Recruit more girls to think about pledging

[SoCalGirl]

I don't think of "suitcase colleges" as strictly rural. My school, a commuter school, could also be considered a "suitcase college" for those that lived on campus. The school was a ghost town on weekends. A large part of the population is from L.A. so it's pretty easy to jump on the freeway and head north.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by SoCalGirl

I don't think of "suitcase colleges" as strictly rural. My school, a commuter school, could also be considered a "suitcase college" for those that lived on campus. The school was a ghost town on weekends. A large part of the population is from L.A. so it's pretty easy to jump on the freeway and head north.

Yeah, well I said "often rural." But point taken. I still think there is a difference in "commuter college" and "suitcase college" though.

[PhoenixAzul]

I guess in some ways, Otterbein was a "suitcase college" because so so so so many people came from these wee towns in Ohio and went home on the weekend. It was almost creepy. Us rare but hardy out of staters enjoyed the weekends. But OC also has this weird family thing, meaning we get lots of 3rd and 4th generation Cardinals going to school there, and most of those have some Greek affiliation in their history. Plus people tend to be freakishly involved in campus life (for better or worse).

So I guess what keeps people around is the "tradition" aspect of it, but thats not going to help you just starting out. How many other groups are there on campus (both Greek and non-Greek)? Maybe since you're a bit down on man-power at the moment (but use those alums!) you could pair up or bunch up with another group and hold a larger event. But also keep in mind that your most likely pool of candidates are people you already know on campus. By diversifying your pool by looking at all class standings and not just freshmen, you can find some girls who already have the skills to be successful sisters.

and check out the recruitment board

[SoCalGirl]

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

Yeah, well I said "often rural." But point taken. I still think there is a difference in "commuter college" and "suitcase college" though.

I agree they're different, but was trying to point out that a school could still be both.

[luv n tpa]

Originally Posted by SoCalGirl

I agree they're different, but was trying to point out that a school could still be both.

Mine's both. We have a big commuter population, but most students live on campus. Mon-Fri, that is.

A lot of people throughout the school complain that there's nothing to do on the weekends. During recruitment, we usually advertise that we do things [ie, someone's always around!], but in all honesty, most girls go visit their boyfriends [& vice versa], go home, or work. The few of us who aren't doing any of the above usually put something together. And to start having chapter events to encourage staying would get a lot of negative feedback from girls who want to go visit their boyfriends, go home, or work. Vicious cycle.