University of Mississippi & Alpha Delta Pi

[Blue Violets]

Being an ADPi from MS, I have been intrigued lately by the lack of ADPis!

We used to have a chapter at the University of MS and apparently it was a fairly strong house but it closed in the 80s or early 90s. Does anyone know WHY!?

Unfortunately (err actually it's good I'm spreading the news!) when I wear an ADPi t-shirt at home or something I am always explaining what our sorority is. On one hand this is really cool b/c they don't have any preconceived notions about our cool group of sisters! On the other hand I wish that (especially in the Deep South!) more people would know about us and how cool we are.

Anyways, anyone have any answers?

We also don't have a house at Miss. State University, but Greek life appeared there in the 1960s generally and the cost of buying a house there now is in the MILLIONS. Plus they have really strong chapters w/ local strong alumna support which we wouldn't have there, so I understand that.

P.S. I used to be President of the middle MS girl scout council scout board. when I was a junior in HS. Our advisor one year was a woman named Linny Garner, who once wore a t-shirt to a paint day with our ADPi letters on it. At the time, as I was in HS, I didn't know what ADPi was, as I had only seen the Kappa Alpha Theta and Pi Beta Phi letters (my family's sororities). Anyways, I knew Linny had been a big opera singer who now donated her time to girl scouts, but I recently came across her name on a "Famous ADPi Women" website! It's funny how the world works! I had completely forgotten she was an ADPi!

[OleMissGlitter]

Hi Blue Violets,

I am from Ole Miss and I am the chapter adviser for AOII here now at Ole Miss. When I came to Ole Miss in Fall of 1996 to go through rush, ADII had just left campus. There house is now the Honors College. I don't know why they left. I do know that I have two advisers on AAC with me who were ADII's at Ole Miss in the early 1990s. They are awesome women and I wouldn't trade them for the world. Also, my former boss was an ADII here at Ole Miss. I guess I could ask as to why they left, but I never really felt is was necessary to know. I think there is an ADII chapter at U of Southern Mississippi if I'm not mistaken.

OH and speaking of people not knowing what your sorority is. That happened to me alot when I first went AOII in 1996. My friends at LSU didn't know what it was because LSU doesn't have a chapter there anymore.

[OleMissGlitter]

October 9, 1996 © 1996-1997 The Daily Mississippian

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Honors College moving closer to having a home
By Jenny Dodson
Senior Staff Writer

The Honors College is moving closer to having a new home as renovation continues on the former Alpha Delta Pi sorority house.
Carolyn Staton, associate provost, estimates the cost at $800,000 and expects the McDonnell-Barksdale Honors College to be completed in December.
The building will house five classrooms, seminar rooms, a lounge, kitchen and offices. Vending machines and computers will be available for students' use 24 hours a day.
"We want the honors students to feel very much a part of a community," Staton said.
Gay Hatfield, interim director of the Honors Program, said she hopes it will be "a home away from home" for honors students.
"One of the positive things is that it (the new location of the Honors College) puts the honors program back in the center of campus so students can just stop by," Hatfield said. "That space will be utilized well."
Brad Davis, a sophomore honors student from Ripley, said the new location will be more convenient for him.
"I didn't use the old honors house because it was so far from my dorm," Davis said. "Now it will be much more accessible."
The honors program is currently located off campus in the Walton-Young House on University Drive. A $5.4 million dollar gift from Netscape President and Chief Executive Officer James L. Barksdale and his wife, Sally McDonnell Barksdale, made it possible to renovate the former sorority house into a facility for the Honors College."
Hatfield said the renovations will create a state-of-the art setting with "technology-advanced classrooms." A classroom consultant will be on campus this week to review possibilities for the Honors College.
"We're hoping it will bring together informal and formal activities," Staton said.
Ivy Huggins, a sophomore honors student from Southaven, believes the new facility will do just that.
"It will allow the honors students to meet each other more often and will offer a better studying environment," Huggins said.
The Honors College is currently undergoing review of its curriculum, and the Curriculum Committee has a proposal in the final drafting stage. Also ongoing is the search for a permanent director of the Honors College. The closing date for applications is Sept. 30, with the review beginning shortly after.
---------------------------------------

Article from 1998 about ADII house being turned into the Honors College
The ASB has defended the sanctity of Sorority Row
Dear Editor:

Thank goodness our valiant ASB senators stood up for the all-important ideals of tradition and homogeny Tuesday night! How dare the tyrannical administration even consider breaking up "the homogeny of houses" to house something as frivolous as an academic department?

I'm thankful and ecstatic that our students and staff may continue to crowd together in aging classrooms and buildings because "livid" senators such as Kristina Brown would "rather have a sorority than have some business come in." I mean, really, it's bad enough that the once-glorious Alpha Delta Pi house is now occupied by that eyesore, the McDonnell-Barksdale Honors College! And we all know how little that institution has contributed to our proud, homogenous university!

I just want to commend our fine senators on their commitment to keeping Sorority Row happy. Way to go!

Ginny Bodenhamer
Sophomore
English

[Blue Violets]

I mean I guess it's cool that the ADPi house was so nice it's now a honors college dorm! (with some renovations, of course ).

I am just wondering why ADPi left Ole Miss!

[ASUADPi]

you know that surprises me, adpi having low numbers at ole miss. I say this cause everything I've read via this website about ole miss is how competitive their formal fall rush is. If rush is that competitive it seems really odd that our sisters wouldn't be able to meet quota. Does that make sense?
But then again it sounds like the school was very determined to make this honors dorm. They could have bought the adpi house and not compensated by building another. I say this because when I was at U of A. The chi-o house was bought by the school. But U of A turned around and built a brand new house. It started being built in spring of 98 and was done by the fall for rush. It is a beautiful house and probably cost a couple of mill to make.
Who knows. Just kind of letting my thoughts run rapid. LOL.

Brianna

[honeychile]

I think y'all need to understand that "low numbers" varies from campus to campus. One of the best examples I can think of recently is Ohio State. Their chapter was closed because they only had 50 sisters - three of which were willing to live in the house. Personally, I think it says more about the housemother than the sisterhood, but since Alpha Iota inherited their furniture, I'm keeping my mouth shut!

[HZpi94]

The ADPi Chapter was closed at Ole miss in the late 90's for low membership. I do not know the details but I am an alumnae from Eta Zeta at the University of Southern Mississippi and one of my sisters affiliated from the Ole Miss chapter. It was very sad for her when her chapter closed, we never really talked about it. However I can imagine from what I know about Ole Miss greeks that low membership in a sorority for any reason would not be acceptable. It is impossible to compete with sororities with such large numbers.

Eta Zeta was colonized at USM in 1985, I was lucky to be initated in 1995 at the 10th year anniversary celebration.

Eta Zeta is one of the smaller sororities on campus but is holding strong. I believe that with alum support they could really move ahead. Alum support is low b/c it is a young chapter. If you are an ADP and are in MS or La. please consider supporting this last chapter in Mississippi.

Love and Loyally- Sisters are Forever