Retro Recruitment.....with a different ending

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by dgdramadawg

AlwaysSAI, I think the hijack will continue until you post some more!

I think I would rather a chapter be choosy and not at total than to take just anyone to reach quota/total and be given any one of a number of negative stereotypes because of the image given off by the undesirable new members. Then again, it seems that at big campuses, chapters are considered struggling if they don't make quota no matter how awesome their new member classes are... so I think a lot of groups make concessions and take people who aren't their "top picks" to make quota without being required to take whatever is necessary to fill quota. Yes, there are always girls who fall through the cracks (see my Retro thread) who might have benefited from the guaranteed system, but that doesn't mean that everyone who rushes is a good fit for a house.

I think it depends on who you are talking about taking and what reason you'd have for being reluctant.

In the few years I participated in rush as a member, I think there were girls who were cut who were of comparable "quality" to the girls in the membership (and I think we had great members). The ones who were released maybe didn't get the benefits of a great rusher to draw them out or might have made a bad superficial first impression. Sometimes it becomes clear because there's a second chance with COB or informal and you actually get the exact same girl you cut in the fall. And as alums, we have all known excellent young women who we can't figure out why anyone would have cut who get released by groups where they would have been perfect members.

Of course we know others with bad reputations, low grades, or other reasons why we sort of expect them to have a bad rush.

It's hard to see why it harms a group to take any girls in the first category, especially if all the groups have to take a few not just the ones with lower numbers.

I don't know what you'd do about the second group, and it's a kind of serious problem because girls with well earned bad reputations can do some serious harm to the group overall.

[dgdramadawg]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

I don't know what you'd do about the second group, and it's a kind of serious problem because girls with well earned bad reputations can do some serious harm to the group overall.

Yeah, because I'd seriously be concerned about becoming the "stoner house," the "slutty house," the "stupid house," etc. because of a group of PNMs that were forced on me if I went to a school with guaranteed bidding. I'm not sure how fair it would be to force members on a house who were cut for big things like grades or well-earned bad reputations, both of which could ultimately harm the rep of the entire house. Does anyone who goes to a school with this system know if there are provisions for this (that aren't invasive into groups' MS decisions)?

[CZAXOTerp]

I was also wondering about how this guaranteed placement would work w/ regards to chapter's membership standards. AXO is public with our 5 membership criteria: 1) Academic interest; 2) Character;
3) Financial responsibility; 4) Leadership ability; and 5) Personal development.

I know they seem general- but there are plenty PNM's who don't meet all 5.

Also we have publicly listed on our website our statements of position and in that document it also states:
"Fraternity Rights
Alpha Chi Omega is a private women’s organization that is committed to protecting its rights as such. The Fraternity reserves the right to determine its own member recruitment and selection processes and procedures..."

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by CZAXOTerp

I was also wondering about how this guaranteed placement would work w/ regards to chapter's membership standards. AXO is public with our 5 membership criteria: 1) Academic interest; 2) Character;
3) Financial responsibility; 4) Leadership ability; and 5) Personal development.

I know they seem general- but there are plenty PNM's who don't meet all 5.

Also we have publicly listed on our website our statements of position and in that document it also states:
"Fraternity Rights
Alpha Chi Omega is a private women’s organization that is committed to protecting its rights as such. The Fraternity reserves the right to determine its own member recruitment and selection processes and procedures..."

Yeah, or what if you have serious No-Recs from alums? I don't know how you'd really do it.

It just seems to me that in many recruitments, wouldn't you release some girls who did meet all five who just weren't as awesome as the ones you gave bids too? Aren't there some girls who you release you don't really want to release?

Really guaranteed matching and quota additions may be the right way since the group does actually probably want the girls they pref; it's just a question of rank.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by jwright25

The process PeppyGPhiB describes is called Accept/Regret - where chapters issue invitations and PNMs pick the ones they want to attend up to the max allowed for that round. The other option is called Priority Ranking where chapters submit lists privately, PNMs rank privately, and the computer matches them up. The reasons some Panhellenics choose Priority over A/R are many, including:

c - less "public" embarrassment for the PNM. If someone she privately ranked high cuts her, she doesn't have to admit it if she gets a list that is already matched for her and they aren't there. It won't be as public to see all the girls who get 12 invites to the 7 party round when she only has 4. With Priority, the girls who technically got invited to all 12 will only have 7 on their list, which is only 3 more than the girls who got cut by all but 4.

This goes the other way, too, to help the smaller chapters. Girls don't compare invites and see "Oh, XYZ invited everyone back. I had kinda liked XYZ, but they must be desperate for members."

I rushed the last year that UIUC used A/R (SORUSH). After 19-party, I got invited back to 12, and got to pick 10. I was happy, until I got back to the dorm and my three best dorm friends had gotten 19, 19, and 18 invites. So I was a big supporter of the switch to priority (PRUSH).

