University of Mississippi - Ole Miss Panhellenic Sorority Recruitment 2013

[MaryPoppins]

Key part of that thread that Carnation posted from the University of Florida:

Originally Posted by MollyUF

Hey Everyone!

I don't know how many people that followed my recruitment story on Greek Chat are still hanging around, but I have an interesting update that I thought some people might want to hear.

If you read what happened to me, the whole thing that transpired with Chi Omega was pretty terrible, upsetting and unexpected. Well, I found out DEFINITIVELY why I was cut this past week. One of my close girlfriends is a Chi Omega and she told me. This is straight from the horse's mouth.

At the beginning of last spring semester (we are talking january 2001), some of my close guy friends rushed Delta Tau Delta. As a prank their pledge class kidnapped their pledge educator/chair or whatever, and organized a scavenger hunt for the older brothers to find him. The last clue was a video they had to pick up at Hooters. They needed some girls to be in the video, so as a favor a few girls, including myself did it. There was NOTHING gratuitous about the video AT ALL. We were wearing T=Shirts that said hooters on them, that was about it.

Anyways, the whole night was just funny and I got to meet a bunch of great Delts. The next night I was at a bar and ran into a lot of them, including the Pledge Educator. He was there with his girlfriend and I introduced myself to her, just being friendly. She was a total ice queen, real bitchy and rude. I figured it was about the Hooters thing but I really didn't think twice about it.

Fast forward to August recruitment, practically 7 months later. I had my great experience at Chi Omega, it was a sure thing. Then I was dropped. Do you remember how I was taken to be introduced to the pledge educator? Well, it was that same Ice Queen bitch that was irritated about the Hooters thing. She told my friend last week, and I QUOTE:

"That's the great thing about recruitment, you can drop girls for no reason. That's what she gets for waving her boobs in my boyfriends face."

I didn't even recognize her when I met her during recruitment. Apparently I got a sky high rating, but since she was Rush Chair she gave me the ax anyway. What a crappy, insecure person...

Well, that's the long and the short of it. I am really disappointed that things worked out that way, because even now I can say that Chi Omega would have been a much better house for me than KKG, but I do love my sorority a lot, and I'll just have to make the best of it. How random though!

Hope everyone is doing well...

Molly

[FSUZeta]

Oh my! And the Greek Life office condones this?

[DeltaBetaBaby]

There's an awful lot of pearl-clutching in this thread. I agree that PNMs should make fools of themselves, but if alcohol is a normal part of the social life at a university (as it obviously is/was at mine), it's really ridiculous to act like a young woman is of poor character for having a beer or two.

[carnation]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I agree that PNMs should make fools of themselves.

Ooo! I don't!

[Titchou]

DBB - I think you need to read over your post and edit

[FSUZeta]

Bless your heart, my pearl clutching is not directed at underage drinking, rather at the university not minding that underage students are attending parties on campus before they have even matriculated-looking at it from a risk management standpoint, both for the sponsoring groups as well as the university.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

Bless your heart, my pearl clutching is not directed at underage drinking, rather at the university not minding that underage students are attending parties on campus before they have even matriculated-looking at it from a risk management standpoint, both for the sponsoring groups as well as the university.

Really? How do you think Alabama, Auburn, Florida, etc, etc fraternities get all their pledges? I know lots of young men who had a bid to a fraternity before they were accepted at the college. Happens all the time at Bama and Auburn and Florida. I don't think they're giving them out in Sunday School class.....

[HQWest]

Originally Posted by Titchou

Really? How do you think Alabama, Auburn, Florida, etc, etc fraternities get all their pledges? I know lots of young men who had a bid to a fraternity before they were accepted at the college. Happens all the time at Bama and Auburn and Florida. I don't think they're giving them out in Sunday School class.....

Pretty sure how boys rush is not relevant to how a lady should behave

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by HQWest

Pretty sure how boys rush is not relevant to how a lady should behave

I was referring the to previous post that decried allowing students who were not enrolled yet to attend parties. I'm NOT saying the drinking underage is OK!

