Recruitment, Long Hair, Hair Flipping & Singing in Doorways
 

So I have been watching various videos of USC's (California) recruitment and one thing I've noticed is that nearly everyone has long hair. Is that an especially common/popular way to have one's hair in their sorority community?

Also I've seen a lot of synchronised hair flipping (major example at the beginning of this video posted by Alpha Phi https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200567147354806) and singing in doorways. Are these traditions?

Sorry for the questions but I'm an international student. I like to think that I have been educated quite well about things Greek-related prior to recruitment but I really can't remember being told about anything like this, and it kind of seems quite intimidating!

I think longer hair is generally back in style. Sorority girls, as a generalization, will probably reflect major trends of the day. Ergo, lots of sorority girls currently have long hair. The Alpha Phis are just taking advantage of that in their door song. I believe door songs are traditional at USC (I didn't go there, but that's my impression), but not everywhere.

As long as it is clean and a cut flattering to your look and style, your hair should neither keep you from membership, nor guarantee you membership to any sorority. (Worst case scenario, and I highly doubt this but it is within the realms of possibility, once you are an active sister, you could be requested to grow your hair out over the summer for recruitment. Even in this unlikely case, you would probably be able to return it to your preferred style after bid day).

This is seriously not something to worry about.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the hair flipping is now against the rules at USC. Yes, it is Southern California there is a lot of straight long hair on that campus and many others.

Hair flipping has been quite a thing at USC since probably 2009. Not sure about a ban on the hair flipping though.

Nobody hair flips like the Spelman AKAs though!

http://youtu.be/O3O-7ihHo7E

That doesn't look like it was done during recruitment.

Love the black dresses and black gloves!

LOL! @ 1:13 she needs a neck brace! I agree the outfits are very classy! It's always a good look!

I have to admit the second I saw the words hair flipping I "knew" it had to be SC. The Reluctant one has graduated but......she couldn't get her hair to flip correctly.

Am I the only one who thinks the hair flipping looks awful? It doesn't look comfortable and just feels peacock-ish (look at me as I display my "flair"). Definitely glad that isn't a recruitment trend I had to experience.

Imagining that cheer with my chapter's early 1990's hair. It would have been like football helmets clanking together with all the hairspray we used. Thank goodness that look was out by the time I graduated.

The dudes in Ratt, Krokus etc were the only ones flipping their hair back then. LOL

Oh so its just a USC thing then. I suppose the girls I know who are Greek there just assumed I knew about door songs being a 'thing'.

Is that because its a recruitment 'frill'?

door songs are traditional at a lot of schools, including mine. The hair flipping thing may be local....never seen it before, glad to say.

I thought this was an AKA thread. That's the only reason I clicked it lol

See how I look out for you?

I LOVE watching probate videos. LOVE them.

I graduated from USC in 1976 - hair flipping had not started then...we were too into hair bows and Laura Ashley!!!!!!!!!!

They hair flip during door songs at Ole Miss. I was shocked when I saw it for the first time a few years ago...I would have dislocated a neck vertebra if I had to do this! Neck brace for sure...

It seems like everyone would be accidentally smacking each other in the face with their hair. We definitely would've been in the seventies with our loooong hair!

This video actually makes it look even more terribly dangerous and unhealthy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnn6FIewe-w

We have absolutely nothing like this where I'm from!

My (wavy, thin, excessive) hair would be a complete and utter mess after that! Respect to the girls who manage to look polished afterwards.

This is one of the strangest things I've ever heard of/ seen. What makes any group think this attracts PNMs? It looks terribly painful and if I were a PNM I would either not be able to control laughter if I saw this, or would say "screw this" to recruitment. Why would anyone want to join a group that promotes spinal dislocation?

Yeah, I think it looks clunky and ungraceful. Just like we tell rushees to be memorable in a good way, these chapters better have MIGHTY solid reputations or this could make them be memorable as that chapter with the awkward girls who do the weird door thing. My guess is these chapters are safe from that though ;)

I actually got the impression that all the NPC sororities at USC did this.

It was mentioned that a few chapters do it at Ole Miss.

No.

Love the doorway songs, but the hair thing looks ridiculous.

Doors stacks (with hair flipping at all) are still around at USC, though Panhellenic is working to make them safer for the actives (e.g. doing a workshop on how to do a safe door stack).

Lawn dances/porch songs are no longer allowed on campus for slideshow day though.

USC is (slowly) moving towards making its recruitment more "no-frills." There was talk about banning door stacks this year but it was decided that lawn dances/porch songs would be banned instead.

