JessSigKap's Retro UMD Recruitment
 

Ok, so we all know that I am a Sigma Kappa at the University of Maryland. I joined my chapter in Spring 2004, so you know this story has a happy ending. However, we all like details and recruitment stories on GC, so I’ll try to make it suspenseful for our entertainment until we get the real recruitment stories in August. Maybe you can guess which one is Sigma Kappa.

We have 14 chapters at Maryland:
· Alpha Chi Omega
· Alpha Delta Pi
· Alpha Epsilon Phi
· Alpha Omicron Pi
· Alpha Phi
· Delta Delta Delta
· Delta Gamma
· Delta Phi Epsilon
· Kappa Alpha Theta
· Kappa Delta
· Phi Sigma Sigma
· Sigma Delta Tau
· Sigma Kappa
· Zeta Tau Alpha

Last semester (Fall 03), I had mixed feelings about sororities. My friend Jessie from high school had joined The Producers at her school and I was very turned off by her accounts of how stupid events were required, fines, shallowness, outrageous dues, and how she became a total alcoholic. I don’t drink, so I wondered if I would fit in a sorority. I’m a rather strong (or stubborn) person in that I don’t do things just because other people tell me it’s cool. In high school, I did drama, and I was very un-cliquey, preferring to be friends with a wide variety of people, so I thought a sorority might make me become an exclusive stuck-up snob.

However, I have to admit, this is stupid, but in high school, I also LOVED dressing up for prom and homecoming and my mom planted the “if you join a sorority, they have formals and you can dress up” seed in my head.
I also had a rough first semester socially. I lived in a forced quad in East bufu (Denton, for any of the UMDers reading this) on campus with 2 girls I absolutely hated (plus one neutral girl), so I went home a lot and didn’t really give myself the chance to meet people. I was thinking about transferring to a smaller school like St. Mary’s College, but I thought, hey, maybe I will find my niche in a sorority. I got switched to a double in LaPlata for this semester and my roommate is much less abrasive than the girls in the quad. I am so relieved.

My only experience with sorority women was the stereotypical dumb, tan, blonde, bitchy whores. As a short, smart, pale, non-promiscuous brunette with short hair, I saw myself as the antithesis to sororities. That changed when I met Catherine (Thoroughly Modern Millie), Breanna (Thoroughly Modern Millie), Katie (42nd Street), and Natalie (Anything Goes) in my theater history class. They let me sit with them in class and were all so real and nice and accepting of someone as dorky and shy as myself. Plus, I felt that if girls from 3 different sororities were genuine people and good friends with each other, then the whole Greek community might be worth a look.

Like dgdramadawg, I did drama in high school, I decided to code the 14 chapters with Broadway musical names. I have also changed some of the names of people I know and met to make it a little more anonymous. Here were my impressions before recruitment:

· Hello, Dolly!- I know Kelly from high school. Some people told me they are slutty, but a “good” house. I don’t know what to make of this since Kelly is anything but slutty. She has a 4.0, is captain of the dance team, in Honors, and has a very nice boyfriend, so if the stereotype were true, she would definitely be the oddball.
· Oklahoma- There is a girl in my theater class in this chapter (not one of the 4 that I mentioned), but I never got to know her.
· Anything Goes- I know Natalie from theater class. My friend Richard tells me that these are a nice bunch of women and thinks I would fit in well here.
· Rent- My friend Becky is interested in joining this chapter. She mentioned they have a lot of Jewish girls.
· Hairspray- I know Alli from my chemistry class but had little idea of the chapter. Richard says that these are “fat” girls, but Alli is a rail, so I am taking most of his comments with a grain of salt.
· The Producers- My friend Jessie just joined this sorority at Tennessee. Richard says these girls are “hot.”
· 42nd Street- I know Katie from my theater class, but I don’t know anything about the chapter or its reputation.
· Wicked- In the fall, I visited the room in LaPlata that I am moving into, and two members of Wicked lived there. They decided to move into the house. I met Erica and she was nice. I still have no idea about this chapter otherwise.
· Sound of Music- I know absolutely nothing about this chapter.
· Thoroughly Modern Millie- I know Catherine and Breanna. Richard says they are “ugly” but again, I didn’t care because I had already met two amazing women, who by the way, were pretty, so Richard’s negativity has proven to be mostly bullshit.
· Les Miserables- I know nothing except through researching online that this is a nationally Jewish sorority.
· Phantom of the Opera- I knew Karen from high school, but had little idea of the chapter.
· West Side Story- I know absolutely nothing about this chapter.
· Chicago- Richard says Chicago girls are “hot.”

