Help please!
 

Hello everyone =)

I am going through recruitment as a PNM in a somewhat large school in the south for fall 2009. Unfortunately I got into a car accident last week and broke a couple bones in my hand and have a huge cast on my left arm.. I am happy that my hand is the extent of my personal injuries, but I am worried about how this will affect my recruitment experience. Not to mention the fact that I am a sophomore rushing for the second time (which I understand may already put me at a disadvantage). Has anyone been through a similar experience, or rushed a girl in my situation? I could use any advice or support at this point! Thank you so much.

<3 n.o.n

Thanks for your input! My school is actually not super competitive. Its a big school and we have a good number of sororities, but everyone is usually guaranteed a bid. Thank you again for responding though, I appreciate it.

your cast should not make one bit of difference.as ksuviolet said the fact that you are a sophomore and re-rushing will be a bigger factor at some schools. you will probably get tired of telling everyone you meet how you came to have a cast on your hand, so be prepared for that.

i have seen girls come thru recruitment wearing casts, on crutches, etc. and the only thing that sticks out in my mind was at the end of the party it took a girl on crutches a really long time to get from the table where she was sitting during the party to the door when it was time to go. at the next party we gave her hostess a subtle heads up that it was nearing the party's end so that she could graciously begin escorting the girl toward the door and the pnm would not have to go thru that walk again!

Thank you FSUZeta!

I feel much better knowing that I am not the only one =)

Injuries happen. I doubt you'd get cut because you have a cast on your hand. Just be wary of spending too much time talking about your cast/injury car accident that you don't spend enough time talking about yourself and asking questions about the chapter. A cast could make you memorable, but if all you talk about is your the incident, the sisters will have no idea if you'd make a good member. You'll most likely get asked about it, but just make sure to answer briefly and move on to more productive conversation.

Like others have said, being a sophomore re-rusher is far more likely to be a problem than a cast.

Thank you!

I am relieved about my cast, but now more worried about being a re-rusher. Is there any way someone could tell me which schools in the south have Greek systems where re-rushing is ill-advised? I don't know if this is against the rules or not, but it would be very helpful to know if my school is included in this category. Thank you.

My feeling is if you can't be around your sisters with a huge zit on your nose, a funky pair of glasses (because you lost your contacts) or a cast on your arm...they aren't your sisters.

(I have heard that at UCLA if you complete the process, maximize all options you will get a bid to a house. It may not be your dream house, but you will get a bid.) Anyone know that for sure?

Alabama has a separate Upperclassmen quota. What this means is that each sorority will be given two sets of numbers from Panhellenic, one for Freshmen & another for Upperclassmen, to invite back each round. We submit two bid lists as well. It has eliminated the discrimination Upperclassmen faced.

There was a girl that came through recruitment with a cast when I was an active, and she wrapped ribbons and such around her cast each day to match her outfits! It was really cute, and she was often asked about her stylish cast, so she had a conversation piece too.

Definitely have a quick response about the cast. Since everyone will ask, make it seem like it's the first time you've heard the question, don't seem annoyed by the question, and don't go on and on about it. It is what it is and it could help you stand out ("oh, the girl with the cast!").

Just be yourself and there's really nothing you can do about the fact that you're a sophomore, so try not to worry about it too much. If you have a Rho Chi you could try talking to her, but otherwise some houses may not take you simply because you are a sophomore and you can't control that. Focus on what you can control, have an open mind and good luck! Glad you weren't more hurt.

I'm confused. You said, "...everyone is usually guaranteed a bid," as if it would be no big deal for you as long as your cast wouldn't make or break (no pun intended) your recruitment experience. But you're rushing for a second time. Did you go through COB the first time and only visit a few houses? Did you drop out of formal recruitment a year ago? Or did you go through the entire formal recruitment process, maximize your options, and still not receive a bid? Because each of these situations might weigh differently on your chances of being invited to join a sorority.