<slight hijack>

Arizona isn't part of the south??

</hijack>

As per hugging... we tend to let the PNM guide us. We don't go out of our way to be touchyfeelly, but we don't really have any rules about it ... it's just uw and our common sense I guess

I don't think we had a formal rule one way or the other about hugging. It was a "let the PNM guide you" sort of thing.

I find it bizarre that some schools' recruitment rules say no touching whatsoever, even for a handshake. When I meet someone new, my right hand goes out automatically, and rejecting the handshake comes across as rude.

As one of those hug-free kind of people, I'd be glad going through rush if that rule was in place. I really don't like physical contact (shaking hands, hugging, anything) unless I know a person very, very well.

Being hugged at rush would probably have sent me screaming for the exit!! It took me at least a year before I hugged any of my sisters... and those were only the closest ones to me.

Here's my recommendation: If you don't want to shake hands or hug, just stand there with your arms crossed. I promise no one will attempt to hug you.

Because that will make a GREAT impression :rolleyes:

I think that's what she was getting at...

Anyway, we too had the "let the PNM guide you rule" but I don't know if it was schoolwide or just what our chapter did. I remember hearing some stories from girls who preffed at other houses who were given shoulder massages and had their hair played with while they were sitting in the circle in front of the sister who was standing behind them. Kinda strange if you ask me.

Hee hee, to continue the slight hijack: kappaloo, Arizona *is* south, but it is NOT southern. If anything, Arizona has a "Wild, Wild West" atmosphere. Heck, Tucson still gives their schoolchildren two days off when the Rodeo comes to town!

Think more along the lines of "Gunfight at the OK Corral" than "Gone With The Wind." :)

The hair-playing and massanging would have FREAKED ME OUT like no other. I'm not a huggy person but I can understand hugging at pref. However, I think I ended up offending some of our PNMs this year when I went back to help - I didn't know any of the freshmen (obviously) but there were a bunch of SigEp girlfriends there that I'm friendly with, so naturally I hugged them as soon as I saw them and I think the new girls felt bad that I didn't hug them.

Personally, if I'd been hugged during rush, I think I would have gotten over it - it's not like the girl was going to hug me every time she sees me. And I think mushing is kind of like door songs in that it's just ingrained down there. ;)

Likewise. I'm not a touchy-feely person - I probably would have jumped up and fled from the room.

Plus, if I had another pref party still to go, the hair-playing would make me wonder if they were trying to sabotage my hairdo and therefore my chances with the other sorority. :p

I'd hope that by pref, the sisters would have a good idea which PNMs are touchy-feely and which aren't.

I was thinking that too, LOL!! See, that's what's wierd, though... having my hair played with wouldn't bother me near as much as a stranger hugging me.... I guess I just have "personal space" issues, hehe!!

Informal and COB have different rules from formal rush, though.

Texasgrl,

I also went to UT. I am curious as to which sorority you are a member of, if you don't mind revealing that info. I was a member of the big red house on Pearl St., aka, "The Gepper."

Hook em'

our rules are if the PNM initiates it
we always have girls that have friends who are in rush
and they end up huggng us before they leave

last year, one girl hugged almost everyone

This year we were told (by our Recruitment Director) no touching...but all the other sororites rubbed girls backs and hugged them and all that. I think thiis next year coming up we will change that. It seems a lot better and more friendly to me. I cant say that I am a huggy person, but it cant hurt to be a little more open with the pnm's.

I hugged my rusher at the third day of rush, and at Pref. She is now my big sis!!