old row v new row
by: umichsororityHEY from the North. I always hear about this old row/new row distinction and am curious... what is it? Does it relate to when each chapter started on campus or something?
#1 by: Active.
Are you a PNM? On this site you will hear the terms "old row" and "new row" thrown around a lot because for some reason people think it matters. Basically all you need to know is that being old row or new row literally does not matter anywhere beyond this site. Like literally. They're just terms to describe and categorize fraternities and sororities, it's just another adjective thrown around by Greek organizations. This site tends to hype up being old row a lot, saying that if you're not old row then you're "irrelevant" on campus, etc. but it really doesn't matter. No one on campus will turn you away because you're not old row, no one on campus will judge you if you go old row or new row, no one on campus really even cares about the difference. This site makes it seem like being old row is a lot more important than it actually is. If you're a PNM go whatever house you feel the best in, disregard labels like old row and new row.
Commentby: ...Dec 28, 2016 3:00:52 PM
by: ^Dec 28, 2016 3:15:56 PM
Old Row has different meanings, but overall it's about perceived wealth, influence, and prestige -- emphasis on "perceived."
The literal meaning of Old Row is the part of University Boulevard where the oldest fraternities are located (DKE, SAE, KA, Phi Gam, Sigma Nu, and Phi Delt).
Old Row also refers to a group of fraternities and sororities that throw an annual party for themselves. Includes the fraternities above and AXO, Alpha Gam, XO, DDD, KD, Kappa, and Phi Mu for sororities. Basically just letters on a T-shirt, although the "hype" is that these are the most elite Greeks on campus.
Stereotypically Old Row is more Southern and Alabama-focused than New Row, with an emphasis on certain suburbs, cities, and social circles -- so there's also an implication of "old" money vs. "new" money. In reality, though, both Old Row and New Row have members who are filthy rich as well as middle-class.
As others have mentioned, the Old Row "brand" carries a lot less weight now than it used to, simply because there are so many out-of-state students now.
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by: umichDec 28, 2016 8:30:32 PM
#2 by: ...
TO ALL PNM'S:
Old row/new row does not matter! Like I literally don't know how much more people could explain this to y'all that being old row/new is literally just a label and nothing more than that. It's not like you show up to an event or a party and people classify you into old row/new row, it's not like old row only associates with old row and vice versa for new row, here at UA it's literally just a label people like to use to describe your sorority/fraternity. Every fraternity parties with every sorority, regardless of whether or not they're old row or new row, you will meet people in both old row and new row houses, etc.
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by: umichsororityDec 28, 2016 2:29:43 PM
I'm not a PNM, I'm in a sorority at University of Michigan! I'm just curious what the terms mean even if they don't actually matter because we don't use them here!
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