Kateshort, you're right on. We know - but just the stereotypes - until we get up-close, first-hand experience. And depending on where you go, that experience may come too late.

Before college, of course I had heard of fraternities and sororities. And I "knew" they were for rich, popular types of girls, snobs and sluts and dumb blondes. That wasn't exactly an incentive for me.

When I started visiting schools as a senior, and my best friend started getting excited about rush, I changed my mind to some extent. OK, sorority girls were nice people and not snobby, but they still weren't "like me." I wasn't homecoming queen or rich, or even a cheerleader like my best friend - I wouldn't fit in.

No, none of the schools I applied to sent me rush info - although Greek orgs were visible in the glossy pamphlets. At the school I ended up at, I got no info on rush, period. Then that fall I started meeting Greek women, like my wonderful RA, and my friends who were planning to rush, and that got me interested. Luckily for me, formal rush was second semester, and anyway upperclassmen did get bids. But "luck" is the key - what if rush had been before classes? How would I have known I wanted Greek life, since, to my knowledge, I didn't know well a single GLO member?

For GLOs to maintain numbers and continue to exist, we must rush more than just those women steeped in Greek life from an early age. And if we don't want to be vilified or mocked in the forum of public opinion, we need to inform the general public that GLOs are not all Animal House and Sorority Life. You might not care if first-generation Sally from that small town goes Greek - but what about when she grows up to be university president? You had better hope she thinks well of the Greek system when the next Greek scandal goes down on campus, or she'll start closing your system down.

I totally agree with kate & fuzziealum and of course, I am going to take another opportunity to proselytize for deferred rush. :) I don't mean this silliness where the freshmen are segregated from Greeks for a semester, but the women get a chance to know the sororities as real people, and get their bearings as well.

If I would have gone to a "pledge first semester or nothing" school, I never would have. I had just spent the last few years putting up with the "A Group" (those of you who have seen Romy & Michelle's HS Reunion will understand :D) and the last thing I felt confident enough to do was go through rush. Luckily, I got to spend my first year hanging out with sorority members and getting to know them on my floor. It made me realize this was something I wanted to be a part of and COULD be a part of because all that high school bullshit was over and done with.

I think there are a lot of women out there like me, who want time to figure out who they are and realize they are no longer just someone's sister or daughter or whatever they did in 7th grade. When you don't give them time to do that, you are shutting out a lot of people.

Out of curiousity... for those of you who didn't have Greek friends or family before college... how did you hear about sororities and fraternities?

I keep hearing people say "of course I knew what fraternities and sororities were..." how?

I'm just curious, because as I stated before, I had never heard of it before college (and my school didn't send out anything about ANY student orgs, much less greeks)

AMEN TO THAT!

One of the things I like about the BU Rush/Recruitment system is that freshmen rush 2nd semester (formal only) w/ COB/Informal reserved for sophomores/juniors during the 1st semester. So not only do freshmen get to settle in, "find themselves" (to paraphrase 33girl) and get to know the school, they can actually learn about what GLO they might fit into best, and maybe hear some rush stories first-hand from the COBers. (No, it isn't the same, but it isn't walking in blind, either.)
Part of the reason this works may be because there is no dedicated Greek housing, so those logistics do not factor into the equation of when new members need to be decided upon.

You're going to hate this but.........
My first/primary impressions were made by popular media. You know, those God-awful made-for-TV movies in the 70s, not to mention sitcoms w/ a teenage-girl demographic. Which is probably why I waited til sophomore year to rush. After I got to school, I had the opportunity to meet people in GLOs and get a more accurate impression.

Adrienne (PNAM-2003)
:)

I grew up in Ohio so I didn't hear anything about greek life until my 2nd summer at Camp Greystone in Tuxedo, Nc. The majority of girls who attend this camp are from the south and generally have greek life in their heads by the time high school rolls around. Also, the majority of female counselors at this camp were in sororities. My counselor that year was a Kappa Kappa Gamma and she had Kappa Kappa Gamma EVERYTHING around her bed! Frames, pillowcases. pictures etc etc.

I didn't think much of it until my mother told me that she was against sororities and that she didn't want me in one. Being a "good girl", I was set on my guns no to join GLO. However, all my friends began rushing and I felt I was missing something. My best friend Cate is a Kappa Alpha Theta at SMU and we talked daily during her rush week, I have never talked to someone so excited about rush! Her mother even purchased the book, "Ready to Rush" for her prior. Also, she had extra pressure because of potentially being chosen to debut in Nashville(hometown). She was a legacy to Pi Beta Phi but knew that if she didn't go THETA or TRI-DELT, she wouldn't be invited to debut. Basically because the committee that choses the girls is made up of THETA and TRI-DELT alums. Anyhow, she was in love with THETA from the start and she got her wish. SMU has a pretty compitative greek system and I believe THETA, KKG and Pi Phi are the top houses.

