A Hard Rock Recruitment!
 

Hello GC, I'm a longtime lurker who has finally decided to post :) I will be a Junior this year, and I'm also going to be a Gamma Chi for Recruitment 2014. This has got me reminiscing on my own recruitment experience, and I figured this would be the perfect place to post and relive it!


I attend a medium sized public school in the Midwest, and the whole Greek community and recruitment process is much smaller and relaxed than at larger schools. However, a large chunk of the student body is Greek. We have 5 NPC sororities that participate in formal recruitment and one very small local sorority. I had done some research before I went in, and thought I had some idea of which sororities I would enjoy being in, but still went into the process with a decidedly open mind. NONE of my family was greek, so all of my information came from my best friend and her mother, who had been President of her sorority back in the day. At our school, recruitment occurs a week after classes begin. I actually convinced my roommate to rush. We were both kind of nervous and had no idea what to expect. Of course, in my 18 year old brain, I thought I'd just scour the internet for information and advice to prepare, but I realized after extensive searches on the recruitment process that I simply would not understand what it was like until I experienced it! All I could do was dive in with a positive attitude and open mind. After meeting my Gamma Chi and rush group, I was super excited and ready to find my home for the next four years! I rushed in Fall 2012.

Open-Day 1
 

We break the open round into two days of parties, visiting 3 on one day and 3 on the next. At my school, sororities don’t have chapter houses, so the parties were held at venues around town and we were bussed to each location. I love classic rock music, so I have given the sororities at my school according code names :rolleyes:
The Doors
The Rolling Stones
The Beatles
Jimi Hendrix
Pink Floyd
Led Zeppelin



First up was:
The Doors: This was the only chapter I had a rec to, but my school doesn’t place a ton of importance on recs in the first place.I loved this party. The snacks were delicious and the girls I talked to were very friendly and down to earth, which was important to me because I’m a very “no frills” kind of gal. I talked to 4 girls here, and every conversation was comfortable. I talked about everything from the weather, to basic get-to-know-yous, to awful roommate stories. These girls seemed very open, funny, and confident. They showed us a hilarious video about their sisterhood. Overall I left feeling very happy and confident I had made a good impression. I really wanted to go back and felt extremely comfortable here, especially for it being my first party of recruitment!


The Rolling Stones: This was the small local sorority on campus. We were seated 5 PNMs to 1 rusher at tables, which was very awkward and difficult to hold a conversation. How it went for the most part was that the active would ask the table a question and all of us PNMs would answer her one by one. It was hard to find a groove. We were told to help ourselves to some cookies which were ok, and then when conversation dwindled we all went to see the nice displays and scrapbooks that had been set out. The girls seemed very nice, but nervous. For some it was probably exactly what they were looking for, but it was not my cup of tea.


The Beatles: This is the largest sorority on our campus, but I felt a little bit of a disconnect between all of the girls. The girls were nice but a few conversations felt very forced. I had taken a school trip to Spain the summer before, and after my first rusher got bumped, that was the only topic I discussed the rest of the night. (Four times I heard "This is kayrule, we were just talking about her trip to Spain!" "Oh my gosh, tell me all about it!"):o I didn't feel like I really got to know any of the girls here, or truly express myself. Overall, it was a so-so experience. I left feeling good, but not as great as I had leaving The Doors.
I went home exhausted, but excited for what the next day of open parties had in store!

Open-Day 2
 

So I came to our meeting spot on the next day feeling refreshed and ready for some more talking!



Jimi Hendrix:One of the “top tier” sororities on campus. Everyone who had visited them on Day One gave rave reviews, so I was excited. However, it was nothing like I expected. There was no chemistry at all between my rusher and me. We had nothing in common and the conversation didn’t flow well at all. The atmosphere was very cold. However, the other girls just seemed so happy and I really liked what I heard about their philanthropy and sisterhood. Looking back now, I think I secretly just liked the idea of being accepted by a pretty group of girls. (ugh :confused:) Although I did want to talk to more girls and go back just to see if I found something new, I really thought deep down this was not my home and did not expect to be invited back.


Pink Floyd: This sorority doesn't have the best rep on campus, however, I had a great time! The snacks were delicious and the decorations were lovely, everyone was friendly and welcoming. It almost seemed a little too cheesy and cheerful though. One girl was extremely hyper and talked about weird subjects I didn’t know how to respond to and it threw me off. They performed a cute little song/skit. I felt happy at the end overall.


