Share the wealth of sisterhood ...
 

This might be a silly suggestion but when you are showered with this extra (and sometimes unwanted) attention, why don't you try inviting two of your pledge sisters along? Make it a group thing always inviting different pledge sisters each time. This could help you to bond with more pledge and active sisters and could turn you into the catalyst (matchmaker?) for forming bonds between your sisters. There is no reasen why this extra attention displayed toward you couldn't be redirected toward others with your help. :)

What I wouldn't do is make a big deal about it. If you sit down and have a heart to heart with your pledge class, you run the risk of them coming away thinking that you just wanted to continue to draw attention to yourself... and that's not what you are trying to do at all. Some of them may not have even noticed the special attention and you will make them aware of it by trying to address things. Yes, talking to your New Member Educator is a good idea if it becomes a problem--but likely she will see it is a problem before you even have to say anything if it is serious enough and she will address it.

I agree with the other posters--just keep being sweet and warm and people will forget. They will see who you are and not your name then. And this experience you're starting is for a lifetime, so try not to focus so much on the next few weeks and build relationships with sisters from all levels of membership.

RIF

^^^ Yeah but she's the only one who has the option of turning this conversation around! Rising Sun is on the right track but perhaps needs to focus more on deflecting the conversation.

To the OP,

Once you decide how to handle this - get a new GC name to post in your sorority forum. The history of posts can bite you on the butt and then your pledge sisters will have more ammo for controversy.

There have been threads on celebrities going through recruitment (NFL players daughter joined ADPi last year etc). I always thought the girls in the pledge classes would probably get sick of the attention she got eventually and it would all die down. I am assuming you just went through recruitment and it is only 8/28 so you are barely denting the first week or so of the semester so the newness of it all will wear off for everyone. It should all subside but we so appreciate your maturity and welcome you to GC.

Definitely go to your "Pledge Mom", "New Member Educator" or whatever your chapter may call it. I don't think it's necessary to let your PC in on anything, but your Pledge Mom can let the actives know that you're feeling a little uncomfortable with all of the attention.

The actives are pretty attentive to their new pledge classes, and I'm sure most of them will listen if they hear that you're uncomfortable with the attention. There are also plenty of ways the actives can just communicate this info to other actives, so your pledge sisters will never have to know that you "made a big deal" out of it.

Good luck!

I'm curious to knw the advice your mom gave you.

You said it was the opposite of what you wanted to hear... do you aleady have in mind how you want to handle it and you just want that reasoning validated?

I come at this from a different side: I grew up in an area known for celebrities. My husband's father is in the business and it wouldn't be unusual for my husband (when he was a boy) to come home to find very famous sitting in the den.

You can't help it when people stare at you/ask you questions/treat you in a special way because of your famous family. (When one of my daughters was in middle school the daughter of a former AFL ...I think...quarterback came to school. Sure, she was treated like a superstar the first week, after that...not so much). There are pluses. When your sorority has a fundraiser perhaps memorbilia could be donated for a silent auction. If the connection is a ...department store...ANONYMOUS DONATIONS...for house or row fundraisers can be very welcomed.

As a friend of mine, who comes from a very well known family was always told, "To whom much is given...much is expected." Not an original to the family...but to be remembered.

You will find out soon who you click with, but until then, clear the air. People will whisper...don't let them. Be yourself and that will be it.

...very famous person or people...sorry...writing in the morning causes word ommisions. :)

I'm not sure how big your chapter is, but if it's 100+, it might be partly because these sisters didn't get to meet you during recruitment and are just having the "wow" effect happen now.

Plus, if you are at a school that's relatively in the middle of nowhere...it's going to be more of a big deal than if you were at NYU or USC because lots of those students are from teeny weeny towns where nothing ever happens.

I would give it a week or two and let people get used to the fact that you are RISINGSUN lastname, not risingsun OMGFAMOUSLASTNAME.

Fabulous:)

Hi. I didn't expect so many replies! What great advice. I had a perfect day today, running into and visiting with many of the girls in my pledge class between classes, in class. I think some of them think I'm wealthy, but will be surprised that I was raised in a very traditional way and may not even have things they have, but I feel really comfortable now to be able to handle things that come my way because everyone has been so incredibly nice to me. It was a great day, everything clicked. I just wanted to say Goodbye, because when I visit again someday I'll have to change my name and won't be able to talk about RisingSun. Thanks again :)

rebecca logan, is that you?
 

(Random sidenote) actually we nyu students come from all over, but many of us come from the tri-state area or second cities (chicago, miami, dallas/houston, LA). Or otherwise have travelled well in their youth.

Ok those aren't really 2nd cities, but there aren't as many "small town" froshies at nyu as you think.

(End random sidenote)

Hrm...I took 33's post to mean: If you're from a college in the middle-of-nowhere, your famous name may be a big deal since not a lot of exciting things happen in small towns - as opposed to big name places like NYU and USC where one would expect to see famous people.

I think you read that middle statement as one related clause when it was really two. :)

.....Kelly :)

Oh crap. Really? Damn. I genuinely thought coramoor was a female.
Major apologies to coramoor for this mistake that I just realized I was making.


*embarrassed* :o