Anyhow Spring of 2000, I was invited to informal parties for Alpha Phi, Sigma Kappa and Phi Mu. Alpha Phi never called back, Sigma Kappa called on Bid Day and told me they couldn't offer me a bid because of my GPA and long story short, I was a Phi Mu by the next week! My college experience with Phi Mu wasn't long due to transfering to UNCC but I am enjoying alumnae status!

But really, if it hadn't been for camp or my best friend, I probably wouldn't have joined a sorority.

Manda-
So Sorry to hear you missed it by 'that' much! Did you miss both forums? The Panhellenic office at SMU might be able to give you the PO box of the Dallas Panhellenic and you could send them a note asking for a sign up sheet and info on contacts.
Red Oak is south of Dallas, right? Or is it Fort Worth?
Where are you planning to go to school? Many of the larger schools in TX have Panhellenic offices and they can give you local contacts as well.

Hi! Yes, Red Oak is south of Dallas. I am going to school at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. I called the school and they said the regisration forms arent even available until summer and they didnt really have the information I needed. I havent been able to get a hold of the SMU office I keep getting a voicemail, but I did do something. There was a website for the Dallas Panhellenic Council, and I registered through them. They are suppose to set you up with someone in your area who can help you more,so basically I am just counting on that. Thanks again for all your help!

Good for you Manda!! Your persistence and determination paid off. I wish you the very best in Rush - please don't forget to come on here during recruitment at TAMCC and share your experiences!

A&M Corpus Christi
 

Manda:

I'm a Greek advisor at Southern Illinois, but I happen to be friends with the advisor at Corpus Christi. Her name is JoAnna Franke. You can reach her office at 361-825-2706 or at franke@falcon.tamucc.edu . Tell her that John Davenport at Southern Illinois Edwardsville referred you to her. She will be totally freaked out! From what I know from JoAnna, the Greek community at Corpus Christi is fairly new and a lot smaller than at other Texas schools, so probably not as dependent on recommendations, but it never hurts to have them. I hope this helps. If you have any questions, you can email me at jdavenp@siue.edu. :D

A&M Corpus Christi
 

I used to live near A&M Corpus Christi and I have a friend there who is involved with the Greek system! I believe the sororities they have are Delta Delta Delta, Alpha Gamma Delta and Gamma Phi Beta.

Best of luck with your recruitment!

I just didn't know
 

Well, I can honestly say that "I just didn't know" because I didn't. I'm sure it is common to see and hear about sororities in the US, but I went to high school overseas. I don't recall there being any sororities on the military base.

I came back to the states and automatically started college and rush or recruitment was the very next day. I didn't know anything about recommendations, clothing or anything about sororities, but I guess it was because " I didn't want it enough?" I think it would've been great when I was in high school to be informed, but than again the sorority members would've all needed military IDs to get onto the base. =)


Greekchat would also have been helpful, just as long as I could have pluged my computer into a European outlet without it blowing up =D

I definitely agree with informing people...someone mentioned the fact that someone might end up at a really competitive school and then decide to rush as a sophomore w/o recs and everything. That's definitely what happened to me. I wouldn't have made it through rush if friends I'd made who were already in houses hadn't pulled for me. I grew up w/o knowing anyone Greek, and I was a little intrigued by it, but for many reasons thought I wouldn't be able to do it. For one thing, I not only didn't know people in GLO's, but friends I had stigmatized it, and then after I got to college, some of my new friends also bombarded me with negative views about rushing(and then half of them took COB's, I think they were in denial like me about wanting to be in one). I didn't know anything about "Southern rush" and jokingly thought if I were going to be in a sorority I'd pick the one with the letters I liked the best...I had no clue about the local/national reputations of groups. Even though Greek life isn't a huge thing in the Midwest, where I'm from, if the local PanHel(I wonder if there is an active one!), had an information session at my high school, it really would have helped out a lot. I remember girls here mentioning how their mothers and grandmothers got them recs for every house, and there was no way I could have done that. I think the idea at the high school in Alabama where the teachers indicated if they could write recs was excellent. They're already writing your school application recs, why not just have them write your rush recs too? Some of you all have mentioned that people don't often know how the Greek system works outside of the South...but also if one isn't raised in the South and then jumps into "Southern rush", it isn't exactly easy.

I think it would be helpful to have panels of college students go talk to high schoolers so they are better aware. Besides Greeks, other people that could participate are scholars, athletes, student government officers, campus job reps, etc.

When we do our sessions....
 

...for telling local high school senior girls about rush, we always have at least 2 or 3 current sorority collegians give some remarks-- of course these girls are not identified with any GLO in particular -- like Rho Chis -- but the attendees do like to see and can more readily identify with younger faces...
;)

I'm very much in favor of handling this type of information session as panhellenically as possible. I just doubt that a lot of high schools outside of the traditional South would allow any Go Greek forums - especially with the MTV nonsense being shown. I ran into a high school teacher of mine after I pledged, and she saw my lavalier & hugged me, crying, "We're sisters!" The school board wouldn't allow the teachers to wear any greek symbols.

