Attendance facts

[Grider]

The Phi Delts may have a fat bankroll

That's a pretty unfair generalization. Actually, we rely on dues from our members just like every other fraternity, and our dues aren't much different than other IFC chapters. It's not like the alumni just cut us a fat check every year. And the extra money we do have actually goes back to the school and charitable organizations, something like $100,000 over five years to SMU through the proceeds from our Casino Night, in addition to about $50,000 to the M.D. Anderson cancer research center each year.

I was referencing the members of Phi Delt, not the actual organization (although $2k/brother/semester isn't a small income), who are known for having a fair bit of change in their pockets.

Our dues were like $800-$950 per semester (1994-1997). It was more if you lived in the house but that extra cost was less than if you lived in the dorms. Regardless, saying all Phi Delts are loaded is like someone outside of SMU saying everyone at SMU is loaded.

[Phi Delt]

Our dues were like $800-$950 per semester (1994-1997). It was more if you lived in the house but that extra cost was less than if you lived in the dorms. Regardless, saying all Phi Delts are loaded is like someone outside of SMU saying everyone at SMU is loaded.

Basically I proposed that the school spend more money to attract better athletes (the legal way, not the Dickerson/early 80s way) and some took that as an invitation to attack me for being rich, which I'm not. I know plenty of people in other fraternities who have a lot more money than I do. Arguing about that anymore is pointless.

My point is, SMU has a chance over the next 10 years to really make a name for itself nationally. Landing the Bush library would instantly give us significant national recognition, and if we could couple that with strong athletic teams, it could do wonders for the school, similar to Ewing and basketball at Georgetown and Coach K at Duke. We're the premier university in one of America's largest and most recognizable cities, and it's time we took advantage of that.

[Grider]

Our dues were like $800-$950 per semester (1994-1997). It was more if you lived in the house but that extra cost was less than if you lived in the dorms. Regardless, saying all Phi Delts are loaded is like someone outside of SMU saying everyone at SMU is loaded.

Basically I proposed that the school spend more money to attract better athletes (the legal way, not the Dickerson/early 80s way) and some took that as an invitation to attack me for being rich, which I'm not. I know plenty of people in other fraternities who have a lot more money than I do. Arguing about that anymore is pointless.

My point is, SMU has a chance over the next 10 years to really make a name for itself nationally. Landing the Bush library would instantly give us significant national recognition, and if we could couple that with strong athletic teams, it could do wonders for the school, similar to Ewing and basketball at Georgetown and Coach K at Duke. We're the premier university in one of America's largest and most recognizable cities, and it's time we took advantage of that.

I hope you didn't think I was attacking you. I was a Phi Delt too, and was just trying to dispell that generalization. Anyway, sorry for hijacking your thread, I have a tendency to do that.

[Phi Delt]

I hope you didn't think I was attacking you. I was a Phi Delt too, and was just trying to dispell that generalization. Anyway, sorry for hijacking your thread, I have a tendency to do that.

No, I was talking about the people before you....good to see there's another Phi on here though

[smu diamond m]

No, I was talking about the people before you....good to see there's another Phi on here though

I wasn't attacking, I was just saying SMU can't just dump money into a new program without outside assistance -- you stated that "money isn't really an issue around here, if you haven't noticed". SMU would still seek outside funding for something like this, instead of dropping a chunk of the endowment on new profs and equipment and things.

[Phi Delt]

I wasn't attacking, I was just saying SMU can't just dump money into a new program without outside assistance -- you stated that "money isn't really an issue around here, if you haven't noticed".

So what does my fraternity have to do with any of that? It wasnt relevant, it was just a cheap shot, and a sterotypical one at that. I don't really care that much, I just wanted to point out that the assumption that I'm rich and have a trust fund is flat out wrong.

SMU would still seek outside funding for something like this, instead of dropping a chunk of the endowment on new profs and equipment and things.

I said this earlier, that endowment money is typically not used on new projects. But I mean we have a $1 billion endowment and several years ago we raised $550 million in the capital campaign or whatever they called it, and we raised that money fairly easily. Even more recently, IIRC, the new basketball facility was announced around the time of the Doherty hiring, and we've already raised a good sum of the money for that. My point is, as a university, we can raise money very easily. And if we wanted to put more money into the athletic program or wanted to start a school for sports management (which, as I stated before, wouldn't be some easy major for athletes but a school which could greatly benefit non-athletes as well) I think we would be able to raise the money for it.