Rush at UCSC

[FuzzieAlum]

Usually "new members" spend a lot of time learning things like the sorority's history, which obviously won't take NBO's newest sisters very long! They also learn things like your colors, symbols, songs, etc. (This would be a great opportunity to have them write a song for you!) Generally, they also learn a little about the Greek system; what NIC and NPC are, what other Greeks are on campus, and any rules they must follow as members (GPA, fines, any rush no-nos, which since you don't have a Panhel isn't relevant). And they get to know each other and ya'll, and get a big sister.

[theta sig agd]

Thanks to Navane and TriSigmaTX for the info. I would love to work in Greek life for pay but I dont think I will be able to got back to school in a different major and then do a masters! But who knows!!!

If I need addt info I will ask both of you!

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Navane and TriSigmaTX - That is very interesting. I have a sister who worked in res life, first as an undergrad RA, next a grad student RD, and then moved on to help run residential life at a small college in upstate New York. I always wondered how one could be employed in the greek life field. Pretty informative posts. Thanks.

Back to NBO- Corina, you are doing great. Like anything else worth doing, greeklife takes a big time commitment. It takes a while to figure out how to strike a balance with sorority, school, work, friends outside of greeklife, and family. I think that you should remember why you are in college and prioritize and budget your time accordingly. Good luck!

[Glitter650]

Corina,
maybe during the new member's "new member period" they could like fuzzie said write a song for NBO. That way they are being creative. I know in our new member program it's all pretty much in a book we call reflections and it states our goals.. and asks us questions about how we are doing toward acheiving those goals, what we think we could do to improve upon them, and specific places we could go for improvement. like in the academic section it asks quiestions like... "why did you choose to go to college" .. "is your current GPA helping or hurting the chapter as a whole." Then it asks you who in the sorority has your major, if you know anywhere on campus where they offer tutoring.. all that kind of stuff for each of the things we are supposed to do. Another thing I think would be a good things for the new members to do is plan an event. Since this is A LOT of what sorority is about is staying organized and on top of things as far as getting an event to happen, giving them the opportunity to do that will help them learn how to work together, and it will be a bonding experience for them. That's all the suggestions I can think of at the moment... Keep up the good work, balancing everything is hard.. but you will do beautifully and once other woman around see how together you (and hopefully your NBO sisters) are they will want to be a part of NBO.

[navane]

Hi Corina!!

I'm sure you're ultra busy with finals and stuff....

....but I need an update!!


Wasn't Alpha Xi Delta supposed to present in "mid-May"? Has anything been arranged yet? How is NBO doing?

Update! Update! Update!


Please!


......Kelly

[wishinhopin]

Hi everyone,

AAAGH life is so hectic! I've been working like crazy trying to earn rent money for the beautiful house that some of my sisters and I are going to be living in. This plus finals has me seriously stressed and having zero time for fun. There was a mix up in communication between Mariko and Alpha Xi Delta, so I'm not sure if there will be time for them to present still this year. Apparently AZD sent some prefered dates for the presentation to Mariko, but she never received them or wrote back, and now another email has been sent out that's basically our last chance. Mariko has to respond to it by like 2 pm central time tomorrow, and I'm pretty sure it just got sent out yesterday or today, so I don't think there's much hope of us affiliating this year. If Mariko gets the email and responds to it in time, then they will come to present on like June 1,2,3, or 4th. Who knows at this point. Otherwise things have been going well, trying to conduct a new member period is still tought but we're having some fun and trying to make everything work. I tried to call Mariko but she didn't answer. We had our first ever greek week last week (I couldn't go to ANY of it because I had to work so much) so I know that Mariko has had alot on her plate recently. Everything will work out like it's supposed to right?
More later if anything happens.
love, Corina

[mmcat]

in the greater scope of things, just be patient...
also give yourself some fun time...
cheers
mmcat

[mmcat]

you haven't checked in for awhile....
how ya doing?
anything new and exciting...
we're with ya, you know that
mmcat

[wishinhopin]

Things are not going so well with NBO these days. I don't even quite know where to begin. For starters, several of our sisters are sick, and one of them is now inactive because she needs to go home and be with her doctor there. For another, things with our expansion efforts are all screwy. Alpha Xi Delta sent Mariko a list of dates that would be good for them to come present at our school. Mariko never responded. AZD then sent a follow up schedule, but Mariko never responded. Since Mariko has been so on top of things, I assumed that AZD had been slacking off, and as soon as she heard anything, she would let me know. But as it turns out, once I got in contact with AZD, I learned that this whole mixup in communication has cost us our opportunity to potentially affiliate with them this year. So, that means that, in fall, we will have to forge ahead with rush without help from a higher organization, which is going to be really hard, especially considering that our spring rush was remarkably complicated. Beyond this, NBO is now fully a part of the greek gossip scene, thanks largely in part to me. Members of other sororities do not appear to like us very much. Rumors were spread about me having sex with guys that I definitely did not have sex with, and basically we are now known as hoes (spell?) even know we aren't. Plus, there's all this talk about how Alpha Psi used to hang out with Delta Omega Chi all the time, but now we hang out with them, so Alpha Psi doesn't like us. And, since we're with DOC, Alpha Psi now hangs out with Theta Chi, and now Theta Chi supposedly spends more time with Alpha Psi then Gamma Phi Beta, so Gamma Phi doesn't like us. I realize this is all just stupid gossip but I don't want to be a part of it at all. And yet, I've done things that place me in the rumor mill, I'm so stupid sometimes. We went to this luau thing that Theta Chi had, and a girl from Gamma Phi Beta was at the entrance. She's all "Are you in Gamma Phi or Alpha Psi?" and so we were like no, we're in Nu Beta Omicron. And then she's all "Well why are you here then?" all kinds of rude. I don't want to be the person who inspires such hostility. So I'm just feeling very dismal about NBO right now. I wish things were just a teensy tiny bit easier ya know? Just a little. I'm just rambling now, I'm sorry. More later or if anything happens.
Corina

[SaraKT]

Hey Corina,
I've been reading your thread since you started it but I've never felt so inclined to respond until tonight. The reason these girls are acting this way can be summed up into one word: Jealously. PM me and I can tell you more about what happened to me after I rushed last fall. Girls have a tendency to become snippy when they feel threatened, and I'm saying this as a girl. I'm known as "Momma Bear" to a ton of my friends because if I feel that they are being "threatened" I will jump in to defend them whether they need it or not. These girls possibly feel like you are in their territory so to speak. Girls are catty, bottom line. I'm not woman-bashing or anything like that I'm just telling it like I see it. Drop me a line if you ever need to vent or anything.

Love,
SaraKT

[wishinhopin]

Hi everyone,

Things are going a bit better in my life. We had our initiation ceremony tonight for our two pledges, so now NBO has a total of 9 active members. That's a whole lot for us. I cried alot in our ceremony because there was all this sweet music playing, and I had a little speech prepared that I basically sobbed my way through. It was, altogether, a good experience for all of us. I think it especially helped us all feel a little more bonded before school ends and we'll be apart for summer. I've been in contact with Marissa from AZD, and I must say, I think she's just the nicest woman I've ever talked to in my whole life. She's been really patient, helpful, and understanding about this whole process, and it's made me want even more to be a part of AZD. She's put me in charge of coordinating dates between AZD, John Holloway, and NBO, and so far I'm making some good progress. It's frustrating to me because I have to wait for John and/or his assistant to respond, and every day that they don't write back to my emails or give me a call back, is another day that this whole process is delayed. It's a big ordeal, but I'm sure someday we'll work it out. Thanks again for the support from everyone here- I still feel crappy about the lack of respect that other orgs on our campus have for us, but I know that ultimately it just doesn't matter. I just want everyone to be friendly with eachother ya know? I'll keep y'all posted.
love, Corina

[NoShame_Gamma]

Corina,

I know what you mean about the whole lack of repect thing. It happened to my group when we first got started on our campus. As a matter of fact, we still have to deal with dirty looks and whispers as we pass by certain greek members. I'll tell you what I told my girls, "Kill them with kindness!" Not only are you not stooping to their level, but it bothers the heck out them as well! To this day, I still say hello to certain members and don't get any sort of acknowledgement at all! Hang in there, it'll work out.

