Rush - What to NOT do or say - Page 10

KSUViolet06 · #1 01-13-2005, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by neonsparkles
We probably heard really outlandish things about every group (and none of them ended up being true) so try to ignore all the talk that goes on.

CO-SIGN!!!! I've heard sooo many outlandish FALSE things about EVERY sorority! Ignore them because they are most likely untrue.

adpiucf · #2 01-13-2005, 05:54 PM

My best advice during recruitment is to remember that the entire week is a series of FIRST IMPRESSIONS.

Avoid controversial topics. You're not here to debate the 2nd ammendment, abortion or gay marriage. You're looking to join a women's social/community service organization. During the recruitment parties, you want to be learning about the organization and the women who are members, and you'll want them to learn about what would make you an asset to their organization.

You wouldn't start talking about the atrocities of genocide in Sudan in the middle of an interview for a job as a math teacher. Don't do it during a sorority recruitment interview either.

It's not that these things aren't important or worthy of discussion. But recruitment is not the appropriate forum for such things. You're trying to get the people rushing you to click with you. By introducing controversial topics, you risk alienating the recruiter who may not agree with you. It's also just not the proper forum to talk about those things.

So, during recruitment parties, don't worry about saving Mother Earth. Make a good first impression. A sorority is about fitting in and working with a team.

Save ideas for hugging trees and painting rainbows for upcoming philanthropy events, encourage a social studies group in the chapter, encourage members to get involved with SGA and campus activities that support those views. But not at a recruitment party, where the focus should be on why you want to join a sorority and how the sorority and you can meet each other's needs.

/Did that come off as remarkably shallow and insensitive?

KSUViolet06 · #3 01-13-2005, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by adpiucf

/Did that come off as remarkably shallow and insensitive?

I don't think so. I wouldn't discuss anything during recruitment that I wouldn't discuss in a job interview. I suggest leaving out such topics simply because everyone has an opinion about them and it's impossible to tell whether yours has rubbed the rusher the wrong way or made them feel uncomfortable.

neonsparkles · #4 01-13-2005, 06:09 PM

/B]/Did that come off as remarkably shallow and insensitive?[/B]

Not at all. At some parties you only have a few minutes to talk to girls, and you want to spend the time learning about the sorority and finding out information to see whether or not you are a good fit (and vice versa). If you are passionate about SGA and you know the girl rushing you is also on SGA you could talk about that for a second (because it is nice to have a common bond for the girl to remember you by) but the time is really about learning about the sorority, not why the war in Iraq qas a good/bad idea!

Besides there are plenty of other worthy topics for conversation (such as what sisterhood means to you and the ideals of your organization) and I would hardly call them shallow! They are things people are just as passionate about, and appropriate for the setting to discuss.

KSUViolet06 · #5 08-01-2005, 12:47 PM

bump

KerriMarie · #6 08-03-2005, 07:48 AM

Don't ask your rushee what kind of car she drives.

This actually happened to me! We were talking about on-campus parking, and what a pain it is, and yadda yadda... and suddenly, the girl I'm talking to asks what kind of car I drive. So I tell her that I drive a silver 1989 Volvo 240 station wagon. Affectionately referred to as "the tank" or "the brick." I miss that car.

MissBehaves · #7 08-05-2005, 12:30 PM

DON'T stare but DO make eye contact! This applies equally to actives and PNMs. I remember as a PNM there was one house where the girls tended to stare a bit too much. I felt like a specimen in a lab or something and it made me really uncomfortable.

DON'T slouch. It can indicate low self esteem, and besides everyone looks thinner with good posture.

KSUViolet06 · #8 08-05-2005, 09:29 PM

*Saying anything like "OMG I so HATE this chapter." or "Well, I can't WAIT to leave here..." (while AT a party) in my opinion is RUDE. Chapters (whether 10 or 200 girls, house or shack) spend COUNTLESS hours preparing for these parties so think about that when you're at the end of your day and at a house you don't particularly care for. If it helps, put the shoe on the other foot. You'd feel like crap if your rusher said, "Wow, I sure don't like you and can't wait til this round ends."

OtterXO · #9 08-05-2005, 09:39 PM

On that note also don't perpetuate rumors you may have heard about that chapter. For example "I heard your chapter always hangs out with the ____ fraternity, is that true?" sounds ridiculous and immature.
Also, refrain from dropping names of guys in fraternities that you know or talking about your boyfriend who just happens to be in a house. It sounds like the only reason you want to be in a chapter is for hooking up. A girl came through at my school and put as one of her ACTIVITIES: "hang out with and am currently dating a Pike" and proceeded to talk about him the whole party... needless to say she was released early.

Basically avoid talking about: alcohol, fraternity guys you've hooked up with, fraternity guys you want to hook up with.

Just my 2 cents

KSUViolet06 · #10 08-05-2005, 10:24 PM

Don't say, "Oh my gosh, ME TOO!" to everything a sister comments about. Be YOU.