Led Zeppelin: At this point, I was so mentally exhausted that I just wanted to go home. However, I found the reprieve from rush week I was looking for at this party. They served snacks that actually had nutritious value (all the other houses had served some sort of dessert) and the girls I talked to were very genuine. We talked about real, important stuff and I felt like I really made a connection with them. The President seemed a little fake and I wasn’t impressed by the decorations, but overall this was definitely one of my favorites. I left feeling very comfortable and satisfied.
At the end of the day, we had to rank 4 sororities as our top. I ended up ranking:
1. The Doors
2. Led Zeppelin
3. The Beatles
4. Jimi Hendrix:
You’re probably wondering why I ranked Jimi Hendrix and The Beatlesover Pink Floyd. Both of them I was interested to learn more about to get a full impression of them, and The Beatles had been decent enough. I figured if Jimi Hendrixdropped me as I expected, I’d still get to return to a house I had loved. Now I look back on my decision and roll my eyes. It is now clear to me that as much as I wanted to keep an open mind, I was really being swayed by reputation....I wanted to be in one of the pretty, popular sororities. (or at least the ones I considered as such!) I cringe just thinking about it, haha.

Great story so far. Do you remember what you wore? I always love the fashion aspect of recruitment.

Invite
 

To irishpipes, I do remember what I wore! During Open, we were given a standard t shirt and could pair it with whatever we wanted. some girls were wearing skirts and heels with theirs, but I believed i opted for jean capris one day and grey corduroy pants with a belt the next :)

I got the 9 am phone call from my Gamma Chi saying I had invites to pick up. Hooray! I rolled out of bed in my PJs and headed over to our meeting spot outside the Student Union to to pick up my invite cards. I was returning to 4 sororities, a full schedule! I had been invited back to
The Doors
Led Zeppelin,
The Beatles,
and Pink Floyd. I wasn’t very upset that I didn’t receive an invite from Jimi Hendrix, maybe a little bummed that I wouldn't get to know more about them, but I now knew for sure that it wasn't the place for me. I excitedly returned to the dorms where I got ready for the day in a maroon floral sundress and nice sandals. At our school, the titles Philanthropy and Invite are kind of interchangeable; sororities can (and usually do) emphasize philanthropy during this round, but they aren’t "required" to.


First up was Led Zeppelin: I was excited to go back to this house. When I walked in, I was greeted by 100 girls wearing the same wacky outfit (I’m not going to describe it for fear of giving away my school, as this is something very unique to their chapter.) The girl I was paired with was very nice, and she explained that the outfit was a tradition going back nearly one hundred years. I liked that this house valued traditions. Overall, conversation flowed smoothly, everyone was friendly, and I had a good time. Their philanthropies were very important to me. At one point, chapter sang a very long song directed at the PNMs that I found off putting, but I tried to look past it. As the party ended, I was sad to leave, but also felt a little less jazzed about Led Zeppelin than I had during Open. It had fallen a little flat compared to the day before.



The Doors: I was extremely excited I had been invited back here, and after this party, it was still my favorite! The girls I talked to were super down to earth and funny. I just felt as though we clicked. We had to do a craft, something I’m terrible at, but the girl I was doing it with empathized with me and we laughed our way through it. The Seniors sung a song that they traditionally sing during Invite of their last recruitment. Being a young'n and not thinking about how LONG AND EXHAUSTING recruitment is on the other side, I felt that the other actives should’ve been more sentimental than they seemed, but many other girls were yawning, staring into space, or looking at the clock. A girl that I had hit it off with the previous day came up and said “hi” again. I left feeling comfortable and happy, and hoping to God I would receive an invite to Pref the next day.


Then we had a lunch break with our rush groups in the Student Union, and started the second wave of parties. Since our school is smaller, there are less parties to attend, but they all last longer as well, so Recruitment is still an all day event.



The Beatles: This chapter had felt so-so after Open, so I was interested to see what it would be like today. They had a cute as can be theme to Invite, and it was so put together and cool. One girl I talked to had similar interests as me, so conversation flowed better than previously. However, this was only the case with her, and conversation felt a bit fake with the other two. They were *REALLY REALLY EXCITED TO SEE ME!!* which was great of course, but in my head I was thinking "How can you be this excited when you don't know anything about me?" I figured they saw something in me that I hadn’t expected, but it still weirded me out a little. In the end, despite how much I enjoyed the theme, the whole event seemed perfectly rehearsed, and that just wasn’t what I was looking for in a sorority. I'd gladly describe myself as a total weirdo any day, and I just didn't belong in a house that was prim and perfect. I wanted something that was, as a whole, genuine and unrehearsed. I left feeling sure that The Beatles was not the chapter for me.


Pink Floyd: Last party of the day, and I was exhausted. It didn’t help that it was set in a cold room that wasn’t decorated much at all. The first girl I talked to I really got along with, we were having a good conversation, and then I got bumped. This next poor girl was in love with her sorority and with our school, but bless her heart, our conversation was dead boring. It wasn’t hard to keep it up, I just really didn’t enjoy what we were talking about. She was extremely sweet, though. Either way, I was relieved to leave at the end. I still felt as though I would rank Pink Floydover The Beatles, just because the girls seemed more like me.