Keep moving forward!

-Obdulia Ortega
Founder: GAO Charter at HSU

[ynnubhcaeb]

Hey Wishinhopin!

I've read all 46 pages that come with this thread and I love all the effort you are putting into finding the organization for your school. I saw that Alpha Sigma Tau sent you an information packet and I thought that since I am a sister of AST I would write you and let you know how fabulous this organization has been. I entered college being anti-greek and then I decided to go through formal rush and found AST. They weren't the sorority that you hear about, they were so diverse and they weren't fake (I'm not saying that all sororities are fake). We are a growing organization and would love to have a second chapter in CA, if you have any questions about the organization feel free to email me and I will answer any of them for you.

Good luck,
ynnubhcaeb

[kddani]

This story is just so incredibly awesome.... just wonderin', did you hear anything from KD?
Also, has anyone ever heard of some sororities that will only colonize if there are at least a certain amount of NPC sororities on campus? That might explain the lack of responses.
Your dedication amazes me, and had in been in a position like you, i think i would've tried to do the same thing. Luckily, i didn't have too b/c of KD. But your drive and determination will get you so far in life.
Please PM or email me if you EVER have any questions or need advice about ANYTHING greek or non greek. I've been a part of almost every aspect of my sorority, so i think i'm a decent resource :O)
Once again,
thank you for sharing your story on here! :O)
-danielle
kappa delta alumna

[wishinhopin]

Kappa Delta did not express any interest in us, although I think that Alpha Psi (the other local sorority) wrote to them and said that they were interested in affiliating. I've been on contact with Marissa from AZD, and this is the most recent email she sent me with some useful info:

Do you know how GPA is calculated for our school, where students have the option of taking classes Pass/Fail? I'm really not familiar with the pass/fail option. You should probably talk to the Registrar and ask how it is included in your GPA. This is something we would need to know about the campus in order to ensure we are properly following our academic requirements should a colonization occur. As of right now, Alpha Xi Delta does not have a specific policy regarding pass/fail classes, just a minimum GPA requirement.

What is the policy for sisters who don't make the grades? When you ask this question, I assume by "sister" you are referring to a sister of NBO, and not a sister of AXD. If a potential member does not have a 2.25 cumulative GPA, then she is not eligible for membership. We always encourage interested women to consider membership once their cumulative GPA reaches the 2.25 minimum. Also, just as an FYI, all NPC sororities have a minimum GPA requirement.

how would things work in terms of us becoming initiated members of AZD? Would we rush more women in the fall, or would we be rushed in the fall? Alpha Xi Delta's goal during a colonization is to have a chapter that is the average size of the other chapters on campus. Therefore, given your current size, we would recruit additional women in the fall. In general, and this is how most NPC organizations do it, AXD would participate in the first round of formal recruitment and then withdraw from the process in order to hold our own week of colonization activities after recruitment ends. All interested women, including the members of NBO, would be encouraged to attend our events. As you and I discussed earlier, each member will be interviewed individually. First, we would have about a week of public relations - a campaign run by the Fraternity that would include flyers, ads in the student paper, and information tables. Then, we would hold Interest Meetings so that women could come see what we're all about. During this time, interested women, including members of NBO, would sign-up for a personal information session so that we can meet each person, answer their questions, and share membership requirements with them - including the GPA requirement and financial obligations (which NBO already has a copy of in the booklet I sent). Following the personal information sessions, we will issue invitations to selected women to attend a philanthropy party. The philanthropy party is a way to introduce women to our philanthropy and to give you all a chance to get to know one another. Each woman has the opportunity to meet the other women going through the process and to see if she feels like this is for her. After the philanthropy party, we issue invitations to the women selected to attend our preference party. We usually have collegians come from a nearby campus to participate in the evening's events. Not only do potential members get a chance to see another side of Alpha Xi Delta, but they also get a chance to meet other collegiate members. Finally, bids are extended the day after preference and pledging is held. This colonization format is very similar among all NPC groups and works well as holding several events gives each woman the opportunity to decide if she feels at home in the group of women.

That's all for now, more later!
love, Corina