Weird rush stories

[naraht]

Originally Posted by NWguy

Wow, that is interesting!

I'm assuming registration was done electronically, so no one caught it before rush started? Most international students, I think, are discouraged or even restricted from joining the Greek system, if they are here on a sponsored program.

Social Greek system sure, but some of the professional/service greeks would be much less of a problem.

[clemsongirl]

I can think of an example both at Clemson and the University of Rhode Island where a social sorority pledged and initiated a foreign exchange student who was only here for a year. I imagine it's rarer for a sorority because they have a set number of girls they can take, whereas a fraternity has more wiggle room on adding a member who will leave a year later.

[ChioLu]

Originally Posted by clemsongirl

I can think of an example both at Clemson and the University of Rhode Island where a social sorority pledged and initiated a foreign exchange student who was only here for a year. I imagine it's rarer for a sorority because they have a set number of girls they can take, whereas a fraternity has more wiggle room on adding a member who will leave a year later.

UCLA has many exchange students who go through Recruitment.
The students who are "Semester Abroad" are FREE and don't count in quota.
Since every sorority but one initiates before the quarter ends, it is only an issue for 1 group. (wah, wah )

A retro weird recruitment story:
About a week before the start of my 1st recruitment on the active side, I got a horrible case of pink eye (like, emergency room case). I had a gauze patch taped to my head. (Couldn't stand looking at it in the mirror so I drew an actual-sized eye/eyebrow and taped it to the gauze patch.)
But, what to do??? I was to be in a skit on Day 2! The Rush Chair (my big sis) held me out on Open House Day because I still had my patch on and didn't want to be contagious to PNMs. The morning of Day 2, my doctor cleared me, so I got to take my eye patch off and was able to participate in Recruitment / skit. The doctor discouraged me from wearing eye make-up the 1st day, so I just went for the natural look in the skit.

[sigmagirl2000]

Originally Posted by NWguy

Wow, that is interesting!

I'm assuming registration was done electronically, so no one caught it before rush started? Most international students, I think, are discouraged or even restricted from joining the Greek system, if they are here on a sponsored program.

Registration is done electronically. Another difference with Babson, is that the international students are not exchange students, they are fully enrolled and spend their 4 years at Babson. I have spent many an hour searching through ICS making sure that PNMs are actually PNMs

[TLLK]

This story is from the early 1980's so I'm hoping that this house has polished their recruitment conversation skills. Our then chapter president's cousin went through rush at our school. They both have the same last name. Our president is a little concerned that this could be a problem with some of the other houses but she tells herself that it will be okay. While her cousin is visiting this house during recruitment their chapter president comes over to introduce herself and meet this excited PNM, who was thrilled to be asked back to their chapter on the third day of recruitment. President takes a good look at her name tag. "You're __________'s cousin aren't you? She's the current president of Delta Gamma right?" PNM answer "Yes she is." President stares at her and says "You do realize that it is a waste of our time to have you here at this party!" President then leaves the shocked PNM sitting by herself. Another sister rushes over to try and remedy the situation as the poor PNM stammers about how much she likes their house.
The next day the PNM was dropped by that house. She did end up pledging DG in the end but heard from friends at the other house that their president was lectured by their chapter's rush advisor who had been made aware of her comments by other members. Note to all actives, please treat everyone as a potential new member no matter who their family members are!

[naraht]

Originally Posted by TLLK

They both have the same last name.

I presume the name is something fairly unusual like "Milekowski" rather than Smith...

[TLLK]

It was a distinctive last name. And the recruitment applications at that time did ask if you had any sorority influences

[aephi alum]

Originally Posted by TLLK

President takes a good look at her name tag. "You're __________'s cousin aren't you? She's the current president of Delta Gamma right?" PNM answer "Yes she is." President stares at her and says "You do realize that it is a waste of our time to have you here at this party!" President then leaves the shocked PNM sitting by herself.

OMG! I sure hope that wasn't an AEPhi chapter!

Rudeness goes both ways. Just like a PNM should never be rude to sisters at a rush party - you're a guest in the chapter's house, after all - a sister should never be rude to a PNM, because the sisters are the hosts, and because PNMs talk, meaning recruitment could have ended very badly for that chapter once the story got out. One bad apple spoils the barrel, especially when that apple is the president.

Besides, it's far from a "waste of time". Suppose the PNM in question felt she was a bad fit for DG, or vice versa? It's silly to assume that a PNM is going to want to pledge her relative's chapter.

[TLLK]

Be assured it was not an AEPhi chapter and yes I agree that there should be no assumptions made about where a PNM would want to pledge.

[TLLK]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

This is definitely my "bestest" recruitment story...