I am rooting for Anything Goes and 42nd Street!!! :)

Sidenote: I can't believe I didn't put Peggy Sawyer or Dorothy Brock in my thread! I knew I was missing something!

Well I CLEARLY forgot RHPS! Maybe because it's not in the typical "Broadway musical" schema. I have a sweet vinyl corset that I loved wearing to the shows at UMD.

Haha, I remember the first time I saw the play and people showed up dressed up with newspapers and squirt guns and such... they thought they were going to see the movie instead of the actual play! So funny.

At UMD there is a group called the Satanic Mechanics and they have shadow cast shows, where they play the movie and act it out silently in front of the screen. They also do other cult movies too, like Princess Bride, Clue, Young Frankenstein, Little Shop of Horrors, etc. Good times.

I'm going to root for Phantom of the Opera!!! I love that play!

sound of music or phantom, all the way

By the end of the fall semester, I decided that I wanted to at least check out the sororities, but I wasn’t bent on pledging for sure. I was so clueless during recruitment about how to join. Looking back, I realize that PHA did a pretty poor job of PRing recruitment if someone who was interested couldn’t figure out what to do! Over winter break, I got a postcard with the recruitment dates and a website to download the printable form. We couldn’t register online. I filled it out and sent it in. It said that I would get a Rho Gamma and she would help me through the process.

I'm rooting for RENT (since I love the musical) and Oklahoma! since that's where I'm from!

Rent or Hairspray :)

BTW - when RHPS was on Broadway I saw it 5 times.....and it was expected to have audience participation! They SOLD AP Kits!!!!

Question: Do we want the full, sometimes ridiculous descriptions of these chapters without a reveal, or do we want a PC version with a reveal?

DO THE RIDICULOUS & THE REVEAL!!!!!!!!!!!

(that's just my opinion!)

But what if I don't get a bid because of my lack of tact?

Hahaha the issue is more that I wouldn't want any Maryland PNMs to read these and be influenced or have actives or alumnae be offended about what I say. Admittedly, some chapters gave some um, interesting, impressions, and from being Greek at UMD for 4 years I have realized that those impressions were not necessarily how I feel about the chapters today.

gotcha.....makes sense

i guess the more ridiculous would be more fun. don't do the reveals....

again, just my opinion!

Details!!! I vote for more details... although, if there were a way to include some details and still reveal, that'd be better!!! :)

well, all i know is that you and dgdramadawg are killing me, dragging this out like you are. to quote queen,"i want it all, and i want it now!"

We have to spread it out some or we won't make it until August. I'll proceed when dgdramadawg is done.

arrrrrrrgh!

I demand that you throw us a bone, jesssigkap. Or I will stop writing.

;)

I vote for all the juicy details.

I'd love to know both, but agree that its both wise and Panhellenic of you to want to avoid putting impressions in the head of PNMs who might be going through UMD recruitment this fall. We all know that enough people in real life will be trying to feed them various stereotypes and impressions...don't need to step on anyone's toes here.

ok ok ok!
 

The schedule is as follows:

Mon Jan 26 and Tue Jan 27: Round 1 in the Union (14 chapters)
Wed Jan 28: Invite pick up
Thu Jan 29 and Fri Jan 30: Round 2- Philanthropy and House Tours (visit max 10)
Sat Jan 31: Invite pick up
Sun Feb 1: Round 3- skits (visit max 5)
Mon Feb 2: Invite pick up
Tue Feb 3: Preference (visit max 3)
Wed Feb 4: Bid Day!

