What's the point of skits?
 

My alma marter stopped doing recruitment skits a few years before I was a student there, but I've read about them on GC, and honestly, I don't really get how they are supposed to help in the selection process. Okay, maybe you get to see how a few of the sisters work together or what they choose to focus their skit on, but it still seems like that time would be better spent actually having the PMN's and the actives *interact*, especially given how relatively short recruitment is.

Can someone please shed some light on how skits are helpful in practice, or the logic behind having them is part of recruitment?

Thanks!

It is another way to try and communicate to the PNMs what the chapter is like. You do talking throughout the rest of recruitment, and yet different qualities emerge when the skit is done. Inside jokes show the sisters are tight knit, yet too many will make PNMs feel ostracized. My chapter did amazingly after skit night even though we would sometimes struggle before that due to 'rep.' Our skit let PNMs know more about us (and we had some awesome dancers) than conversation was getting through to them.

This is all (or mostly) unconscious, I wasn't thinking about the 'why' during recruitment as a PNM or an active but it's there.

It's just for a change of pace and to show a different side of the girls. And all that talking is just sooooo stressful. Slide shows do a similar thing, but not as personally.

The campus where I advise is going to drop one night of recruitment this fall. This night is one that is being considered. I hope they pick it!

Boy, that would make recruitment easier. I can remember being up in the middle of the night rehearsing "Showboat" over and over while the decorations committee was almost in tears trying to fasten magnolias all over the walls.

I don't know what current skits are like but back in the day, most seemed to center on the story of a girl who goes on a long journey (to Oz, Wonderland, around the circus, etc.) and discovers in the end that ABC sorority is the one she should pick. Most featured songs from Broadway or the movies.

Skits definitely help to show the overall personality of the chapter.
If one sorority's chapter has a very polished skit with more elegant decorations, they are probably going to be more formal in other aspects of sorority life, like how they conduct chapter, the image they like to convey to others, etc.
If another chapter has a totally wild skit (like funny and crazy, not ridiculous), then they are probably more relaxed about stuff like that, they probably have a lot of funny girls in the house, etc.

It's kind of an element that shows the "real" sorority in that anyone can be made up, stuffed into a Lily Pulitzer dress, and talk to a PNM about their major and dorm, but a skit written by that chapter shows the parts of their personalities that don't come out as much due to the format and sometimes competitiveness of recruitment.

I agree that skits are stupid. With such a limited amount of time for women to get to know each other during FR, why waste it on that?

I was SO HAPPY when we quit doing skits. I had seen a couple of cute/good ones, but the majority are awful, hokey and not well thought out/prepared. They are a ton of work and it is just one added stress to recruitment IMHO. They are done as a way to show the women another side of the Chapter, what the Chapter is really like and a form of entertainment. Most PNM's like them because they provide a period of time in a party where they don't have to chat and they can sit and relax. I think media presentations are a much more effective way to communicate information about your Chapter and Greek System. They are easier too because they are done professionally or by a creative type person in the house. Titchou- Good luck. I hope they get rid of that day for you:)

I used to be all for eliminating them on my campus, but in recent years the sororities have really stepped it up. Some use skits their nationals provide, but my chapter has always used chapter-written scripts, and the one they began using my first year as an alumna is pretty awesome, I have to admit. (And the script makes it easy to update the skit a little year to year so it doesn't get outdated). I've never seen ADPi's skit but have heard rave reviews every year, and Phi Mu's is a little corny, but they might as well be a professional company because they are always perfect in timing and costumes. I remember being very impressed as a PNM. Yeah they're a lot of work, but the PNMs enjoy a break from the chatting, and they're corny, but that's the point. They're fun. When I was on Panhellenic the chapters in general didn't want to get rid of the skits and I understand why now.

I've always liked skit night. We have had many girls who go through state that skit night is where they finally started to feel like they could identify which chapters that they are comfortable in. I feel like all the talking that takes place during the first rounds makes it easier for a PNM to get confused and overwhelmed. During skit they can relax, think about how they feel in the room. Glance around the room to watch the sisters interacting and also, really get a feel for the sorority. I feel with everything else in recruitment having to be so universal that this is the first time that group personalities really start to form.

That being said, I think there is definitely a difference between large chapters and small chapters as well as with how competitve your recruitment is.

Thanks! AXO was second on my pref card and I would have been just as happy there as where I wound up. They are special in my heart and my silver lyre from pref is still on my charm bracelet....

