What's the point of skits?

[DubaiSis]

I'd heard stories about CRAZY rushes in the south, but by 1984 in the Midwest, all the gifts were gone. Even the fancy construction paper name tags were gone. I didn't know about the gifts at pref, but I did hear that rushees would send the sororities gifts, like pizza for the house during member selection. Can you imagine? I don't know if that's actually true, however.

[psy]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

I'd heard stories about CRAZY rushes in the south, but by 1984 in the Midwest, all the gifts were gone. Even the fancy construction paper name tags were gone. I didn't know about the gifts at pref, but I did hear that rushees would send the sororities gifts, like pizza for the house during member selection. Can you imagine? I don't know if that's actually true, however.

I've heard about alum chapters sending gifts "on behalf" of PNMs from their area, but that may very well be urban legend, as the source didn't seem that reliable. Anyone know for sure whether this practice was once common or acceptable?

[ComradesTrue]

Originally Posted by psy

I've heard about alum chapters sending gifts "on behalf" of PNMs from their area, but that may very well be urban legend, as the source didn't seem that reliable. Anyone know for sure whether this practice was once common or acceptable?

Not urban legend. In Texas this was done through at least the early 90s while I was in school. It was typically the alum chapters, with some packages much more elaborate than others. (yes, Houston, I am looking squarely at you). While we would occaisionally get flowers, it was mostly in the form of food. Pizza, cakes, popcorn tins, you name it. They often came with those corny play-on-names to ensure that we would remember the precious rushees from their area.

I don't remember getting anything from a specific alum on behalf of her daughter, but that could have been possible. I tried to stay a little naive to the whole thing, just eating the food and ignoring the names/faces glaring at me!

[DTD Alum]

Originally Posted by Blondie93

Not urban legend. In Texas this was done through at least the early 90s while I was in school. It was typically the alum chapters, with some packages much more elaborate than others. (yes, Houston, I am looking squarely at you). While we would occaisionally get flowers, it was mostly in the form of food. Pizza, cakes, popcorn tins, you name it. They often came with those corny play-on-names to ensure that we would remember the precious rushees from their area.

I don't remember getting anything from a specific alum on behalf of her daughter, but that could have been possible. I tried to stay a little naive to the whole thing, just eating the food and ignoring the names/faces glaring at me!

Did this ever work? Did you guys ever cave and push a PNM farther along than she would have gone or her own, or bid her even though it's doubtful she would have received a bid otherwise?

[ComradesTrue]

Originally Posted by DTD Alum

Did this ever work? Did you guys ever cave and push a PNM farther along than she would have gone or her own, or bid her even though it's doubtful she would have received a bid otherwise?

Since that is part of membership selection I won't directly answer the question. However, just know that while the tasty goodies were very much appreciated during a stressful week, the manner in which these poor girls had their faces sprawled across food gave us some good laughs.

Also, on occasion, our rush advisors were known to separate the names/faces from the food when possible so that we would not feel pressure based on the gifts. The items would be set up with a note that they were from the ____ alum chapter, but not listing any specific rushees. However, other times (when they were busy with something else or it arrived exactly at break time) there was Rhonda Rushee's big head glaring back at you when you opened the popcorn tin can. Yes, speaking from personal experience there. Quite scary.

[Regina.George]

Originally Posted by Blondie93

Since that is part of membership selection I won't directly answer the question. However, just know that while the tasty goodies were very much appreciated during a stressful week, the manner in which these poor girls had their faces sprawled across food gave us some good laughs.

Also, on occasion, our rush advisors were known to separate the names/faces from the food when possible so that we would not feel pressure based on the gifts. The items would be set up with a note that they were from the ____ alum chapter, but not listing any specific rushees. However, other times (when they were busy with something else or it arrived exactly at break time) there was Rhonda Rushee's big head glaring back at you when you opened the popcorn tin can. Yes, speaking from personal experience there. Quite scary.

I can beat that. I think an alumnae group sent it. We once got a cake that had the pnm's portrait airbrushed in the icing. It was pretty weird taking a bite out of someone you don't know's face but when you're exhausted and starving from recruitment you will eat almost everything. The funny thing was she was a really desirable pnm who had her choice of chapters even without the cake. She was "the cake girl" for our chapter so it worked because we definitely remembered her.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by psy

Can someone please shed some light on how skits are helpful in practice, or the logic behind having them is part of recruitment?

Thanks!

There are a couple ways that the skits worked, but I'm sure that differed from school to school.

Skits varied so much! You wanted to the be sorority whose skit was memorable but not demeaning - and there were plenty of demeaning skits! It also depended on how the skit was introduced. "Quiet, everyone! We have a little skit for you!" was BAD. Segues were much, much better. Also knowing that there would be skits helped.

I noted earlier that skits gave time for both the sisters & the PNMs to think about the sorority in question, to watch others' faces, to search for phony looks or disgusted looks or "is she on speed?!" looks. They were a time to reflect, while still at the house/party.

I think I mentioned being intellectually insulted by some skits in my own retro rush thread. Good ones mentioned the philanthropy (albeit discreetly); bad ones were much too "little girlish".

One of the best ways of segueing into a skit was if the skit involved some sort of ticket or someone seating you in a way that you realized that a skit was coming, then a few sisters would talk to all of the PNMs in the area. If you think of Pref Parties, think of the ceremonies and then think of them much less serious, and you have a skit party.

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I saw an article a long time ago about the Adelphians and the Philomatheans competing for girls once upon a time...they talked about grabbing girls as soon as they got off of the train on their first day.

Please forgive me (especially wince I was devastated not to meet with you at Seasons 52!), but there is no "I" in Adelphean. I think my mission in life is to educate the masses about that! And yes, both Adelpheans and Philomatheans were known to even get on train a few stations prior to Georgia Wesleyan to rush the incoming freshmen.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by DTD Alum

Did this ever work? Did you guys ever cave and push a PNM farther along than she would have gone or her own, or bid her even though it's doubtful she would have received a bid otherwise?

Some of it is more about remembering the rushee than about favoring the rushee. When you have hundreds of women coming through, I think something like that would stand out.