Motown Recruitment Thread

[AGDee]

So I found out that two young ladies I know are going through recruitment at the University of Michigan. They have finished round 1 and cuts were kind of harsh. I'm going to wait until it is over for them to post the whole thing, but there are only 6 chapters still in play at this point and I'm only going to include those 6.

They shall be:

Diana Ross
Smokey Robinson
The Temptations
Aretha Franklin
The Four Tops
Marvin Gaye

I just gave a major pep talk via text that it only takes one, the chapters that invited them back like them, etc. They are feeling a bit better.

[AGDee]

Their schedule looks like this:

Sunday, September 9th
Mixers (1st Round) - 1:00-6:05pm

Monday, September 10th
Mixers (1st Round) - 6:30-9:50pm
Invitation Ranking - 9:50pm

Wedneday, September 12th
Second Set - 6:00-11:15pm

Thursday, September 13th
Second Set - 7:00-11:20pmpm
Invitation Ranking - 11:20pm

Thursday, September 20th
Third Set - 7:00-10:25pm

Friday, September 21
Third Set - 6:00-9:25pm
Invitation Ranking - 10:05pm

Friday, September 28th
Preference Parties - 6:00-11:00pm

Sunday, September 30th
Bid Pick Up - 11:00am-1:00pm - Michigan Union Ballroom
Bid Day - 5:00 - chapter houses

[ZTA1550]

What's up with the looooooong time between second set, third set and pref parties?

[sigmagirl2000]

Whoa! There's a week between second and third round and another week between third round and pref?!

If I were a pnm I would need many pep talks if I had a week to over analyze and drive myself crazy wondering what if and thinking about what I should/ could/ would have done differently at each party. That's also a super long silence and disaffiliation period for recruitment counselors, etc.

[AGDee]

I know, I know. First, it is during school so they take that into account. And even though they aren't home games, nothing interferes with Michigan football so Saturdays are out (although it looks like the 29th is a bye week so I don't know why they don't do bid day on the 29th).

[victoriana]

Darn it Dee you had me all excited that this was a thread for *my* school. You should do one though. I won't say a word

[AGDee]

I am going to do that one too I'm thinking 80s bands for that one...

[victoriana]

YAY!!! I won't post in it or stalk it... I promise.

[AGDee]

I will wait to post it until recruitment is over

[ZTA1550]

How many PNMs registered at Michigan?

[BlueCarnation]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I know, I know. First, it is during school so they take that into account. And even though they aren't home games, nothing interferes with Michigan football so Saturdays are out (although it looks like the 29th is a bye week so I don't know why they don't do bid day on the 29th).

UM alum here. Along with football, there are a large number of Jewish students who go through recruitment, and the High Holidays always fall during this time, so that's taken into consideration (I was on Panhel Exec--the length of recruitment is debated every year and has been since I was there a long time ago!). Many of these students (PNMS and actives) are from out of state (NY, NJ, IL) and like to go home for the holidays, and since quite a few of the sororities have a significant Jewish population, it's just spread out that way. It's never going to change, but it stinks for both PNMs and actives. It's soooo long!

I remember getting invited back to all the chapters after first rounds (yay) then only 6 after the second round. I was devastated and almost dropped out, but I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did. I actually ended up with my second choice, but looking back now, I know I ended up in the right place. I then became Susie Sorority--and still am. AGDee, a fellow (sister) Wolverine is pulling for them. All the houses at UM are wonderful in their own way. I wish them the best of luck--and hopefully they'll all end up in my chapter! Can't wait to hear what happens.

ETA: don't know exactly how many registered, but I do know that it's a record number of girls registered (per their website, I believe).

[FSUZeta]

Has UM ever held, or would they ever consider holding, recruitment a week prior to classes starting? It just might avoid conflicts with religious holidays or football(that other religion!).

[BlueCarnation]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

Has UM ever held, or would they ever consider holding, recruitment a week prior to classes starting? It just might avoid conflicts with religious holidays or football(that other religion!).

That was something that is brought up every year, and no, campus won't allow it. What we were always told was that having recruitment this way allows students to get acclimated to campus, classes, etc, and not make them be forced into deciding if they want to join a sorority before they have seen other parts of campus.

Obviously, I never went through a "pre-school" recruitment, so I don't know what it's like, but I can tell you and I argued this vehemently--an extended recruitment like ours does not help us get acclimated to our classes. At least it didn't for me. It was basically a month-long recruitment. With football Saturdays, and work week(s), it's non-stop. If we just did it in a week and got it over with, we'd just be done, and, I think, less far behind in our work. But there's never been campus support for that. And I would be stunned if it ever changed.

Also, there are a lot of sophomores who go through recruitment at UM. I think close to half of my pledge class was sophomores. There are a few houses that don't take them, but most of them do. They don't need time to get acclimated to campus. They already know what to expect.

[FSUZeta]

I am sorry to hear that. Keep fighting the good fight and maybe they will change their minds.

[AGDee]

They also still have an orientation session the week before school starts which would make it really difficult. My cousin's daughter from Alaska did the last orientation session because she couldn't get here earlier in the summer and then come back again for move-in.

Move-in was also done over several days, by dorm. So one dorm had move in on the 28th, one on the 29th, etc. That would make it tough to have recruitment going on that week too.

I had forgotten about the Jewish holidays being a factor too.