A "Spicy" Recruitment

[APhi2KD]

Anyone else guessing Indiana?

[Sister Havana]

Originally Posted by APhi2KD

Anyone else guessing Indiana?

Me! (And if it is, yay! I always like to read stories from my alma mater.)

[ChioLu]

Originally Posted by APhi2KD

Anyone else guessing Indiana?

What other school has that many chapters AND winter recruitment?

[phoenix16]

Open House-Day 2:

After an all too brief night, I was up and out again for the other half of the chapters.

Chili was up first. Today, on top of the cold weather, it was raining! Thankfully, the ladies were gracious and let us wait in a back room. Once the round started, I completely forgot about the weather. I fell in love with this chapter! The women I talked to were bubbly and we spent the round discussing their philanthropy and our involvement on campus. When the round ended, I was not ready to leave, and not because of the rain!

Basil was up next, and there was a break in the rain so we were waiting outside. Right before the round started, a car full of guys drove past and yelled at us. My Rho Gamma proceeded to shout back some choice words, but she was drowned out by the round beginning. Once we walked in, I was stunned. The energy at this chapter was overwhelming! During their presentation, I could hardly understand what was being said due to their shouting. The women I talked to had the same over-the-top energy. The women I talked to were nodding vigorously at my answers and smiled like "Tour Guide Barbie." I was relieved when the round ended and I could relax. I did not want to return to this chapter if the women were all like this!

Cardamom let us wait in a back stairwell, as it was raining again. This round was much calmer than the last, and I was instantly at ease. The women were easy to talk to and had a great deal in common with me. The conversations were deeper than normal, and I felt that I could fit in well with this chapter. I left hoping to return the next day!

Mustard was next. This chapter surprised me! I tried to ignore the tent talk, but it's hard being a sophomore. The women I talked to were genuinely friendly and I enjoyed my time here. As much as I liked this chapter, I had a feeling that I didn't fit the group that normally joined. I hoped I would be invited back, but was expecting not to be.

Dill was a good round as well! Many of the PNMs I knew said some negative things about the chapter, but I honestly didn't see it. The women I talked to were sweet and the conversations flowed well. I liked this chapter a lot and was hoping to get to see more of them.

Fennel was immediately after lunch. I LOVED this chapter! It quickly became my favorite. All of the women were upbeat and smiling and wanted to know more about me. Once conversation turned to sisterhood and what it meant to us. We both ended up getting teary eyed! I left feeling like this chapter was a good fit and desperately wanting to be invited back.

Ginger was yet another great chapter! There was very clearly a "fun" atmosphere here and the women were goofy and obviously comfortable being themselves. I immediately loved this and wanted to see more. The women I talked to were involved in similar things as I was and the round flew by quickly.

Rosemary. I honestly was shocked at this chapter. Even at chapters where I was less comfortable, the women still made some effort to engage me and get to know me. They were trying to find sisters, after all! But at this chapter, the one woman I talked to for the entire round clearly did not want to talk to me. It was like pulling teeth to get any answer about her or the chapter. She would not make eye contact, was slumped in her chair, and had her arms crossed. I tried my best, but I did not want to be invited back, as they clearly did not want me there.

Cloves followed, and I still had a bitter feeling from the previous round. Thankfully, the women at this chapter were friendly and wanted to talk to me. The issue this time was the noise! We were talking in a front room that echoed like nothing else, and I was constantly asking the women to repeat themselves. We were all shouting to hear each other, and it led to a difficult conversation. From what I heard, though, I liked the women. I just felt that I would not be returning since they couldn't learn much about me.

Nutmeg was the other chapter that I loved while doing research. I was hoping that my experience here would be as good as at Cinnamon. No such luck. This was the one chapter that I was "double-rushed" at during open house, and the other PNM was clearly the interest of the sister we were talking to. I was almost ignored! I tried to stay engaged, even if I wasn't talking or being asked questions. Luckily, we talked to more than one woman and they were much more polite and engaged us both equally. I wanted to love this chapter, but I didn't want to go somewhere that did not want to talk to me. I did not expect an invitation back.

Poppy Seeds was the last round of the day! I had made it! If the women of this chapter were tired, I would have never guessed. Their energy was through the roof, but they were also down-to-earth and relaxed when I was talking to them. The women I talked to told me stories of their sisterhood and how much they loved living with such great women. I found myself smiling and expressing that what they described was what I wanted! I wanted a family in the sorority I would join. I left thankful that my day ended well and wishing to return.

With Open House round over, it was time to rank the chapters. All I needed to do was pick my "bottom 6," but I had clear favorites as well. I ranked the chapters as follows:

Top (In no particular order):
Paprika
Cayenne Pepper
Coriander
Curry
Cinnamon
Sage
Marjoram
Chili
Cardamom
Mustard
Dill
Fennel
Ginger
Cloves
Nutmeg
Poppy Seeds

Bottom:
1. Basil
2. Garlic
3. Cumin
4. Thyme
5. Oregano
6. Rosemary

The two that I definitely wanted back were Cinnamon and Fennel.

After ranking, I went straight to bed. Philanthropy round and the first set of cuts would be emotional!

[IndianaSigKap]

Originally Posted by APhi2KD

Anyone else guessing Indiana?

Originally Posted by ChioLu

What other school has that many chapters AND winter recruitment?

I was guessing Indiana from the beginning given the number of chapters and the description that one of the chapters was newer. Also, I think I figured out the order of the chapter visits too. I like how we know she joined a chapter and had a great experience.