KSUViolet06 · #11 08-06-2005, 12:40 AM

*DO NOT THINK THAT BADMOUTHING ONE CHAPTER IS GOING TO MAKE YOU LOOK GOOD TO THE OTHERS. It won't. It just makes you look like a TACKY GOSSIP. There was a girl who came through this past recruitment (2004) and I guess she didn't like a particular house. She made no secret of it.

Well I happened to rush her during 2nd party. Here's how the convo went:

Me: Hi Patty (fake name), welcome back to Sigma. How are you today?

Patty: I just came from AB and their craft sucked really bad, they made us do this stupid thing. I hope I don't go back there tomorrow. They're all catty and fake.

Me: So, what did you do last night?

I just changed the subject really quickly, but there were alot of my sisters and girls from other chapters who said she did the SAME thing at their party.

She thought trashtalking AB was going to work to her advantage, but it backfired. She got cross cut. Moral of the story- just don't talk about other houses at other houses parties.

OtterXO · #12 08-06-2005, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JocelynC
*DO NOT THINK THAT BADMOUTHING ONE CHAPTER IS GOING TO MAKE YOU LOOK GOOD TO THE OTHERS. It won't. It just makes you look like a TACKY GOSSIP. There was a girl who came through this past recruitment (2004) and I guess she didn't like a particular house (which if you go to Kent you know this is one of the top groups, good girls and everything). She made no secret of it.

Well I happened to rush her during 2nd party. Here's how the convo went:

Me: Hi Patty (fake name), welcome back to Sigma. How are you today?

Patty: I just came from AB and their craft sucked really bad, they made us do this stupid thing. I hope I don't go back there tomorrow. They're all catty and fake.

Me: So, what did you do last night?

I just changed the subject really quickly, but there were alot of my sisters and girls from other chapters who said she did the SAME thing at their party.

She thought trashtalking AB was going to work to her advantage, but it backfired. She got cross cut. Moral of the story- just don't talk about other houses at other houses parties.

To add to this, don't ask: "what are the best houses here?" or "so i heard you are the top house here, is that true?". The answer to any of this type of question will be a quick change of subject and likely a release from the house.

KSUViolet06 · #13 08-06-2005, 09:35 AM

*Don't rush to join the TOP GROUP. This isn't the Olympics. Rush to join the group YOU click with. If the house you love just happens to be one of the top, then great. But if you KNOW you only keep going back just to say, "How cool am I? I got invited back to XYZ!" and really don't like them, then you're doing yourself a disservice.

*On that same token, DO NOT CUT GROUPS JUST BECAUSE ALL YOUR FRIENDS/ GIRLS IN YOUR RUSH GROUP DO. If you cut just to follow your friends, you may end up somewhere that doesn't fit YOU because you were so worried about being with your friends.

*While we all love a good joke sometimes, RUSH IS NOT THE PLACE FOR EVERY JOKE YOU KNOW. We are trying to get to know you, and constantly spouting bad jokes doesn't help.

KSUViolet06 · #14 08-06-2005, 02:07 PM

*On that same note, KNOW YOUR RIGHTS as a PNM. You do have the right to be treated fairly, not be pressured or coerced, and make informed choices on your own. If ANYONE (be it a sister or conselor) violates your rights, let someone know.

*Chew with your MOUTH CLOSED.

*SPEAK UP. It gets loud at rush parties and alot of times, the rusher might not be able to hear you.

Indie_Superstar · #15 08-06-2005, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JocelynC
*DO NOT THINK THAT BADMOUTHING ONE CHAPTER IS GOING TO MAKE YOU LOOK GOOD TO THE OTHERS. It won't. It just makes you look like a TACKY GOSSIP. There was a girl who came through this past recruitment (2004) and I guess she didn't like a particular house (which if you go to Kent you know this is one of the top groups, good girls and everything). She made no secret of it.

Well I happened to rush her during 2nd party. Here's how the convo went:

Me: Hi Patty (fake name), welcome back to Sigma. How are you today?

Patty: I just came from AB and their craft sucked really bad, they made us do this stupid thing. I hope I don't go back there tomorrow. They're all catty and fake.

Me: So, what did you do last night?

I just changed the subject really quickly, but there were alot of my sisters and girls from other chapters who said she did the SAME thing at their party.

She thought trashtalking AB was going to work to her advantage, but it backfired. She got cross cut. Moral of the story- just don't talk about other houses at other houses parties.

This doesn't really apply to me, because I'm not looking to join a sorority (I've gotten involved in other activities, but a lot of my friends are Greek), but what if Patty had said "I just came from the AB house, and their craft was really fun and cute, and the girls were really nice. But I'm having lots of fun at Sigma, and I think you girls are really nice too?" Would that have been okay, or could it have been construed as either favouring AB over Sigma, or just sucking up?