Emory (Zeta Tau) Colony
 

Hello to all of my Gamma Phis out there. I am the new president of Emory University's colony. (All is on schedule as of now and we hope to install in the spring.) We have had amazing CLCs come in and work with us (I think we have worked with all but one). And our local alumne have been super nice and sooo helpful. We are getting ready to go through our first formal recruitment so any bits of advice or encouragement would be GREAT! Also, any decorating ideas for pref night? Since we dont have sorority houses on our campus currently we recruit out of frat houses. (And trust me its not easy planning how to make a frat house's kitchen look nice for pref night.) We are covering the walls with black fabric to make it feel less like a cinderblock kitchen, but any ideas about how to get around the no candles thing but still avoid flourecent lights? Seating arrangements? Etc? I would love to hear some advice from you guys who have been doing this for ever and from those who are newer like we are and chartered recently.
Thanks a ton!
Andrea

Congrats on being the Chapter's first president! That is something to truely treasure!!!


I'm a charter member of Zeta Sigma and this past fall was our first formal recuritment. Don't stress too much because then it will take all the fun out of the events. Be yourself and always smile!! You'll do great!!

Best of luck!

Love in IIKE

Can you afford electric candles right now? They aren't quite the same effect, but they can work well.

A lot of chapters also will use the white Christmas lights for a softer effect than harsh flourescents, and it can look really pretty if done properly.

Congrats on your presidency! I hope things go great for you at Emory!

For lighting, the white christmas lights help. You can also search for the mini spotlights -don't know what else to call them....you plug them in, usually outside, to light up a tree. They can be pretty bright and you can aim them where ever you want.

This is a more expensive idea, so don't know if it's possible for you. At Target, they usually have these cute table top lamps that are in the shape of a crescent moon or star. They have some type of paper mache (i know that is totally spelled wrong) covering.

You could also make a crescent moon and/or stars out of plywood and poke holes in it, then put the christmas lights in the holes from the back.

For table decorations, try getting or making styrofoam or floral foam (green stuff) crescent moons and covering them with fake pink carnations. My undergrad did that a couple years ago and it was so cute (they do recruitment in the student center b/c no one has a house). They also got helium balloons, tied really long ribbon on to it and attached paper stars to the end, so the stars hung in the air. If allowed, you could write the names of each pref attendee on a star/balloon,show it to her and tell her to make a wish, then let it go (obviously don't let her take it out). A little cheesy, but could be fun depending if your chapter likes it. Some of our balloons did deflate during the day. The alums and floaters walked around and collected some of them as they fell. It was kind of cute though (falling/shooting stars...make a wish).

good luck! I'm sure your chapter will do great!

stephanie