[phoenix16]

Philanthropy Round

I was bracing myself for the worst but hoping for the best when I went to meet my Rho Gamma for my list. I knew being a sophomore could hurt my chances, but I was hoping that my good conversations had tilted things in my favor.

She hands me the list.

Sage
Chili
Cumin
Cayenne Pepper
Garlic
Paprika

What? What happened? Where are Cinnamon and Fennel? What did I do wrong? We had a maximum of 16 chapters this round, and I had 6. It wasn't my GPA, because I had almost a 4.0 as a sophomore. I was heavily involved on campus. I had recs for many of the chapters. I knew women in the chapters. Did I say something wrong?

Blinking back tears, I started my mantra for the rest of recruitment: It only takes one. I had spent a lot of time on GC and I knew that these chapters wanted me and I needed to give them my all. The other chapters did not see me as a good fit and I needed to let them go. Plus, I still had chapters that I really liked from the first round!

I turned to my Rho Gamma and explained my thoughts. A shaky smile and hug later, she said she was proud of me. On the plus side, I only had one day of rounds for philanthropy! I got a day off!

It only takes one. It only takes one. It only takes one...

Sage was the first chapter on my list. I had mostly contained my emotions from the morning and was ready to go. I loved this chapter the other day, after all. The philanthropy presentation was adorable and I could see myself becoming very involved. We started the craft got to chatting. I was surprised to find that the conversations did not flow as well this round. I liked this chapter, but it did not strike me as a great fit like it did during Open House.

Chili was up next. This round blew me away! I loved this chapter during Open House, and I loved them again this round. The philanthropy was personal to me and the women I talked to were clearly passionate about it. The women I talked to were in my major and we shared stories about classes and what we wanted to do for careers. The round passed all too quickly and I left hoping that they would invite me back.

Cumin was a chapter that I did not like during the first round. Philanthropy round changed my opinion by 180 degrees! I talked to one woman about cats and science for our entire conversation. We were so much alike that it felt like I was talking to a friend. All of the other women I talked to were open and friendly, and I was not ready to leave. It only helped that they were very involved in their philanthropy and were knowledgeable on the details when I asked questions. I left with a new view of this chapter, and I was honestly hoping they would invite me back, a far cry from the last round!

Cayenne Pepper was a chapter that I loved during the previous round. Unfortunately, it felt lackluster during philanthropy. I loved their philanthropy, but my questions weren't answered and I felt that the women may not have been as passionate about it. My conversations were also less engaging. I spoke to the woman who had been my orientation leader, but the conversation was still on the dull side. I was beginning to doubt how well I would fit in this chapter.

Garlic was again in the middle for me. They were not the worst, but I did not get a great connection with any of the women I talked to. The philanthropy was unique and I enjoyed talking to the women about it, as they truly cared about it. The conversations beyond the philanthropy fell a little flat, though. The women were sweet, and I felt like I could fit in here, but it was not a stand out like Chili orCumin at this point.

Paprika was the last chapter of my day. I talked to an entire bump group of women that I knew, and the conversations went incredibly well! I hardly had the chance to ask questions about the philanthropy or anything else, which I was a little disappointed in. I liked these women, but I wanted to learn about the philanthropy! In the end I chalked it up to we were having so much fun that it would be a conversation for another day. I was excited to return to this chapter, should they invite me.

My day ended quite early, so I spent the evening relaxing and ordered take out food. I spent a long time reflecting on my day and ranked by myself for reference, as the group ranking would be at the end of the next day. I had no rounds the next day, which was a huge blessing because it snowed, and I got to stay snug and warm inside!

Ranking was top 9-bottom 7, and since I only had 6, all of the chapters were in the top section. I ranked the chapters in order for my reference.

Top:
Chili
Paprika
Cumin
Sage
Garlic
Cayenne Pepper

[phoenix16]

Sisterhood Round

I was nervous to see my list for this round, especially after Philanthropy round. As I walked over to meet my Rho Gamma, I was preparing myself for the possibility that I would only have a couple of houses, and that Chili or Paprika would not be on my list.

She handed me my list, I took a deep breath, and...

Cumin
Garlic
Paprika

I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to smile. I still had 3 chapters! Sure, the max was 9, but 3 is better than none, right? The sting of being cut from Chili was harder to take than I was expecting, though, and I had to give myself some time in my room to get the tears out before I could start my day.

It only takes one. It only takes one. It only takes one...

Cumin had been hit or miss so far, but I was quickly starting to love this chapter. I walked in for the round to start, and the woman I had clicked so well with was waiting for me! Our conversation went incredibly well and I could clearly see she loved her sisters. In fact, all of the interactions between the sisters were friendly and I could tell they enjoyed being around each other. The video we watched was adorable and I could honestly see myself being a part of this chapter.

Garlic was a chapter that I desperately wanted to get to know. I thought I was not connecting well with them, but they wanted to see more of me. I had a better round for sisterhood! Their video highlighted how close the chapter was and the woman I talked to was much more inviting than before. I left with a much better feeling about this chapter, and I was glad that I had been given another chance to see what they were like!

Paprika had been a favorite of mine throughout the process. Sisterhood round was no exception. The woman I spoke with was someone I didn't know yet, but she had a similar personality to the women in the chapter that I knew. The video moved me to tears, and I spent the round talking about what sisterhood and friendship meant to me. As always, I left wanting to return.

When it came time to rank, I placed all 3 chapters in the top (it was top 3/bottom 6). I placed the chapters in order:

Top:
Paprika
Cumin
Garlic

Now to wait for preference round! Only one more day!