Y'all remember when we used to get some serious gifts at prefs? I still have the key that the Kappas gave me too, along with the sterling silver arrow bowl from Pi Phi!

My pref gift was a pin pillow that was cross stitched from AXO! Must of been a ton of work. I don't remember what I got from XO, but I'm sure it is in a box somewhere in my attic. My favorite part of Preference in the 80's was the FOOD! I remember Chi Omega had the BEST spread!

You'd hope. But I don't think this is always the case (there are many chapters that certainly don't have the $$ to commission a professional media presentation) and then that chapter ends up showing the generic video from HQ - which, by dint of having to be so, is usually pretty generic.

As far as skits OR videos, if they give the PNMs a time to truly relax a little, are well done without being over the top AND actually say something about the individual qualities of the chapter - either can be great. If they don't do those things, they can bring the whole party to a screeching halt.

I agree. On our campus I kind of like doing ours. This year we did a rendition of "can I get your number?" where one of our sisters was the guy (she's really funny and pulled it off great) and another was a strong Tri Sigma girl who was respectful but wary. It was really funny, even after watching it over 10 times. Other chapters did similar themes, I know ZTA did a song skit based on "bed intruder". Apparently it was hilarious and I kind of wish we could have all seen each others'.

I hated skits so much when I went through recruitment. They were so awkward. Even when done well, they were cheesy. For someone who feels embarrassed for people who have to do the whole song and dance thing, it was terrible sitting through these parties watching girls who were clearly uncomfortable singing some of these songs. The worst was our Mardi Gras party with AOIIs running around in halloween/costume party gear singing Cabaret songs modified to fit an AOII theme. Terrible!

Mein Herr?

Two Ladies?

I would love to see what you do with those at sorority rush. hahahahaha

Although "Maybe This Time" would be great if you changed the lyrics.

ADPi gave single pearl necklaces at Pref - a HUGE hit, whether you went ADPi or not! And yes, the spreads were endless - ours was considered low key, with larger petit fours that looked like our pin. Thetas also went dessert buffet, with their feature an amazing cream cake with sparkling gold "glitter. But the DZs went all out, with everything from fondue to mini-sheesecakes.

But back on topic, when I went through Rush, I found the skits a bit demeaning. But! They also gave me a chance to think about the chapter without someone telling me why I needed to go XYZ and away from the many anti-greeks I knew. As a sister, I saw the skits as a chance to go on autopilot (clap, sing or whatever at the appropriate time) and figure out how to mend something stupid I said, or which women I still needed to meet.

I'm actually surprised to hear they used to give out gifts you could take with you at Pref--sounds awesome, although I can see where it could get "sticky." When did they stop doing that?

Thanks for all the responses--very interesting to read!

I'm the type of person who doesn't really like "structured fun" (when we were about 9 or so, my mom starting offering my brother and me $100 not to have birthday parties--she hated them, too, and figured she would spend about that much on a party, anyway--and we both happily took her up on it and had 2-3 person sleepovers instead). Anyway, that's probably part of the reason I dislike skits on instinct--they just seem kind of "hokey" and "awkward," to quote other posters. That, and they seem like they'd showcase a small subset of the sisters in a chapter--those who can act or sing--while kind of glazing over everyone else for the night. That said, if they work well for some people and schools, great. :)

The closest to skits my alma marter got was slide shows set to music on pref night. I only saw ours (I went through Spring COB), but I felt like they generally did pretty good job of capturing the chapter--fun times, friendship, philanthrophy events, and more solemn "deep" times. The potential downside was that sometimes only a few people would submit most of the pictures, and therefore many of the pictures would be of a handful of members.

I think they quit the favors in the 80's though I might be wrong. It was kind of fun and I still treasure that lyre though anchors are my first love!

Cheesy and stupid as they are, I'd hate to get rid of skits. I loved the "creative" part - seeing the acting, singing, and dancing talents of sisters. It was also a break from having to talk talk talk - I definitely looked forward to that!

I just missed the food and gifts during recruitment. Thank goodness - imagine having to feed anything to 1,500 girls! I advised a year at a chapter where a pref meal at an alum's house was the norm. Of course you have to plan a menu that's fairly light, because the girls eat twice that night...and of course they just pick at their food.

That year a generous alum let us use her home. She did heavy-duty corporate entertaining for her husband. Her huge kitchen was set up with duplicates on opposite walls - double dishwashers, ovens, sinks, etc. etc. You see a lot of that now, but we thought we were in heaven!