We went back, and I found it difficult, once again, to rank. I knew my top 2, but we have to rank a top 3 (even though we can return to a maximum of 2 parties during Pref.) After a talk with my Gamma Chi and a lot of thinking, I ranked (in order):
1. The Doors
2. Led Zeppelin
Pink Floyd

I think I should point out that in retrospect, one of the reasons I really wanted The Doors was that I had a lot of friends in this chapter at different schools. Naive little me didn't even think that different schools had different types of girl in each chapter. I loved The Doors so much during recruitment, and I think part of me fell into the trap of wanting to be able to say I was sisters with some of my best friends from home (totally not the point of recruitment, me!!!) I went back to my dorm room and talked with my roommate all night about our day and our rankings. She was torn between The Doors and Jimi Hendrix. Although I was tired and nervous, I finally managed to get some sleep before Pref the next day.

Great story! More, more, more!!

Preference
 

I woke up to another call from my Gamma Chi, telling me I had invites to pick up for the day ahead. I walked to our meeting spot with tons of emotions racing through me. With a reserved look on her face, my GX handed me an envelope. I opened it and saw:
Led Zeppelin
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd : I was paired with a great girl at this party, but overall, I just could not picture myself here for the life of me. When I got called up, the woman introducing me mispronounced my name and I had to correct her awkwardly. I wanted to disappear. The girl I was talking to had a lot in common with me, and I felt like we really connected; however, the environment just didn’t feel right for me. I could tell there was a lot of nervousness in the room. The ceremony was beautiful, and I started crying in spite of myself. My emotions were very high, and I felt terrible that I didn’t see myself here because I saw how important the sorority was to the sisters. I left feeling that I really didn’t belong here, but at least if I got a bid, I would have some great women for sisters.


Led Zeppelin: I walked in, and the venue was decorated the exact opposite of Pink Floyd’s. It felt sophisticated and warm at the same time, and I immediately felt at home. The girl I was paired with had so much in common with me, and once again I found myself having a real, down to Earth, and at times deep conversation with a girl I had never met before. I knew this was the house for me. The ceremony was wonderful, and in those moments I knew that Led Zeppelin was something I wanted to be a part of. The ladies represented something that I could strive to be; classy ladies that didn’t take themselves too seriously at the same time. I left hoping I’d see Led Zeppelin on my bid card the next day, but after what had happened with The Doors , I was all nerves.



As you can probably guess, I ranked:
1. Led Zeppelin
2. Pink Floyd

I have to admit that the "wacky outfits" have made my imagination run wild. My favorite imagined outfit is dutch for some reason-all the sisters decked out in little dutch girl outfits complete with wooden shoes, white tights and those white hats with the swoopy points. The sort of outfit that you would see Miss Holland wear in the Miss Universe pageant.

My mind immediately pictured a white cycling outfit from ~1912 with big bloomers, a boater hat with a ribbon hanging down the back, and a sailor collar with a big navy tie in the front. Something like this but in white with a boater hat. Definitely "wacky" by today's standards but quite fashionably edgy 100 years ago. When this is over, I hep the OP shares a picture of the real wacky outfits that are traditional for this chapter!

So… will the OP be climbing a Stairway To Heaven wearing a wacky outfit with sisters whom she aspires to be like? Or will she be Just Another Brick In The Wall with sisters who seem more like her now?

Known Beatles fan that I am, I really want to know which sorority it is! Please feel free to PM me, if you don't wish to post it!

Hoping that you get Led Zeppelin and your own wacky outfit! I think I have that one figured out, but I could be totally wrong with that!

Led Zeppelin -- bid this woman who grammatically correctly wants to be "a part" of the chapter!!!

There is a GC Derby Days thread with a photo from the early 1900's of Sigma Chis dressed as Pi Phis, Tri Deltas and KDs. I think the wacky outfits should be the ladies dressed in Sigma Chi bowler hats.

Ooh I can't wait!

So what happened?

Bid Day!
 

Sorry for the wait everyone! Thanks for being patient :)
Bid Day was on a Monday, so we had a three hour slot during which we could go sign our bids at the Student Union in between classes and before the Bid Day festivities. I got a call that morning from my Gamma Chi saying I had received a bid! Phew. Hard part’s over. After my afternoon class I rushed over to the Student Union where I found a line of girls coming out the door. I found my Gamma Chi, and we walked into a room together. (At my school, you open your bid one on one with your GX, so they can either celebrate with you or provide you with some kind words and support in a semi-private setting) With shaking hands, I opened my envelope and saw a bid from…..








LED ZEPPELIN!!!!!
Aka




ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA!!
I literally jumped up and down and squealed with joy. The funny thing was that through some seriously talented Facebook stalking I had discovered my GX’s affiliation the night before. Turns out, we were sisters now!! She was extremely happy and I hugged a new sister for the first time before getting in line with other girls to sign my bid. I then had a great day and night enjoying Bid Day festivities. Even though I hadn’t realized it at first, Alpha Sigma Alpha was truly where I belonged. :cool:


PM me if you want to know the outfit or think you know my chapter!! I'm sure to some Alphas this is probably a dead giveaway....oops :rolleyes: