I believe you are pretty close to how it is done here. I should know but it changes every few years and I don't know exactly. But I think they do hand them out about 30 minutes before each round of parties starts. Gone are the days of sliding them under your dorm rom door! I believe any PNM who is released from the entire recruitment process will be told in person via their recruitment counselor. I will be honest, I attended skit parties and pref parties last year for AOII (helping out!) and I don't recall seeing any PNMs who had their makeup ruined or who looked upset. Most PNMs know they must "play the game" if they want to stay in the process and receive a bid. So you just hold your tears back, powder your nose and freshen your lip gloss and smile! And just to clarify there are very few PNMs who are released from the entire process altogether. (now when a PNM drops out on her own accord that's a whole other thread!)

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Recruitment would be so much easier if they would have it before classes started. If a girl is silly enough to leave school because she didn't get her first choice house, that's her decision!

I know if the girls miss class for recruitment, they will automatically be cut from recruitment. Any hope that the professors will allow the girls to at least leave early?

By now - Ole Miss has been doing it this way for so long, if they changed to before the semester starts, they would have be at the same time as one of the other big SEC schools. I don't think they would like that either.

I would not not even try to ask for that. :o

Why Ole Miss continually recruits professors that aren't Greek still baffles me. If I were teaching an afternoon class during Recruitment, and I am thinking about applying for an adjunct position, I would have make up classes for that week for anyone that missed the class. As it is I have to caution PNMs to go ahead and do any projects, papers, or test prep early as soon as it is assigned. The two weeks before Recruitment you need to be as far ahead in your classes as you can possibly get. You procrastinators out there? Better get the lead out and put the pedal to the metal early.

Women in recruitment are expected to miss a party rather than miss a class. Missing a class means dropping out of Recruitment. Panhellenic will send the PNMs regrets to the Chapters that have the early parties. Will the absent PNM get cut? It's a definite possibility. If I were a PNM and had enough classes to drop one or two first semester I would drop the afternoon classes even though I am more of a night owl than a morning lark. For that matter all the Chapters have Collegians missing parties for classes too, so that can be stressful if a Collegian is an officer or has a major role in that party round.

I know I'm still perseverating on this -- but I just can't understand why this doesn't change. Seems to me that the Greek system is a draw for Ole Miss -- yet the powers that be make the process unnecessarily difficult on their new freshmen and on the chapter actives.

Just drives me crazy. And I don't even have a daughter there.

It is the sheer willful insanity which is peculiar to Yoknaptawpha County.

"To understand the world," William Faulkner once said, [first] "you have to understand a place like Mississippi." – Willie Morris, NY Times Book Review, 1996

I know that Ole Miss held rush prior to fall semester as late as the mid 1980's, when I was there. I am not sure when it changed to mid-semester, but it has not been that long, at least not that long in "Mississippi time" where things move just a little bit slower :) Mary Poppins... do you know what year rush was moved back?

About 1997 to 2000, somewhere in there.

The last year recruitment (rush) was held before classes started was my freshman year, Fall 1996. My sophomore year fall 1997 they moved it. So it's been a while since the administration moved it.

Borrowed from another thread because this is such an awesome explanation of why everyday the Chapter that invite the PNM back are in effect the only ones on campus that need to be of concern to that particular PNM. And apologies to KSUViolet06 for making her magenta a purple for purposes of contrast.

When I was advising at Mississippi State, I was so shocked at how everyone in Mississippi seemed to know each other. I mean, ABC sisters from Tupelo would know all the PNMs from the coast and so on. Jackson girls would know the small-town girls from camp, cheering, Girls' State. Out of staters definitely started out behind the eight ball.

And even though the sororities knew they couldn't pledge, say, all the Jackson girls they wanted, it would have definitely been a faux pas not to give the ones they knew a couple of courtesy invites. Back then, the big cuts came at the end and I swear that's worse.

I am ahead on my credits for college so if in some of my sophomore classes as an oos girl I know I want to make connections/a good impression with current members before rush, but does that violate panhellenic's rules?

We heard that at Ole Miss you couldn't have new contact with sorority members after May 1st. We were told that you could still maintain existing friendship, but if you didn't already know them, there was a no contact rule. Can somebody more familiar with Ole Miss confirm or deny this?

Sounds like your concerns could be best answered with a call to the Greek Life office at (662) 915-7609.

I might be a little late on this part of the thread, but on the whole drinking/not drinking thing for the first few weeks of school until recruitment starts, I say don't. I know drinking is widely accepted across campus, and honestly probably wouldn't affect anything before rush, but all it takes is rubbing one person the wrong way to lose your dream house. The chances are unlikely that anything would happen, but I just wouldn't take that chance. And honestly, it's only 5 weekends that you would have to lay low. Before I went through rush, I would still go out and socialize, but I would drive for my friends in my dorm that were drinking. Being a DD for 5 weeks won't kill you socially, and it makes for an excellent excuse for if you are offered alcohol while out. (That being said, I've never heard of a sorority girl forcing alcohol upon an underaged teenager ESPECIALLY before rush. And if you have problems saying no to that if it does happen, there are some bigger problems here. But I digress.)

Good luck and have fun, but if you or your daughter are worried about your/her chances during recruitment, don't take any chances. It's better safe than sorry, especially with something that's so important.

Ole Miss Chapter Work Weeks are coming up soon, school starts August 26, Ice Water Parties on September 8th, and First Formal Round October is October 1, 2013. Still time to get Recommendations/Letters Of Reference/Etc. to the Chapters for PNMs.

Interacting with Members
 

Srattyrebel, and Hearttoheart, no, talking in classes with sophomores does not violate Panhellenic's rules. In fact, as an OOS student, classes are a great way to meet sorority women. It does NOT mean that you literally cannot interact with sorority women.

The "no contact" rule means no direct communication through Facebook, phone calls, texts, emails, etc. No "invitations" or pre-arranged meetings. If you run into sorority women randomly, you can talk with them, hang out with them in public areas like the classroom or the union, etc. But those meetings can't be planned in advance, and you cannot become Facebook friends or text. And you wouldn't be able to go somewhere semi-private or private--say, see them at the Union, then agree to meet them off-campus for dinner. When I was at Ole Miss, this was extended even to people who already had existing relationships. Just because you knew Amanda ABC since you were little kids, you were still not allowed to go hang out at her apartment. She was not supposed to have "direct contact" with you, invite you over, send you texts, etc. She could only have spontaneous contact in public places (obviously this rule was loosened for relatives).

Basically, you can only meet randomly and in public, unless it is an organized Greek event like the pre-recruitment CARE Walk or Water Parties.

ACCEPTABLE: Running into an ABC that you kind of know while waiting in line for Starbucks. Sitting down and chatting with her for a few minutes at the student union, then going separate ways. She introduces you to her friend, who is also an ABC. OK because: unplanned, spontaneous meeting in a public place.
Not OK: XYZ member texts you, "lots of XYZ's love to get Starbucks at the Union around 2 pm on Wednesdays! Hope to see you there!" When you arrive, a swarm of XYZs pull you over to talk. Not okay because: direct contact with member, meeting is prearranged.
ACCEPTABLE: You are assigned to work with a DEF member in your bio lab. Your teacher made the assignment and you can't change it. You have to call and text her to discuss your lab project. OK Because: 100% school-related, teacher assigned.
Not OK: QQQ member in your Lit class asks if you want to join her "study group" that meets at her apartment on Wednesday night. When you get there, only QQQ members are there. They hang out and talk with you, not working on school-related stuff. Not okay because: pre-arranged meeting not related to school.

The onus is on the sorority members to follow these rules, not the PNM. They'll be the ones who "get in trouble," unless you're somehow proven to be the criminal mastermind of wheeling-and-dealing with sorority girls. This was the way the rules were interpreted when I was there (mid-2000s).

Is it true?
 

Is it true that some of the sorority chapters at Ole Miss already have their tentative bid lists made up? I recently read this somewhere, and I am very curious if anyone has any insight on the chapters already having a good idea of who they plan to invite back on second round, third round, and bid day events.

This type of membership selection is not your business, but suffice it to say that it doesn't really matter; you should behave exactly the same at every chapter whether or not this is true.

Absolutely not true. DeltaBetaBaby is correct. and quit reading whatever you are reading that made this stupid claim.

http://postimg.org/image/qqtwjg409/


Just thought I would share a screenshot from the page. Apparently Ole Miss actives are supporting it. Could all be fake, but I wouldn't know!


(See below post, image didn't upload.)

http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/2528/vxtc.png

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

1. You do not know who those people are. For all you know, a bitter 50 year old who was dropped by her legacy chapter in 1980 could have posted that.
2. Do they know some girls that would be great additions to their chapter? Sure they do. When I was in school, I had girls from my high school that I knew would be fabulous. Some of them pledged us. Some went elsewhere. Some dropped out when they didn't like their invites.
3. Are there girls they know they don't want. Sure. No one is just clamoring to give a bid to a girl who is almost guaranteed to be a risk management issue.

