Ole Miss... Let's discuss!

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

I'd have to agree with Sugar and Spice. Contrary to what was said early on, and even though we are increasing our base in the south, we are not strong in the south by any standards I would use. Now if you count all of our inactive southern chapters, you might have a case.

Sad, but true.......

And I'm nothing if not a realist.

[greeklawgirl]

By no means do I officially speak for Alpha Gamma Delta, but I can state with some confidence that our International Council would probably not be interested in expanding to Ole Miss in the near future.

Alpha Gam has a very conservative approach to extension, and--I think everyone agrees on this--Ole Miss would be a big gamble for any national fraternity. Huge undertaking in terms of finances, personnel and alumnae support.

I don't think Ole Miss will be expanding anytime in the next year or two.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Originally posted by breathesgelatin

2. It should not be a group that has been there in the past 20 years or a group that has been at Miss. State in the past 20 years

Why is this? Will someone please explain why a group should not have been there in the past 20 years? Thank you.

[NutBrnHair]

In my opinion, a negative image lingers here more so than perhaps other places. Many alumni from Ole Miss and State graduate and then stay in the area -- many marry college sweethearts and have children...who will attend Ole Miss or State. Get the picture? Most PNMs want to join a group which is considered "successful" and Mommy & Daddy want her to join a group which is viewed as "successful!" It's just very tough to live down the negative perception about a group that had to leave campus.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Ok that makes sense. I thought that it might be a school rule or something.

[OleMissGlitter]

Since I am an adviser here at Ole Miss and I attend all meetings and I'm friends with many other sorority advisors, I can say that expansion will not happen any time soon. Maybe in 10-15 years. But I just don't see it happening since there is no land near the other sorority houses.

Plus, it would have to be a sorority that is big in the south. I forgot about DZ. My friends were DZs at LSU and U of South. Miss (that chapter closed in the late 1990s). Anyway, I think for any sorority to expand in the south they have to be willing to put up at least a million dollars for a new house.....

Oh and the AOII colony at Miss State did close. They had girls but the numbers just weren't there. They had allocated enough money to build a new house since they were not able to purchase the Alpha Gamma Delta house for whatever reasons. I think that perhaps if the current interest group down there continues to grow, they might come back. However, Miss State is also very competitive and I think it is better to close then to have colonized and then have failed. This proved to me that AOII is still picky with their expansion and their expansion process. Perhaps, one day my chapter, Nu Beta, of AOII will not be the only AOII chapter in Mississippi.

sorry for misspelled words....I'm still recovering from late nights due to rush

[CardinalSM]

I have sat here and read this thread from the beginning with my mouth hanging open. . .

Let me just comment that quota at Ole Miss is more than campus total at my school, we have 76 members in Chi O right now. The idea of that many new girls and that big of a chapter boggles my mind!!!!!

[honeychile]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, because I didn't go to school in the Deep South. It would seem that the playing field is completely different from even, say, the Carolinas or Georgia. The chapters are huge, yet there aren't that many.

As I think about it, it's really easy for those of us who haven't worked in this situation to say that there needs to be another sorority at Ole Miss or Mississippi State. But, if the "hardcores" have tried and failed, maybe what we need to do is simply realize that the mindset is different; that New Member classes of 90+ are not outrageous, that chapters over 250 members are the norm.

Would I love to see my Alpha Delta Pi successful there? Of course! I bleed azure blue & white as much (or more than!) as other ADPis. But, if the current system isn't going to work for them, I'd rather see our efforts elsewhere.

Lastly (for now):
The most important thing is that a very high percentage of PNMs were placed - about 90% if I remember correctly. Now, if 900 women were signing up for Recruitment, and only 500-600 were being placed, then we should all be screaming Foul. Under the circumstances, though, I say congratulations to the hard working sisters & alumnae of Ole Miss and good luck with your New Members!

[GPhiBLtColonel]

Originally posted by breathesgelatin
Gamma Phi was mentioned. That might be possible, but I know they're expanding to the University of S. Carolina, so that will be a LOT of work too. I don't know if they're at Miss. State either. Who is? I know someone mentioned that AGD closed there.

