<p>There are definitely people doing coke at W&L. I've seen it happen. However, the stereotypes get broadened so that the house which has the largest majority of girls who do coke (i.e. if 10 girls on campus do coke, 5 of them are in the same house) becomes the house where everyone does coke. There are girls in every house who do or have done coke. There are girls in every house who don't drink or drink responsibly. There are girls in every house that I absolutely love. There are girls in every house that I don't get along with. (This is also true for the boys -- I have at least a good acquaintance in every frat, and I also have someone I don't care for much).</p>
<p>Coke has become a more commonplace thing than I think it was in the past -- there was actually a coke problem at my inner-city high school, how could it not also be present at a "rich" university? There will always be people doing drugs, college is a time when most people experiment. Some get caught up in it, some don't. Don't think your kid will go anywhere and not be tempted by drugs -- like I said before, it's college. I've been offered coke, and so have many of my friends. It's probably easier to get things like coke if people in your house are doing it, but I know a lot of people in the "coke houses" who don't do coke and never have. So. Yes, it remains a stereotype, and stereotypes often have some truth to them, but they are often either out of date or blown out of proportion.</p>
<p>As to doing coke and taking exams, one of my guy friends, who doesn't exactly belong to a house known for it's drug use, is on the dean's list (or honor roll, whichever is higher, I can't keep them straight) and does a lot of coke. He's a smart guy and he does a lot of drugs. People like that do exist, they're just not the norm.</p>
<p>Hopefully, we can lay to rest the notion that membership in a particular frat or sorority definitively identifies you as a drug user, etc. Tainting an entire population on the basis of choices made by a few individuals is one of the very real downsides of stereotyping -- one that can hurt people, esp when it comes to drugs and promiscuity.</p>
<p>Now what about those Minks and cheerleaders?</p>
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there was actually a coke problem at my inner-city high school, how could it not also be present at a "rich" university?
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<p>Coke is considered a "rich kids" drug because it costs a lot of money. An 8-ball can cost upwards of $200 in Lex. Coke is more prevalent in Manhattan than Harlem, if you get what I'm saying.</p>
<p>And saying that drug use results in poor grades is untrue. Drinking and drugs are prevalent at every college (maybe not BYU or the military academies). The difference between a collegiate drug user and a drug user high school drop out is the skill of time management. </p>
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what about those Minks and cheerleaders?
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<p>Minks is a drinking society which initiates members in their sophomore year. ("Minks" was the W&L mascot before "Generals" came around. Fitting for an all mens school, Minks are an anamoly among the animal kingdom for their disproportionately huge members.)</p>
<p>Cheerleading squads for both Football and Basketball were started last year and I assume will continue to grow and improve.</p>
<p>W&L cheerleading has been around for at least 3 years. The cheerleading squad isn't top-quality, but the members of the squad seem to have a great time and really love it. If that's what you're interested in, you should join. The girls are all really great.</p>
<p>It's people like you guys (excepting beautyistruth and esquette) who make it difficult to dispel outdated and often incorrect stereotypes. Way to go! I'm glad yall love your school so much to leave these positive and obviously completely true statements for the whole world to see.</p>
<p>Where to start? First off, I must run with a different crowd than you guys cause I didn't realize there was coke at W&L at all until I was asked if I had any my sophomore year and maybe I'm naive but I still believe its confined to a few small groups - and those groups are not specific fraternities or sororities. Marijuana is much more prevalent but I don't know of any college where it isn't widespread. From my experience it's significantly rarer at W&L than at schools in my state (NY). </p>
<p>The W&L cheerleading team is pretty cool, they're great girls who work really hard. I don't understand why they tend to be looked down upon - except maybe because they don't leave football games at halftime to go drink at KA. And it has been around for a few years now, last year was the first year they expanded to competition, instead of just cheering at games.</p>
<p>Stereotypes (esp sorority stereotypes) only grow and perpetuate because people keep saying them over and over again. I can easily list a ton of girls who don't fit into the stereotype of their sorority (and since when are Chi Os nice?), All they do is make girls cry and ruin lives. You can be happy with the status quo and continue to perpetuate the stereotypes or you can try to do something about it. Maybe then Pi Phis won't have such low self esteem (not a stereotype, there's been at least one study). A part of me hopes that when I come back from a term abroad just in time for rush in January that people won't be making their decisions based on stereotypes - but then I see posts on here and realize I'm just dreaming. Oh, and speaking of stereotypes - Harlem is IN Manhattan, and there are plenty of rich and poor cokeheads there alike. </p>
<p>PS: I don't think Minks was ever a W&L mascot, more like a nickname like Wahoos for UVA as opposed to Cavaliers. Supposedly, back when VMI and W&L were all-male, W&L guys would sweep up girlfriends visiting VMI after the cadets had their curfew (11PM). This led to W&L guys being called minks - because minks are nocturnal not because of the size of their anything.</p>
