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Recruitment can be a ZOO!
A Zoo of Recruitment!
Please, if you know what school I attend, PM me instead of posting on here! I have 15 sororities at my school. Our recruitment is delayed until the spring semester, which is great because I came in the spring instead of fall. From here on out, the sororities will be known as different zoo animals (with no association to possible chapter mascots.) They are: Tiger Lion Polar Bear Penguin Zebra Cheetah Kangaroo Camel Turtle Dolphin Shark Giraffe Otter Seal Monkey |
I'm rooting for Tiger, of course :) And I love the rainbow you made out of all the names!
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I'm going with Turtle. I also like the rainbow!
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I'm cheering for Kangaroo and Shark.
Yes, I can pick 2 :p |
ROYGBIV!
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House and Values Tours
I was always excited to join a sorority. No one in my family is Greek, but I had known from sophomore year of high school that it would be something perfect for me. I was extremely nervous (and excited) for recruitment to kick off. Even though we have so many chapters, only about 18% of my school is Greek. A lot of the girls in my hall were going through recruitment as well, so it was tough to observe the strict silence rules! Our first round (house and values tours) are split over a period of two days (mainly because there are so many houses to see! I started school in the spring semester (which is when recruitment begins) so I was lucky enough to not hear tooooo many stereotypes before recruitment began.
The first day of house and values tours: Lion- I was really nervous. The girl I spoke with was extremely nice and helped me remember why I was going through recruitment. Nothing special, but it was nice kick off with a friendly host! Camel- It turns out I already had this sorority’s symbol as a tattoo, which was interesting to see! The house was nice, but the only thing I really remembered was getting stuck on a house tour. An active and I came downstairs and there was a completely new group of PNMs downstairs, super scary. I had to run to the next house and was extremely flustered. Polar Bear- Every active here took two PNMS. It is a nationally Jewish sorority, and both the other PNM and our active were Jewish. They talked about birthright the whole time which I just kind of sat there, which made it awkward for me. Left here knowing that I should have at least gotten a few words in, and it wasn’t the place for me. Zebra- This is the first house I really liked a lot. This chapter is known on my campus to not have a reputation that I would typically “fit into” but I really felt like I clicked with the girl I spoke with. I knew a girl from high school who was in this chapter, so it was nice to see a friendly face. Turtle- This chapter was having their house re-done, so recruitment was held in a fraternity house (which sort of defeats the “house” tours) but the girls were still extremely welcoming and made it feel like home. They also showed plans for their new house. One thing that stuck out in my mind was one of the actives introduced another as “This is my sister, J” which really stuck out in my mind. Tiger- The girls in this house were very sweet to me and the house was very old fashioned, but extremely pretty. Didn’t feel any specific connections though. Cheetah- I was very tired by the time I got to this house. I had class all day, and then 7 houses to see. I still kept a smile on my face though and was polite. The girl I talked to was nice, but I really didn’t remember too much about it after walking out the door. DAY 2: Otter- The girls in this chapter were nice, but nothing more. I had a good time, but felt like I had to force conversation. The girl I talked to was just a little awkward. I also didn’t see more than the first floor of their house. Kangaroo- Really liked everyone I talked to here. The house was very pretty and many parts were centered around their symbol. We had a big conversation with 3 PNMs and 3 actives which really helped conversation flow, which I liked a lot. I also didn’t get a house tour here because I got so caught up talking to the girl that I was with, which I guess was good! Would totally want to come back. Shark- This chapter was extremely welcoming, but I knew from the start that I could not afford the dues here. I kept an open mind, but didn’t fall in love because I wouldn’t let myself. The girls definitely impressed me though. Seal- This house was absolutely gorgeous. If anyone figures out my school, they would also be able to figure out this chapter. The active who rushed me planned on studying abroad the same place I would be in a few years, we also had the same major. The girls were very nice and super put-together. Monkey- This house was also very pretty, but I didn’t click well with the girl who rushed me. We had a joking conversation about liking rival football teams and it made the conversation really awkward for the rest of the party. She joined another PNM and active and kept a convo going with them which I just followed them around like a lost puppy. I knew my rho gam was a sister of this chapter, which disappointed me because she was so sweet. I decided I would want to give it another try if they would have me. Penguin- Really bonded with the girl who rushed me in this house. Their décor was by far my favorite. The active and I shared the fact that we both had a father with cancer (I have a tattoo on my foot representing it that she asked about), so I immediately felt a connection here. Really looked forward to coming back here. Giraffe- This was definitely not the house for me. I don’t know what about it, but I just felt that I didn’t fit in with the girls here. While waiting for the party to start, we were supposed to observe strict silence, but I listened to the girl in front of me talk about how she knew this was her house, then proceeded to mock another house!! She did end up in giraffe, and I just could never imagine having a sister that was blatantly rude. Dolphin- I realllllly liked the girls here. Their philanthropy hit very close to home for me. My roommates biological sister was here, and she was one of the girls who helped me get acclimated to my school, so I knew that if a lot of the girls were like here, I could see myself as a sister of dolphin. I looked forward to coming back for sure! We don’t rank our top ten, rather just pick a top ten and rank the bottom 5, so the top 10 are in no specific order! Dolphin Penguin Seal Kangaroo Tiger Turtle Zebra Lion Monkey Cheetah Ones I wouldn't want to return to: 1. Polar Bear 2. Camel 3. Otter 4. Shark 5. Giraffe |
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...Ok, no.. just kidding. Kangaroos rock. :D (can't wait to read the rest of your story!) |
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Go Dolphin!
