tattoos
 

Ok, I will be rushing this fall. I have two tatts on ym shoulders. they are cute (a baby dragon and a bat) but should I hide them, not tell any body. i don't want to be cut becuase of them, but I don't want to lie. That if I get a bid then show them I would fell like I was dishonest of somehting like that.

PLease help.

I would wear something that has sleeves. If anyone asks you if you have a tattoo, there's no need to lie. I'm sure some of the sisters have them, too! However, for recruitment, I wouldn't wear anything that shows them.

I have never heard of a chapter dropping someone because of a tattoo. At IU, we really didn't care if you had a tattoo that wasn't very easy to see! I remember seeing several girls come through recruitment that had their nose pierced or their eyebrow pierced. And to be real honest, if the tattoo cannot be seen, it really is none's business but your own. Honestly, you would be surprised by the number of girls who actually have them. I personally don't think it is a big deal as long as you are wearing something appropriate for recruitment. Hope that made sense!

it says your location is Ga, what school will you be attending? that will affect things differently, but I don't think it will be that big a deal.


for the veteran rush threader's: I can easily see this becoming a new version of the nose ring thread.:p

What's under your clothes is no one's business, whether it's a boob job, a pubic trim, or tattoos. And once you have a bid, I doubt you'll be the only sister with tattoos. I doubt the chapter will feel lied to or cheated. Any chapter that feels THAT strongly about tattoos better give all rushees a full-body exam before handing out bids!

Now if they were on your forehead and you covered them up with makeup... that might be different. But I think part of the choice of getting tattoos somewhere that they can be hidden is exactly that; you can choose who to show them to and when.

So you have two choices, and I bet GCers are going to urge them both on you:

1) Cover them, so the chapters don't have an excuse to cut you; the sisters won't mind later. But don't lie if they ask (although I can't imagine a question like that).
2) Do you want a sisterhood that would cut you for that anyway? Go ahead, let them show, but don't make a big deal of them.

I would honestly say that it depends which you feel more comfortable with - and less luckily for you, what the school is like. At some schools it seems like if you don't have an 18-inch real pearl necklace and a Lily you don't have a chance of getting a bid, so forget anyone with a tattoo! Other places you could get a bid if you showed up naked.

By the way, the bat tattoo sounds cute.

http://forums.greekchat.com/gcforums...atoo+OR+tattoo

Here's a lot of different opinions. FuzzieAlum is right though-

"So you have two choices, and I bet GCers are going to urge them both on you:

1) Cover them, so the chapters don't have an excuse to cut you; the sisters won't mind later. But don't lie if they ask (although I can't imagine a question like that).
2) Do you want a sisterhood that would cut you for that anyway? Go ahead, let them show, but don't make a big deal of them."

This was something I was actually pretty concerned about as well. I have a medium sized tattoo on my upper right arm that will be impossible to cover unless I wear long sleeves. It's not bad, though, most people think it's cute. It's just red stars. Maybe I'll match it with a red dress. hah.

Would you wear something to a job interview that would highlight your tattoos? Hopefully not, and that is pretty much the way I view tattoos at recruitment. It's not bad to have them or even show them off in the proper situation, but at recruitment, it's better to keep it covered. But by all mean, do NOT lie about it. You're entitled to have a tattoo or a piercing or a pubic trim (LOL, sorry Fuzzie, it cracked me up!!). I would be willing to bet it will matter more depending on your university though as well.

:eek: Fuzzie Alum, your post made me choke on my fudge stripe cookie! That cracked me up! It's true though :)

Every sorority on my campus had some girls with tattoos, but you wouldn't know it meeting them in rush because it's not like a tattoo convention where you put them on display. I would treat this as a job interview. Would you show your tattoos then? Probably not, but not because you are ashamed or anything.

Assuming you find your place in a sorority, once you start bonding with your sisters, you will find out quickly who has them and who does not.

Anyone play "I never" ? ;)

Of course i MUST post an opinion!:rolleyes: I'm rolling my eyes at myself!:D

If it is a competative rush at a SOUTHERN or conservative campus... COVER IT UP!

Better safe than sorry...but that's just me!:)

I definitely agree!

I think a lot of good advice has been given out. I have three tattoos. They're all in places that can be easily covered up. I wouldn't walk into a job interiew wearing a backless top so I could show off my tattoo. It just wouldn't be appropriate.

I also don't know much about southern schools and their recruitment, but from what I have read about on GC, flashing your tattoos probably wouldn't be the best bet, so I agree with Justamom, that you should cover them up.
Don't lie about it. If the topic comes you may or may not mention it, or if asked, tell them. I doubt the sororities will make a big deal about you have tattoos.

