nose piercing--will it affect rushing at UNC?
 

I am interesting in joining a sorority next year at UNC and I have a (small) nose piercing. Will this be a turn off for sororities during rush? I don't really want to take it out and it is not glaring. Also, I'm a junior transfer so I feel like I'm kind of at a disadvantage already... Does this kind of thing matter? Thanks! :)

Don't they make clear "spacers" for nose piercings so they're not (as) visible?

You might want to clarify. Is that the University of North Carolina or the University of Northern Colorado?

I am a sorority member with a nose piercing. My big sister has a lip piercing, and another sister had a double anti-eyebrow. We all had our piercings done after we were sisters (well, I was a new member...), but I know for certain that we have taken (and fought hard for) new members with piercings since I have been a sister.

That said, campus cultures vary. Look carefully and see if you see sorority members with facial piercings on your campus. If you don't see anyone with similar jewelry, and if you don't want to remove it or use a clear spacer/place-holder thingy, maybe an option would be to make sure that your jewelry is VERY small. (Some people come up to me and ask if mine's new... and it's been 2.5 years; others, when they notice my piercing, say they thought it was a speck of glitter. That is TINY!)

Best of luck with your recruitment.

UNC is alot like Duke...Southern but not. Basketball school. Not knowing the particular sorority culture...you might wanna watch it. The fraternities are fairly conservative in their dress.

Nah, much more Southern than Duke. But yeah, ACC basketball is without a doubt the state religion in North Carolina, and the Dean Dome and Cameron Indoor are the two major temples.

There are quite a few Carolina sorority members on GC. Assuming she means Carolina (I've seen plenty of times on GC that people have meant University of Northen Colorado by UNC), they'd be in the best position to answer how it'd be viewed.

I think it will...especially if you have a bad cold and need to blow your nose during a party. :cool:

it is most helpful when you share information that you either tell what campus you are on, the climate and culture of the campus and how competitive the recruitment is. sometimes the op might assume that you are attending the college they are asking about if you don't specify.

to the op, err on the side of caution and cover it up or go with a small, unobtrusive nosering-perhaps a stud. from what i know of the sororities at unc-chapel hill, they are conservative in their appearance-at least during recruitment. there are several chapters at unc-chapel hill that have been or currently are the #1 chapter of their sorority in the nation-you don't get those awards if you are avant garde'.

I feel like nose piercing are becoming more common. If its just a small silver stud and not a loop you might be ok. It just really depends what house you are looking at.

I got to Wake just a hop down the road from UNC and we definatly say more girls with nose piercings go through this year (but still not a ton). I don't think many of chapters cut for that and wake is on the more concervative side. But I can't actually say for sure.

If you are that concerned then take it out.

Also, I know some GCers that go to UNC. I'd like to hear their 2 cents.

Having worked with my GLO's chapter at UNC (Carolina not Colorado) I've gotten a chance to observe some of the other groups as well. My advice would be to make sure it is a small stud. Some groups will care. But to be honest, if you love it don't take it out. Then you're trying to be someone your not.

This is correct. As a North Carolinian, Duke is basically considered a Northern school by many NC natives. UNC requires that 80% of undergrads be NC natives, so it has a far more southern atmosphere - far more southern, even, then say UVA (which I also know fairly well). UNC is not a "southern recruitment" to the extent of SEC schools, but from my limited knowledge of Greek Life there I definitely think it could hurt you. I think you will find it a teensy bit more laid back, though, than say Bama or something.

The thing about NC is that like Georgia it's a "New South" state so there's a divide between new-ish residents of places like Charlotte, Raleigh, and (especially) Cary, and between the old school small town high society thing. I'm not 100% sure how this plays out in UNC recruitment, but I'm sure it's a factor.

I attended Elon's recruitment (a short trip from UNC) this year in an alum support capacity and there were a couple girls that went through with small/almost unnoticible nose piercing that got bids. However none of them (that I can think of) got bids to more "southern" GLOs.

And while the chapter I helped out with had a couple girls with nose piercing in it, they all took them out for recruitment.

Take it out during recruitment. Put it back in after Bid Day.

You mean the Containment Area for Relocated Yankees? :p

*gasp*
You mean you have a reservation set up for us down there?!?!! :eek:

*starts practicing southern twang in case NC travel required, need.to.avoid.capture*

LOL. Some of us (yes, we = old) can remember when Cary was a small rural town some miles outside Raleigh. Over the last 30 years or so, it has exploded and now abuts Raleigh. In 1950 (no I'm not that old), there were 1K+ residents; in 1960, 3K+; in 1970, 7K+; in 2000, 94K+; in 2007, 125K+. It's now the seventh (I think) largest town in NC.

Much of the growth has been due to people moving from . . . elsewhere . . . because of Research Triangle Park. Hence, the epithet that Old Raleigh folk have given the town.

But don't worry -- I'll look out for my TAR partner. ;)

'preciate that! :D

I've always heard Central Area not Containment Area.... not that it's a big deal one way or the other. :)

My apologies and thank you for the reminder! For clarification, I'm not at UNC, but in Atlanta. My school is small, not SEC or conservative, with a recruitment that isn't cutthroat, recs-to-every-house, cut-for-wearing-white-after-Labor-day competitive.

