My recruitment story

[Blueink]

Okay so you have heard all about my 2006-2007 experience. All summer I was anticipating fall rush. I couldn't wait to get started! But I'm sure no one will be surprised when I say that I have another bump in my path towards rushing.

One week before school starts I'm baking some sugar cookies & my cell phone rings. I didn't recognize the number; the area code is from by my school though. I hesitate to answer, but eventually I do. Then I was offered an RA position for the 07-08 year. This was shocking news and unexpected to say the least. I was excited though, packed up my stuff and headed down to school to be an RA. The year starts off well & I see the signs go up for fall recruitment. I go talk to my boss to make sure that it's okay if I rush. This is when he tells me that I can't do it. I was mad/angry/sad/disappointed. I had been waiting for what felt like forever. There was no way to convince him otherwise so I was unable to go through formal recruitment. He said that since I was a first year RA I was going to be very busy and stressed out, especially around homecoming and basically that was his reasoning for why I couldn't do it.

As the semester neared an end I talked to him about spring informal, he started giving me the runaround, not saying yes or no. Over break I got to thinking what was important to me and whatnot. I decided that rushing was something that I really wanted to try again & I knew I would regret it if I didn't. When we got back from break I went to the supervisor of my building (and my supervisors supervisor) she didn't say yes, but she didn't say no. She told me to go to the interest parties that interested me and then we would talk about it.

I had made up my mind that I liked Sensual Amber & Mango Mandarin I planned to attend both parties, and also maybe Warm Vanilla Sugar.

After the past year I had more time to get a look at the girls in each of these houses, what they were about, where I felt comfortable etc. Going into the interest parties, it kind of worked out perfectly Sensual Amber who was my first choice had the first interest party, and then later in the week Mango Mandarin & Warm Vanilla Sugar had parties.



And now I've got class - I will update within 24 hours I promise!!

[LegallyBrunette]

Originally Posted by Blueink

I go talk to my boss to make sure that it's okay if I rush. This is when he tells me that I can't do it. I was mad/angry/sad/disappointed. I had been waiting for what felt like forever. There was no way to convince him otherwise so I was unable to go through formal recruitment. He said that since I was a first year RA I was going to be very busy and stressed out, especially around homecoming and basically that was his reasoning for why I couldn't do it.

I've heard other stories about Resident Life forbidding RAs from going through recruitment and I've always wondered if they can actually do that. In theory, aren't RAs picked based on their maturity and such--basically, why would it matter if you're going through Recruitment so long as your work as an RA isn't suffering?

Sorry, I'm having a hard time expressing myself here. That Res Life could do this always seemed ridiculous to me.

PS, great story! hurry back & update!

[FSUZeta]

Originally Posted by LegallyBrunette

I've heard other stories about Resident Life forbidding RAs from going through recruitment and I've always wondered if they can actually do that. In theory, aren't RAs picked based on their maturity and such--basically, why would it matter if you're going through Recruitment so long as your work as an RA isn't suffering?

Sorry, I'm having a hard time expressing myself here. That Res Life could do this always seemed ridiculous to me.

PS, great story! hurry back & update!

i've heard too many times of girl r.a.'s wanting to rush and being told they could not by their supervisor. i think part of it has to do with some of the supervisors having chips on their shoulders when it comes to anything greek. it would be worth investigating whether they actually can forbid the girls from rushing or not.

can't wait to hear what happens next!

[33girl]

I think more than being anti-Greek, it's the same concept as sports team coaches not allowing their athletes to rush - that they won't have time for the job at hand (the sport or being an RA) if they go Greek and particularly if they're pledging. It sounds kind of stupid, but if they apply it to everyone, there's really nothing you can do about it.

However, if someone told me I couldn't, I would double and triple check the contract I had signed as an RA to make sure it was actually written down.

[SthrnZeta]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

i've heard too many times of girl r.a.'s wanting to rush and being told they could not by their supervisor. i think part of it has to do with some of the supervisors having chips on their shoulders when it comes to anything greek. it would be worth investigating whether they actually can forbid the girls from rushing or not.

can't wait to hear what happens next!

At my school, they discouraged Greeks from being RAs but many were anyway since there was no rule against it. I think it was the campus Panhel not wanting it because RAs may influence their new freshman during FR and that was seen as unfair. Imagine an RA with lots of XYZ stuff on her door along with all her RA stuff and the Freshman are moving in and that's all they see before FR so that's the only name that sticks out in their mind...? Or if they see her in the rush room and then talk to her outside of that room - it may be hard for the RA to separate rush from RA duties... I mean, I can see their point but at the same time, it's a great advantage to that chapter, especially if the RA is quite personable...