we always did a door song at the beginning and the end...and i never really liked doing them because the PNMs usually looked terrified. *lol* i guess if you're showing up to a place where you don't really know anyone and everyone is singing and clapping and bouncy, it can be a little intimidating. our songs were always just our own songs, although i really like the idea of doing an all-encompassing Greek one.

A good friend of mine loves to tell the story of her first rush party. She was very eager and right up in the front. Little did she know that the group would *throw open the door* and coming running at the PNMs singing, clapping and way too perky. She screamed in shock (horror?) and turned to run and ran smack dab into the rest of her rush group. :p

On the first night, appropriately titled "Go Greek", all the chapters use the same opening song, also titled "Go Greek". In it we sing go greek and the letters of the greek alphabet----and what a good way to learn the letters too!! The other 3 nights we sang, or cheered our own stuff.

Our door songs:

G PHi, G Phi B, Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta
G Phi, G Phi B, Gamma Phi Beta Girls
We are Gamma Phi, Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta
Gamma, Gamma Phi, Gamma Phi Beta Girls

G A M M A, Gamma Phi Beta Hey
Gamma Phi, Gamma Phi, Gamma Phi Beta
G A M M A, Gamma Phi Beta Hey
Gamma Phi, Gamma Phi, Gamma Phi Beta

Welcome to the Gamma Phi house, come on in.

We also do:

We are the Gamma Phi Beta's, We welcome you here
Come in and join our fun and our cheer
We're on the U of A campas, sorority row
Gamma Phi shouts a welcome hello

So you'd like to be another Gamma Phi
And wear our crescent and pearls on high
So come on along and we'll show you why
All over the land, number 1's Gamma Phi

AT UGA we also sing 'at the door' which usually means all members lined up the stair case. All PNM's come in and the door must be closed before the singing begins. We used to do about 3-4 songs each time. We sang at the end as well.

We have formal recruitment in Feb so it's a bit chilly to be by the front door but we do it! We have the staircase near the door too which is where sisters pile in when the small entry way is filled up. Usually the Pres and VP of Recruitment are at the door when the PNM group comes up and open the door while the rest of the chapter is singing.
Having everyone near the door is a nice way for the first sister of a bump group to "meet and greet".

At Northern Arizona University we do not do door songs on the first night, but for skit night and philanthropy night we do... We have an all greek res hall, where each chapter has a chapter room... the door is closed and the perspecive members are brought to the chapter room and the recruitment councilor knocks on the door... Then we start banging on the door from the inside... then as soon as the door opens we sing... We sing different songs each year...

I was so singing that the other day. And the A-L-P-H-A, D-E-L-T-A, P-I Pi HI!!! thing definitely gets in your head too.

Looking forward to door song wars! lol!

At Mercer we sing to the PNM's every night of Recruitment. Open House Night we meet them out at the sidewalk singing and lead them to the house and end with a pile up at the door. It's lots of fun!
:)

I Love Alpha Gam!

This is pretty much exactly how Butler does it. We do entrance and exit songs, and each house stands in the foyer and on the stairs. Usually it's not too cold for the actives, but I know our Pres and VP Recruitment freeze!

I've always enjoyed doing it this way. I know I was slightly taken aback when I went through, but usually our recruitment counselors do a good job of warning the PNMs.

At the U of Arizona, we do door songs every day except Pref. We still sing on Pref night, but we don't do any screaming or bouncing :)
We have a door song for every time the PNMs walk in, and then a different one everytime they leave. We too can't leave the door-we have to stay inside which means we have to be really really loud! I will admit, its very overwhelming for the PNMs when they enter the very first house because the floors are shaking, the girls are really loud, and you can't see anything except people bouncing, clapping, and singing lol. Door songs are a lot of fun-I can't imagine not doing them!

AZSigKap

What's done at Arizona State University? Anyone know?

This is a lot like we do, except we have lawn line-ups outside (its a fall rush!). We walk out one at a time to meet a PNM and bring them in individually. A few nights (ie, skit night) we sing them out, but the only day we sing them..."in"?...is pref night.

This is like the way we do it, sort of. A few minutes before the party is supposed to start, we all line up on both sides of the sidewalk that goes up to our front door. When the Rho Gammas bring the girls up, we pair off and walk up the middle of the two lines. The lines move down towards street as girls walk up the middle, if that makes sense. Then when we walk out we sort of do the same thing in reverse. We aren't allowed to walk the girls past the end of the sidewalk.

Some days we sing, but not every day. There is a lot of emphasis at my school on not wearing matching clothing or singing or chanting *too* much because we have a lot of pnms who don't expect or want the traditional, big, frilly recruitment. On the days we don't sing, we are suposed to talk to each other in the lines, so it's not like we're just staring down the pnms, but we aren't supposed to talk too loud or about anything inappropriate...it's really awkward. On pref night, we're all wearing mainly sleeveless black dresses, and it's freezing (we have deferred recruitment)! We have to be out there really early because you can see the house from waaay down the street. We sing:

There's a kite called a Theta kite,
Made of gold and light and shadow,
Spun by the stars in my room last night.
It's a kite made to catch a dream,
Hold it tight until I wake,
As if to tell me that dreaming's alright.

...over and over and over and over and over, both when the come,and when they leave until we can't see them anymore (which takes about ten minutes). While holding candles that drip hot wax on our hands. Good times, good times.

Door songs were the best part of rush at the U of Az.
It was a little overwhelming, but it was also exciting...
especially when you're on the singing side!

Come
Come
Come be a Sigma
Sigma Kappa
Come be a Sigma Kappa Girl
We are Sigma
Sigma Kappa
We wear Sigma Kappa Pearls...
;)