[Old_Row]

My biggest worry was that she was being sent on a trip very far from home to meet with strangers to go drinking and that it was arranged by alumnae. That seemed very very risky to me.

Here is something else that no one has mentioned which I think is important that has nothing to do with the drinking and not drinking problem. When no one knows you and you go to parties with a group of XYZ members as their guests for the weekend and even if you also are going to some other parties with the ABC members or whatnot, people are going to associate you with those sororities. That can limit your options very fast sorry to say so you better be sure you like those sororities a lot and hope they like you and want to bid you.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by Titchou

DBB - I think you need to read over your post and edit

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

There's an awful lot of pearl-clutching in this thread. I agree that PNMs should make fools of themselves, but if alcohol is a normal part of the social life at a university (as it obviously is/was at mine), it's really ridiculous to act like a young woman is of poor character for having a beer or two.

DUH. PNMs should NOT make fools of themselves.

Risk Management is one thing, and is absolutely an issue for the sponsoring groups; acting like a woman is a harlot because she attended a party is outdated and quite frankly, pretty sexist if you are going to give the men a pass at the same time.

[HQWest]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

Bless your heart, my pearl clutching is not directed at underage drinking, rather at the university not minding that underage students are attending parties on campus before they have even matriculated-looking at it from a risk management standpoint, both for the sponsoring groups as well as the university.

Indeed - I can clutch my pearls if I want. We have enough problems with restrictions on students at parties that we planned a month in advance with hired security and kept to a strict guest list. I can't believe you would encourage a 17 year old to go by herself to a party with strangers and that if there is drinking, she should go ahead to fit in.

[FSUZeta]

I am well aware how fraternities give out bids during the summer. It doesn't reduce the potential risk management problems that the combination of alcohol, rivers and inner tubes can provide.

[OleMissAnchor]

I can't speak to the Greek Life office's policies or from an advisor standpoint. Ole Miss is just a whole 'nother animal compared to where I live and volunteer now.

I agree that the centrality of frat parties to the sorority recruitment scene is not ideal from a risk management standpoint or a socialization standpoint. It sets the tone that the primary reason for Greek life at Ole Miss is alcohol and parties, when it can be so much more. I wish parties where alcohol is present weren't so central to the pre-recruitment scene. But they're a fact, so savvy PNMs going to Ole Miss should be aware of them and how they might affect their recruitment.

I say, don't drink. It's illegal, could be dangerous and could lead to bad behavior that affects recruitment. But most Greek groups use the parties as a neutral place to meet potential new members. It's also a place where freshmen meet. So the PNM who avoids them entirely will miss out on meeting many potential fellow new members, as well as upperclassmen sorority sisters. A PNM won't be judged for abstaining at the parties, because the point before recruitment is meeting and greeting, not getting wasted.

You can go Greek at Ole Miss without hitting the party scene, but PNMs who so so need to make a much bigger effort to meet sorority women through on-campus activities, church, etc. That's my #1 piece of advice for PNMs at Ole Miss--get out there and MEET PEOPLE! And, don't make a fool of yo' self.

[Hearttoheart]

As an OOS mom who's daughter is going through recruitment at Ole Miss this fall, OleMissAnchor hit the nail on the head.

Her past few posts are exactly as we were told about the greek scene.

The high school seniors who are attending these spring parties are not being encouraged to drink by alumnae, and they are not exactly staying with complete strangers. Often times, it is the sorority officers and recruitment teams who are doing the inviting. The girls who are drinking are still being warned not to make fools of themselves. We have heard from several sources that girls are being cut from lists based on their behavior at these parties. Girls do need to be warned that their behavior could make or break a successful recruitment.

Ole Miss is a very competitive recruitment and often times party lists are made in advance. You have to get on their radars early! The Savvy PNM knows this! From an OOS perspective, these parties are the only way for OOS girls to meet sorority girls. Clearly Mississippi girls, especially those from Jackson, have the advantage here as they went to high school with girls in each house. My daughter was grateful for the opportunities that presented themselves to her in the way of invitations to these spring parties.

Trust me, I have been clutching my pearls since April!