Like everyone else said, do you really want to be part of a sisterhood that cannot accept you for who you are? Tattoos and all?!

I agree with FuzzieAlum -- pick whichever option makes you feel more comfortable! I have to say though that I disagree with looking at rush like a job interview. You're not going through rush to get a job and be "professional," you're looking for the people who will be your best friends and sisters. You wouldn't wear a suit and carry a briefcase to recruitment, would you?

I hope that as tattoos become more and more popular in our society this stops being an issue. I have two tattoos, one of which is visible when I'm wearing a skirt, so obviously people see it when I'm at work. I've never had a problem with it.

And good luck!! :)

Rush...NOT A JOB INTERVIEW!
 

Great point. :) Rush, as much as we would like to think it does, does not hold nearly as much importance as a job interview. Therefore, the protocol and dress cannot be compared.

Call me crazy, but...

Rush threads as of late--not this one--have gotten pretty shallow. It's one thing to tell a rushee to put her best face forward. But, once we start getting into different sorts of manicures, dresses, hose, and suggesting that bids wouldn't be extended to a woman who didn't wear black hose...it's going too far. Reading some of the stuff on this and other threads, it makes me so happy to know that I was part of a Greek system that cared only about attracting the women who put their best faces forward and were potentially great sisters--and not the ones who looked "acceptable" in an antiquated values system. I was raised not to wear white after Labor Day, for example, but I will not criticize someone who chooses to do so. To each her own. :)

My advice would be to go with what is most comfortable for you, as well as your individual school. If you are okay with being cut from some close-minded houses, and are simply looking for the best sisterhood for you, I'd say show off the tattoos. They sound lovely. :)

Munchkin03-My advice would be to go with what is most comfortable for you, as well as your individual school. If you are okay with being cut from some close-minded houses, and are simply looking for the best sisterhood for you, I'd say show off the tattoos. They sound lovely.

Munchkin makes a valid point! (Also the rest of your post has several good points as well.)

Within the above statement, please note-If you are okay with being cut from some close-minded houses... This IS a very real possibility, and the percentages of being cut grows as the campuses becomes more and more conservative and the rush gets more and more competative. EVEN THOUGH those very members may be sporting a little butterfly on their arse! It really does make a ifference to SOME people when it is visible, because as a member, you COULD become known as "that XYZ with the tattoo." It really is all about your campus and that particular Greek System. "When in Rome..." or "To thine own self be true." It IS your choice.

Alumnae Members
 

I think it is worth pointing out that at traditionally southern schools some of your biggest fans or worst enemies can be the alumnae women that help the chapters during recruitment.

While many of the chapter members may have tattoos and be totally cool with it, some of your older, more "proper", pearl wearing women may not approve. You never know how much "pull" these women may have in the chapter's selection process.

While I don't think that having a tattoo "should" be a reason to be released from a chapter, at many schools, chapters cannot invite everyone that they like back to an event (because of release figures). All other things being equal, your tattoo could be a deal breaker - just because the chapter "has" to release someone.

I agree that you should do what makes you most comfortable but know that there could be consequences with your decision... just like every decision you make in life.

Re: Alumnae Members
 

EXACTLY!!!!

I agree...

Tara
i have a Phi Mu castle...

Munchkin--

I advise to cover up the tattoo for this reason. Because rush may not be as important as a job interview, but the theme is the same. PNMs are trying to impress sororities with their personality/beauty/charm/whatever. Just like you do with your skills at a job interview. You wouldn't wear some backless top to show off your tattoo when trying to impress a potential boss, and if at her school tattoos are deemed inappropriate during events such as recruitment, then she should cover it up or suffer the cuts that will come from it. JAM is right...the choice is yours, but those choices will effect the outcome.

Re: Rush...NOT A JOB INTERVIEW!
 

Thank you!!!! Maybe it's because I come from a really laid back school, but I think these threads are a little too much. I can understand wanting to look your best and such, but I think some of this is going a bit too far.

My thoughts: if you want to let your tattoos show, go for it. They can be a great conversation starter! During last fall's structured, I got into a really fun conversation with a PNM about tattos and piercings and stuff like that. (I personally don't have any tattoos, but I have my belly button pierced) I even brought other sisters over to show off their tattoos as well.

That's what structured should be about. It should be about making connections with the girls and having fun getting to know them. One day, they're going to be your sisters and you're going to see each other at your absolute worst (without makeup, hungover, in desperate need of a shower, etc.). And I doubt they're going to be wearing a Lily at that point.

To chime in......cover it up. The tattoos may be on your body, but you are not your tattoos. And besides, once you get in, they can't really kick you out because of them.

