[lifesaver]

So first, some humor courtsey of collegehumor.com's Observational Humor

Sorority rush and Fraternity rush are completely different. Sorority rush involves visits to all the houses, and bid lists, and preferences, and complex rules about who you can and can't talk to and for how long. Fraternity rush involves nachos and college football.

Some sororities send clear messages during rush. They say, "we value you for who you are, we don't want to change you, we value your individuality, and we are all unique." And they say it with their 50 sisters all dressed in black pants, black sandals, and white baby tees.

I think its weird when everyone in a sorority dresses the same during rush as a symbol of unity. Unless they're wearing bikinis. Then it's pretty cool.

I used to stare in awe and amazment at the sorority recruitment process. Literally, stand there scratching my head, trying to understand why these women were acting the way they were. i have come to the understanding that it boils down to the differences between the sexes. (as has been stated) Men, fundamentally are more concerned with competetion, and survival of the fittest. Women on the other hand are more egalitarian by nature and want a level playing field for everyone, orgs and PNM's. For the most part, the women are quite pleased with their system, and really see no need to change their system. (Plus doing so is next to impossibe at the NPC level. YOU ever try to get 26 women to UNAMINOUSLY agree on ANYTHING? Thanks. I'll be off looking for Osama. He'll be found, tried and exicuted long befor NPC changes their recruitment practices.) I have come to the understanding that they are happy withtheir system, and it doesnt really matter what I think. they were doing it that way long befor I was greek, and will most likely be doing it that way long after my ass is dead and burried. But I do want to pose a few questions and make a few observations about their process to stimulate debate and maybe help answer some of my questions. Simply put, when a female friend asks me about going greek, I can sell her on it. When she asks me why the process is the way it is, I am dumbfounded, and cant justify it.

So let me start here with a quote: Originally posted by 33girl, "If your group is smaller, you HAVE to COB - you HAVE to have open bid parties all year - you HAVE to rush 24/7/365.
If you all care about the future of the greek system, which I know you do, this should be the attitude of everyone. Guys and girls, ya know, thats why they changed the name from rush to recruitment.

I honestly believe there should be a two or three teer system, maybe an opt-out system. I understand the necessity of some formalities in a heavily compedative system, such as LSU, A&M, etc, (with recs and stuff) but really at a school with 3 sororities, having PNM's turn in picts with apps, isnt necessary. it isnt. Do like the rest of us, get to know em, you'll remember em. Future friends and brothers/sisters shouldnt sit around memorizing facts and faces before you meet someone. thats just creepy (I knwo you do it so oyu'll have time to chat about other stuff in the limited time you have at parties, but that is just a symptom of a larger problem, and not a solution.)

Since I know my school best, We'll start there. Our IFC and PHC came to campus the same time - 1978. With four groups respectively. A year later one of the sororities folded. Rumor has something to do with their chap president dying ina car wreck or something. Its been 20 yers so the reliability of the info is suspect at best. By 1998 IFC had expended to 9 orgs, while PHC was still at 3 orgs. 20 YEARS LATER. The fraternities had grown by 3 fold, yet the women were stagnant in growth. Our PHC paid a lot of lip service to growing the greek system, looks to me like they werent holding up their end of the deal. Finally in 1999 PHC added Phi Mu. Welcome. Butit hardly seems fair that the first girls who were to join were the ones that all 3 established sororities rejected. Ya know, just 'cause someone can fillout an app and pay her fee doesnt mean she is member potential. So she is cut, but then she can be a founding mother? Lovely.