When did Delta Zeta close at Ole Miss?

I know that Tri-Sigma has had some success colonizing at larger southern schools, too, like UNC-Chapel Hill. Maybe Sigma Kappa?

Edited to add:

NPCs at Mississippi State are AOPi (a colony I think??), Chi Omega, Tri-Delta, DG, KD, Phi Mu, and ZTA.

I know that we had a huge focus on our new Gamma Phi Beta colony at Texas A&M (we got 95 pledges I understand!) and now we are redirecting our energy & focus & money to the Univ of South Carolina. I doubt our International HQtrs would be interested in Ole Miss unless it was several years hence....

[madmax]

Originally posted by OleMissGlitter


Plus, it would have to be a sorority that is big in the south. I forgot about DZ. My friends were DZs at LSU and U of South. Miss (that chapter closed in the late 1990s). Anyway, I think for any sorority to expand in the south they have to be willing to put up at least a million dollars for a new house.....

Why would they have to put up a million dollars upfront? Couldn't they just make arangements to rent one of the former houses that DZ, ZTA, ADP, AXD used to live in?

[33girl]

Originally posted by OleMissGlitter
there are no more empty sorority houses since the university bought them to use classrooms for Applied Sciences College(old ZTA house) and the Honors College (old ADPi House).

The other chapters closed quite a while ago, and I'd wager their old houses were also bought by the school or by fraternities.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Originally posted by OleMissGlitter
I have been an adviser for AOII here at Ole Miss since last year. I would like to say that yes we need a new sorority at Ole Miss but I am not sure that is going to happen anytime soon. The main reason is land...there isn't enough of it and there are no more empty sorority houses since the university bought them to use classrooms for Applied Sciences College(old ZTA house) and the Honors College (old ADPi House). I think that the investment a sorority would have to make in order to build a new house, find land (the only land that might be able to hold a house is a parking lot next door to the Tri Delta house), and they must be strong in the south. I would like to see Alpha Gamma Delta here since they are strong at Bama and schools in TN, or even Gamma Phi Beta since they are huge in the south as well.

The houses are now owned and used by the university.

ETA: I didn't realize that 33girl had posted this info.

[Tom Earp]

Damn, just wrote a nice post but got booted oof line and did not get printed!

To shorten it, If Ole Miss. is that hard to Colonize, and it costs $$$$$$$$$ of dollars and the good ole girl system is as tru as some say, then why would a National want to be there except for the Prestige?

I for one who was trying to lead a Major Greek Organization would say" I will spend our Money" at other schools where we can get more for the money spent! More Bang for the Buck!

So let OLE MISS sit in their Nether Land and just surround them with Great Chapters. Let them come asking Me to Join!

Just out of Curiosity is Just "OLE MISS and Miss St. " But two Schools?

[OleMissGlitter]

Ole Miss-->The University of Mississippi in Oxford, MS (1 hour south of Memphis, TN)

Mississippi State/MSU--->Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS

Southern Miss--->University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS, about 2 hours northeast of New Orleans and an hour north of the coast of the Mississippi (My sister transferred down there for her major and she loves it! There just isn't an AOII chapter there so she went early alumna.)

-------------------
And we do have a new philanthropic sorority, Omega Phi Alpha, they do not have a house but that way their dues are less and this sort of sorority appeals to women who find NPC Sorority dues to be too high.....

[Glitter650]

Ok the reason it couldn't be a chpater that has closed within the past about 20 years is because Ole miss seems to be soo competitive and sooo steeped in history that MANY MANY girls are legacy and or have a specific chapter in mind arleady when they start rush. When you have a system like that any "negative" (IE this chpater left campus already) is death to a new group. It seems to me they REALLY need to expand.. but, with a system like that it's really hard to break in for the above mentioned reasons.
Who know maybe some completely new sorority is really what Ole Miss needs... like an Alpha Phi, a group with a fairly large national base, but not necessarily in the south... of course it coudl fail miserably... BUT MAYBE enough women would find a new organization interesting and exciting and want to begin its history... I don't think it's VERY likely at Ole Miss, but perhaps it would suprise us.