A Very Old Merry Christmas Recruitment Story

[holiday]

Hey All! Thought we all may have some time to read an early 90s recruitment thread. One where there were pledge classes not new member classes. Where we went through rush not recruitment. Where all the posters hung on sorority houses said "KROP" - Keep Rushing Our Pledges.

Okay - A little back story. I went to a small liberal arts college. I did not live on campus my freshman year. I was on the dance team and did not feel I had time for a sorority. I moved to campus my sophomore year. My roommate was on the dance team with me - we will call her Jennifer. Jennifer was in a sorority and loved it. My sophomore year I hung out with tons of her sisters and decided that greek life was for me.

Jennifer made sure to tell me to get recommendations to all the chapters on campus. I only got one for Jennifer's sorority because I knew that was where I would end up. Hahaha. Going through recruitment as a junior with only one recommendation out of six - not too smart.

Okay the theme will be Christmas! Yay! Here are the chapters.

Jingle
Wisemen
Angel
Candy Cane
Santa
Rudolph

Round 1 - Water Party
Jingle - this house was a popular house. They scared me because they knew so much about me even though I only knew 1 member here (and she was a Rho Chi). Very talkative and meet lots of members.

Wisemen - many of the dance team members were in the chapter. They were very sweet, smart women - haha, do you like I called them wisemen?

Angel - this was a new group colonizing. They had the chapter from Florida State come do their recruitment. They were very attractive women who loved their chapter and thought everyone needed to jump at the chance to colonize.

Candy cane - Oh finally - this was the chapter I knew so many members. As I walked in, Jennifer winked and smiled at me. I met several new girls and really enjoyed myself.

Santa - this was also a very smart group on campus. They had a reputation for being very good Christian girls, but kind of dorky. I liked them though - I had a nice time.

Rudolph - this was my least favorite house. I did not know anyone here. I only met one girl and there were tons of awkward silences.

At the end of the night we had to rank our top 4 and 2 alternate.
I ranked
1.Candy cane
2.Wisemen
3.Angel
4.Santa
5.Jingle
6.Rudolph

[holiday]

Okay, as I said before, round 2 was only 4 houses. This was their skit night. I had no concept that being a junior may limit my choices, so I confidently walked up to my Rho Chi and received my invitation list. I fully expected it to be the 4 I chose first.

Well it was not too bad. Santa had dropped me. Wow, I was a smart Christian girl too - I could not understand it until a fellow rushee told me that they cut all upperclassmen night one. Oh, okay then.

I still had Jingle, Wisemen, Angel, and Candy cane.

First up
Angel - I met a woman named Stormy. I remember to this day because her last name was Weather. So funny to me. Remember they were from FSU so no one knew any of them. I LOVED her. She told me about all the fun things they did. Their skit was great. I met so many members, but Stormy was with me the entire time. She never bumped, she was simply my own personal hostess. Had a great time, but had to remember this was still a colony and that scared me.

Jingle - I was a little shocked to be back here. They were such a strong group on campus, why hadn't they cut me? I was a junior. Well, they had not so in I went. Their skit was flawless. Their girls were so so cute and funny. They talked about their philanthropy in their skit and all the members seemed to really connect to it. I loved everything about it, except that it was a little too perfect and too rehearsed and still knew too much about me ( a little stalkerish). When I left, I was escorted in a group that the Rho Chi was the Jingle I knew. She asked me how I liked it, I said it was fine. she seemed shocked by my comment of "fine". she actually said, I think you need to take another look and give it more of a chance......wait was that a rush infraction?...yes, but I think the statue of limitations has run out.

Wisemen - This was so easy. So many dancers were here from my team. They were still so sweet. Their skit was cute and entertaining. This was just an easy party. I left knowing I could fit in here.

Candy cane - Jennifer's little sister was my rusher! Yay, another easy party. She was so nervous. I told her there was nothing to be nervous about, it was just me and her talking. We did not talk about the chapter at all. She told me how tired she was and I was too. Then all of the sudden, I was bumped into (not like rotation, but physically). I turned around and there was a Candy cane I did not know. she did not smile at me at all. When I turned back to my conversation, Jennifer's little said "Oh, she is the most annoying negative person ever, I'm sorry that happened". A little weird and very weird when you are on the other side and know NEVER to talk about one of your sisters during recruitment in a negative light at all. But to be fair, I did tell her that it was just her and I talking!

So at the end of the night we could rank 3. Pref was tomorrow.

I ranked
1. Candy cane - of course
2. Angel - scared of it though
3. Wisemen
4. Jingle

[holiday]

Okay - so it is pref night. so far this recruitment thing is not too bad. I had three houses I liked, even though the colony was very scary. And one that was supposed to be a great house.

I again confidently walked to my Rho Chi to get my invitation list. It read only two parties out of three.

It was Candy cane and Angel. Wow, I was thrilled for candy cane, but a little sad about loosing wisemen. I was sad not devastated so that was okay.

