Panhellenic plans to introduce fifth sorority
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The Council met last spring to discuss the unmanageability of pledge classes that exceed 40 students, and they began to determine the plausibility of attracting a fifth National Panhellenic sorority to campus.
According to senior Allie Haeusslein, JHU Panhellenic President, the key motivator in this decision was the feeling that pledge classes were becoming less like sisterhoods and more like large groups of strangers.
"The pledge classes last year were astronomically large, and it's unfair for a girl to join a sisterhood and then realize she doesn't even know anyone's name," Haeusslein said.
The Council, which consists of Robert Turning, coordinator of Greek Life, as well as a delegate and an executive officer from each of the four current Panhellenic sororities on campus, voted by majority on Tuesday to go forth with efforts to instate a fifth sorority. The results of the vote were three to one, with Kappa Kappa Gamma (KKG) as the only dissenting vote.
Sarah DePaolo, Treasurer of the Panhellenic Council and KKG delegate, declined to comment on her vote, citing a sorority-wide policy of not speaking with members of the press.
According to Turning, it would be difficult for KKG to support the establishment of a new sorority as they have yet to meet their own quota of 80 sisters.
If the vote holds up over the coming weeks, the Council will begin collaboration with the National Panhellenic Council (NPC), the umbrella organization that supervises the 26 national Panhellenic sororities.
The NPC will announce that Hopkins is accepting applications for colonization from the 22 remaining national sororities.
Turning said that he wouldn't be surprised if all sororities expressed interest in starting a chapter at Hopkins.
"We've always had a lot of interest from national groups, because Hopkins is a great school, and any sorority would be proud to colonize here. Now in particular though, we're the perfect candidate [for a national sorority that is looking to expand], because our percentage of students involved in Greek life is rising immensely," Turning said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 5
NPC Rep
posted 10/05/08 @ 7:22 AM EST
It makes no sense to expand Panhel unless ALL member organizations are over or are close to ceiling. If one group is significantly under as is the case here, then use RFM methods to get all the sorority memberships to ceiling for a year or two and then discuss expansion. (Continued…)
NPC Member
posted 10/05/08 @ 1:31 PM EST
FYI - It's Chi Omega, not Ki Omega.
sorority woman
posted 10/14/08 @ 3:08 AM EST
I agree with the decision to invite another sorority to Johns Hopkins. Kappa Kappa Gamma has not made their numbers for a while and they may never have the "prestige/popularity/whatever" that the other chapters have. (Continued…)
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