A little OT, but to follow up on the Pref as Ritual statements... I hear this a lot, and always wonder, if pref ceremonies are ritual, they certainly can't be secret ritual, since at least half or more of the women attending will not end up being members. I don't ever recall back in the day, refering to pref as ritual, especially since our chapter's pref party activities changed radically at least once while I was an active, and pref ceremonies were not all the same across the boards in our chapters. But, that was when dinosaurs walked the earth.

//ok, back to regular programming......

I just know that on here SOME (not all) sororities have said they do things in pref that are ritual. Obvi it's not the same as a sisters only thing, but I do think there's a difference between a potential member and a 25 year old male photographer.

(FWIW, I also can't quite understand the practice of letting professional photographers into private mixers and formals.)

A formal is one thing that I can maybe see. I just don't think any of us saw the point of paying for it when we were all taking a zillion pictures anyway. Having a professional photog would have seemed a little too high school prom-like.

A mixer is quite another. By definition, it is a private party between a fraternity and a sorority...no one else to be admitted. Period.

I think this all goes along with my thinking it's stupid to have a t shirt for every single mixer, philanthropy, date party and other event. It's a generational thing.

I just loved never having to carry a camera to events. Plus, as a new member, I got so excited when I got the prints in the mail with my letters on the bottom! It's also nice to have dated photos now that the events are from 6 or more years back.

My mom also had professional prints from events at her (small, northern) school. She still has a framed photo of her and my dad at an AGD formal with her letters, the event, and the date on the bottom, and I think it's cool that it's now on a shelf with a similar print of my husband and me at a DG one.

Like KSUViolet06, I loved getting shirts for everything. I still wear some of my favorites, but most of them stay in a box nowadays.

We had the local photographer (Zap photos in Tuscaloosa) at everything, including rush - I have several pix from 1972 and 1973. I don't remember them interrupting our pref ceremony for photos, but I have a picture of me with a couple of rushees at second and third rounds. I've seen similar pix posted on Facebook by alumnae of our Auburn chapter.

Move in for actives living in the village was today. We had an early move in time, but some of those poor girls (and their families) were stuck moving things well into the afternoon. Temperatures near triple digits. Looks like everyone is gearing up for a great recruitment!

As I said in Post #25, stay dry and keep cool.

Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!

Are dorms/sorority houses in the south usually air-conditioned? In my day in New England, dorms weren't air-conditioned, which sucked because the end of August, most of September, and end of April into May were sweltering. These days, the warm weather seems to arrive earlier and stay later.

I can't imagine being in 98 degree weather and having to put your best face forward (for days!!!) when you're dripping, not to mention uncomfortable in dressier/more fitted attire that doesn't breathe as well.

They usually are nowadays but the PNMs sometimes have to stand outside for long periods of time. It's brutal.

For a minute I thought you put this in your signature, which actually isn't a bad idea. :D

Why don't you just strap a web cam onto your dd's forehead?

I was up at Auburn last year during recruitment, and I cannot understand why they didn't rent large tents for the PNMs to stand under for at least SOME relief from the sun. Hopefully they have addressed the issue thsi year.