University of Illinois/Urbana-Champaign Recruitment

[DG Illinois]

Recruitment week was the week before school and I was there late 80's early 90's.
I preferred it that way, we were very busy but it didn't interfere with school.
We did not lose one girl from our pledge class and they all went active the first time so it was working pretty well for us back then.

Also I tried searching for this answer, but why did they change the term rush to recruitment?

In talking with the girls going through it right now it seems the hardest part about recruitment this way is trying to avoid interaction with active sorority members. They don't know how to act, should they say hi, will they get in trouble, what if any sorority sees them and thinks that they got the vibe they are not interested when they actually are. My girls are so worried they go to class and then stay in their dorms. I made them all shut down their FB accounts before they got to school and they understand that they are not to go to any parties right now. When I talked with girls who were already active that is the stuff they don't want to see. PNM's out at parties, especially drinking and inappropriate FB etc. Everything that is preached over and over again here is so true.

I wish I could say it's easier right now, but my girls have played a millions different scenarios in their heads. It's very hard for them to know where they are going back to and my one concern is if a favorite were to not invite them back it would be better to know sooner rather than later so you could mentally let that one go faster.
6 days with a few favorites is a lot more time to convince yourself you have found your new home than 10 hours before losing them the next morning.
The old way, the PNMs would be finished now. I am so happy if some girls have their mind on other things, but mine are struggling right now despite trying so hard to not to.

Clara Mom I hope your daughter is having a great week and is not too worried!

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DG Illinois

Also I tried searching for this answer, but why did they change the term rush to recruitment?

Supposedly it's less "scary" to the rushees and more politically correct. The problem is, what actually happens has not changed. "Recruitment" would imply that the sorority figures out what they want and then goes looking for only women who fit that description. Obviously that isn't what happens at all.

It's stupid, many of us older and wiser chicas agree.

Here's some threads about it (but skip the last two pages of the first one):

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ad.php?t=74619

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ad.php?t=41412

[DG Illinois]

Great thanks!
I keep writing rush instead and then going back and fixing it.
As long as I'm not actually offending anyone I am going to let that mistake go from now on.

From talking with the girls going through it the last few years, recruitment seems quite a bit scarier than rush ever was.
Or maybe, like childbirth, the outcome is so great you forget how scary and at times painful it could be

[DubaiSis]

I decided earlier this year I am no longer using the term recruitment. Even 18 year olds use rush if they slip into un-PC-ness. We can tip the scales in favor of bringing back common sense words!

[psusue]

Maybe it's because I'm in the middle of the whole smooshed-together rush (I mean recruitment ) period, but I think I'd favor the weekends only way right now. We noticed yesterday that literally every woman at our parties as well as all the sisters had dark circles under their eyes. 10 days is really brutal, particularly when it's basically 5 PM to 10 PM every night. I think having the weeks off to do homework, relax, and get some rest would do some good for the women, not to mention the fact that it is so incredibly hard to keep up with schoolwork. I'll probably suggest this idea to PHC after this year is over and see what they say. I think it's something to think about, especially since U of I is so similar to us in so many ways and it seems to be working for them.

[Clara Mom]

Pins and needles ... and trying to resist the temptation to FB creep my daughter ...

[lovespink88]

On a bus to Champaign as I type. So excited!

[DG Illinois]

My pnm Ava is in bed, not asleep yet, but trying. So excited and a little bit nervous for her as we are much closer than I may have said in the beginning.
No matter what invites she gets back tomorrow, they are meant to be, and I know she will be happy and thrilled going back to the houses that have been waiting all week to see her! I wish everyone a wonderful day tomorrow and Clara Mom I wish only the best for your daughter! I will let everyone know the minute I find out! Thanks to everyone for being so supportive and kind, it's nice to know there are so many others that care and are interested in her experience.
I will see you all in the morning!

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by DG Illinois

My pnm Ava is in bed, not asleep yet, but trying. So excited and a little bit nervous for her as we are much closer than I may have said in the beginning.
No matter what invites she gets back tomorrow, they are meant to be, and I know she will be happy and thrilled going back to the houses that have been waiting all week to see her! I wish everyone a wonderful day tomorrow and Clara Mom I wish only the best for your daughter! I will let everyone know the minute I find out! Thanks to everyone for being so supportive and kind, it's nice to know there are so many others that care and are interested in her experience.
I will see you all in the morning!

They didn't rush today? So bid day is on a Monday? Weird.

[Clara Mom]

I couldn't sleep last night ... All I could do was dream about sororities ...

They didn't rush Friday night. I think it's because they couldn't jam 7 45-minutes parties with 15 minute breaks into a Friday night schedule. It's not just weird that bid day is Monday, it sucks! The Panhell website does not say what time bids are distributed, but I'm sure it's later. Can you imagine going to classes with this on your mind?

Good luck to all the girls, their mothers, aunts, sisters, grandmothers, godmothers, cousins and everyone else rooting for them on this board!

[DG Illinois]

Rough day for us at first as her favorite did not invite her back.
Sad for me as I was hoping to be traveling down for the ceremony
But she has 7 amazing houses to visit today and she just needed to hear that she was loved and important. Any type of rejection is hard, but we talked about it and it's how you handle rejection that makes you who you are. It's easy when everything goes right, but we all know the best lives are ones with hills, valleys and mountains. I know my girl, and she will call later and be upbeat and positive and excited. Even though we say it a million times, it can be said again, please pnms keeps your hearts and minds open to the whole process.

[33girl]

I've heard of more than one school having Bid Day on a school night to cut down on the partying.

[scrapcat]

Clara mom.. good luck! Try to relax.. Hopefully all will turn out great! I'm pulling for you and your daughter!

[violetpretty]

Maryland always has Bid Day on a weeknight, usually on a Monday. Doesn't seem strange to me. It's just how we always scheduled it. Round 1 used to be Sat-Sun, Round 2 would be Tues-Wed, Round 3 on Fri, Pref on Sun, Bid Day Mon. Now they do weekends only, with Round 1 on Fri-Sat, Round 2 on Sun, Round 3 the following Fri, Pref on Sun, Bid Day Mon. I think because chapters decorate the most for round 3 and pref, there's too much take-down and set-up to have those two rounds back to back. They had round 3 on Fri and Pref on Sat my sophomore year and it was hell. They have Saturday off to give everyone a breather.

[lovespink88]

DG Illinois, I hope Ava is having a great day! That's so great that she still has so many options (a full schedule!)

Clara Mom, how's the day going for your daughter?