Indiana University 2014 Recruitment

[Blue2]

Can anyone explain what happens during IU's "Bid Night"? How and what day do the PNMs get their bids and get to the houses?

[suzy88]

I talked to my younger daughter today and she is not maximizing her options. She attended three preference parties yesterday. I told her to rank all three last night. She didn't do it. Two of the chapters she feels are a good fit for her, the other not so much. However, a young women a few doors down also attended the party for the sorority that my daughter didn't feel comfortable with. Her friend adores that house and really wants a bid there. She doesn't want to take a bid from someone who really wants one, so she didn't rank that house. She is prepared to deal with not getting anything. She says she will just get an apartment and still be happy. I guess there are some good reasons for not maximizing all your options. It depends on the individual.

Incidentally, even though she is in a better position than many women at this point, she feels the process is random and arbitrary. Luck seems to have a lot to do with it. Most of the women on her floor were crying and miserable over the past few days.

[kchaptergphib]

My own thoughts, after being a membership advisor at 2 other schools and attending a third; take them with as much salt as you will:

I really want to take everyone from the (housed) house corp boards at IU and shake them. Seriously, alumnae, make some better decisions for the health of the entire system! There is no good reason to set quotas so artificially low. None. You can figure out a way to keep your physical house afloat with fewer than 75% of your members living in, I promise you.

Yes, there will still be many women who will have to take a chance on chapters they felt they didn’t yet connect, it will still be competitive to get spots in most chapters, but hopefully the number of women receiving bids will be in a greater proportion to the number of women starting the process.

The housed vs unhoused chapters is a tricky dynamic at any school, and is made even worse by IU’s silly bed quota system and culture of exclusivity. In the end, women have to decide if they would rather be greek for life (without a house for four years) or not greek at all.

And the Rho Gamma who told her group that they should rank the unhoused chapters last because they have to take everyone should be ashamed of herself and be reported. NOW. As a Rho Gamma you should be impartial, you should not make blanket statements about how to rank, and you should not perpetuate falsehoods that “those chapters have to invite everyone back.” It’s just ridiculous, and NOT TRUE.

Continued luck to all the PNMs, actives, alumnae and parents. And put pressure on your respective groups. I agree with AXORushAdvisor, that I would never want a daughter of mine to experience IU rush, and would not want to send my money that way, either. When alumnae women who are already deeply involved with membership in their organizations are actively dissuading other women from participating (or, actively telling them to participate at a different school instead), you know your campus needs to make some changes. I don’t care if it’s your “tradition” or “culture,” or it “works for the actives.” Sorry Hoosiers, but it’s getting to the point that you’re embarrassing yourselves. And I worry about the damage you’re really doing by having decades of higher disappointment levels than are necessary. I do understand there is disappointment in everyone’s recruitment experience, but IU does things to set itself up for more problems. Your NPC recruitment is diseased, in my diagnosis. We all know that just because something’s always been done a certain way, that does not mean it’s always been done the correct way.

[pinkmama]

Originally Posted by Blue2

Can anyone explain what happens during IU's "Bid Night"? How and what day do the PNMs get their bids and get to the houses?

The rho gamma will meet them and give their bids then the girls usually get on busses or drive or walk to their houses where the actives are all waiting for them. The rho Gams used to come to the dorms and meet with each girl and then there is usually lots of screaming and hugging.

[FSUZeta]

Hear, hear, kchaptergphib!

[pinkmama]

It's on Tuesday so tomorrow

[arrowlady]

Originally Posted by kchaptergphib

My own thoughts, after being a membership advisor at 2 other schools and attending a third; take them with as much salt as you will:

I really want to take everyone from the (housed) house corp boards at IU and shake them. Seriously, alumnae, make some better decisions for the health of the entire system! There is no good reason to set quotas so artificially low. None. You can figure out a way to keep your physical house afloat with fewer than 75% of your members living in, I promise you.

Yes, there will still be many women who will have to take a chance on chapters they felt they didn’t yet connect, it will still be competitive to get spots in most chapters, but hopefully the number of women receiving bids will be in a greater proportion to the number of women starting the process.

The housed vs unhoused chapters is a tricky dynamic at any school, and is made even worse by IU’s silly bed quota system and culture of exclusivity. In the end, women have to decide if they would rather be greek for life (without a house for four years) or not greek at all.

And the Rho Gamma who told her group that they should rank the unhoused chapters last because they have to take everyone should be ashamed of herself and be reported. NOW. As a Rho Gamma you should be impartial, you should not make blanket statements about how to rank, and you should not perpetuate falsehoods that “those chapters have to invite everyone back.” It’s just ridiculous, and NOT TRUE.

Continued luck to all the PNMs, actives, alumnae and parents. And put pressure on your respective groups. I agree with AXORushAdvisor, that I would never want a daughter of mine to experience IU rush, and would not want to send my money that way, either. When alumnae women who are already deeply involved with membership in their organizations are actively dissuading other women from participating (or, actively telling them to participate at a different school instead), you know your campus needs to make some changes. I don’t care if it’s your “tradition” or “culture,” or it “works for the actives.” Sorry Hoosiers, but it’s getting to the point that you’re embarrassing yourselves. And I worry about the damage you’re really doing by having decades of higher disappointment levels than are necessary. I do understand there is disappointment in everyone’s recruitment experience, but IU does things to set itself up for more problems. Your NPC recruitment is diseased, in my diagnosis. We all know that just because something’s always been done a certain way, that does not mean it’s always been done the correct way.

yes...

