After Several Years: What Do You Think of the New Release Figures?

[carnation]

Oh, some PNMs are entitled little jerks. Others, however, are regular girls who sincerely believe with their parents that they can pledge their legacy chapter; the legacy chapter may not even be one of those that tons of girls are desperately trying to get. They just want to do what the family did. When they don't have that option, they honestly don't know what to do next and the RC may or may not be able to guide them wisely.

What violetpretty said is true, though, about guys pretty much determining the tier levels. I have told many alums what she said in the past day or so and they agreed that she hit the nail on the head.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by carnation

Oh, some PNMs are entitled little jerks. Others, however, are regular girls who sincerely believe with their parents that they can pledge their legacy chapter; the legacy chapter may not even be one of those that tons of girls are desperately trying to get. They just want to do what the family did. When they don't have that option, they honestly don't know what to do next and the RC may or may not be able to guide them wisely.

What violetpretty said is true, though, about guys pretty much determining the tier levels. I have told many alums what she said in the past day or so and they agreed that she hit the nail on the head.

Sure, but they're still entitled, even if they're not over the top about it. I'd say most manage to get over the disappointment and move forward.

Even if, and it's a big if in my opinion, guys "determine" the tiers, the women perpetuate it, particularly when it "benefits" their chapter. And guys don't really have a hand in the national "tier system" nor do they explain the mothers we get on here who influence, push, or outright demand that their daughters not join a particular chapter. (or man the "send pics so I know our chapter at ABC University is worth my daughter joining" people.)

We can't just push it off on the guys and act like we don't have anything to do with it. It's harmful for the Greek system and should be something that we work on with PNMs and chapters alike.

[carnation]

Though I'm very involved in the recruitments of many campuses these days, I don't know if the tiers (yeah, yeah some people hate them but they're still perceived) exist that existed years ago. At Auburn, for instance, many people used to look down on the "quad sororities" because they were newer groups and thus located in the older and worse dorms. Then 30 years ago, everyone moved up to the Hill and now for a year, they've all had more or less equal new housing. Also, determining of quota is now done right before prefs (rather than after second parties) so the days of some groups taking huge pledge classes and the rest taking much smaller ones are past and that had a lot to do with perceptions too.

RFM has much to do with changing perceptions too. Now that most sororities on many competitive campuses are taking quota, no one can say, "The Mu Mus only got 50 and the rest of us got 70 so they stink." Even the most naive of rushees back in the day could look around and see that her pledge class was noticeably smaller than the others and begin to wonder if she'd made the right decision. And others in her pledge class were wondering too and before you knew it, half the pledge class was gone.

It would be great if we could educate parents about the changing world of NPC recruitment but other than some lip service paid to "What is a Legacy?" in the occasional parent brochure and on sorority websites, it's not happening and I don't see how we'd reach most parents anyway.