Computer Errors???

SECMom · #1 10-17-2006, 12:24 PM

I'm new here...I introduced myself in the Ole Miss thread...I have been reading this site for a couple of months and feel like I know y'all pretty well! I am wondering about something that I have heard about for the past several years at Auburn and Alabama and sure enough the same story reared its head at Ole Miss this time: Rhonda Rushee loves the XYZs and they love her. She goes to their pref and puts them first, but come bid day she gets PDQ. The XYZs find out about this and are hysterical because they are certain for a fact that Rhonda was on their first list--must be a computer error! A variation on this theme: Rhonda Rushee is a XX legacy. XX has a legacy policy that states that if said legacy comes to pref she goes to the top of the bid list. Rhonda knows this and puts them first, but come bid day she gets OMG. I know for a fact that this happened at Auburn several years ago. Baby Bird has a friend in each of these situations. I have maintained that the actives of a particular house don't actually see the bid list and therefore have no idea where a particular pnm was ranked, but with the legacy issue there really does seem to be a problem.

Thoughts?

adpiucf · #2 10-17-2006, 12:30 PM

It isn't a perfect system and computer and human error can and do occur. But if a chapter isn't looking out for the legacies it preffed to make sure they end up on their bid lists if the legacies have preferenced the sorority as their top choice, then that sorority has some bigger issues.

Drolefille · #3 10-17-2006, 12:33 PM

We had a girl who we dropped after the second day of recruitment on our list for the 3rd night. We were a bit surprised, but she went from so-so to loved by everyone and she was given a bid. It was a bit unorthodox but sometimes it works out ok. In the case above, it's not so good.

GeorgiaGirl · #4 10-17-2006, 12:40 PM

I don't know if this is a national policy or just a policy of certain chapters, but not everyone puts legacies at the top of their first bid list...

Also, I know that I have never personally seen our bid lists. These chapter members may *think* that Polly PNM was number one on their list, but they may not really know.

SECMom · #5 10-17-2006, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeorgiaGirl

I don't know if this is a national policy or just a policy of certain chapters, but not everyone puts legacies at the top of their first bid list...

Also, I know that I have never personally seen our bid lists. These chapter members may *think* that Polly PNM was number one on their list, but they may not really know.

You are right, not all sororities have this legacy policy, but some do. As for the bid lists, that is what I think also, that when the actual voting happens nobody really knows who ranks where. Rush brings with it plenty of emotions and anxiety on both sides, but fortunately it seems that in the end everyone settles down and winds up happy wherever they land. At least I like to think that they do!

carnation · #6 10-17-2006, 05:06 PM

I know that not all nationals have the "legacies must be on the first bid list" rule because I've seen it on some official websites. Nevertheless, I keep hearing of SEC situations in which PNMs who were legacies to groups who did end up in their second choices (not their legacy groups). PH should at least check up on this; legacy ties are too important to just blow off.

I love rush. I hate hearing about unnecessarily broken hearts.

Y'all start giving me strength so I can make it through our sixth rush....

SECMom · #7 10-17-2006, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adpiucf

It isn't a perfect system and computer and human error can and do occur. But if a chapter isn't looking out for the legacies it preffed to make sure they end up on their bid lists if the legacies have preferenced the sorority as their top choice, then that sorority has some bigger issues.

A situation occurred at Auburn several years ago where the legacy's mother showed up with a bouquet of the GLO's flowers and was waiting at the dorm but the girl, somewhat confused and not really sure what to do, ran to the "other" dorm anyway. The mom called Panhellenic and they offered to let her go to her legacy house, but the girl felt that would be a slap to the GLO that actually gave her a bid, so she stayed put and did fine. They were both great houses, though!

aephi alum · #8 10-17-2006, 01:02 PM

Computer errors can and do happen. So can human errors. There was a situation at my school where there were two PNMs with the same first and last name, and hence, consecutive PNM ID#s. ABC wanted to invite Susie Smith #1 back, but not Susie Smith #2... unfortunately, they cut the wrong Susie Smith after open houses. Susie Smith #1 approached ABC's front desk in tears - "Why wasn't I invited back?" - and ABC realized their error and hastily (with Panhel's ok) invited her in, so she attended part of a round 2 party. Long story short, Susie Smith #1 became a happy ABC.

Unfortunately, generally speaking, when a computer error occurs, no one will ever know it. Rhonda Rushee who gets PDQ instead of XYZ will assume that she was too low on XYZ's bid list to match to them; XYZ sisters will assume the same thing, or will assume that Rhonda listed PDQ first. Only in certain cases - like the legacy who listed her legacy sorority first and still matched to her second choice - would anyone know for sure that something went wrong.

kstar · #9 10-17-2006, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aephi alum

Computer errors can and do happen. So can human errors. There was a situation at my school where there were two PNMs with the same first and last name, and hence, consecutive PNM ID#s. ABC wanted to invite Susie Smith #1 back, but not Susie Smith #2... unfortunately, they cut the wrong Susie Smith after open houses. Susie Smith #1 approached ABC's front desk in tears - "Why wasn't I invited back?" - and ABC realized their error and hastily (with Panhel's ok) invited her in, so she attended part of a round 2 party. Long story short, Susie Smith #1 became a happy ABC.