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Go Zebra!
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Philanthropy Round
Without my rush pamphalet, I don’t know what I would have done! Our rho gams give us a book to write down info about each chapter after every round. It was awesome to go back and read what I had written about one specific house the whole way through, but that’s coming up!
The next round was philanthropy! This is very important to me (I’m very involved in service) so this was an important day. I got my schedule back, and out of a max of 10 houses….. I had 9! No complaints here, some girls were already down to 5! Some of my bottom brought be back (to my dismay), but everything happens for a reason, right!? My schedule was: Camel Tiger Otter Penguin Zebra Turtle Giraffe Kangaroo Dolphin Camel- Time to give this house another try! Their philanthropy was really cool. The girls looked extremely well put together, and I liked this house much more after the second round. Mistakes happen with the house tour, nothing that I should’ve cut them for, but still didn’t really feel anything special! Tiger- I got to meet their President today, who was really sweet to me and really seemed knowledgeable about their philanthropy. It was nice to hear because I did want to be involved. Didn’t feel any specific connections though! Otter- The “craft” we did here was optional, which was nice. I had a new active member to speak with, but still felt the conversation was really awkward and forced. I have a friend in this chapter at another school that was part of the colony class that absolutely loved it, but I was feeling like this just wasn’t the house for me. Penguin- I was paired with the same active that I had for house/values tours (YAY!) I was so excited! We got to talk more and it felt like we were just picking up where we had left off. I really liked being in this house, I felt welcomed and super comfortable. Zebra- I was sadly disappointed with this house. I liked them sooo much the first round, but we did nothing related to their philanthropy. This was really heartbreaking for me, because I thought I could see myself as a sister her, the active who I spoke with didn’t have the spark that the first sister did, which originally attracted me there. Turtle- Absolutely LOVED the philanthropy round here. I cried when one of the sisters shared her experiences with it. Even though I was disappointed by the fact that they wouldn’t have a house for my pledge period, I still saw the possibility of this being my home. Giraffe- I was disappointed that I would be returning to this house. Like Zebra, there was no talk of philanthropy. They had yummy hot chocolate, but that was the only thing I remembered. I stayed polite, but conversation was forced and awkard. I just wanted to move on. I really didn’t understand why they had brought me back because I really didn’t feel like I fit in. Kangaroo- Loved this house again! Their philanthropy is very dear to them. I really appreciated this. I had the same major as the first active I spoke with. The second was a graduating senior. She was one of the nicest people I talked to during recruitment, and I looked forward to coming back to Kangaroo just so I could talk to her! Dolphin- The philanthropy round here was special to me because it hits very close to home. The active I spoke with had the same connection with their philanthropy, so it was nice to bond over that. The girls here, like always, were welcoming and friendly. I love their house as well as the sisters and saw this as a definite possibility! At the end of the day it was a top 6 (in no order) and bottom 3! Dolphin Kangaroo Turtle Penguin Tiger Camel 1. Zebra 2. Otter 3. Giraffe I was excited for Skits round because my Rho Gam said this was the round where she made up her mind! |
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Rooting for turtle ;)
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Skits Round
I could have been more nervous to see which houses had cut me and which I would be coming back to. My rho gam handed me my schedule…….. which was full! All 6 spaces were filled! I could not have been more grateful. I was so saddened for the girls on my floor (we all had a group message going on) who had been so quickly cut down to 2. My schedule read:
Camel Penguin Giraffe Turtle Kangaroo Dolphin 5 of my top 6 houses were there! I wasn’t disappointed that Tiger had dropped me because I never had felt something really special there. I still didn’t know why Giraffe was keeping me, so I asked my rho gam what her best advice would be. She said that I should politely ask them what they saw in me that would better their sisterhood, because they may have seen something in me that I didn’t see in myself. Always worth a shot…. Camel- The skit here was pretty funny. It sounded like it hadn’t been changed up too much in the past few years. Part of their backdrop fell down about halfway through, which definitely provided some comical relief. I liked everyone I spoke with here, but I still wasn’t feeling like this was it. I could see myself being friends with these girls, but not wearing their letters. Penguin- I was so excited to be coming back to this house! This time, the girl I spoke with wasn’t as upbeat. She seemed kind of bored which was so disappointing to me, because I thought that this could be it. I work on campus, and had recently found out that my boss was a sister of Penguin in her time at my school as well. I thought their skit was really cute, definitely wanted to come back for pref and give it one more shot. Giraffe- This time I was paired with an active who had very obvious feelings that I was not in the right house. I did what my rho gam said and asked, “is there something special that Giraffe sees in me that would better your sister hood? I’m not really sure if I would fit in here” to which she responded “well we have a few other blonde girls”…… BLONDE?! This is what you think I have in common with a mere 6 or 7 sisters?! I wanted to leave right then and there. All she saw on me was blonde hair. I explained that appearance really wasn’t what I meant. She really didn’t seem interested in anything I had to say and just kind of stared into space the whole time. Their skit was a lot of screaming/chanting/singing, but no story behind it. I knew that I couldn’t come back here again. Turtle- Yay! It was time to come back here. The skit was very funny, and definitely more “updated” than some of the others. The snacks were awesome, who doesn’t love popcorn with different flavorings? I sure do. At the end of the day, conversation flowed well with these girls. I could see in their skit that they were all friends, unlike some of the other chapters that really didn’t have too much chemistry while they were up there. I really was having doubts about their house being remodeled though. On bid day, you run to your new house, where you are greeted by your sisters and have dinner. I didn’t know if this was an experience I wanted to miss out on, even though it seemed petty. Kangaroo- I loved being back at this house for skits. Theirs was my favorite by far. The girls all looked so nice. I was paired with someone new again for this house. I really liked the active I was talking to. She told me how she couldn’t wait to take a little, and all I could think was what if I was her little? This chapter typically excels in a lot of events in Greek Life (Homecoming, Derby Days, Greek Week) so I would love to be a part of a winning chapter. I thought this could be the house for me, and was really looking forward to coming back for preference. Dolphin- I felt really comfortable here. I was talking to someone new again, but still felt like it could be home. Their skit was a little outdated, but still really funny. They had a drink that was blue that the active warned me I would like so much, it would be “like crack.” Then proceeded to tell me, wait til what they serve at pref! It was funny, but I remembered our rules for PNMs and not bringing up drugs, even in a joking way so I was just like “uhhh haha”. My roommate was legacy here, and I kept thinking about how cool it would be if we ended up in the same house. I thought I wanted to come back. I was torn; I had 4 top houses, and 3 top spots. All I could think about was what if I ranked the wrong way and ruined my chances in the house that was right for me. In no particular order, my top 3 was: Dolphin Kangaroo Penguin Houses I would rather not return to: 1. Turtle 2. Camel 3. Giraffe Immediately after ranking, my rho gam asked me how I felt about my rankings. I immediately told her I wasn’t sure if I should have cut Turtle because of the housing situation. She told me that when she was going through recruitment, the house that she ended up in was undergoing remodeling at the time as well, and she still loved her experience. I was disappointed with how I ranked, but figured it would work itself out in the end. Preference was the next day…. So exciting! |
For any PNMs reading:
The important point to remember in the entire process, every step of the way, is that the chapters are ranking as well (selecting who to invite back) so... you might well get an invite to a chapter that you thought you "cut". The reality is that you aren't "cutting"; you are indicating your preferences in terms of invites you'd like to receive. You simply do not know where you'll be returning until you receive your list for each round. That's one reason why we repeat ad nauseum "keep an open mind". |
I think Turtle is going pull through to Pref. Forget about the house remodeling...they had awesome snacks! C'mon!
