More Texas Recruitement Info - Page 5

Just interested · #1 02-08-2008, 06:43 PM

I serve on a Reference Board for my sorority in a major Texas city and actually the full body shots we get are usually taken in a back yard or park with a pretty back ground. Nothing fancy. A young lady putting her best foot forward in a nice sundress or even jeans with a nice top. Sometimes sitting on a bridge or in a swing. Nothing at all you would call glamour shots. Very natural, really. In fact, I think glamour shots or rather cheap looking.

Benzgirl · #2 02-08-2008, 07:34 PM

My cousin went to UT (Not UT-Austin), and she was barely in the top 1/2 of her class. In fact, she had to go to school the summer before her freshman year to take remedial classes so that she could start normal freshman classes in the fall.

She rushed and pledged KD. I have never asked her how hard she was cut by the other houses. She is very cute and has a wonderful personality. She also had a ton of leadership rolls in her high school, which was very large.

I'm not out to dispute what others have said. I'm just stating a fact of a relative.

Just interested · #3 02-08-2008, 07:52 PM

That is an entirely different issue. (Those who get in who are not in the top 10%) Yes, there is summer school! The famous summer school. The tales I could tell. And it is NOT UT-Austin, I don't care what anyone says. There is only one TEXAS or UT and I didn't go there so I am not tooting my own horn, that is just the way it is.

texas*princess · #4 02-08-2008, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just interested

That is an entirely different issue. (Those who get in who are not in the top 10%) Yes, there is summer school! The famous summer school. The tales I could tell. And it is NOT UT-Austin, I don't care what anyone says. There is only one TEXAS or UT and I didn't go there so I am not tooting my own horn, that is just the way it is.

I think most people know it's not called "UT-Austin" but I believe the reason someone asked that it's referred to in that way on this thread is so that it won't get mixed up with the other satellite schools that are under the UT umbrella.

Rush at UT "in Austin" (if that is better) is far different than say, the UT in San Antonio, or UT in Dallas, or UT in Arlington ... or...

SWTXBelle · #5 02-08-2008, 08:00 PM

AND, sad to say, not everyone is from Texas (the state, the state!) so it will make things easier for the poor unfortunate people who are not. (!) Say "Texas" or "A&M", and Texans know what you mean - everyone else, maybe not.

epchick · #6 02-08-2008, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

AND, sad to say, not everyone is from Texas (the state, the state!) so it will make things easier for the poor unfortunate people who are not. (!) Say "Texas" or "A&M", and Texans know what you mean - everyone else, maybe not.

Yes, this is the reason why I asked for the distinction. When I would talk to my sisters about my University, they would say "wait, there is more than 1 UT?" They didn't know that UT-Austin wasn't the only UT school.

SWTXBelle · #7 02-08-2008, 10:12 PM

Hey, epchick, trying being a Texan who moved to Tennessee. Apparently, they have a UT in Knoxville!!!!!

skylark · #8 02-08-2008, 08:04 PM

From my perspective, 120-150 sounds huge enough to merit polaroids to me.

At my school one group takes polaroids, and I've heard that it has turned many a girl off to them since they are already known as the most barbielike of the sororities. However, the whole "for identification purposes" explanation is a little less believable at my school which has anywhere from 10-30 girls go through formal recruitment.

bejazd · #9 02-08-2008, 08:29 PM

Could we back off the photo issue and get to the real issue of concern here...Every single one of the NPC groups with a chapter at the U of Texas campus in Austin knows how to run a successful "big" recruitment without full body photos or teas put on by Miss $1million alum. So why does this stuff go on? It's not perpetuated by collegians, it's perpetuated by alums. If they wanted to put a stop to it, they would. It's a liitle sad for the PNMs that they don't really have a choice, if they want to participate in recruitment they have to play the game the way it is. Reminds me a little of playing monopoly with kids who made up secret rules they swore "everybody" knew about. yeesh.

yeah yeah throw your stuff at me.

nittanyalum · #10 02-08-2008, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bejazd

It's not perpetuated by collegians, it's perpetuated by alums.

