Alumnae Members
 

I think it is worth pointing out that at traditionally southern schools some of your biggest fans or worst enemies can be the alumnae women that help the chapters during recruitment.

While many of the chapter members may have tattoos and be totally cool with it, some of your older, more "proper", pearl wearing women may not approve. You never know how much "pull" these women may have in the chapter's selection process.

While I don't think that having a tattoo "should" be a reason to be released from a chapter, at many schools, chapters cannot invite everyone that they like back to an event (because of release figures). All other things being equal, your tattoo could be a deal breaker - just because the chapter "has" to release someone.

I agree that you should do what makes you most comfortable but know that there could be consequences with your decision... just like every decision you make in life.

Re: Alumnae Members
 

EXACTLY!!!!

I agree...

Tara
i have a Phi Mu castle...

Munchkin--

I advise to cover up the tattoo for this reason. Because rush may not be as important as a job interview, but the theme is the same. PNMs are trying to impress sororities with their personality/beauty/charm/whatever. Just like you do with your skills at a job interview. You wouldn't wear some backless top to show off your tattoo when trying to impress a potential boss, and if at her school tattoos are deemed inappropriate during events such as recruitment, then she should cover it up or suffer the cuts that will come from it. JAM is right...the choice is yours, but those choices will effect the outcome.

Re: Rush...NOT A JOB INTERVIEW!
 

Thank you!!!! Maybe it's because I come from a really laid back school, but I think these threads are a little too much. I can understand wanting to look your best and such, but I think some of this is going a bit too far.

My thoughts: if you want to let your tattoos show, go for it. They can be a great conversation starter! During last fall's structured, I got into a really fun conversation with a PNM about tattos and piercings and stuff like that. (I personally don't have any tattoos, but I have my belly button pierced) I even brought other sisters over to show off their tattoos as well.

That's what structured should be about. It should be about making connections with the girls and having fun getting to know them. One day, they're going to be your sisters and you're going to see each other at your absolute worst (without makeup, hungover, in desperate need of a shower, etc.). And I doubt they're going to be wearing a Lily at that point.

To chime in......cover it up. The tattoos may be on your body, but you are not your tattoos. And besides, once you get in, they can't really kick you out because of them.

(Hahah on the whole "pubic trim." I'm going to use it in a sentence today.)

Luna_12/rainbowbritecs....why do you feel the need to post under 2 names?

Re: Re: Rush...NOT A JOB INTERVIEW!
 

I agree for the most part. But PNMs at competetive schools need to be aware of what they are up against. I do think rush (at a large traditional school) is more stressful than any job interview I have ever been on. Rushing at UTD was nothing like that, we had a great time. But I wish I had had a resource like GreekChat back when I was a PNM at North Texas in the early 90's.

As far as the clothes, manicures, and accessory threads I am going to admit I am enjoying them. Not because of how they can potentially guide a PNM, but because I am 30 years old and out of the loop. Lilly Pulitzer, Vera Bradley etc. It is nice to be given a clue to some of our younger members favorites. So I am not against those threads. I just think of them as informative.

A tattoo might work against a PNM that really wants a certain house at a competitive school. I am not against tattoos, but I think the PNMs have the right to know that it could happen. And since I don't have anything against them striving for the house/houses of their choice, I don't have anything against telling them what might hurt them in the process. (although I do wish every pnm would give all the houses at their schools a fair look).

Good Luck to all our PNMs!!

Re: Re: Re: Rush...NOT A JOB INTERVIEW!
 

That's very true, and it's something that I keep forgetting about. As I've said, my school is pretty liberal and laid back (I mean come on! Ann Arbor is next door!), and it's hard for me to even FATHOM a super-competitive rush.

I could never do rush down South. I'd be a mess...

I'm pretty glad this thread came up. I hadn't really thought about it (since I've had my tatoos for so long, I almost forget about them :p ) but one of mine is around my ankle. A little hard to cover up with sandals. It's really pretty (a ring of sunflowers) and I hope that it doesn't give a negative impression of me, but I kinda agree with everyone that's saying I might not want to be a part of a sisterhood that would cut someone for tatoos. What happens after rush when they find out you have them?? I think I'll be leaving my anklet alone, but I won't be wearing any tank style tops to show off the one on my shoulder blade.

I'm not trying to play devil's advocate here, even though it may sound like I am.

There is an excellent point made about alumnae. To the generation ahead of those of us currently in college, tattoos and piercings (besides your ears) aren't very classy. Some people (young and older... not OLD ;) ) still think that tattoos are for bikers. One of the things that I've learned as a sister is that you respect your alumnae. You may not do everything they recommend, but you listen to and respect their opinions, just as you do the rest of your sisters. But like someone said, at a large school, you could be borderline for a group because you had a bad night or something, and be cut because that's the one thing that pushes them over.

We almost cut a girl from Student Ambassadors because she had a lip ring. Our advisor was very turned off by it, and we were a little surprised. Our school isn't a super conservative SEC school, and our organization isn't based on looks whatsoever, but it was something that we were worried parents checking out the school would be put off by. However, your tattoo sounds a lot easier to cover up than a lip ring.

I don't think it's shallow to wear sleeves but feel free to talk about them if someone asks. I would also make sure that if you don't wear sleeves, do not let the tattoos become a focal point of conversation. People will just remember you as "tattoo girl" and not YOU. We had a girl who only talked about Care Bears when I went through and both groups cut her because it was ALL SHE TALKED ABOUT. Therefore it was what she was associated with.

As a current UGA collegian, I would recommend that you cover them up. Display them later on when you are more comfortable and settled with your new sisters, but you should project your most poised, classy self during recruitment (as you would during a job interview).

When I was in school, our CCD wanted US to cover up our tattoos/piercings during recruitment so we could present our best selves. So I think that it goes both ways.

My school's Panhellenic briefly thought about telling the Rho Chi's (or rather recruitment counselors) to tell thier groups to take out any eye or nose piercings or any tongue rings. And the girls I live with and I had a huge discussion about it. Our chapter would never use a tattoo or piercing as a reason to cut a girl. If a girl is cool and fits in with us, then we want her in our sorority whether or not she has a tattoo or piercing. However, as many of the others have said, it is your decision and you need to do what's right for you. But think about it, would you really want to be in a chapter that cut you strictly because you have a tattoo?

Courtney

Tattoos shouldn't be an issue, because you want people to get to know YOU... but there are some people in this world who think that tattoos are ugly, etc. First impressions can make or break recruitment. I personally wouldn't want a tattoo to damper my recruitment experience. I think you should cover it up, not because I think you are trying to hide a part of yourself, but because you want people (in the short amount of time) to see you as YOU, and not as "that one girl with the tattoo".

Just my $0.02