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Preference
Preference round was finalllllly here! I got my schedule back bright and early and it read:
Penguin Turtle Kangaroo Turtle had brought me back! I was so glad. Meanwhile, I was a little disappointed that I would not be returning to Dolphin , because it was the only chance that my roommate and I would be sisters, but I realized that I needed to remember the only person I was rushing for, was myself. First up was: Penguin- This house had an extremely beautiful pref ceremony. The sisters really spoke from the heart about their chapter, but for some reason I just couldn’t connect with what they were saying. I wanted to be placed with the active I had originally spoken with, but unfortunately I was preffed by the girl who wasn’t as upbeat. This could have been part of what influenced my decision, but no matter what the case, I just didn’t think that this was my house. Turtle- I was a little disappointed by the lack of emotions I felt at the first house, so I was hoping this was better. I was preffed by the active who impressed me the first round. She was one of the sweetest people I had ever met and I really connected with her. She remembered little details that I barely remembered mentioning. Their preference ceremony was a little crowded because it was in the main room of the fraternity house, and by now the new nude pumps that I thought were a great idea, seemed worse and worse. Fun fact: Turtle’s pref ceremony is all standing haha. But I really enjoyed myself here and knew that this was it. Kangaroo- I wanted to either really love or hate this house because I knew I was going to have a hard time making up my mind. I was preffed by the active who originally made me want to come back to this house. It turns out, she had organized the whole ceremony! Kangaroo’s pref ceremony is absolutely breathtaking and very centered around the PNMs. I loved being a part of it. This time when the girls in the chapter shared their experiences, I felt myself holding back tears as well. I really could see myself in this sisterhood. Now what to do?! I called my mom (who only knew about Greek Life from what I had told her) and cried. She didn’t understand the tears, she said I should be happy that I found two wonderful houses, but I didn’t want to have to choose. Our ranking for pref cards is all digital. I knew that I wouldn’t be ranking Penguin, so I wouldn’t be guaranteed a bid, which was very stressful. I clicked on the remaining two houses with my eyes shut (which the Rho Gam helping me did not approve of). I looked at how I had chosen afterwards. Blindly, I had ranked…… 1. Kangaroo 2. Turtle I was okay with this ranking and signed off (digitally of course) on my pref card. The Superbowl was that night, so I went home to be with my family and watch the game (my roommate came along too. She had ranked Dolphin and only one other option, so we both had the chance of getting the terrible call, it was nice to at least be stressed out with someone. 11 am rolled around the next day and no calls came. We went back to school to pick up bids at 12 noon. |
Turtle! Turtle! Turtle!
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That is a scary way to pref, but obviously you loved them both. I was surprised you didn't put penguin as your 3rd choice since you had always liked them, but it looks like you got past the dreaded phone call so congratulations on your choice! Looking forward to hearing where you ended up!
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BID DAY!
My roomie got crowned and accepted her bid to Dolphin also known as Zeta Tau Alpha, As for me…….
I was a new sister of…. Turtle Which is also known as…… ALPHA XI DELTA!!!! Couldn't have been any more excited. AXiD was the one of the only houses that I loved every single round. Remember the great girl that preffed me? She's my big now. After a fall colony recruitment, Alpha Xi Delta joined in their first formal recruitment, with a pledge class of 41. It was the biggest of all chapters. I couldn't be any more proud to be a part of it. Here is my beautiful pledge class. Notice we're in front of our house? We still ran there!! And the sisters treated us to a nice dinner out. http://i41.tinypic.com/am4cy.jpg |
Happy, Happy, Happy for you! I've known several AXD's in my life, and each one has impressed me in some way. So glad that you found the right home for you!
But who was Kangaroo?? |
Congrats! I too want to know who Kangaroo was:)
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Yeah for an Alpha Xi Delta ending. I hope you love it as much as I do.
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Congrats!
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Congratulations! Let me guess - you're the one in the burgundy t shirt with the big smile - amirite? ;)
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YES! Love an Alpha Xi ending! Welcome to our amazing sisterhood! I figured Alpha Xi was turtle all along because of the house remodeling. :)
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Congratulations and the outside of your house looks beautiful! Hopefully the renovation is quick. Have fun!
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Yay! I just knew it was going to be Turtle, I mean terrapin, I mean Turtle! Congratulations! I know an alum of your chapter from many years ago who has been very supportive over the past couple of years.
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Congratulations on AXiD!
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Thank you for sharing your awesome story!
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