And I think that is the heart of the problem -- the alums seem way too involved in what goes on in those collegiate chapters. Why do they still have such a hand in the process? Let go a little and trust your younger sisters to handle the process themselves.

EE-BO · #11 02-08-2008, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bejazd

Could we back off the photo issue and get to the real issue of concern here...Every single one of the NPC groups with a chapter at the U of Texas campus in Austin knows how to run a successful "big" recruitment without full body photos or teas put on by Miss $1million alum. So why does this stuff go on? It's not perpetuated by collegians, it's perpetuated by alums. If they wanted to put a stop to it, they would. It's a liitle sad for the PNMs that they don't really have a choice, if they want to participate in recruitment they have to play the game the way it is. Reminds me a little of playing monopoly with kids who made up secret rules they swore "everybody" knew about. yeesh.

This is the kind of post that I was talking about.

Who the hell are you to make that judgment? If you think a chapter's own alumni have no business having an influence on their chapter- then why should you?

The "miss $1million alum" comment is the dead giveaway that you obviously don't have the background to or interest in entering this sphere of existence you seem to hate hate or the society that precedes and follows it. So I have to wonder why you care so much about it.

Your comments come off as jealous- maybe not the intent- but that is how it sounds.

Edited to be a little more reasonable in my comments.

bejazd · #12 02-09-2008, 01:16 PM

See, I knew I was going to get that reaction from someone. Read carefully. Did I say they SHOULD change? No. I said they COULD if they WANTED to. That's up to the the campus PH and the orgs themselves to decide.

As a regular, ordinary, dues paying alum I have a stake in what my organization does at the International policy level because those decisions reflect on my membership. So I support my sorority, financially and otherwise, but I don't get involved in membership selection decisions. That's the right, the responsibility and the privilege of the collegiate members.

I didn't come up with the million dollar alum thing- somebody else did. I don't know if that really goes on or not nor do I care! It would be as inappropriate for Miss $100 dollar alum to think she has a"right" to be involved in collegiate recruitment decisions as Miss Zero dollar alum or anyone else.

Alums and Alum PHs can best help PNMs and the NPC system by positively promoting the benefits of membership in their community and helping interested women attain membership, whether that's securing references or holding conversation/interviewing skills/resume writing workshops or raising money to provide scholarship assistance to deserving women.

Edited to be a little more reasonable in my comments.

LadyLonghorn · #13 02-09-2008, 06:57 PM

But maybe we don't want to change. We have a system that works well for us at a very academically and socially challenging campus that's steeped in tradition. What works here may not work elsewhere.

SWTXBelle · #14 02-09-2008, 07:24 PM

LOVEinZTA - re-read bejazd's last post. As she says, IF they wanted to change. Not - they should change. As for the "what parents do for a living" - no, you wouldn't be asked. In my experience, that's one thing alumnae take into account when writing recs. Some chapters put more importance on "ability to pay" than others. And the alums she was talking about are not necessarily the ones who have "direct contact" with the chapter during recruitment. Does anyone really argue that UT alumnae are not very involved in recruitment at UT, perhaps at the APH level rather than the collegiate?Just clarifying . . .

I think that if UTs system works for them, great. But I do think EVERY campus and group needs to ask themselves periodically if a system that is working can be improved - and then decide if that means it should be revamped. Tradition is great, but times do change, and sometimes that means the system may need tweaking. Sometimes it doesn't.

UT is a very unique campus - such a long-standing successful Greek system in the midst of what is argueably one of the most liberal campuses in the state. I would like to see the system larger (i.e., have a larger percentage of the student body involved), but given the demographics of the campus I don't know if that is possible. So UT alumna - don't get defensive about the system when outsiders (or alumnae, for that matter) bring up points that may be valid.

Back to the point of the thread - it is VERY important that any pnm going through UT recruitment be up to date and ready to deal with the system there, whether or not the system itself is ideal.

Just interested · #15 02-09-2008, 07:13 PM

And that is the beauty of the Greek system. Every campus is different, and what works well for some might not work well for others. When you go through "rush" at UT you you know what it's about and you follow the rules that have been set. Tradition is everything in Texas. And... we like it like that and besides it keeps our alumnae involved for a lifetime.