(Hahah on the whole "pubic trim." I'm going to use it in a sentence today.)

Luna_12/rainbowbritecs....why do you feel the need to post under 2 names?

Re: Re: Rush...NOT A JOB INTERVIEW!
 

I agree for the most part. But PNMs at competetive schools need to be aware of what they are up against. I do think rush (at a large traditional school) is more stressful than any job interview I have ever been on. Rushing at UTD was nothing like that, we had a great time. But I wish I had had a resource like GreekChat back when I was a PNM at North Texas in the early 90's.

As far as the clothes, manicures, and accessory threads I am going to admit I am enjoying them. Not because of how they can potentially guide a PNM, but because I am 30 years old and out of the loop. Lilly Pulitzer, Vera Bradley etc. It is nice to be given a clue to some of our younger members favorites. So I am not against those threads. I just think of them as informative.

A tattoo might work against a PNM that really wants a certain house at a competitive school. I am not against tattoos, but I think the PNMs have the right to know that it could happen. And since I don't have anything against them striving for the house/houses of their choice, I don't have anything against telling them what might hurt them in the process. (although I do wish every pnm would give all the houses at their schools a fair look).

Good Luck to all our PNMs!!

Re: Re: Re: Rush...NOT A JOB INTERVIEW!
 

That's very true, and it's something that I keep forgetting about. As I've said, my school is pretty liberal and laid back (I mean come on! Ann Arbor is next door!), and it's hard for me to even FATHOM a super-competitive rush.

I could never do rush down South. I'd be a mess...

I'm pretty glad this thread came up. I hadn't really thought about it (since I've had my tatoos for so long, I almost forget about them :p ) but one of mine is around my ankle. A little hard to cover up with sandals. It's really pretty (a ring of sunflowers) and I hope that it doesn't give a negative impression of me, but I kinda agree with everyone that's saying I might not want to be a part of a sisterhood that would cut someone for tatoos. What happens after rush when they find out you have them?? I think I'll be leaving my anklet alone, but I won't be wearing any tank style tops to show off the one on my shoulder blade.

I'm not trying to play devil's advocate here, even though it may sound like I am.

There is an excellent point made about alumnae. To the generation ahead of those of us currently in college, tattoos and piercings (besides your ears) aren't very classy. Some people (young and older... not OLD ;) ) still think that tattoos are for bikers. One of the things that I've learned as a sister is that you respect your alumnae. You may not do everything they recommend, but you listen to and respect their opinions, just as you do the rest of your sisters. But like someone said, at a large school, you could be borderline for a group because you had a bad night or something, and be cut because that's the one thing that pushes them over.

We almost cut a girl from Student Ambassadors because she had a lip ring. Our advisor was very turned off by it, and we were a little surprised. Our school isn't a super conservative SEC school, and our organization isn't based on looks whatsoever, but it was something that we were worried parents checking out the school would be put off by. However, your tattoo sounds a lot easier to cover up than a lip ring.

I don't think it's shallow to wear sleeves but feel free to talk about them if someone asks. I would also make sure that if you don't wear sleeves, do not let the tattoos become a focal point of conversation. People will just remember you as "tattoo girl" and not YOU. We had a girl who only talked about Care Bears when I went through and both groups cut her because it was ALL SHE TALKED ABOUT. Therefore it was what she was associated with.

As a current UGA collegian, I would recommend that you cover them up. Display them later on when you are more comfortable and settled with your new sisters, but you should project your most poised, classy self during recruitment (as you would during a job interview).

When I was in school, our CCD wanted US to cover up our tattoos/piercings during recruitment so we could present our best selves. So I think that it goes both ways.

My school's Panhellenic briefly thought about telling the Rho Chi's (or rather recruitment counselors) to tell thier groups to take out any eye or nose piercings or any tongue rings. And the girls I live with and I had a huge discussion about it. Our chapter would never use a tattoo or piercing as a reason to cut a girl. If a girl is cool and fits in with us, then we want her in our sorority whether or not she has a tattoo or piercing. However, as many of the others have said, it is your decision and you need to do what's right for you. But think about it, would you really want to be in a chapter that cut you strictly because you have a tattoo?

Courtney

Tattoos shouldn't be an issue, because you want people to get to know YOU... but there are some people in this world who think that tattoos are ugly, etc. First impressions can make or break recruitment. I personally wouldn't want a tattoo to damper my recruitment experience. I think you should cover it up, not because I think you are trying to hide a part of yourself, but because you want people (in the short amount of time) to see you as YOU, and not as "that one girl with the tattoo".

Just my $0.02