FOCUS: Sisterhood outside the system

At this, the "social Ivy," many women have found that Greek is not the only way to go. Some women say they are turned off by the large memberships. Others by the strict regulations and national mandates. And still others by the concept of a formalized sorority system at the University. But some of those women say they still wanted the sisterhood -- just without the letters. In 1987, the Tabard Society was established to give women at the University a social option separate from the PanHellenic sorority system. In 1989, a second group of women gathered together to form Subrosa, another non-Greek social club for women at the University. Now, the two organizations are flourishing alongside the growing University sorority system as many women turn to non-Greek alternatives for their social pleasure. · Contrary to what many believe, Subrosa is not an underground Latin society. Rather, it is a small club of undergraduate women created three years ago by five freshman women, College senior and Subrosa President Jessica Winegar said last week. This club, which only exists at Yale University and the University, derived its name from an ancient Arthurian legend in which the Knights of the Round Table posted a rose on the wall of their meeting room, Winegar said. Anything said and done under the rose was then held in confidence, and hence the name Subrosa was born. True to its namesake, the Yale Subrosa chapter is as hush-hush and tight-lipped as Yale's legendary secret society Skull and Bones. At the University, however, "nothing is enshrouded in mystery," said one college senior and Subrosa member who preferred to remain anonymous. Winegar said Subrosa was founded because its original members were dissatisfied with the sorority system. One of the founding members had a sister in the Yale chapter which gave the women the idea to start their own club at the University, she said. The two chapters are linked by name only, Winegar said, for there is no rapport between them. The unnamed member contends that, unlike the Yale chapter, the University's Subrosa is not an elitist secret organization, but rather a "very eclectic" group of women from diverse ethnic, academic, extracurricular and social backgrounds. "People don't join [Subrosa] to become socially aggrandized" she said. Presently, there are approximately 40 members in Subrosa, comprised of about 30 percent seniors, 40 percent juniors and 30 percent sophomores. Winegar said the group's small numbers and intimacy allows for a relaxed board of officers and "collective, democratic" decision-making. Like sororities, Subrosa holds parties, semiformals, formals and community service events, such as its recent bake sale for Philadelphia Futures, a University program designed to help local high school students with their college applications. However, with no national organization to supervise the group's activities -- such as in sororities -- Subrosa members are unhampered by such regulations as mandatory meeting attendance, alcohol prohibitions and required community service. The group also does not have a house and has a membership fee of only $85 per semester. Sororities often charge women at least double that amount. The money goes towards national and chapter fees, house fees and pin fees. · Publicity for Subrosa is relativey low-key in order to keep the group a small, close-knit network of friends, Winegar said. Unlike its Greek counterparts, it has no quotas for membership and acquires new members differently from PanHellenic rush. Beginning in January, PanHel rush holds four rounds of parties in two weeks, College senior and PanHellenic Council Rush Vice-president Diana Cruz said last week. In the first round, rushees are required to attend each sorority's party to acquaint themselves with every chapter. Invitations are sent out to the rushees before the second round, narrowing down the number of parties each woman may attend. After the second round, the rushees select the sororities which appeal to them and they are matched with the preferences of the sororities in a "process of mutual selection," Cruz said. A smaller number of third round invitations are distributed to limit the number of sororities a woman may continue to rush. For the fourth round "preference parties," each rushee may only be invited back to two sororities, which they then rank in order of their preference. The future pledges then receive bids from one of the sororities and are inducted into and introduced to PanHel in a "circle of sisters" ceremony. Later, each individual chapter will privately pin and induct its members. Subrosa's rushing process is far less formal. Throughout the year, current members invite friends and acquaintances to any Subrosa events, such as dinners or parties, the unnamed member said. Under an agreement with PanHel, she said, the group begins its "tapping" process after PanHel rush in January. Without having to pay any tapping fee, all interested women go through a week of "get to know us" events. Subrosa members then decide individually who they want to invite into the group. Unlike sorority sisters, they choose the new members without any group consultation or collective vote from current Subrosa members. The chosen women then attend a welcoming party in March when a "very informal" induction takes place, the member said. Rushing at the Tabard Society, another non-Greek social group for women, is also different from PanHel. In the fall, Tabard members publicly advertise their on-campus information session and the open house they hold at the Tabard house at 319 South 41st Street for interested freshman and sophomore women, Tabard President Lauren London said. Throughout the fall semester, Tabard holds a number of "casual kegs" at their house, or hosts parties at downtown nightclubs or restaurant-bars which are open to anyone. Interested women find out about the events through word of mouth. Tabard rush then occurs within the first few weeks of January, at the same time as PanHel rush, although College senior London said the group plans its events around the PanHel schedule so that women may rush both organizations. Tabard member Jennifer Orange characterized the rush, which requires no fee, as more "intimate" because of its smaller numbers and activities. She said they "play games and ask funny questions" in an effort to "spend as much time [as possible] with the women individually." College junior and Tabard member Colleen Joyce said Tabard distributes its bids before PanHel and that they are usually accepted. Later, they pin and induct their pledges in two separate ceremonies. · According to London, Tabard was formed by about a dozen freshman and sophomore women in 1987. This group, which exists exclusively at the University, has burgeoned to a membership of about 40 women this year, consisting of approximately 65 percent sophomores and juniors and 35 percent seniors. London said Tabard's founding members took the name from the well-known medieval legend The Canterbury Tales. In the Chaucerian story, Tabard was the name of the site where the travelers congregated after their separate journeys to share their adventures. Joyce explained the significance of the name in relation to the social club. "We're all individuals, but when we get together there's a commonality among us," she said. London praised her club for its loose power structure and small size. "It's so small you can have a voice and you can change things," she said. Like Subrosa, Tabard has no national organization to oversee its operations but still holds similar activities such as parties, mixers with fraternities and community service functions such as this semester's charity ball. From this event, Tabard raised over $7,000 for the Breast Health Institute of Philadelphia, London said. "Tabard was founded as an organization that didn't want the rules and regulations of other organizations," said College senior Orange. "We're self-determining." Semester dues for Tabard are approximately $125. · Women who are interested in organized social groups have differing opinions of whether independent or Greek groups come out on top after the advantages and disadvantages of each are weighed. One PanHel sorority member and College sophomore derided a perception of Tabard as the "social elite" centered around money, and said instead that the group is composed of women who "dress elegantly" and have a "look" that is "put-together." The woman, who did not want to be identified, said she wishes her sorority had the advantages of a non-Greek social club with its smaller size, lack of national rules and regulations and more direct channeling of dues into their immediate needs. "A lot of us would like to be a social club but we can't because we're big and need a national to organize us," she said. But Sigma Delta Tau sister and outgoing PanHel Publicity Vice-president Jen Eisenberg said she chose the Greek system because of the larger numbers and greater diversity of women involved in PanHel sororities and their national connections. She said she also enjoys the opportunities to interact with the Interfraternity Council and the Bicultural Intergreek Council. Because of its "greater manpower," she said the Greek system is more productive than non-Greek groups. "They do similar things as us, they're just limited in terms of their numbers," she said.