And here I thought maybe she was keeping Kosher.

Could be...we were just told that she did a lot of corporate entertaining...

She probably would have told you if you weren't allowed to use certain fixtures for certain foods, so what you were told was probably right ;)

I was kidding. If she kept Kosher, you would have known.

I'd heard stories about CRAZY rushes in the south, but by 1984 in the Midwest, all the gifts were gone. Even the fancy construction paper name tags were gone. I didn't know about the gifts at pref, but I did hear that rushees would send the sororities gifts, like pizza for the house during member selection. Can you imagine? I don't know if that's actually true, however.

I've heard about alum chapters sending gifts "on behalf" of PNMs from their area, but that may very well be urban legend, as the source didn't seem that reliable. Anyone know for sure whether this practice was once common or acceptable?

I'm with ya psy. My sister told me a lot of stories about sorority life that were less than factual, so although I can imagine these things happening in another era, I can't say it is true. I'd be interested to hear the stories though if they are.

I can't fathom what rush must have cost years ago. Where did the money come from? Pledging rich girls must have been higher priority than anything else. I can just hear it - screw her grade point, can she pony up for the pref gifts next year?

Being in the South and having attending Alabama, I can tell you that at some places, things are still extremely costly at some places. While most of the food is gone now - some do drinks but nothing else - and favors are pretty much totally gone - the decorations are insanely costly. Flowers for pref alone would rival a royal wedding. How I wish no frills would really come to pass! When a chapter spends thousands for cream roses at pref...that's over the top. And yes, all recruitment costs are in the chapter budget.

As for alums sending gifts/goodies to the chapter house on "behalf" of certain PNMs, yes, that's a fact. Nothing like a little marketing....

I can remember seeing massive floral arrangements in several houses that had been sent "on behalf" of rushees.

As in an alum or parents sent them, on behalf of their daughter who was rushing? Yikes.

Personally, I loved skit round. Seeing Theta portrayed in "KATS" was what sealed the deal for me when I went through. Then in years after, we did a "Broadway" theme. It was always a big hit. But I can see how it was/would be a pain if you didn't have many singers/dancers. My college no longer does a skit round at all.

I was at a VERY laid back school, and some of the chapters were still giving gifts in the mid 80s, although it was not a "must." It wasn't anything like a pearl necklace though - just little stuff like notepads with the sorority's name on, potpourri bundles, etc.

As far as cost, I'm sure there was a chapter member with parents who owned a print shop or whatever else the gift was. The gifts were nice, but they didn't "sway" me in any way.

Somewhere on GC I posted about the stuffed owls that Chi O gave out as their pref gift the year I rushed. They were handmade; a Chi O roommate years later told me that they were never sure whose bright idea that was but that they were sent home for the summer with the owl parts and instructions. Most of the girls paid someone else to do it.

IrishLake, the chapter "bribes" I knew about came from alum clubs. They often came on behalf of girls who were at risk of being cut right before prefs. Many were on behalf of rushees whose parents who were in some way influential in their town and the clubs thought that the chapters might not realize this. Or there would be 10 more or less equal rushees from 1 high school and the clubs wanted to make certain ones stand out.

We had open house, philanthropy, skit, then pref. Sisterhood has since replaced skit round.

We used to do two skit days- one was more fun, the other more serious. Philanthropy day replaced the less serious skit day. Now, I believe there are only 3 days of recruitment at my school.

Ha ha... I don't remember that well. Luckily, that party was phased out after I pledged. We changed to AOII House the next year (a play on Animal House...cuter than it sounds.) Our other party was Christmas Party which had all your favorite Christmas songs changed to AOII words (I'm still unable to sing the real words!) because "The feeling you get in AOII is like Christmas everyday!" GAG! Luckily, everyone who went through recruitment at our school was generally Christian so we didn't have a problem with turning people off with the theme.

Favors were alive and well in 1984 when I went through rush at Eastern Michigan. For pref, we gave out ring pillows made of white felt with our letters on them (in our colors, of course). We made them ourselves. Our favors generally followed the theme of that party. We also made very very fancy name tags for each party and had food and beverage at every party, every round. It was so much work...

I saw an article a long time ago about the Adelphians and the Philomatheans competing for girls once upon a time...they talked about grabbing girls as soon as they got off of the train on their first day.