Back in the day....(god, why does that make me feel so OLD???)
We (the PMN's) met in the biggest auditorium on campus, and the Rho Chi's passed out the bids, which were in an envelope and we all had to sit on them while the rho chi's did their revealing, ect. After what felt like an eternity, we were finally able to open them
-- everyone was screaming, crying, you name it. But it was kind of hard to be deliriously happy while the girl next to you was bawling her eyes out because she didn't get the chapter she wanted.
All of the chapters used to meet in the circular driveway in the middle of campus outside of the building where all of the PMN's were getting their bids, with balloons/shirts/signs/ect, cheering and singing. Each pledge class would then run out with their rho chi to meet their new sisters. It was neat to get to see who was in what pledge class. However...it was also really hard to see girls who had come to your preference running to a different group crying and clearly VERY upset about their bid. Made you feel really awful.
And having to see very small pledge classes coming out the door to some chapters was also hard.
Fastforward to the present...
Panhellenic now has the rho chi's pass out the bids to each small rush group which are in separate classrooms, so they don't have a huge audience of PMN's to open their bids in front of. After that they go to panhellenic initiation and rho chi revealing, so girls who are having a hard time can spend some extra time with their rho chi in their room if they need to. They then send each pledge class to a classroom where they meet the chapter president and new member educator. They also stagger when each sorority comes to pick up their pledge class, so they are looking out the window and see the sorority marching toward the building with huge signs, letters, balloons, singing and chanting their love for their new members!!!
The new members then come running out where the girls who pref'ed them meet them with balloons, tee-shirts, and other gifts, and they go back to the houses for bid day pictures and activities.
All in all, I think the "new way" is probably kinder and gentler on everyone, which takes a lot for me to admit because I'm kind of a grump in my love for the "old school" RUSH! (note, I did call it rush and not recruitment.... but at least I referred to them as PMN's and not RUSHEEs -- that's progress, right????)
Hybrid Mode
