Rush at UCSC

[AggieDZ]

LONG POST AHEAD!!!


As far as rush on a budget goes..... Remember that you aren't COMPETING with anyone really. The whole "rush" idea is that it really is MUTUAL selection. The girls who choose your org. will do so because they love it as much as you do! Just continue to be honest and let everyone know that while it will require a lot of effort on their part, getting the whole thing going is SUCH a benefit because they will get to make the organization what THEY want it to be. The girls who see this, and choose your org. will know this. Knowing this, they will be just as excited and motivated as you are!

Let them be! It's understandable that you are worried and may feel like it's all up to you. But, that's just the beginning. If all goes well, the org. will take on a life of it's own and you won't have sole direction "of your baby" anymore. To try to save yourself some of the "empty nest" syndrome, remind yourself of this often, and DELEGATE, DELEGATE, DELEGATE. You're already doing SO well by polling for opinions and ideas here on greekchat! That's aiming in the right direction. Keep it up.

OK for rush..... I have some friends who are involved in a fairly new "christian-based" social sorority (this always makes me laugh, cause most social sororities have a lot of religious foundation....oh, well!). It's a smaller org (abt.100 girls total), so they have a smaller budget, and they don't have a house etc.... What they do for rush is this: First, they wait a few (like 2) weeks into the school semeseter to hold their rush. That way, girls have had a chance to look into other orgs and get settled. They hold 4 days of "rush" and then a bid party. The first two days are informationals. They the same "program" on both days and it's not mandatory to go to both. They just do two in case some rushees can't make it to the first. They used a larger sized room in the Memorial Student Center and just had a lot of chairs set up like for a meeting. This day, the chapter girls wear church-type attire and had nametags made out of a little ceramic figure of their sorority's mascot that had their name on it.(these were SO cute and my friend says that's what stood out the most to her) Each rushee signed in and was assigned to a "rush buddy" who was an active sister. Often an active sister was assigned to two or more rushees. This is a great way to give the rushee a familiar face to look for each day and makes it easier than just trying to walk up to someone randomly. Anyway for the program, they opened with a prayer and then just some history abt. the sorority. When it was founded (10 years ago) how it's grown, how many sisters there are now, what their phil. is, what kinds of activities they participate in etc. They showed a video made from pictures set to music. They had tables set up with sorority paraphernalia(sp?) like stuffed animal mascots, photo albums, etc. so that gave the room all the decoration it needed. During the program each rushee filled out an info sheet/application and the questions on it are the normal name, major, age, and then they also ask cool questions like, what's something special about you that you think we should know? Special talents, achievements? What do you hope to bring to/ gain from the sorority experience? At the end, they gave everyone time just to mingle and ask questions, and before leaving each rushee had her picture taken with one of those little disposable cameras (the kind that makes little stickers) and the picture is added to their info sheet so that the sisters can go through all the info later.
*If you wanted to do a "video" abt. your sorority, then here's an idea for an informal one: Get someone to video tape you and the other founders interview/documentary style answering questions like "what made you want to start a new sorority?" "what's your vision for this organization" "what do you think sisterhood means?" etc.... Now, from what we know that you think about this subject, I know that this kind of thing would be just SO emotional and SO amazing!!!! I think it's a winner. You can take it to one of those video editing shops or the schools communications dept. and edit it yourself and add music if you like for fairly cheap.




Day 3: They did a bible study, but this would be a great time for you to do philanthropy. As far as choosing what you want to do for your org's phil, my advice is to not limit yourself to one thing. You can choose a few things to do locally, and then also have a large, maybe nationally-based phil to work with as your big project. (can you tell I love phil!) If you found a certain philanthropy that you wanted to work with that was a larger group, a lot of times, they will have videos too that show what they are all about. Maybe, you could show one of those.


Day 4. This was their equiv. of a pref. night. It was also held in the Student Center, but in a nicer/smaller room with wood paneling and the lights lowered. The theme was a coffee night. They had tables set up and each girl and her rushee sat with like 4 other pairs. The tables were covered in white butcher paper and the table dec.s were colored crayons (for reasons to be explained later) and their flower and coffee beans were strewn around the middle of the table amidst little tealights. It looks great! They served coffee and tea and little cheesecake squares. (once again, you'd be surprised how cheaply this can be done!) Then, the rush chair had a bunch of coffee-related trivia (she just got on the internet and looked up cool/crazy facts) and asked questions. The rushees were all asked to write down their answers on the table covering with the crayons in front of them. Then the last questions she asked were personal ones like "how did you meet your first love?" and "what's your most embarassing school-related moment?" Then she gives time for the rushees to share the answers to the last two questions with the girls at their table. Then, the rush chair announces the answers to the trivia questions and a prize (small trinket, donated) is given to the girls who answer the most ?'s and then each table shares their funniest story. More time to mingle and ask any last questions then the rushees are told to go home and that they will be notified by midnight that evening if they recieved a bid. The sisters go through voting and then split into teams of two to take the actual bid invitation to the new-member's houses (they got their addresses from the info sheet first night) that night. It makes it really special when they go to your door and invite the girls in person. Lots of screaming and hugs etc....

Their bid party was at a local country club. Early evening, light refreshments. just a celebration.


When a new sorority colonizes here, they do a separate process. Usually just two/three days. First day informational. Then after that, a skit day/meet the sisters day (this is the girls from surrounding chapters who come to help colonize) then an interview day (conducted by nationals rep's) They ask usual, standard questions like "why do you want to join a sorority" "why xyz" "what activities are you involved in?" etc. Then girls pick up their bids (and further instructions, like meet monday at 6 in the MSC) from the greek life office the next morning. For this all girls get an envelope with a card in it (so it doesn't immediately give girls away if they don't get a bid, saves embarassment) there is either an invitation to join inside or a polite regret.


For refreshments and decorations, see what you can get local businesses/restauraunts/grocery stores. You'd really be surprised what you can get for free if you just ask. For the businesses, it's great advertising, and there's always the possibility that you can throw business at them at a later date (have a date party at the restauraunt, or do a phil. for them etc.)
If there is a local party or greek store, go ask them if they can donate some items in your org's colors/mascot to use as "demo"s (you could even return them after rush is done if they won't donate outright). They will be thrilled that you're bringing another org. for them to sell items to it's members. You're bringing them more business.


For ALL of this..... Get creative!! It doesn't need to rival the Debutante Ball to be pretty and exciting. Remember, it's what's in your heart that will really shine through!!! Keep that as your guiding light and you will EXCELL!

Love and Gig 'Em, (that's Aggie for good luck!)
AggieDZ

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