Now, having opinions is a long way from having a bid list made. Very few people actually see the bid list. So while a group may say, "Wow. We need to get Suzie Super," if she's that awesome, everyone else is going to want her too. If a girl is so poorly behaved in public, even your so-called "bottom tier" chapters, as that site calls them, are not going to afford that girl the honor of their letters.

Bottom line: That site is vile and any information gathered from it should be taken with a grain of salt.

My only correction to the perfection that Missouri Ivy has posted is this.... make it a BUCKET of salt.

From the Ole Miss Thread (Last Year)

Oh I could not agree more. I try to stay away from that site, but sometimes I cave and look at it anyways. I much prefer this site with ladies from all over the country with wonderful insights and advice! :) That being said, I just thought I'd ask to see what you all may have to say. Thanks for the input!!

That site (we don't even like to mention it's name here) is horrible. Every year, I have to do some kind of damage clean-up because of something a PNM or mom read over there. One year, a girl I did a rec for almost turned down a bid from a chapter because of what she read there, and her mom was supporting her in doing so...they were so freaked out. Thankfully, she pledged and is so glad so did, but I'll bet some others have turned down bids to great chapters based on the hate and lies generated there. I also know someone whose daughter's name was posted and trashed. Someone here posted a few weeks ago that it's happening again to other PNMs and is quite bad.

I stumbled across that site and I wish I never did. It's very interesting how it and GC are such polar opposites. Maybe it's because GreekChat is largely from the alumni perspective?

I agree about wishing you never stumbled across it! The people on that site are ruthless, and apparently, more likely than not, very misinformed.

I also think you are right about how GreekChat is. It's so much better and more professional.

The gossip site has some very bitter and even aggressively ignorant or mean people posting things that are often untrue. Some of them are driven by allegiances that are worse than the Saints-Falcons rivalry. Everyone posting on that God-less place has an agenda and it is most often not driven by a Panhellenic attitude or goal. In fact, I believe it is more often driven by the things that non-Greeks would say are the proof which means there should not be a Greek Letter Organizations anymore.

On the other hand, GreekChat members care very deeply about the Fraternity/Sorority System, and want to keep the focus on the honorable goals and purposes, so as to make the System worthy of preservation. In spite of our allegiances we have an extremely vested interest in accurate information being available and in the health of the System. If we, the Greek Community, become something to be despised, then how long before the GLOs will disappear? We are only as good as the last good thing we did and the last bad thing we avoided out of care and wisdom. True for people, and true for the organizations to which we belong. And as trite as the saying has become, "We are always wearing our letters" (even when posting anonymously.)

Be the change you want to see.

no no no no no. You are assuming facts not in evidence. The GC members who are currently actives in college generally take a low profile approach (with the exception of a fraternity member who loves to comment on sorority threads, and what is with that anyway? :p). There are a lot of active commenters who are currently in college/university.

That site panders to the worst in people. If it was printed on paper, it'd be used for housebreaking puppies. Or wrapping fish.

What really bugs me are the folks that either tehash gossip from 5 years ago or are just playing making $*** up. Did you notice they now have a feature where you have to pay to report something and have them take it down? Unbelievable

IF everyone from a large CPC wrote one "Good luck with Rush" to one friend In Another NPC group - the rankings, and reading through them to find dirt -would be meaningless in about an hour

Are backless cocktail dresses appropriate for pref parties at Ole Miss? How modest do the dresses need to be? The dress in question is evening wedding appropriate.

That should be fine...just make sure it fits properly and you wear proper garments underneath (like spanx). I wouldn't wear something where your "goods" are going to hang out either. Sorority recruitment dresses should be classy..no need to be sexy if you catch my drift!

^^^ We know, or should know, that it's what our founders would expect of us (no matter our age or membership level).

Thank you for your reply! One can never be too careful in this SEC Recruitment process!

It IT grandmother approved, I promise! ;) This 18 year old has no jiggles or dimples on her body, spanx not needed. Dress is more classy than sexy (not skin tight), the backless was my only question, and before you ask, yes, a bra can be conceled properly below a strap that runs across the back.

Sounds like a great dress! Good luck with recruitment. :)

Honey, you best enjoy that 18 year old body with no jiggles or dimples, because I am telling you that it goes straight to cellulite when you hit 19.

LOL! Skinny 18 year old is actually my daughter. I'm just one of those annoying, over anxious moms wanting to help her daughter! (or live vicariously through her as I've been told, whatever) :o

Still, cellulite at 19? Come on, maybe at 29! :)