Except, it snows on Monday the 26th. Awesome.:rolleyes: I just moved into my new dorm, woke up for my 10 am class. It didn't even occur to me that school would be cancelled until I get outside and it's totally dead. Not to mention, no Rho Gamma has contacted me so I have no idea what is going on today. I called the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life (OFSL) and they said that there would be no recruitment and that they are going to redo the schedule. I asked them why I haven't been contacted by a Rho Gamma yet and they told me to come fill out another registration form tomorrow just in case.

On Tuesday, I went to class and then stopped at OFSL to fill out another registration form. They said that they haven't finished entering everyone into the computer so that is probably why I haven't heard from a Rho Gamma. I met Nina, the PHA VP Recruitment, and she told me that recruitment wouldn't start until Thursday, and she assured me that I would hear from a Rho Gamma by then. Phew.

So it's Thursday. I have class until 5. I haven't heard from a Rho Gamma yet and I am panicking. I left class, got to my dorm at 5:15ish and check my email and my messages. Nothing. Great. I am sure I am supposed to be somewhere, but I have no clue where or when. Ok, I started crying. I called OFSL and they calmed me down and said, "Ok your Rho Gamma is Annie C. and your group number is 6. Go straight to Phantom of the Opera and you'll find your group there." I am relieved because Phantom of the Opera is probably the only house I could find on my own. I fixed my makeup and threw on a hot pink button down shirt, black pants, and cute but comfortable black wedge boots. I left LaPlata around 5:30.

I get to the sidewalk by the chapel and I run into this mass of women. Must be recruitment. I asked what group they were, and a PNM said 4, 5, and 6. Finally! Something goes right! I magically found my group without trying! I found Annie, and she gave me my nametag and calling cards and quickly explained what was going on. Turns out I was very lucky to have found my group, because we were not starting at Phantom of the Opera, we were starting at Hairspray instead! I shudder to think what would have happened if I went to Phantom!

My heart is pounding, I am almost out of breath, my hands are shaking, and somehow I get delegated to be first in line to walk through the doors of Hairspray...

A couple of tidbits that I wasn't sure where they fit:

1. A girl I went to high school with, Stephanie, is in my group. We weren't friends, but we didn't hate each other, just neutral. She was a cheerleader, I was a drama kid. She seemed very surprised to see me there. I am guessing that she will go to Phantom of the Opera, probably because she gets along well with Karen, who I also went to high school with.

2. The revised schedule:

Thu Jan 29 and Fri Jan 30: Philanthropy and House Tours (visit 14)
Sat Jan 31: Invite pick up
Sun Feb 1: Skits (visit max 8)
Mon Feb 2: Invite pick up
Tue Feb 3: Preference (visit max 3)
Wed Feb 4: Bid Day!

The first two rounds were combined. We got tours of all 14 chapter houses! Instead of 14-10-5-3-1, we are going 14-8-3-1. I'll give you the scoop on the chapters I saw on Thursday tomorrow.

Talk about sheer luck!

I am so happy you ended up finding your group. It is definitely scary to be in an area you are unfamiliar with, while trying to find a specific destination.

I can't wait to read more!

Feeding the addiction...
 

The doors of Hairspray open and they are chanting loudly. My mind is completely boggled. I have no idea what is going on, but I step through the doors, shake hands with someone (most likely the President or VP Recruitment) and then she introduces me to Sarah. They had a nice coat check, so that was nice that I didn't have to worry about my coat. Sarah takes me downstairs and we work on the philanthropy project. We went upstairs and I met Jen, who showed me around the first floor and upstairs. Hairspray has a really pretty chapter room! I didn't realize that I would be talking to only Jen now instead of Sarah. I don't know if they just didn't transition me well or if I just didn't know what was going on, but it was slightly awkward. Probably the latter. They were really down to earth and friendly though, so I didn't feel too weird about it. I am more concerned I made a fool of myself talking a mile a minute and being shaky. Overall, I like them ok but I don't LOVE them. I would like to go back and meet more sisters.

