I went to a midsize school in the south; I grew up in Germany and now live in New England; point being I have lived in many places and meet many people. I graduated from college over six years ago, so I by no means am an expert on today’s Greek Life. My knowledge is limited to my friend’s little sisters and brothers, my alumnae chapter, my family currently in college and my chapter alumnae letters. I have friends who went to college from California to Maine and South Dakota to Texas. We speak often and have so since we graduated from high school over ten years ago. Most are members of GLOs, some are GDI, I have listened to different views on Greek Life, from many different people, just as this board presents. The difference is, that if you are sitting at the campus cafeteria or your best friend’s couch when her big sister comes home from college and you ask some of the questions that are asked here, you are going to get open answers. You should still hear “keep an open mind,” “follow your heart,” etc, but you will also hear “ABCs are athletic,” “DEFs are the girls next door,” “GHIs are the prom queens,” I am sure you get my point. These young ladies who ask questions on here, obviously do not have someone to turn to, or they want more than just their cousin’s opinion. I thought what daisyflower said was interesting and her view only. I personally think that she should have included “Keep an open mind” and I am sure that ZTA and AOPi have positive points that would have been more appropriate. On the same note, no matter how much you tell people to be themselves; going through Rush is similar to a job interview, you are not going to show up at a party in cut-offs and a tank top. The same holds true for the GLOs, they are not going to offer a potential new member a beer or throw in JLo’s new CD and get up and dance. Everyone is going to have their clothes ironed, even when it is Philanthropy Day and they are in shorts and a Rush Week t-shirt, they are also going to be polite and put their best show forward. Unfortunately, you are not as an incoming Freshman at UA that is from Milwaukee, WI who is a Vegan and a practicing Mormon; going to know that “ABC” every Monday night after meeting goes to the Outback and then hits Senor Frogs. And again unfortunately at some schools, waiting to pledge your sophomore year is not necessarily and option, unless you are a member of the SA, Campus Tour guide, Business club, a cheerleader, etc.; my point is that you need to be very active and almost perfect your freshman year, with a high GPA. You can bet, if the sorority uses a point system, that the freshman ladies start off with the upper hand.
At my school, most of the sororities could not pledge you without a Rec; the more you had, the better. That said, if they wanted you, they would find someone to write you a Rec, even if that meant the night before Pref, they were on the phone to the local Alumnae Panhellenic or sorority chapter from your town, sending them out to talk with your hair dresser, or preacher, or second grade teacher, so they could invite you to Pref night. A dear friend of mine was a Pi Phi at Bucknell; she had never heard of a Rec until she meet me, eight years after she graduated from college. Every campus is different; every GLO is different between campuses. I am very new to this board and I have read several threads. It seems to me that the majority of people have good intentions when giving advice or opinions. The thing that other’s reading seem to be forgetting is that it is that person’s opinion only. I don’t think that attacking someone’s questions or opinions is necessary. There is such a thing as a dumb question, if you are asking it to be a jerk or to start s*&t. However, ignoring it keeps the fire from growing. Also, there are several threads on here that I believe that many people have started, because they are being inquisitive and would like to learn or understand. Just because you might think it is a stupid question, does not mean that the next person does. I have also seen a lot of responses jump on the negative bandwagon and make comments about how this thread has been done before “do you know how to use a search function.” The fact is I have used the search function. It can take forever you have to search each topic separately, under 150(+/-) forums. This board is here to help people who want to learn about the Greek Community and those that are Greek to meet new people, make friends and give advice, but that advice does not need to come at such a negative price.
If I state my opinion on here, it is only that, my opinion and it only comes from my experience as a member of Pi Beta Phi, at a midsize school in the south; where yes on occasion a girl was known to attend, to pledge a sorority that she could not get into at an SEC school and then transfer before her sophomore year.
As members of the Greek Community we have knowledge and possibly a bit of wisdom that can help these young ladies who are starting college, or are in college that did not have a successful rush, get what they want and what we have.
