What's the point of skits?

[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.

[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.

[DubaiSis]

I'm with ya psy. My sister told me a lot of stories about sorority life that were less than factual, so although I can imagine these things happening in another era, I can't say it is true. I'd be interested to hear the stories though if they are.

I can't fathom what rush must have cost years ago. Where did the money come from? Pledging rich girls must have been higher priority than anything else. I can just hear it - screw her grade point, can she pony up for the pref gifts next year?

[Titchou]

Being in the South and having attending Alabama, I can tell you that at some places, things are still extremely costly at some places. While most of the food is gone now - some do drinks but nothing else - and favors are pretty much totally gone - the decorations are insanely costly. Flowers for pref alone would rival a royal wedding. How I wish no frills would really come to pass! When a chapter spends thousands for cream roses at pref...that's over the top. And yes, all recruitment costs are in the chapter budget.

As for alums sending gifts/goodies to the chapter house on "behalf" of certain PNMs, yes, that's a fact. Nothing like a little marketing....

[carnation]

I can remember seeing massive floral arrangements in several houses that had been sent "on behalf" of rushees.

[IrishLake]

Originally Posted by carnation

I can remember seeing massive floral arrangements in several houses that had been sent "on behalf" of rushees.

As in an alum or parents sent them, on behalf of their daughter who was rushing? Yikes.

Personally, I loved skit round. Seeing Theta portrayed in "KATS" was what sealed the deal for me when I went through. Then in years after, we did a "Broadway" theme. It was always a big hit. But I can see how it was/would be a pain if you didn't have many singers/dancers. My college no longer does a skit round at all.

[33girl]

I was at a VERY laid back school, and some of the chapters were still giving gifts in the mid 80s, although it was not a "must." It wasn't anything like a pearl necklace though - just little stuff like notepads with the sorority's name on, potpourri bundles, etc.

As far as cost, I'm sure there was a chapter member with parents who owned a print shop or whatever else the gift was. The gifts were nice, but they didn't "sway" me in any way.

[carnation]

Somewhere on GC I posted about the stuffed owls that Chi O gave out as their pref gift the year I rushed. They were handmade; a Chi O roommate years later told me that they were never sure whose bright idea that was but that they were sent home for the summer with the owl parts and instructions. Most of the girls paid someone else to do it.

IrishLake, the chapter "bribes" I knew about came from alum clubs. They often came on behalf of girls who were at risk of being cut right before prefs. Many were on behalf of rushees whose parents who were in some way influential in their town and the clubs thought that the chapters might not realize this. Or there would be 10 more or less equal rushees from 1 high school and the clubs wanted to make certain ones stand out.

[KSUViolet06]

None of the chapters I work with are at schools that have skits.

That's probably a good thing, as my collegiate chapter didn't have them either and I wouldn't know how to assist with those. lol.

We had a Philanthropy Day, House Tour/Video Day, and Preference.

Also, I know a lot of schools scrapped skit day in favor of a philanthropy day instead.

However, I think that Philanthrropy Day has the potential to be just as pointless as having a skit if not done well. I have seen some REALLY dumb philanthropy day crafts in my time (ex: how many sock puppets does a children's hospital really need?)

[IrishLake]

We had open house, philanthropy, skit, then pref. Sisterhood has since replaced skit round.

[AOII Angel]

We used to do two skit days- one was more fun, the other more serious. Philanthropy day replaced the less serious skit day. Now, I believe there are only 3 days of recruitment at my school.

[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.

[KSUViolet06]

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.

I read about the same sort of thing in our history book!

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by psy

My alma marter stopped doing recruitment skits a few years before I was a student there, but I've read about them on GC, and honestly, I don't really get how they are supposed to help in the selection process. Okay, maybe you get to see how a few of the sisters work together or what they choose to focus their skit on, but it still seems like that time would be better spent actually having the PMN's and the actives *interact*, especially given how relatively short recruitment is.

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

Thanks!

I agree. My chapter did skits one year - the year I rushed, which was the first year all the chapters on campus were NPC. I hated watching them, and after I got to know the girls in my chapter after recruitment, I know they must have hated doing it! Most skits revolve around themes, anyway, and don't really tell you anything about the chapter itself...except for maybe whether they're funny, can act/sing/dance/etc. I think the time can be better spent. My alma mater now does a video day, when all the chapters show videos they've made that actually are all about their chapter, activities, etc.