Do ya'll really neeed 108 pages of rules to tell you how to meet and make friends with someone? You have too many rules! You must turn in reciepts, cant take anything outta the rooms, turn in apps, infraction grievance procedures, recs, matching, quota, totals prefing, parties, bid cards? Its too much. Seems to me the focus needs to be put back on the PNM's and offa busting each other, 'catching others breaking the rules, and worrying that that 10th tank of helium is gonna get you in trouble because you broke PHC's spending cap. LETS PUT THE FOCUS BACK ON THE PNM'S. Plus, whats with the fact thatits virtually IMPOSSIBLE to cut a gal after formal recruitment and before initiation. We got a guy we met and know pretty well, but as a NM he turns out to be an ass hole. We cut him. I hear sorority girls bitching about their NM's and they are helpless to do anything about it because she made it to a pref party. Sorry, but I sure as hell dont wanana obligate myself to a lifetime of a bond if I honestly think soemone is a shmuck. Why should yall?

ALL OF US are facing declining numers. its a national trend. Ask the NPC or NIC. they'll tell you. (the LSU's and USC's cant keep the whole system afloat) So why make it harder to join? if anything, we should be tearing down the barriers to PNM's. At my school you gotta pay $45 for the opportunity to rush. PHC justifys that as "we pay for their lunches". If it really costs $45, then charge it as a bid card fee when the girls have mad ethe emotional committment to a group of girls. I know many girls who are intrested in greek life, but will turn and walk and when they are told they have to pay $45 just to rush as an app fee. BS. And you know it. If you dont, let me break down the numbers. All men (So I am assuming the numbers are roughly the same for women) all men (PNM's) can be cateogrized into 3 groups, always, maybe and never joiners. (as defined by the UCLA study on entering freshman they do every year) Always joiners comprise 25% of the fresman population, maybe joiners are about 50% of the pop, withthe never joiners rounding out the last 25%. The always joiners are usually legacies, or people like newbie, who have had a postive experience withthe greek system. The 50% maybe joiners are usually first generation college students and have no formed opinion on greek life. The last 25% fundamentally do not agree withthe greek system. Point is this: If we sit back and wait for people to approach us, men or women, we are only getting 25% of the population. We will be destined to failure. All of us could double the numbers in our houses and GLO's on campus if we'd get off our assses and quit expecting the PNM's to knock on our doors. Oh, wait, the incredibly rediculous encoumberances placed on women preclude you (women) from doing that on the pretense of equality. Huh. Dont come crying to me in 20 years when your numbers are inthe floor. It imazes me that the NPC directors can do enough math to do bid matching, yet cant see the number crunch facing all of us.

Its always about reciepts, apps, infraction grievance procedures, recs, matching, quota, totals prefing, parties, bid cards, etc. Every one of you gals rteading this knows you or your sisters have broken rush rules, even if accidentally or only slightly. None of us are perfect. I have broken a few myself. Why keep adding rules and regulations to curb every possible infraction, why not re-evaluate the whole system change it from a punitive system of cants, donts and will nots and instead turn it into a system of shoulds, coulds and ought to's? I mean, honestly, no one should ever cry tears of sadness over recruitment. If people are being hurt, we need to re-think.

(I helped to rebuild my chapter from 12 to 70 men, and no one capped us, gave us members or allowed us to snap bid. We just got out there and busted our ass. Now, 4 years later, were largest on campus and riding high. I know its apples and oranges, but I offer it for those who think a chapter of 20 cant compete with a chapter of 65. We did, and If I can do it, anyone can.)

NOW stop, breathe. I suspect some of you are pissed about this post. But before you hit the quote or post buttons, I ask you to ask yourself this. Are you defending the current system so vehemently because you really believe in it, and its the best way to bring PNM's into our world? Or because "its always been done that way", and some of us suffer from groupthink. All of us know there has to be a better system. I dont profess to have the answers. And I know the system wont change overnight, but I believe, fundamentally , that it HAS to change, eventually. If it doesnt, numbers will continue to decline and the overall health of the NPC will be in jeopardy. And that affects all of us.


(Please know that I wholeheartedly advocate sorority life and come from a long line of sororoity women and most of my female friends are greek. Would defend the system till the day I die, I just think there are some issues that need to be addressed. I have said my peace. Whats yours?)