A dreamy Fall/Spring 2010 Recruitment Story

smallschoolpnm · #1 12-16-2010, 10:26 PM

I'm a freshman doing recruitment at a small school. The way we do rush at my school is a little unorthodox compared to most of the threads I read around here: Over the course of the fall semester, each sorority holds 2 "informal" rush parties - as well as a bunch of unofficial events during which you can get to know the sisters. Then, when we go back for the Spring, formal rush begins in January with PNMs submitting a card with the names of the sororities we're still interested in. (Sororities do the same with the PNMs they're interested in.) The last week of January each of the sororities has a formal party for everyone who matched there, then we submit our pref cards and Bid Day is at the beginning of February.
If you know the school, I'm sure I've given it away, but please don't say it publicly.

My school has 7 sororities. I'm going to name them after characters from Inception because I just got the DVD and I've been watching it nonstop!

Cobb: This is a great group of girls, they have a very strong presence on campus. They're one of the larger groups, which I like, and I feel like I could thrive among them. Also, one of their informal parties was wild- I had a blast with them!

Ariadne: This is another great group. The girls are all very sweet and classy. I have liked every single Ariadne I've met. Also, a lot of the friends I'm rushing with are very interested in Ariadne. I know I shouldn't let my friends' opinions influence mine, but I feel like I would really love to be sisters with the girls I've already formed strong bonds with over the last semester. Ariadne is definitely staying on my list.

Arthur: These girls are very nice. It's another large group, although I don't seem to share interests with a lot of them. They're not at the top of my list, but I could see myself accepting a bid to Arthur. They're staying on the list and maybe I'll see how things go at their Formal.

Eames: I'm not sure how I feel about Eames. The girls are nice but I haven't clicked that well with any of them. They also have a reputation I'm not wild about. I feel like this is different from "tent talk" because I've been around for a semester and really seen their reputation around school. I'm not going to cut them right now for that, but I would have to think really seriously about accepting a bid to Eames. I guess that's something I shouldn't worry about yet.

Yusuf: These girls are awesome, they don't fit any particular stereotype, which I love. Also a lot of Yusufs are in my major so I was in classes with a few of them and we really got along well. I'm definitely keeping them on the list.

Saito: These girls are a lot of fun to party with, but it's a very small group and I'm not sure I would fit in with it well. I feel like I should keep my options open, but I don't think I am going to list Saito on my card. I'm struggling a little bit over that right now.

Mal: Mal is founded very strongly on a set of values that I don't share. I won't be RSVPing to Mal.

If people like, I could talk about each of the informal parties I went to over the fall semester to fill in the time between now and rush in January...

victoriana · #2 12-16-2010, 11:54 PM

I love your theme! So original. Good luck, and I'd love to hear about your other parties

ZetaGirl22 · #3 12-17-2010, 12:32 AM

GREAT theme! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this movie

Good luck with the rest of your recruitment!

DubaiSis · #4 12-17-2010, 11:55 AM

You're getting too far ahead of yourself. I don't see a reason why you wouldn't list every chapter unless you are restricted to a maximum. And if you read through many threads you'll find lots of gripes about cutting the small house just because it's small. You like the girls but you fancy yourself a big fish in a big pond. That is fine if the big pond feels the same about you, but I'd keep your options open in case they don't.

Good luck!

FleurGirl · #5 12-20-2010, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

You're getting too far ahead of yourself. I don't see a reason why you wouldn't list every chapter unless you are restricted to a maximum.

Amen. Why cut a chapter out before recruitment even starts unless they're a) absolutely horrid (which I'm guessing they're not) or b) you can only go to so many. It's been said a zillion times but... keep your options open!

33girl · #6 12-20-2010, 08:46 PM

Cutting groups if you don't have to/not looking at a group as many times as you are able to is just plain stupid and closed-minded.

Re Mal, just because they were founded on those values doesn't mean Christians can't join, or that every girl in it is Jewish. The philanthropies that both historically Jewish sororities embrace are not anti-Christian, and I'm guessing that their initiation ceremonies do not consist of everyone dancing around saying JESUS IS NOT THE MESSIAH, NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH.

Re Saito and Eames, you need to look beyond reputation and/or size. If you don't, you could end up cheating yourself out of true sisterhood and picking a sorority for extremely shallow reasons. Or being cut altogether because you thought you didn't "fit" a group. Honestly, the sisters often know better than you do where you fit.

aephi alum · #7 12-20-2010, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

Re Mal, just because they were founded on those values doesn't mean Christians can't join, or that every girl in it is Jewish. The philanthropies that both historically Jewish sororities embrace are not anti-Christian, and I'm guessing that their initiation ceremonies do not consist of everyone dancing around saying JESUS IS NOT THE MESSIAH, NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH.

Actually, we do do that in AEPhi. Who told you?!

Seriously, I don't think there's anything in our ritual and practices that would offend non-Jews. When I was an active, my chapter had plenty of Jewish sisters, of course, but also a lot of sisters of various Christian denominations, and a Hindu.

To the OP, unless you are limited in the number of chapters you can RSVP to, why not list them all? Mal and Saito might surprise you.

Barbie's_Rush · #8 12-21-2010, 02:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aephi alum

Actually, we do do that in AEPhi. Who told you?!

Ha! I knew it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by aephi alum

Seriously, I don't think there's anything in our ritual and practices that would offend non-Jews. When I was an active, my chapter had plenty of Jewish sisters, of course, but also a lot of sisters of various Christian denominations, and a Hindu.