Next was Anything Goes. I am still shaking a little from the adrenaline. I had heard good things about this chapter from anyone I'd asked, so I was excited to go in. I really like their philanthropy and the activity was cool. I met 4 women at this chapter, Nicole, Sarah, Jess, and Sharon, and I rehashed my fun little story about earlier tonight with each of them. I talked about taking leadership positions with Jess and Sharon, since they were on Anything Goes' executive board. I also saw Sarah, who lives across the hall from me. I didn't get to talk to her, but I waved. This seems to be a very diverse chapter and the women seem like they do more than just party; they care about their schoolwork and like to be involved with the Greek community, yet they are personable and easy to talk to. I LOVE this chapter! They didn't have a coat check, so the sister that talked to you held your coat, and she lost my scarf. I was the last one out, standing in the foyer awkwardly as the sisters repeat their chant/song over and over while somebody found my scarf. I got it back though! I finally calmed down and got into the grind after being at Anything Goes.

Next, we went to Thoroughly Modern Millie. Since I knew Catherine and Breanna, I was excited to come here, even though some of the girls in my group were grumbling about it, and Richard doesn't like this chapter. I visited their website, which was very nice and informative, so I already knew about their philanthropy, which is cool. What I didn't know was that Catherine had a twin! I met Christine, who looks very similar, but with slightly darker hair. We had a good laugh when I thought it was Catherine even though she introduced herself at Christine. I did the philanthropy project with her. We were talking about why I decided to go through recruitment and the stereotypes about sororities and I told her that people who snub sororities are just as shallow as the stereotypes they make. I really like Christine a lot. I met Kelly next, who took me on a house tour. Their house is so pretty; the pictures on the website did not do it justice! It was also beautifully decorated for their philanthropy theme and the refreshments were very good and fancy! I also passed by Kim, a freshman who lives on my floor and joined Millie in the fall. I LOVE this chapter! The girls are very sincere. I definitely want to go back.

Next, we went to 42nd Street. I don't know too much about this chapter, other than what their website says and knowing Katie from class. I met Cheryl, and we did the philanthropy project together. She was funny and really easy to talk to. I met Kelly, who took me on the house tour. I liked Kelly, even though she was slightly awkward, but in a good way, like she was ok with being awkward; she can laugh at herself. Kind of hard to explain. I also ran into Heather, who I went to high school with for a year (my school had a magnet program and she did it for a year), so it was cool seeing her. (I didn't know that she went here, or that she pledged 42nd Street.) Overall, I like 42nd Street. I don't love them, but I would like to go back.

At Oklahoma, I felt so uncomfortable. The girl was showing me a scrapbook, and I asked why the pages were paper clipped together. “Are there a lot of Rho Gams on those pages?” “No,” she said, “Just alcohol.” I forgot to mention this, but I don’t drink, and I wanted to find a chapter that was cool with that. I got the vibe that Oklahoma was really into partying. I also noticed that every girl I met was from Long Island. I felt no connection. Their philanthropy activity was fun though, and they served hot chocolate!

At The Sound of Music, I barely remember anything except very awkward, forced conversation, talking about the cook and the food at their chapter house. The girl I was talking to had to join with another sister and PNM to get conversation going. There was absolutely no connection.

Finally, the last chapter of the night. The Producers. A lot of girls in my group are excited to go here. When the doors opened at The Producers, all I saw was blonde after blonde. Scary. I talked to a brunette first though, Ashley. She seemed pretty normal. Their chapter house is absolutely gorgeous. Definitely different from all the others, and it is my favorite so far. It looks like a home. The girls I met were pretty cool though, not stuck up like I expected from a "popular" chapter. I liked Alie, who is from New Jersey. She seemed very smart but still has the Jersey attitude that I have come to know and love. She kind of reminds me of my best friend from high school, Jessie, who joined The Producers at her school. Overall, though, I don't know that I would fit in here. I'd like to come back, but I expect to get cut.

