bump for 2006

Good idea, this was exactly the topic I was searching for . . . :)

Find time to eat! Hide snacks under couch cushions if you have to!

This goes along with no snap judgements. Just remember the rushees are nervous and things can be interpreted a lot of different ways.

We had one rusher mention that she didn't talk to her coworkers at her old job because "they weren't here kind of people."

we had half of the sisters worried that she was snobby or unwilling to work with a diverse population and the other half taking the side that we really didn't know what kind of people she worked with. They could have been drug dealers or something else that it is good not to get caught up in. So if a specific statement seems off to you ask the pnm to explain further so you dont end up possibly infering the wrong thing.

Also one thing that is very important is to watch your membership vp or who ever is in charge for the signal of when it is time to escort the girls out. You don't want to get a rush infraction for having the girls too long at one party.

I'm so worried about rush!

My house will probably be 'double-recruiting' the first day. Any tips for that (thats one member and 2 PNMs).

I always talk really fast and flub my words when i'm nervous. :( Must run in the family, because my big told me she was so nervous she broke out in a rash!

I had to double-rush during my first year as a rusher and I found it helpful to find something the two PNMs had in common so that it was a 3-person conversation. The reason I did this was that I was triple-rushed by a house when I went through rush as a PNM and I felt like the rusher was only talking to one of the girls (the other girl and I just stood there). Make sure you spread your time equally and involve both girls!

-During the First and Second rounds, refer to your sorority as Alpha Beta Gamma, not ABG. It may sound awkward at first, but as a Rho Chi, I saw more than one PNM refer to the house they were just at by the wrong name because of this.

-Please do NOT allow yourself to become dehydrated! People who become too dehydrated will do and say really dumb things prior to fainting!

-At the end of the evening, THANK ALL OF THE ALUMNAE who came out to help! And I don't mean the chapter giving a cheer, I mean YOU, Sister, saying, "Thank you, Alumna! This party wouldn't have run so smoothly without you!" Some chapters act as if an alumna's presence is a given, but she may have just shelled out for a babysitter, parking, gas, and party food - to say nothing of her time, just so she could help you all out. It will get around the Alumnae Association very fast if they don't feel appreciated.

The chapter should aim to pair newest and weakest rushers with only one girl. Seasoned rushers and newer sisters who have shown they are stronger with conversation can better handle being paired with more than one PNM.

The biggest thing with having 2 PNMs-- don't freak out-- they're just people! You're making two new friends today. You wouldn't blank out if you met these girls in a class, would you?

They're going to look to you for guidance. You're the expert when it comes to your sorority. Show them around and use points in the chapter room or house as talking points. Ask them about themselves. If you have two freshman, talk about being away from home for the first time and how glad you were to have your sorority there to ease the transition.

Warn them: When I'm excited, I talk fast! So please tell me to slow down if you can't understand me! I expect I'll be talking fast because I'm really excited to meet both of you today!

It'll be ok. Try to practice-- grab two of your sisters. Role play where they are two PNM's (give them a backstory-- like one is a sophomore math major and the other is an obnoxious motor mouth who won't let the other get a word in!)

If you get 2 girls, make an effort to get both to talk.

If a PNM asks you why you picked your chapter, Do NOT say "oh because we're so diverse, everyone is so different" Trust me that's what every sorority will try to get at. If you found the PNM was involved in a sport team or something like that try to make the connection with that.

I would always talk about how I played tennis and that i missed the team cohesiveness and the common bond bring different people together. I talk about how the sorority each strikes a different cord in everyone and that it becomes the common bond to build new friendships.


I also use the fact that I rushed as a sophmore too. If a new member is worried about keeping other non greek friends I talk about how the reason I joined was because of that fact that all my friends that went KD stayed teh same and that showed me that the sorority added to them but never took anything away and I wanted to be a part of that.

Or had to beg and bribe for someone to switch with them at work so they can make pref...

Bowing to Honeychile....

Thank you! This is definitely an important one!

