Raining on someone's recruitment parade

[AChiOhSnap]

I concur. I don't think it's right for an excited mom/relative/friend to have to preface their own updates with "I'm really truly sorry for everything that's been going on with the other PNMs..." in order to feel like she can celebrate the PNM's successes.

I understand the particular thread in question was titled "Auburn University Rush" and may therefore have been confusing to a new GC member who wouldn't have been able to tell that was someone's recruitment story, NOT a general forum for questions/concerns about AU Recruitment.

Still, this is not the first time it's happened. I recall last year (or maybe the year before) someone going into a SEC recruitment story and saying something like "I'm really glad yours worked out, but I feel this whole process was so unfair, I was dropped from every sorority and I feel like such a loser" and essentially hijacking the PNM's celebratory thread. After that, everyone was replying with advice/concern for the dropped PNM and the original PNM actually had to apologize for interrupting the hijack in her own story to post more happy updates about her new member period.

That said, I think GCers should definitely have a place to air concerns or get support through a difficult recruitment. I'm not insensitive to the fact that recruitment (ESPECIALLY SEC recruitment) can be downright heartbreaking for hundreds of PNMs and their loved ones and that GCers really can act like "Rho Chis" for nervous moms and sisters. I think GC can be an invaluable resource, no matter what the outcome.

Perhaps people can chime in with their suggestions on Recruitment Story "etiquette" and how we can minimize hijacks of a particular person's recruitment story.

My first particular rule of thumb I'd like to propose: Start a "General Support" thread to be bumped periodically during recruitment season where we can direct people who have disappointing outcomes about a different PNM (or even off topic questions/concerns/complaints etc) in order to maintain the general flow of the original story.