Another merchanciser, Greek 101, is likely to open a store this fall. When hundreds of students join the University's Greek system next week, many of them will undoubtedly be excited to purchase clothing and paraphernalia displaying their new Greek letters. But they may have to wait longer than expected. This week, Going Greek -- a chain of 13 stores, including one on the 3900 block of Walnut Street -- went out of business and sold their remaining merchandise to a liquidation firm, Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Assistant Director Tom Carroll said. Repeated phone calls to the company's New Brunswick, N.J., headquarters yesterday went unanswered. A spokesperson for Weisenthal Properties, which owns the property that houses the store, did not have any more information. Going Greek, which has been located on campus since 1993, sold Greek-letter paraphernalia, filling orders for Penn fraternities and sororities. The store, the chain's only Philadelphia outlet, also sold to Greek chapters at other local schools such as Temple and Drexel universities. Noting the convenience the store provided for his students, Drexel Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Greek Life Shane McGoey said that there will now be a "challenge as far as finding a spot close by to purchase chapter clothing." Another company, Greek 101, contacted Carroll Wednesday about replacing Going Greek, according to Greek 101's Jeff Klein. The company currently has one location, at the Pennsylvania State University in State College. "We have intentions of coming to the University of Pennsylvania," Klein said. Klein said, though, that Greek 101 will not likely open up a store at the University until next fall. That could cause problems for chapters that need items for new pledges this semester. Like Going Greek, Klein's store would sell items such as T-shirts, glassware, paddles and sew-on letters. But until such a store actually opens up, many members of the Greek system said Going Greek's closing leaves a major void. "[The news] caught me off guard," said InterFraternity Council Executive Vice President Clive Correia, a Wharton junior. The Phi Kappa Psi brother explained that fraternities and sororities often bought their pledges an item from Going Greek with their letters on it "when they became brothers or sisters, as a token of the fact that pledging is over." And incoming Panhellenic Vice President of Rush Julie Galluzzo said the loss will be "a disadvantage for the incoming members." But both Galluzzo and Correia said they feel that Greeks will be able to find other options, such as mail-order companies. Correia expected the IFC board to "look into other Greek companies that would make themselves easily accessible to the Penn community."
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