I had 2 PNMs at a few parties last year, and it was my first time, too! Don't worry. Just communicate to the girl you pick up first that you have to wait for another one, and go with whoever's next in line (if you have PNMs coming in a line). Be polite to both PNMs and spend equal time with both ones. Remember names! Don't be embarrassed to nametag check during a conversation (that's what they're there for) and try to find a commonality between the two girls. Sometimes you luck out and get a pair of BFFs, which is great, because it makes the conversation go smoother. Even if you are double-rushing, make sure that they get to meet other sisters, too. Keep track of both girls at all times and make sure you try to introduce them to similar girls in your section of the room. Even if they're exactly like [person] across the room, try to find someone in your corner who has a shared interest with at least one of your girls. That being said, take the time during Spirit Week/before rush to get to know the girls who are going to be standing near you during rush! Make sure you know chapter officers (intramurals, chaplain, etc.), chapter facts (size, philanthropies, colors, etc.), and basically prepare yourself for anything either girl will ask. Remember to stick with open-ended questions (what are you looking for in a sorority?, what are your interests outside of rush?, etc.) that will help you find a common trait between the two girls to go off on in the conversation.

Amen on the gargle/mint recommendations! If you don't have chapter moms or members who do this already, have someone go around between parties with a basket of mints and a trash can for wrappers, it's a wonderful thing to have.

Another rush-side recommendation: try not to focus on the negative, but if the PNM's comes in kind of down or nervous, it's not completely bad to commiserate a bit. One of my PNMs last year had a bad case of sore feet, so I told her that, yup, mine hurt, too. We chatted for a little while on feet/nervous woes and got that out of the way, so the rest of the convo was smooth sailing.

Know what makes your sorority different. Our chapter really does have the diversity thing working in our favor, and I use that bit to emphasize that I was looking to break outside of my mostly-honors college group of friends when I rushed, and I found people in my chapter who had all different majors, interests, and talents, and fell in love with it. Don't use the diversity angle as your only difference, though--know your favorite events, explain what different things mean to you (i.e. if you have a personal connection to the chapter philanthropy, etc.), and the other things that make your chapter stand out (most philanthropies, intramural/event titles, chapter awards, high GPAs, etc., etc.). Don't be afraid to get personal with your PNM. Not only are they there to get to know your chapter, but they're there to get to know you.

If your PNM is unsure about being there in the first place, it's always good to know the different resources that your chapter has to offer (study groups, connections with girls in your programs/majors/minors, scholarships, internships, etc., etc.) and how you've used them to your benefit. Again with the personal angle--nothing's going to come home unless they know that said resources are used by other sisters and easily accessible to themselves upon getting a bid.

Whatever gets thrown at you by the PNM, try to connect it to your chapter. When we were discussing how to handle "worst case scenario PNMs" last year, one of the older girls came in acting as a stereotypical nerd, talking about some kind of personal relationship with her computer to try and throw me off somehow. Well, it didn't work--I answered her with "Really? I'm the chapter's webmaster...[blahblahblahblah, you get the point.]" Know your chapter's various activities and who's interested in what! Chances are, there'll be some kind of chapter meeting over the dos and don'ts of rush conversations beforehand like that which will get you loosened up and less nervous about "selling" your chapter to PNMs. The "I have a sister who..." line is also another great segway from a PNM's interest to a connection with your chapter.

Another amen to whoever mentioned going to the kitchen. If you're feeling really lousy, talk to whoever's in charge of rush and if possible, sit out for a party in the bathroom or the kitchen so you can come back out polished, not dizzy (I had a huge problem with that last year due to new medications/illnesses...FYI, recruitment is not the opportune time for new meds!), not sniffling as much, etc. Sometimes it's not possible due to sisters double-rushing or other circumstances like that, and if that's the case, make the most of breaks between parties. If you're truly having health issues, though, do tell someone. I had a sister who had such a bad cold that she had to go home during rush, and the rest of chapter was understanding about it.

Alumnae are great! I don't know how ours put up with my antics, but if you're especially cantankerous (it's early for everyone involved, and sometimes...poo-poo occurs), do apologize for whatever happens that you did, and thank them! You're glad to get the help, and word gets around to other alums that your chapter is great to work with, and you may attract more help in the future.

bumping for 09.