In the mid-80's, when I was a collegian, we received a phone call from the Panhellenic Office in between the first and second parties of Round One: Two fraternity men, named Pat and Chris, had officially registered for sorority rush under their real names. No one realized that they were guys until they showed up to meet their Rho Chis at the first house on that group's schedule. The Panhellenic office told us to be polite to them and not to make a scene, for the sake of the legitimate PNMs. An administrator was being sent to either our house or their 3rd scheduled party, to intercept the guys and pull them out of the group, but she definitely wouldn't get there before our party started.

We all tried to get a discrete look out the window as the group lined up on the sidewalk outside our house. First in line were the 2 Rho Chis, looking really put out as they clutched their clipboards. A few feet away, in the front of the line, were the 2 guys...and this was classic. They were definitely sporting "what not to wear" outfits...ugly wigs, elbow purses like Queen Elizabeth, floral house dresses, and sensible pumps. One had a straw hat with a flower on the brim, and their make-up left a lot to be desired...especially the big, round, pink circles of blush on each cheek. The PNMs were lined up a safe distance down the sidewalk and looked completely befuddled and even more nervous than usual. The guys, who were well-known in the Greek community, had huge smiles and were eagerly and patiently waiting.

As they came in, we paired them off with a couple of steadfast members who steered them into the TV room for conversation, instead of the living room. I'm not even sure they realized this was a "snub" because the next day the campus newspaper ran a front-page story on the whole debacle and we were really happy because we got some great PR out of the whole adventure...one of the guys was quoted as saying the "Gamma Phi Betas were the friendliest house and were the nicest to us."

I love this thread! While there are many worthy contenders, I believe this is the funniest recruitment story that I've ever read.!

[thetalady]

Oh, the good old days! When we could refuse to allow men to rush an NPC sorority.

[TLLK]

More of an initiation story but this seemed like the best place to share this memory. In the mid-eighties our CSULB Delta Gamma chapter was requested to initiate the then San Diego State colony. It's about a two plus hour trip from Long Beach to the SDSU campus so we decided to hire two buses to transport us.

(For those of you not familiar with CSULB greeks, there is no "row." The houses are located west of the campus amid apartments, single family homes and commercial corridors. The DG house is on Redondo Blvd.)

We've gathered at the house and are preparing to leave. One of the actives opens the front door and then immediately slams it shut. Upon hearing the door open, a member of the Long Beach Police Department's SWAT team had turned and pointed their weapon at our door. We hear someone outside shouting orders for us to remain inside with the doors locked. Naturally we all run to any available window to catch a glimpse of what is going on outside. There are several police cars stopping traffic on Redondo and are surrounding a vehicle with weapons drawn.

About thirty minutes later and after a phone call to the SDSU colony, a SWAT team member knocks on the door and informs us that we can now safely exit the house. All seventy plus members are then escorted past the handcuffed suspects who are face down on the neighbor's lawn. We finally are permitted to board the bus and head down the 405 to San Diego. Needless to say, but this is my most memorable start to an initiation!

[naraht]

Somewhat similar to the previous poster... for the Alpha Phi Omega chapter at George Washington University, the 1987 rechartering was moved because the building it was scheduled to be in was on fire. (From the Winter 1987 Torch&Trefoil)

THETA CHI REACTIVATED IN RESTAURANT
When Region III Director, Bob Harris; National Alumni Chairman, Chuck Bowen; and National Vice President, Jerry Schroeder arrived on the campus of George Washington University on December 5 to reactivate the Theta Chi Chapter they were met by several dozen fire trucks, ambulances and police cars. It didn't take long to realize that the center of all the activity was the building where the initiation ceremony was to take place, as it was blazing
into night.

Amazingly, they found the petitioning group huddled on a street corner under a lamppost nearby with Brothers from three other chapters in Section 84 who were trying to attend the ceremony. Everyone retired to Mr. Henry's, a local restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue, where the chapter was reactivated in an upstairs room. Section Chairman, John Harding, denies rumors that a waiter passing by the room was inadvertently inducted into the chapter National Vice President Schroeder commenting on the evening's events noted that the Torch of Alpha Phi Omega would surely burn brightly at George Washington University for years to come.

[TLLK]

Wow! I think a fire at your initiation site is something that no one will ever forget. Glad that another place was found so quickly so that the initiation ceremony could continue.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by TLLK

Wow! I think a fire at your initiation site is something that no one will ever forget. Glad that another place was found so quickly so that the initiation ceremony could continue.

My *guess* is that they used the restaurant that they had intended having the banquet and charter presentation at. Just asked them to delay putting out the round tables for banquet and just leave the head table (if there was one). But I'm not sure. Made the school newspaper, of course.