LOL!!!! Yes. My high school boyfriend (who was a truly sweet guy) was from Cary and sort of fit that description (born/spent his early years in Indiana). (We met at NC Governor's School and had a long-distance "romance." Ah, high school.)

It doesn't work like that. Facial piercings can close within a matter of hours after the ring is removed. She'd either have to get it redone after bid day, or use a spacer during rush. I've found spacers at Hot Topic (the ONLY reason I even set foot in that store) that are virtually invisible.

FWIW (and do take this with a grain of salt) - I was on the UNC Charlotte campus last Monday night and saw a TON of girls with nosepiercings. Note to Potential New Nosepiercers (PNNs) - it's NOT for everyone and it won't always end up where it was meant to. If you have a funny shaped nose, piercing it only draws attention to the fact that it's funny shaped. If you have a funny shaped nose, and you pierce it in an odd place, it's 10X worse. Maybe there's something else out there for you. The Potenial New Eyebrowpiercers (PNEs) have a reshaping program that's much less intense than reshaping for the PNNs.

My last job was at a firm that was I swear, like 80% UNC alumni. I worked with many UNC sorority alumnae, and off the top of my head I can think of an ADPi, a Pi Phi, and a Kappa with nose piercings. I wouldn't get too stressed about it - throw in a spacer if you want to be on the safe side.

I'm at UNC, soon to graduate. I can name at least one girl in every chapter at UNC with a nose piercing. I would avoid a nose ring, just put in a little stud.



Hijack: Who the hell compared us with Dook? I'll kick your ass.

Wow!! Thank you for all the replies. I think I'll probably keep my tiny stud in, unless I work up the nerve to take it out and put a spacer in (so painful to take out!). Thanks again!

best of luck at recruitment and I hope you find the right fit :)

Get recs!!

Just wanted to say that there are plenty people (myself included) that find nose piercings to be really unattractive. I think the studs make it look like you've got a zit on your nose. Sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear, but it's a possibility the sorority members meeting you for the first time may think the same thing.

Very true. I have a big event today, so I put in a spacer (yeah, it can be a little painful, oh well). Even though I love my nose piercing, and there's a chance that the people I'm meeting will too, there's a bigger chance that they won't.

Slight hijack to future job seekers with facial piercings: PLEASE think about putting a spacer/tiny stud in when attending job fairs / interviews. Last week we had a booth at a job fair for college seniors in the area and the number of applicants that came through with tacky (not little studs or classy-looking rings) facial piercings was insane. I wonder how many of them got interviews with other companies - I know that out of almost 50 candidates we called in for interviews, none of them have facial piercings that I can recall. (Key words right there: They might have had them, but they didn't stand out.)

/hijack/rant

To hell with spacers and such, they should probably consider just taking them out if they're getting ready to graduate. UNLESS they're in a forgiving field like graphic design, art, etc. facial piercings will likely not be acceptable to their future employer. Get it out of your system now, college kiddos.

I've mellowed quite a bit over the years about tattoos, but not for facial piercings. I just stare at them and wonder "Why?"

I have a lip piercing and I still don't care for facial piercings on other people. I'm so attached to my lip ring though, that I can't bear to take it out (permanently) yet. When I take it out for recruitment, I may just decide to leave it out for good, but who knows?

This thread and the one from the girl with the foot tattoo should be merged, it's all the same advice; you can "express" yourself all you want, but when you're representing an organization (or company) or hoping to get into an organization (or company), like it or not, conforming to societal standards of dress and appearance most often increases likelihood for success.

I got my nose pierced the summer before I went to school and my parents made me take it out after 2 days. My sister also pointed out that I didn't want to be known as "the girl with the nose ring" during rush. I ended up getting it re-pierced 2 months after I joined, and there were about 10 other girls in the sorority with a nose ring too.

I think you're probably fine for rush, but DEFINITELY keep it a small stud. If you do decide to take it out and put in a spacer, a tattoo parlor will most likely do it for free and it'll probably be much less painful. I could never get mine out on my own, and I finally had a professional remove it a few months after graduating before I moved to Charlotte. Thank God, because my company has a STRICT dress code and that would not have gone over while during my interview!

I completely agree with her! I'm also in a more "southern" GLO at UNC and I can think of at least 4 houses off the top of my head that would cut you for the piercing due to the more conservative and southern atmosphere of the GLOs. Like laurand333 said, some of the houses won't care, but if you want the fairer chance at all the sororities I say put a spacer in for rush. Nose piercing is not a big thing at UNC- Heck, even a cartilage piercing is seen as more "punk" by the more southern GLOs (though plenty of girls do have one-- usually from what I've seen the more liberal girls).

No, she doesn't. I've never had any issues with my nosepiercing.

slight hijack: when the HAYLE did nosepiercing make a comeback? isnt it kind of... 90s?

i figure if a kid is getting pierced, theyre getting ear cartiledge (sp), eyebrow or lip/chin. or those godawful cheek/dimple piercings. or even worse the shoulder blade piercings. yuck!

but yeah, i hear nose piercing, and i think of kids smoking Camels wearing flannel shirts, denims with one leg leaned against a brick building.

(and i cant find a graphic to save my life right now)