As if I didn't freak out enough today, I noticed that I had one calling card left in my pile. I was convinced that I forgot to give it to Thoroughly Modern Millie, and I got really upset because I thought they wouldn't invite me back because of it.

Despite the rough start and the calling card issue, I had a good night tonight. I am definitely sure I want to go Greek, live in the house, and be very involved with my chapter, whichever one I end up joining. I had a good time at 5 of the 7 chapters I went to. My favorites from tonight are Anything Goes and Thoroughly Modern Millie. I like Hairspray, 42nd Street, and The Producers ok. I didn't like Oklahoma or The Sound of Music.

Well I'm rooting for Thoroughly Modern Millie then. If you can fall in love with a chapter that people have tried to fill your head with negative things about, then I suspect you felt a really strong connection there. Go Millie!. :)

Anything, Anything, Anything GOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!

(I mean, I like Millie, too, but AG is one of my all-time favorite shows.)

Even though I went through rush @ UMD ages and ages ago I still have a hunch on some of these houses!!!

Some of the comments could have been from my in 1994!

"Tomorrow" I visit the next 7 chapters:

Chicago
Rent
Wicked
Hello, Dolly!
West Side Story
Phantom of the Opera
Les Miserables

....and...??? lol, update! How did those visits go? :p

I can't believe I succumbed to 2 updates in one day...
 

So today, "Friday", is the second day of the first round. LaRhonda, Annie's Rho Gamma buddy, told us to meet her at the Armory because Annie will be gone on an OA (orientation) retreat and will not be here for this weekend. I noticed a lot of PNMs were wearing dressy jean outfits for this round, so I decided to wear nice jeans with a black 3/4 sleeve wrap shirt, the black wedge boots, and some silver jewelry. I feel much more confident now that I know what to expect and I even thought of questions I can ask members if conversation lulls.

I met LaRhonda at the Armory, and she hands me my nametag and my pile of calling cards. I notice that there are only 6, so that's very reassuring that Annie gave me 8 the first night instead of me forgetting to give Millie my card. I asked LaRhonda how much of a big deal it was and she said not to worry. Seriously, after being a Rho Gamma, I realized how insignificant the things were. I mean, we take attendance at each party. The chapters know who comes through the doors.

First, we went to Chicago. Their house is HUGE and stunning. Again, I always seem to be the one to step to the front of the line. I was excited to go here, because I had heard good things about them. That changed when I met Liz. She told me that she literally just got to the house and was a little flustered, so I told her what happened to me yesterday and she didn't laugh about it. She just sort of stared at me. I tried coming up with conversation, asking her about the philanthropy and her interests. Turns out we both dance; I like tap, and Liz likes jazz (funny how I named them Chicago;)). When we were doing the philanthropy activity, I couldn't get the glue to hold the things together and I felt like she was judging me. So then we got up and went on a house tour. I am wondering why I am still only talking to her. Shouldn't I be talking to someone else by now? Probably she wasn't in any sort of group since she was running late and they weren't counting on her. So we start up the stairs on a house tour and Liz asks me about my winter break, if I went on vacation anywhere. Her tone made me uncomfortable, as if the "right" answer would be, "Oh yes, my family goes every year to Bali." Anyways, their house is amazing. I told her I definitely want to live in the house of whichever sorority I join. No enthusiasm. So, Liz and I walk into a single that I am drooling over. This girl has a leopard print rug, pink tulle draped over her bed on the wall, and this cool sequined dress tacked to the wall. I got to meet the girl who lives there, Aly. She was awesome! I asked her if by any chance she likes Betsey Johnson, since her room looks like a boutique. Aly said that she just wrote a paper about her and we talked about that for a little while. Except Liz wasn't really involved in the conversation and awkwardly tried to get me out of the room. Then it was time to go and Liz used slightly more force than was necessary to guide me to the door. I wanted to like Chicago. I liked Aly, but Liz was pretty rude to me. I felt like I didn't get to meet enough women in Chicago. I would like to go back to see if Liz was a fluke.