<p>One way to minimize the stereotyping would be to have rush/recruitment in the beginning of the academic year. Yes, there would be some people who go into it thinking ABC is the top house and to avoid XYZ at all costs, but the rumors wouldn't be perpetuated all semester before the actual recruitment starts. Girls (and guys) may actually follow their instincts and join houses that best fit them rather than become disillusioned and drop out because their favorite houses cut them.</p>
<p>I think some of the mini-trolls here are the Class of '11 folks who embarrassed themselves on FB. W&L is a small school. I am sure that current students can figure out and match the identities if they so choose.</p>
<p>Yes, but I always thought that one advantage of delayed rush was that girls, if they cared to, actually got to KNOW members of the sororities, rather than only knowing them through rush. Rush is quite superficial, which is why it's good to get to see people (this goes for PNMs as well as sisters) outside of such a contrived environment. Delayed rush was the ONLY reason I joined at all. I came into W&L with a completely different outlook on sororities (I'm from the midwest, greek affiliation is a HUGE thing) and it was only getting to know girls as friends before sisters that encouraged me to join. I went in with a very strong feeling on where I wanted to go, and I ended up there. This does cause a problem, because it can make cuts more of a personal thing ("But everyone I knew in XYZ house is so great! We went on so many rush dates!") but it can also help cement bonds. There were several girls in my house who only 3 people met on the first night of Rush, but who knew and was loved by an extra 15 girls, which can make a huge difference. In my opinion, delayed Rush is extremely helpful. And if, after a semester, some girl still buys into the stereotypes rather than the actuality, and declines a bid to my house -- well, then I'm probably glad she didn't join. I don't want anyone in my house who doesn't want to be there.</p>
<p>My school did fall recruitment, obviously my kid's school does delayed, and I have been my GLO's advisor at both kind of rushes. There are positives and negatives to both fall and deferred recruitment. </p>
<p>One thing different for the women's fraternities vs. the men's is that the female PNMs have a lot less control over the week as compared to the guys. This is mostly due to the way NPC has regulated recruitment. This is why you see much more of the fraternities defined as the swimming group or football guys. The members of the womens teams tend to be spread amongst the 5 chapters although there may be a concentration in 1 or 2 houses.</p>
<p>W&L Panhel would never allow it but I truly believe that the women's GLOS should host more informal events in the fall as do the guys. Instead of Monday Night Football, there could be Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy nights or whatever shows are currently popular. Being PC for the NPC, it could rotate every Sunday and Thursday night (is that GA night?) alphabetically amongst the 5 houses. Every 2.5 weeks, a sorority would have their turnThat way no house is competing with another for the fall event.</p>
<p>As an advisor, I see the potential of dirty rushing with the rush dates that are allowed at W&L. I also see the chance of a lot of freshmen girls slipping through the cracks in terms of being asked on rush dates simply because they are in all-freshmen classes and don't do a sport/activity where they have a chance to meet the older women. Having these Open Houses may provide an opportunity for the actives to get to know a hidden gem who has no previous connection to a particular house. If Panhel is worried about dirty rushing or hotboxing, station Rho Gammas or advisors at these events to chaperone so to speak.</p>
<p>Well, there are events sort of like that, where Grey's Anatomy or Desperate Housewives or whatever is hosted in the commons, and girls from all the sororities and PNMs are encouraged to join. There is also the Panhel dinner, where the girls from the sororities are mixed up and eat with the freshman in the srat houses. Also, whenever girls are asked on rush dates, they are actively encouraged to bring their friends, this way even if a girl has no classes or activities with upperclassmen, they are still exposed to rush dates. Girls also often meet at parties (this can be dangerous, as a PNM's behaviour can be held against her, but sisters are mostly forgiving, remembering their own freshman year behaviour. If you cut every girl who's ever been a sloppy drunk there would be very few girls left). I personally, both as rushee and rusher, have met many girls that way.</p>
<p>I admit that there are flaws in the system but I am an adamant supporter of delayed Rush as a way to really get to know everyone involved with the system.</p>
<p>While I don't know any of what happened, I agree with Dima's and Beautyis truth's statements. I stayed with a Kappa Sig on accepted students day and was surprised to here about what happened.</p>
<p>yeah thats what happened but I didn't mean to leave my post titled beta, I was planning on asking a question about beta coming back but then changed my mind. But anyways how exactly does that work? how does a fraternity go about reestablishing itself when all of its members have graduated?</p>
<p>well, the fraternity sends in representatives from the national organization and they conduct recruitment with the help of a few upperclass previously independent students who take the lead in reestablishing the organization</p>
<p>that's the easy part, the hard part is attracting the freshmen to join an organization with a small founding upper class and no reputation the last four years</p>