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Okay...
Legacy--It's tough for alumnae to lose the status that is *sometimes and not uniformly* afforded to their legacies. Legacy status has been decreasing over the years anyway. It also can be devastating to the alumna when their legacy gets cut.
Appearance- Yes, many chapters are too focused on looks. However, if PNMs could ask one question going into recruitment, my guess would be over 90% would ask, "what do I wear?"
A new business suit for an interview is a good analogy, but this is a SERIES of interviews requiring different classes of attire, from very casual to formal/cocktail. AND "interview" clothing for women can also bring a variety of results. For men, "Dockers, collar and khakis, business suit, suit and tie, etc." are much more definitive.
MANY girls opt to get new clothing for each event, but many of them have most of the requirements already in their closet. Just as they could do their own nails or put their belongings in a large ziplock or market bag, many OPT for manicures and Kate Spade/Tori Burch bags and sandals.
Dues- It would be wonderful to make dues more affordable for all and yes, having to pay dues does create exclusivity. But that is a larger barrier/step and one that would take more time.
Recommendations- I have mixed emotions. First choice would always be someone that knows the PNM personally. Not always possible, which brings us to the way many are done now. This is because "they are required". Yes, some sororities require them prior to granting a bid, but the larger issue of needing a rec for each house on SEC campuses, etc., has created an environment of meaningless recs that actives do not even read. It checks a block.
If we want to truly encourage inclusion, recs either need to be done away with OR accepted from non-alumnae, if necessary. In many cases a good letter of recommendation from a teacher would mean much more than the ones that are submitted today. But that would mean a return to actually READING the recommendations and that makes me cringe for the recruitment committees at large greek schools. Having to read, absorb, and prioritize them would be an enormous undertaking. Perhaps NPC alumnae groups should venture into less exclusive high schools to recruit and meet girls and set them up with recs.
These are all tough issues, but I am hearing a lot of what sounds like a blanket resistance to change. And if you want to maintain exclusivity in terms of QUALITY, some barriers need to go because race is NOT an accurate predictor of quality -- as some current NPC members are showing us daily.
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