Rent was largely forgettable. I met one girl named Elaine, who was from Boston. We just talked about how much we both like Boston. We were working on the philanthropy activity (which involved puffy paint) and I got some paint on my arm. I asked her where the bathroom was so I could wash it off and she gave me a funny look like I was trying to snub them. Rent seems to have a good mix of Jewish and non-Jewish girls and they seem pretty involved, both of which are reasons why I was excited to see this chapter, but I just didn't connect with Elaine. I wouldn't mind going back though to meet more sisters.

Next was Wicked. I could tell the chapter is very diverse, which, by now is something I decided I want in a sorority. Not everyone is a size 2. I met Michele, who had a really cute nose ring and black streaks in her blond hair. (She looked kind of like a non-trashy Christina Aguilera with a normal person’s body). I thought this might be my sort of chapter because they were unconventional sorority women. Caitlin did the philanthropy activity with me and we talked about Dance Marathon, which sounds like a lot of fun. Teresa, one of the girls who lived in my room the previous semester, was recruitment chair and I said hi to her. Wicked painted the halls of their bedroom floors in their colors. I loved it! Every girl I met was different, yet I clicked with all of them.

The next chapter we visited was Hello, Dolly! Lots of PNMs are excited to go here. Kelly (from high school) waved to me when I walked in. I didn't really click with anyone here. I met Lauren, and she wasn't very talkative. I started talking about Kelly, isn't she great blah blah blah. I met Keemia and Vicki, who were much more enthusiastic and talkative, which helped me feel more at ease from my awkward conversation with Lauren, but I didn't really feel a connection. I am not crazy about Hello, Dolly!, but I don't hate them.

West Side Story. Wow. I went in with a blank slate and came out appalled. Both of the girls who I met were completely braindead and pretty much only interested in partying. One girl, Sarah, was like “We’re really chill and we just like to drink. Do you have a fake?” During the house tour, we went into one sister’s room and there was a poster of James Dean, and Sarah asked me if James Dean was dead. Then, Sarah couldn’t remember their philanthropy, and she asked her sister what the West Side Story Foundation does, and as fate would have it, she didn’t know either. After we left, some PNMs are saying that this chapter hazes really badly. I wrote a big gigantic “NO” in my booklet for West Side Story.

Phantom of the Opera was okay. Their chapter house is pretty. I saw Karen and she was surprised to see that I was going through recruitment. I didn’t really connect with anyone though, since most conversation didn’t go past “What’s your major?” I talked about how I was thinking about adding education as a major (I'm a bio major) to teach high school, since I met Michelle, who was an education major herself. At least three times I started to say something and then forgot my story halfway through. Michelle must have thought I was a total flake, but I was really just tired since it was getting late (or maybe it was contagious from being at West Side Story). When I went on a house tour, one sister complimented my haircut. (My hair is bobbed.) I wouldn't mind going back here, but it's not my favorite. I think LaRhonda is definitely in Phantom.

Les Miserables, last party. I felt bad because I knew that this was a Jewish chapter and other girls in my Rho Gamma group were being little twits because it was the last chapter of the night and round and they knew they wouldn’t pledge a Jewish chapter, so they wanted to be rude so they wouldn’t have to go back. I decided I would be inquisitive and at least give them a chance. They seemed really nice and were talkative even though it was the last party, but conversation didn’t get very deep. They talked about how their pledge class (Spring 03) is really close, and how they all live in the house this year. I thought that was kind of sweet. I wouldn't mind going back to Les Miserables since the girls were really nice, but I don't think I fit.

The only chapter I really liked tonight was Wicked. I would like to go back to Phantom, Chicago, and Rent, even though they were only ok. West Side Story was my absolute least favorite; I wouldn't pledge there in a million years.

Overall, Anything Goes and Thoroughly Modern Millie are my two favorites, with Wicked at a close second, and Chicago, 42nd Street, The Producers, Hairspray, and Phantom of the Opera in a close third. I am open to most of the chapters.