This exact same thing happened to me, we only had the same last name though. I got cut from a house after round 1, then before round 3 I got a call about an error in my invites. I had gotten reinvited to that house, and I hadn't ranked them since they had cut me. I felt kinda sorry for the other girl.

gphiangel624 · #10 10-21-2006, 01:12 PM

This thread topic is a perfect example of why it is SO IMPORTANT to double and triple check invitation lists, bid lists and preference/priority ranking cards! We had a similar issue this year (which I won't elaborate on to keep confidentiality), which initially looked like a computer error but in the end was human error and could have been avoided if those involved had checked the lists. It turned out great in the end, but if no one had said something about it, the issue would have never been resolved.

I think that in using any type of computer program (ICS, CampusDirector, CAR, etc.) that it is both the chapter and Panhellenic's responsibility to check and double check that the data entered is correct. I love that ICS and CampusDirector put the accountability on the chapter for entering information correctly, but in the end, it should always be checked more than once for accuracy. Human error can lead to a compromise in the program.

(p.s.- sorry if this came of as a rant at all... I'm still a little bent about the aforementioned situation was handled on my campus. But it's all good in the end

)

Tom Earp · #11 10-17-2006, 05:16 PM

Legacys are never a sure thing no matter what the old tales were.

The men/women of each group have to make the individual decission for their chapter.

Basically, is this person right for the chapter?

They can make mistakes as has been seen and those who do not make it can go on and become great members of other GLOs.

SECMom · #12 10-17-2006, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

Legacys are never a sure thing no matter what the old tales were.

The men/women of each group have to make the individual decission for their chapter.

Basically, is this person right for the chapter?

They can make mistakes as has been seen and those who do not make it can go on and become great members of other GLOs.

Well, my sorority DOES have a legacy policy. If a legacy is invited to pref she goes on the first list, no matter what. If you are not willing to offer her a bid, you don't invite her to pref. My daughter's GLO has a different policy, but they still give legacies special consideration IF they invite them to pref. Our policy also sort of mirrors the whole "release figures" idea--it is kinder to let them go earlier in the process so that they can consider other options than to carry them longer when you know that they are not a good fit.

Something a friend pointed out to me today: some GLOs count only daughters and sisters as legacies. Others count granddaughters and nieces...some girls may be a legacy to XYZ because their grandmother was an XYZ, but not a legacy to PDQ even though their OTHER grandmother was a PDQ....this might be one explanation for the "legacy dropped after pref" situation.

TSteven · #13 10-17-2006, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SECMom

If a legacy is invited to pref she goes on the first list, no matter what. If you are not willing to offer her a bid, you don't invite her to pref.

Hypothetically speaking - and without getting into specifics of membership selection - what happens if quota (i.e. the first bid list) is going to be ten. Yet going into the preference round, a chapter has twelve legacies that the chapter would love to have (perfect fit as it were) as members - i.e. willing to offer a bid.

The chapter is at total and the campus panhellenic is only going to allow the chapter to extend ten bids (i.e. quota). If the legacy policy states all legacies invited to preference round must go on the first bid list, would the chapter be required to drop two of the legacies before preference? Or would the chapter be allowed to invite all twelve legacies to the preference round and put two of the legacies on the second bid list?

UGAalum94 · #14 10-17-2006, 07:43 PM

TStephen, I don't really know the answer to your question, but I would guess that they invite them to pref and place them on the second list.

I suspect that it's is done this way because you don't really know in advance that all the legacies are going to rank the legacy GLO group first. So in your example, if two of the group's top ten choose a different number one choice, the eleventh and twelfth girls would match.

As I said, I have no expert knowledge about bid list formation, but I do know that there are some groups at big southern schools that have more than a pledge class of legacies go through rush each year. I doubt they drop girls that they would want before prefs in anticipation of 100% matching the first list.

(Something else to consider is that these girls are frequently legacies at more than one groups: a Chi Omega mom, a Phi Mu sister, maybe a grandmother or aunt at a group that includes these relationships as legacies, etc. They can only match one although they may pref. three.)

TSteven · #15 10-17-2006, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

TStephen, I don't really know the answer to your question, but I would guess that they invite them to pref and place them on the second list.

I suspect that it's is done this way because you don't really know in advance that all the legacies are going to rank the legacy GLO group first. So in your example, if two of the group's top ten choose a different number one choice, the eleventh and twelfth girls would match.

My feeling was this might be the scenario. All twelve invited to the preference round with ten going on the first bid list and two on the second bid list.