyway I digress!), how we could work on constitutions, etc. She was really supportive of how much we've tried to stress involvement and co-operation with both other Greek orgs (as we're looking for NPHC/NIC groups as well) and with non-Greek orgs, which I'm glad for - I know that will be a major draw for our administration.

She told us that, having lived in our town for so many years, she knows a LOT of people at my university .... including people on the board of trustees! Which could really be a huge help to us, if she could say a choice word or two in the right ear (and she said she'd be in touch with people about this!). She also said she would be very happy to come to our Meet the Greeks fair and that having Rho Chis come would be perfectly okay too. Yay! Everything seems to be falling into place well right now

She said she was impressed with all the work we had done and how passionate we were about this. She said something to the effect of "Women with this kind of drive are the essential sorority women and I know you can demonstrate that at your presentation." EEEP! Sarah and I took that as SUCH an amazing compliment, and it really bolstered our confidence.

Tomorrow is our presentation and I am utterly terrified. Not terrified-terrified, though - just a swirl of anxious excitement and nervousness. I know we will do well. We know what we're talking about and it's obvious when we speak that we love and truly believe in what we're talking about. It's just very, very nerve-wracking to know that no matter how well we do tomorrow, we can be told no and that's it, I've lost my chance to be Greek. Well, that's NOT it - I know the three of us are as obstinate as horses and if we're told know we're going to want to know why so we can find out how to fix it and present again, lol! Like Sarah said the other day ... if I have to fight for this until 5 minutes before I walk onstage to get my diploma, so be it!

The presentation is 10am-11:30am tomorrow morning. Being the typical mom types Sarah and I are, we know that refreshments are important that early in the morning, lol! So Sarah's coming to pick me up at 8:45 so we can go get a Box of Joe from Dunkin' Donuts. I have an assortment of teas in my own room I'm bringing (our advisor told us one of the Deans is a tea drinker and we want to be prepared!), and Sarah's mom is the absolute best and is getting us bagels (Sarah's family gets bagels every Sunday morning for breakfast, it's tradition, and her mom offered to get extra for us, which is soooo sweet of her). We all know information goes over a little bit easier when you've got a hot cup of coffee and something to nosh on.

I'll try and get on as soon as I can afterward to let you guys know how it went .. please keep us in your thoughts!

[TPAGirlie]

I have been dying to hear how your presentation went

[xxstardust]

Eeep, sorry I disappeared post-presentation! Between my roommate situation and all that drama (I couldn't stay in my own room for over a week, but it's resolved, I have my own room now and next term my friend who's working on this with me will be my roommate yay!!) and getting my butt kicked by papers, I couldn't get on here for a while.

Our presentation went really, really well! We were clear and well-spoken, and the two deans who came (the third had a surprise meeting and couldn't make it ) seemed really impressed with how much work we had done and how much we knew about Greek life, and especially how focused we were on creating a system which is far removed from the stereotypes. Our adviser (who couldn't stop telling us how proud he was of us ) told us after the deans left that praise from one Dean in particular, who told us we should be 'commended for all our hard work and dedication', is very hard to come by .. which is a good sign!

The Deans, of course, can't make a yes or no decision on something like this .. it'll likely have to go to the Board of Trustees at some point. As of right now we're just waiting to hear back from them exactly what they thought and how we need to proceed from here. We sent them a thank you letter Monday to follow up and kind of try to nudge them into telling us what our next step is, but Halloween was a freaking TRAIN WRECK here (10 cars got windows/mirrors broken, someone decided it would be funny to set off 6 fire extinguishers in a complex ... really funny right? I don't know how this kind of stuff happens in my tiny little school!) so the Deans have a lot on their plates to deal with right now.

I wish we could just get some kind of feedback! I'm DYING to know what they thought and if we have any kind of hope or chance here. I am not a patient soul by any means and when I have to wait I worry and play the worst-case-scenario game. I'm just anxious to think that I may miss my chance to be a part of something like this, after working so hard. I certainly feel greek after working on this so much...

Oh, a funny side note - my dad was listening to my mom and I talk about this when the boyfriend and I came home for dinner on Sunday. He goes "So, if the school says yes you guys want to have classes on Greek culture and stuff? That's great!" I thought I was going to pee my pants laughing!! My dad's Greek, so I'm part Greek and my dad's always talking about how I should learn more about the culture and the history (which I do know quite a bit about, lol!) ... not *quite* what we're going for Dad!

[Sunflowers]

Congratulations are in order so far! I am enjoying hearing about your progress thus far. I hope everything goes well for everyone involved, and I hope you keep us posted as to everything that goes on with the activities associated with your endeavor.

[xxstardust]

Thanks, Sunflowers, I really appreciate it.

It's been almost a month since our presentation and have to to get any kind of response from the Deans, which is really disheartening. We sent them an email to thank them again about a week ago and mentioned that we're hoping to hear from them their opinions and how we should proceed next, and haven't gotten any kind of response to that either. It's just really disappointing and it sort of feels like we're being brushed aside, you know? Which is especially aggravating considering that all the administration at my school has been talking about in the past couple of weeks is the need to create more student-driven programming and build campus unity, to provide alternatives to doing shots in someone's dorm room at 7pm (yes, that IS the most popular weekend activity here, because there is little to no campus programming on the weekends).

Even if you don't think Greek life is the right answer to the problem of a lack of student programming and student participation on campus, to a lack of university traditions and pride in one's school and one's activities (which to me, it sounds like a very reasonable answer!), it's irritating to get no response. It makes me feel like the idea that they want to hear student opinions and work with the students to create student activities is just something they print in the brochures to entice prospective students to write out a $52,000 tuition check each year. Am I just a piggy bank?

Part of the reason I chose my school was because they claimed, administration and faculty both, to be dedicated to working with students and to be a "student run university" - which, while obviously exaggerated for emphasis, one would hope to be at least somewhat factual in the realm of student organizations and on-campus activities and programming. Is it that difficult to listen to a student interest group and at least give them some kind of response, especially when they comprise roughly 10% of the undergraduate population? That's a big number!

I'm sorry for the long rant .. I'm just getting so discouraged. And I'm really trying not to, but it's hard (especially when I'm stressed about my actual academics at this point in the semester, too!). I know you guys are always so supportive of this project of ours that I can rant here and no one minds.

Our Meet the Greeks fair is this Monday the 21st at 8pm, and we have 5 sororities, 10 fraternities, and a representative from the NPC coming to speak. It should be an awesome event and I'm REALLY hoping it helps our case to the Deans .. or at least gets them to acknowledge us.

[Psi U MC Vito]

Out of curiosity, where are the Fraternity and Sorority members coming from?