ETA every chapter at USC does door stacks & hair flipping. I personally don't get the appeal of it.

Not to sound too ignorant; but what does that even mean?


Is there an official NPC definition of what "frills" and "no-frills" recruitment is?

Haha yeah I'm convinced Greeks speak a foreign language that closely resembles English.

Lawn dances/porch songs are when the entire sorority goes running out from behind the house screaming and does a song. There was a rule that the girls couldn't move their legs (to cut down on the choreography element, I believe), so it just ended up looking really weird, with girls with stick-straight legs waving their arms around and singing as loudly as they can. It also made it really clear which houses were bigger than others, and the sizes of each house's lawn made a real difference too.

I don't think there's an official definition of "no frills" (please correct me if I'm wrong, wiser GCers!), but the idea of it is getting away from pageantry & image and moving more towards recruitment based on good conversation and Values-Based Recruitment (it's a whole thing from Phired Up).

It seems a bit like Lawns Dances, Hair Flipping and Door Stacks oh my!

I thought I knew all the terms but I guess I need to study up over the next 2 weeks!

Let me dust off ye ol' Green Book.

“No Frills” Recruitment Recommendations (1989, 1991, 1997, 2003)
Incorporation of “no frills” concept. All College Panhellenics and their member chapters shall incorporate the following into their membership recruitment programs as soon as possible:
• Establish guidelines for membership recruitment budgets and set a cap on membership recruitment expenses, including the value of all donated goods and services in the cap figure.
• Eliminate all outside decorations.
• Confine all membership recruitment entertainment within the chapter house or other recruitment facility.
• Evaluate all membership recruitment skits as to length and content.
• Discourage the use of membership recruitment skits at the first round of parties.
• Discourage elaborate costuming and purchase of special membership recruitment outfits.
• Eliminate all gifts, favors, preference letters or notes for potential new members until they have accepted bids.
• Develop conversation and interviewing skills.
• Follow NPC recommendations for release figures.
Guidelines for implementation of this resolution can be found in the College Panhellenic Resource Information chapter of this manual.

From the rushee perspective, it might be best not to know how the sausage is made. You learn too much and you'll start to judge chapters ON their door stack and quality of hair flip. And that would just be tragic. Concentrate on your conversations, the feel you get from the gals, where you see yourself going as a member of that sorority, etc. and consider the other stuff silly tack-ons to the business of making friends.

FWIW, I think it's unique. Specifically, The one Alpha Phi did seemed sort of "sloppy" and the one Delta Gamma did seemed a bit more put together. (everyone was moving in the same direction at the same time). My thought was it seems ok as long as the ladies space themselves apart enough not to hit each other. I guess as a PNM, I would not base my judgement of the org on the houses hair flipping skills.

This video popped up after I saw the first one. No hair flipping but I thought it was interesting.
Alpha Chi Omega - UF Panhellenic Rush 09

We didn't do door songs/chants/etc. at my campus since it would have seemed REALLY weird, but boy, they look like a lot of fun to me.

We did door chants at IU, but none of the hair flipping. My vertebrae cry just seeing it!

Isn't this like Christmas without a tree?

All of them do this on house tours day. It's crazy and over the top but it's so unique and legitimately fun to do. I just graduated and am coming back to SC in a few days to help out with rush school. There is literally nothing like door stack anywhere else. The look on freshmen's faces during their first door stack is priceless. But it's not all about how high you can flip your hair or how loudly you can scream your house's song--it's about the conversations you have with the girls. Most USC sorority girls laugh about how ridiculous our door stack and hair flipping customs are. Just relax and enjoy the show when you finally get there!

I'm glad they got rid of lawn song though. Our house is fortunate enough to not have problems reaching total but for the one or two houses with far fewer members it really made it obvious during lawn song.

But USC formal recruitment is not going to be "no-frills" anytime soon. On average, each house spends about $40k on rush week.

Holy... over my years as a collegian, Panhellenic cut chapter budgets from $1000 to $850. I can't imagine.

http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-conte...mind_blown.gif

Oh I will! I am really excited. I just hope I don't look too much like a gobsmacked tourist!

I know WhiteRose1912 gave a definition of "no-frills". And I guess I kind of can figure it out from context. But what exactly comprises of "frills" that results in a $40,000 budget? How many other schools do this?

PS: While it seems shocking to hear about that much money, I still am in total amazement of how much USC's Athletic Dept. gets in funding! Especially when post-Olympics there has been a lot of issues with funding for our NATIONAL teams!

PPS:

Whats Rush school?