But what if Alumnae Panhellenics held Informational Sessions throughout the summer? Maybe a tea or two - something simple like that. Have information on EVERY sorority and fraternity - the standard informational leaflets with the pins, the letters, what they mean, etc., along with which colleges have which sororities (for the women in attendance)? I would certainly be happy to help out with something like that, as long as it was kept strictly panhellenic! And, the closest Panhellenic Councils could be there, too.

I think I've said before that I grew up in a neighborhood where literally everyone who went to college was in a GLO, so I saw copies of GLO magazines as often as Better Homes & Gardens! If being in a GLO looks natural to the women about to go off to college, I think they'd be more likely to give it a chance. Just my 2¢

honeychile

The Lubbock APH puts on a "Greek Peek" in the Spring where they advertise to all high school seniors in Lubbock & the surrounding areas...it's a chance for all of the interested Senior women to come and find out about recruitment, references & the different organizations. The individualy groups don't set up "booths" from what I hear, but come to answer questions & provide information about the national organization, chapters in the state, etc. They also put on a fashion show of things to wear during recruitment, and pass out information packets w/local contact names from each group (I think there are 15 NPC sororities represented).
From what I hear, it is very helpful & a good way to get the word out to high school women... When I was in high school, I wasn't aware of anything like that going on, but I do remember every fall the counselors would put a poster up outside their offices listing the names of all recent grads who had gone Greek, and where they went. I remember seeing the name of someone I thought was "totally normal" on the list, and that was the first time I ever thought about joining a sorority myself.

Great ideas dzandiloo!!
Our APH doesn't have time to implement those this year but I think we will copy y'all next year -- the fashion show is an especially great idea!!
Do you have info available from all 26 NPC sororities -- even if there is not a rep present? Our APH only has reps from 19 -- so far ;)
Thanks dzandiloo!

Cele, as long as we get collegians to wear the fashions, lol!;) :D

As far as I know, the information packet includes basic info about all 26 NPC groups, specifically National HQ addresses, but only the 14 groups who have alum members locally & have made their presence known to the APH participate in the event. (There are only 11 groups at Texas Tech-each with a rep, and then 3 groups who do not have local collegiate chapters have alumnae in the area who participate in different degrees with the APH). I guess its fair to say that the seniors get more exposure to the groups who actually have someone at Greek Peek, which is a shame, but it's better than nothing! This will be DZs first year to be represented @ GP, and we have alot of Lubbock seniors who go to West Texas, A&M and Southwest TX, so I expect I will be writing alot of references this summer.

dzandiloo...
 

...are you at the Texas A&M at College Station? If so Gamma Phi is colonizing there in the Fall -- I am sure there is an alum from Gamma Phi who'd love to be represented at the Greek Peek -- unless there already is?

Re: Sorority & Rush Information Sessions for High School Seniors
 

The biggest thing that can be done is that campus tour guides (those people you see walking backwards on campus) must, must, must let people know that Greeks exist. And they must be able to answer some basic questions. Finally, if Greek houses or living units are available for tours, then the HS seniors must be encouraged to check them out.

As one who give tours nearly every possible visit day, I know that even among some tour guides who are Greek there is a tendancy to let the group decide if they want to see Greek Life. I don't give my groups the option, and I always make it a point to tell them all that I know and believe, but some tour guides who aren't greek won't even discuss Greek life and those kids are left on their own.

As for the helpfulness of the sessions I think they do help. My house was the only fraternity shown on campus visit days (b/c it's clean) and I gave tours to probably 95% of the people who came by (yeah that many!). I know that after I gave my information out, I had convinced the guys to at least give a chance, and done the best I could to put parents at ease. For me this was easy b/c here at Nebraska there is a pretty definate stratification of acheivement between the Greek and non-Greek community. At other schools where there isn't that much difference it probably would be more difficult.

The biggest thing I can say is talk to the Office of Admissions as IFC and Panhel and let them know that you want Greek life as part of HS Senior days, so that the kids who are interested have the opportunity to see what is available.

Re: dzandiloo...
 

I heard about your new colony-congrats!
Actually, I'm in Lubbock...and even though there is no Gamma Phi chapter at Tech, I believe their alumnae are still involved in the APH & Greek Peek.

Re: Re: Sorority & Rush Information Sessions for High School Seniors
 

I agree. Knowing the basics about one's school's Greek system is part of being a good tour guide. When I became a tour guide, I made a point of learning about my school's GLOs (and other student orgs, of course). The tour guide should at least know which chapters are on campus, how big they are, when rush is (maybe not exact dates, but they should be able to say if rush is in fall or spring), and point prospective students in the direction of the Greek Life office if they need more info.

Tours of Greek houses were not something that the "regular" tour guides such as myself handled. At my alma mater, prospective students who want to see a fraternity/sorority house have to talk to the Greek Life office to arrange a tour.