Tomorrow, I get my invites back for skit round. We can go to up to 8 chapters, and we can decide which ones we want to go to if we get more than 8. I am so excited that I will probably be the first one at the Union tomorrow!

I am loving the "full detail" version - you are too funny! (the non-trashy Christina Aguilera comment cracked me up, as did many of your observations)

I'm still rooting for Millie, but Wicked is right up there too. :)

I'm loving this thread! I think I know who West Side Story is though, and it makes me sad. I'm rooting for Anything Goes or Wicked!

I just got my invite list!

Thoroughly Modern Millie
Hairspray
Wicked
42nd Street
Oklahoma
Les Miserables
Anything Goes
The Producers

I am ecstatic that I am going back to Anything Goes and Millie (and also relieved about the calling card issue). I have plenty of chapters that I like on this list other than my top two, though, including Hairspray, Wicked, 42nd Street and The Producers. The only one I am not so thrilled about is Oklahoma, but again, I have a full schedule and I like pretty much every other chapter that I will be seeing.

I am a little disappointed about not getting invited back to Chicago because I really like Aly, but I wouldn't want to be Liz's sister, so I guess it is for the best. I connected with one girl but the chapter is not for me. I would've liked to go back to Phantom and Rent, but I'll definitely live since I got my favorites!

Those out of the running in no particular order:
Alpha Omicron Pi
Phi Sigma Sigma
Delta Phi Epsilon
Alpha Phi
Kappa Alpha Theta
Delta Delta Delta

I will not be saying who is who, since I don't want any hurt feelings. If your GLO is above, there is just a 1/6 chance that you were West Side Story and you don't need to know. (And neither do PNMs at UMD!)

sorry to be clueless, but, could you please explain the philanthropy activities to me? we didn't include philanthropy into rush when i was there, and as far as i know they still don't. Don't get me wrong - we all talked about our philanthropies, but no activities!

go millie!

seriously though, your friend richard should be ignored at all costs. good for you for not listening to him! silly boys.

/random aside
it's not even june yet, how are the addicts around here going to make it that long? people dig around for your notes, please!

During philanthropy round, we learn about a chapter's philanthropy and then do an activity to support it. Or, they may be working on another project not necessarily related to their national philanthropy.

An example: Sigma Kappa's philanthropy is Alzheimer's disease research and gerontology (the study of aging). We visit nursing homes several times a semester. This past spring during recruitment, members and PNMs made Valentine's day cards for the residents of the nursing homes.

Just to point out, all six of the chapters out of the running have a foundation, so don't think that because a sister mentioned the West Side Story Foundation that it is any particular sorority.

aoiifoundation.org
tridelta.org/foundation
phisigmasigmafoundation.org
alphaphi.org/foundation
dphie.org/foundation
kappaalphatheta.org/foundation

It is my understanding that when a chapter has a philanthropy event, the money they raise goes to their foundation, and then the foundation divides all of their money to the causes they support, educational programs for the chapters, emergency disaster funds for sisters, other noteworthy causes that aren't necessarily the national philanthropy (ie. Hurricane Katrina distaster relief) etc. At least that is how Sigma Kappa's foundation works.

ETA: Although I had a really bad experience at West Side Story during recruitment, I know that not every member of the chapter is like the 2 girls that I met. I got to know one of their past presidents, who by the way, is VERY smart, worked with another West Side Story on the extension committee, and one of the girls in my buddy's group went West Side Story this spring and she is the cutest, goofiest girl ever. I now see that it was probably a result of these girls being poorly prepared for recruitment (it was their first FR on the sister side), but they just left a bad initial impression. I respect the chapter now and I have tremendous respect for West Side Story on a National/International level.

Your West Side Story description made me laugh out loud, jesssigkap! :)

I'm still rooting for Anything Goes because it's a funnier show than Millie. Just don't tell me you pledge Oklahoma or Les Mis... :p

Ugh. What did you say back? Hopefully I wont have to experience this.