And to the mom's of the IU girls, I am sorry for the emotional rollercoaster your girls are on. It is tough at any school for the most part, but IU is the craziest recruitment out there. What I can't understand is why the two un-housed sororities are not making plans to become housed so that all IU greeks get the same experience.

[KDCat]

Originally Posted by kchaptergphib

My own thoughts, after being a membership advisor at 2 other schools and attending a third; take them with as much salt as you will:

I really want to take everyone from the (housed) house corp boards at IU and shake them. Seriously, alumnae, make some better decisions for the health of the entire system! There is no good reason to set quotas so artificially low. None. You can figure out a way to keep your physical house afloat with fewer than 75% of your members living in, I promise you.

Yes, there will still be many women who will have to take a chance on chapters they felt they didn’t yet connect, it will still be competitive to get spots in most chapters, but hopefully the number of women receiving bids will be in a greater proportion to the number of women starting the process.

The housed vs unhoused chapters is a tricky dynamic at any school, and is made even worse by IU’s silly bed quota system and culture of exclusivity. In the end, women have to decide if they would rather be greek for life (without a house for four years) or not greek at all.

And the Rho Gamma who told her group that they should rank the unhoused chapters last because they have to take everyone should be ashamed of herself and be reported. NOW. As a Rho Gamma you should be impartial, you should not make blanket statements about how to rank, and you should not perpetuate falsehoods that “those chapters have to invite everyone back.” It’s just ridiculous, and NOT TRUE.

Continued luck to all the PNMs, actives, alumnae and parents. And put pressure on your respective groups. I agree with AXORushAdvisor, that I would never want a daughter of mine to experience IU rush, and would not want to send my money that way, either. When alumnae women who are already deeply involved with membership in their organizations are actively dissuading other women from participating (or, actively telling them to participate at a different school instead), you know your campus needs to make some changes. I don’t care if it’s your “tradition” or “culture,” or it “works for the actives.” Sorry Hoosiers, but it’s getting to the point that you’re embarrassing yourselves. And I worry about the damage you’re really doing by having decades of higher disappointment levels than are necessary. I do understand there is disappointment in everyone’s recruitment experience, but IU does things to set itself up for more problems. Your NPC recruitment is diseased, in my diagnosis. We all know that just because something’s always been done a certain way, that does not mean it’s always been done the correct way.

Say it with me... "parlor fees."

Each sister who is living out is charged a parlor fee that covers meals at the house and use of the house facilities.

[pinksequins]

I am envisioning Regina George as that Rho Gamma. Even the initials match .....

[BadCat25]

Bitching about IU recruitment on GC will do zero good so why not bitch to the people who are ultimately responsible, the Board of Trustees. You can send an email to all trustees at one time at bdot@indiana.edu and don't tell me they are powerless to change the system.

[cinder1965]

Originally Posted by KDCat

Say it with me... "parlor fees."

Each sister who is living out is charged a parlor fee that covers meals at the house and use of the house facilities.

KDCat, I am a housing corp board member for my chapter and I was about to say the same things.....all together ladies: Parlor fees. That is exactly what we do with some 20 members; we have a full house and a new member class initiated right now. Yes, we have to manage it and make sure our house is always full and the members understand we must have a full house to have live outs....but this is NOT brain surgery. We can offer many living options for many different member situations.

This IU situation is reaching ridiculous levels now.....

[stbemtpynest]

The IU PNMs got a document with 2012-13 PHA Chapter Financial Obligations. All but three of the housed sororities also list "Live-out charges - Dues, fees, parlor fees, etc.", which implies those sororities allow some actives to live out. So now I'm more confused than ever about the bed-quota system if at least 16 housed sororities allow actives to live out. Am I misunderstanding the Financial document?

[cinder1965]

Originally Posted by stbemtpynest

The IU PNMs got a document with 2012-13 PHA Chapter Financial Obligations. All but three of the housed sororities also list "Live-out charges - Dues, fees, parlor fees, etc.", which implies those sororities allow some actives to live out. So now I'm more confused than ever about the bed-quota system if at least 16 housed sororities allow actives to live out. Am I misunderstanding the Financial document?

Every sorority is different, but even if you have established the fees, it doesn't mean you have to allow live outs. At least with my chapter, it isn't approved just because a member wants to. There are specific processes to go through to get a live out approved. Maybe most chapters at IU simply don't approve them.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by cinder1965

Every sorority is different, but even if you have established the fees, it doesn't mean you have to allow live outs. At least with my chapter, it isn't approved just because a member wants to. There are specific processes to go through to get a live out approved. Maybe most chapters at IU simply don't approve them.

Chapters that officially don't allow live outs may allow live-outs for reasons like medical issues that prevent someone from living in or marriage, which is to say, things so rare they really don't affect rush/bed quota, but the policies exist anyway.

[cinder1965]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Chapters that officially don't allow live outs may allow live-outs for reasons like medical issues that prevent someone from living in or marriage, which is to say, things so rare they really don't affect rush/bed quota, but the policies exist anyway.

Yep. The Purdue chapters allow live outs if the house is full. Usually is because we use the RFM method (or whatever mits called) so most seniors live out. Our Panhel just raised total quota again so 10 houses have to do spring recruitment to pick up a few girls to meet it so we often need girls to live out.