Angel was first. Someone I had not met preffed me. Apparantly Stormy had gotten very ill and was not there tonight. I liked the member that preffed me though. I was honest with her about everything that scared me. She addressed all my concerns and told me all the positives......like, they need leaders to step up immediately in new chapters, since I was a junior with dance team leadership, it should be easier for me here instead of with an established group. She talked about all the excitement of getting to form all our own traditions instead of following what others have already set up. she gave it a great sell. I left thinking, maybe just maybe???.........

Candy cane was next. I was so happy, one of my best friends "Carol" was preffing me. Oh I just love her. We watched the ceremony and cried together. she said she wanted me to be her sister so bad she could not stand it. Jennifer came by to hug me and tell me how much she loved me. I saw her little sister across the room and she smiled and waved. Oh I love this chapter so so much - I may burst!!!!!

Ranking was very easy!
1. Candy cane
2. Angel

[holiday]

Okay - can you tell that I do not like stories that drag out forever, especially ones that have already happened! So here is the conclusion.

Back in the 90s, there was no such thing as guaranteed placement like there is at some universities today. I had to wait in my room for what seemed like forever to wait to see if my Rho Chi knocked on my door with unfortunate news that I had been released. Luckily this did not happen.

We were all to go to a specified place, get in line according to our last name and pick up our bid. Once opened, run to the ampitheater to our screaming new sisters. finally, my turn. I took a deep breath and opened. You guessed it.




ANGEL...........what?

I felt all the air leave me. I wanted to cry so bad. I knew that I could go talk to the FSU girls in Angel and they could help me, but what about my Candy cane friends?

So I walked, not ran like everyone around me to the ampitheater. I passed the Candy canes, there was Jennifer and Carol crying so hard. It was awful! I finally made it to the Angels and found out the members from FSU had to leave after pref. We were greeted by another university chapter and by all the local alums. I knew NO ONE. I went back to my dorm room to change for the off campus bid day activities. There Carol and Jennifer and I met up. We all cried and hugged. You see, what I did not understand then, was that a few girls do not decide for the entire chapter. While I was on their bid list, I was not high enough. I decided that i would not go to bid day and told Jennifer and Carol that. They encouraged me to go and see about it. So I did.


I still did not have a good time. The next day, I went to the consultant in charge of the colonization and told her I wanted to break my pledge. She said she would happily do that if i would do her the favor of giving it two weeks. I agreed. I never tried to quit again. It was the best sorority I could have ever chosen! I had more Angels in my wedding than Candy canes, even though I still LOVE Carol and Jennifer!

Curious as to what the Angels are?


Well I was not very creative!




PI BETA PHI!!!!!!!!

[ElieM]

Great story, short & sweet and to the point.

You never know how life ends up

[FSUZeta]

great story and moral. so glad that you listened, first to your friends, then to the greek life advisor, and finally, to your heart!

[ladybug12]

Thanks for sharing your story! And for helping me get into the Holiday spirit with your theme!

[Low C Sharp]

Love the story, but my school-sleuthing failed! Did you alter any details (# of chapters, timing of formal recruitment), or did I just fall short?

[holiday]

Haha - i think you just fell short this time. It was Birmingham-Southern College. Small Liberal Arts College in Birmingham, AL.

[SydneyK]

It makes me sad that this is considered a 'very old' story. I rushed in the early 90's and simply cannot allow this to be a 'very old' story! 'Slightly dated' maybe. Or perhaps even 'kinda on the verge of old'. But not VERY old! Right? PLEASE?!?!

[angels&angles]

Yesssss. Yay Pi Phi! Was it a recolonization? A friend's mother went there, I believe in the '70s, and told me about how well she remembered the Pi Phi door song from her rush (she went AXO). I guess I could just look this up in irishpipe's thread.

[angels&angles]

Okay, I did go look it up, and it looks like the chapter closed in '89 and irishpipes is not clear when the recolonization occurred -- holiday, perhaps you could PM her and let her know what year that was!

[Mevara]

Short and sweet, Loved it!

Although I find it interesting that the colony participated in FR and didn't hold their own separate events afterwards.

[holiday]

Yes it was a recolonization. Happened in fall of '90. It was very soon after they had closed the chapter, although I do not think they closed in '89 - maybe it was '88 - they were not there my freshman or sophomore years. They did it so quickly because the chapters were building townhouses and PBP did not want to miss out on that. There were still undergrads that had been part of the original chapter, but they did not participate in recruitment or anything else. They all kept their alum status.

I guess since BSC is such a small campus with chapter total being 45ish, not many people COB. Maybe that is the reason they colonized during FR.

[angels&angles]

My school (W&L) also did a colonization which was held during FR. Pretty much no one COBs on the campus (75% of girls are in a sorority; of the other 25%, probably 10% didn't rush, 10% got cut from their favorite group and dropped, 5% actually got cut or went bidless at every group -- usually for reasons that would make them undesirable to a colony), so doing it after would have been counterproductive for them.