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

I'm sorry, AlwaysSAI, I wasn't talking about you! I was speculating about what would happen if the type of girls that were discussed in the "Psycho/Stalker PNM" thread rushed at Tufts, where they have to be accepted somewhere. Someone here told a story about a girl who was cut early on but showed up at bid day at the house and cried, hung out outside the house during meetings, etc. That clearly isn't you. But I wonder what in the world they do with "that" girl at Tufts, because you know that there's one of her (or more) at every campus. Nothing can really get the message across to people who lack the skills to hear it.

Even if you have to give them a bid, do you have to initiate them? Can't you eliminate them during the pledge period?

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Even if you have to give them a bid, do you have to initiate them? Can't you eliminate them during the pledge period?

I don't think so. I think that's a policy of the past.

[AlwaysSAI]

I thought I would post before I started my list of Saturday morning errands.

I woke up super early the morning of Preference.....I WAS SOOO EXCITED! I went to get breakfast and then I called my sister. What I said to her still resonates with the remainder of the day.

"Stephanie, things are going too easy for me. Things are never this easy for me." I said. She reassured me that everything was going to be fine. I was going to wear the beautiful dress I had planned on and she also pointed out that it was very unlikely that both groups dropped me over night. She stressed that I had most likely been invited back to at least one group. I try to hear what she is saying.....she has been through formal recruitment and loves her organization AND she was only invited to pref at the house where she found her home. But, I can't stop thinking it. THINGS ARE NEVER THIS EASY FOR ME. I rarely get what I want the first time around. But, I had faith. I had an excellent GPA, I was super friendly, and begun to become a leader on my campus. And anyway, the greek advisor said we were gaurenteed an org. Looking back, I think I knew. I had that feeling in my stomach.

I sat down in front of my computer at around 12:30p. I was trying to keep myself busy....I had about 6 hours until it all began. Around 12:45 my phone rang. It was a number I didn't recognize...my stomach sank. But, I picked it up and happily said hello. One the other said, "Hi AlwaysSAI, this is Jess, how are you today?" I told her I was fabulous I still remember saying that exact word. She replies with, "Well, I have some bad news...Oh, God, here it comes....the one thing I dreaded. you have not been invited back by any sororities tonight. I said okay, trying to fake my usual happiness which is so upbeat there is no way it can be fabricated. She points out that there are other sororities on campus, Theta Nu Xi is the only one she named. I wanted to scream at her "IF I WANTED TO JOIN TNX, DO YOU THINK I WOULD HAVE PAID $25 FOR A NPC SORORITY, WHEN I COULD HAVE ATTENDED TNX'S EVENTS FOR FREE???!!!" I didn't, I remained poised. WoW, writing this is bringing tears to my eyes. She asks me if I need to talk. I politely tell her no, my voice is starting to shake now. Thinking, "WHY WOULD I WANT TO TALK TO SOMEONE WHO GOT INTO A SORORITY, SOMEONE WHO FOUND HER HOME, SOMEONE WHO WASN'T THE EPITOME OF REJECTION!!!!" Of course, I didn't say it, I remained poised.

I hung up the phone and broke down. My worst fear had actually come true. I immediately called my sister, crying so hard I could barely breathe. She knows what it means and she is as stunned as I was. She can't believe I wasn't invited back to either org. She urges me to call my Pi Chis, I refuse. "I'M NOT GOING TO GO TALK TO SOMEONE WHO GOT INTO A SORORITY. I ALREADY LOOK LIKE A HUGE LOSER AND CRYING TO HER ABOUT IT IS JUST GOING TO MAKE IT WORSE. WHAT CAN A PI CHI DO FOR ME?? SHE CAN'T MAKE EITHER ORG INVITE ME BACK!!!" She continues to urge me to call one of them and I refuse. I'm NOT going to do it. And, anyway, what does she know about it, SHE GOT IN! I give up trying to talk to my sister. At this point, I am disgusted with the campus, I have to get off, I have to go home, I have to go somewhere other than here. It was at that point that I began contemplating tranferring from the school I loved. I called my very best friend in the whole entire world who had seen me through hell my freshman year. She picks me up, realizing that I am too upset to drive. We went back to her apartment and ate a lot of Ben & Jerry's and watched movies.

She took me home later that night. I didn't want to talk to anyone else. I had been so excited about joining for so many months, I was too ashamed to call anyone. The rest of the night is a blur, honestly, I don't remember it.

I woke up on bid day, crushed, once again. I slept half the day away and when I woke up, the bid day festivities had began. I laid in my bed and watched out the window as all those other women achieved my dream. All those women with balloons and t-shirts-I could hear all the chants and screams of joy. I followed the noise into the bathroom and continued to watch the festivities from the bathroom window. I imagined myself there. Of course, it wasn't any condolence, when I opened my eyes I was in the bathroom, still in my pajamas.

I spent, I don't even know how much time, agonizing over what I did wrong. I was more prepared than half of those freshman. I knew what kind of time commitment a sorority involved. I wanted to spend my Saturday mornings doing workshops and evenings having study hours. I knew all the hours that went into preparing for recruitment. I was prepared to spend every weekend with my sisters doing philanthropy activities, retreats, everything. I spent hours agonizing over how an uniformed freshman without an established GPA and no other campus activities would make a better candidate than me.

My NPC search doesn't end there. Anyone want to hear what happened over the next couple of weeks.