In 2010, aren't 100% Jewish chapters of AEPhi more of the exception rather than the norm?

smallschoolpnm · #9 12-21-2010, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

Re Mal, just because they were founded on those values doesn't mean Christians can't join, or that every girl in it is Jewish. The philanthropies that both historically Jewish sororities embrace are not anti-Christian, and I'm guessing that their initiation ceremonies do not consist of everyone dancing around saying JESUS IS NOT THE MESSIAH, NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH.

Hmm, it's more of the other way around, actually.

I'm not sure how to phrase this discreetly and without sounding like my priorities in choosing a sorority might not be in order, but when a social group tries to dictate what I can and can't do in my social time and my private life, I am not down with that. And even though I believe that non-Christians are allowed to join Mal, their principles as an organization make it clear that a certain amount of grooviness with Jesus is expected. Mal is definitely out of the question for me.

I've been talking to a couple of my friends about Saito, at least one of them is going to list Saito, and reading this thread and knowing what I know from recruitment stories around here, I've decided I am going to keep them on my list. I am not expecting to change my mind, but I'm trying to keep it open. Thanks for the input, everyone.

BraveMaroon · #10 12-21-2010, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smallschoolpnm

Hmm, it's more of the other way around, actually.

I'm not sure how to phrase this discreetly and without sounding like my priorities in choosing a sorority might not be in order, but when a social group tries to dictate what I can and can't do in my social time and my private life, I am not down with that. And even though I believe that non-Christians are allowed to join Mal, their principles as an organization make it clear that a certain amount of grooviness with Jesus is expected. Mal is definitely out of the question for me.

I can respect that. While I think keeping an open mind is crucial, I think trying to jam a square peg in a round hole can be an act of futility. And it's not as if you're nixing half of your options from the get-go.

Also, I will need to find a way to use the phrase "a certain amount of grooviness with Jesus" today. It amuses me greatly.

DubaiSis · #11 12-21-2010, 02:47 PM

There are some issues you just can't get around, and religion would be one of them. If you're going to cringe every time a certain prayer is said, or they clock church time like other houses clock study hours, then yeah, you might as well deal with that right now.

And you handled that very delicately. That speaks well for how you'll do during recruitment.

DrPhil · #12 12-21-2010, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

...I'm guessing that their initiation ceremonies do not consist of everyone dancing around saying JESUS IS NOT THE MESSIAH, NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH.

Quote:

Originally Posted by smallschoolpnm

...their principles as an organization make it clear that a certain amount of grooviness with Jesus is expected.

I love these posts.

BraveMaroon · #13 12-21-2010, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

There are some issues you just can't get around, and religion would be one of them. If you're going to cringe every time a certain prayer is said, or they clock church time like other houses clock study hours, then yeah, you might as well deal with that right now.

Yeah - there's a big difference in a Christian Sorority, and a Sorority founded based on Christian (or Jewish, or Catholic or Flying Spaghetti Monster) Ideals.

As a person raised in a largely secular way by an interfaith couple, I was completely happy joining the latter, but the former would have been a disaster for me, no matter how open-minded I (and my sisters) would have been.

33girl · #14 12-21-2010, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smallschoolpnm

Hmm, it's more of the other way around, actually.

I'm not sure how to phrase this discreetly and without sounding like my priorities in choosing a sorority might not be in order, but when a social group tries to dictate what I can and can't do in my social time and my private life, I am not down with that. And even though I believe that non-Christians are allowed to join Mal, their principles as an organization make it clear that a certain amount of grooviness with Jesus is expected. Mal is definitely out of the question for me.

Just so you are aware that the Jesus Is My Homeboy vibe is strictly a chapter thing (that could conceivably change with a pledge class or two) and not a national thing. We've all got a few chapters who roll like that, and as it cuts WAY down on risk management, it's doubtful their national will ever call them on it - even if they are teetering on the line of discrimination where membership selection is concerned.

Unless, of course, this is a local sorority who straight up is founded as a Christian group. Which as BraveMaroon said, is light years away from having what are considered Christian ideals.

aephi alum · #15 12-21-2010, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barbie's_Rush

Ha! I knew it!

In 2010, aren't 100% Jewish chapters of AEPhi more of the exception rather than the norm?

We don't discriminate on the basis of religion - so what % of a chapter is Jewish varies from chapter to chapter. (If we did discriminate, our membership selection would probably go a lot more quickly. "Rachel Rosenberg, keep her; Leah Schwartz, keep her; Mary O'Malley - CUT!!"

) Someone who runs around yelling "Death to all Jews!" probably wouldn't be happy in AEPhi, but otherwise, a PNM shouldn't automatically strike AEPhi or SDT off their lists just because she isn't Jewish.

ANYWAY...

Quote:

Originally Posted by smallschoolpnm

...when a social group tries to dictate what I can and can't do in my social time and my private life, I am not down with that. And even though I believe that non-Christians are allowed to join Mal, their principles as an organization make it clear that a certain amount of grooviness with Jesus is expected. Mal is definitely out of the question for me.

Ah... things are a little clearer now. I wouldn't be too happy in a sorority that mandated that I, say, keep kosher, wear long skirts all the time, and regularly attend Friday night services. If you don't feel you have the requisite "grooviness with Jesus" (btw, add me to the list of people who love that phrase) then by all means don't list Mal.

Good luck.