recruitment advice for juniors

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by krose

I'm not saying I know for certain but the whole time I was talking with the girls it just didn't feel like I belonged. It's nothing against them personally at all. I'm not sure if I can explain it without sounding naive. Basically I was unsure about them, didn't ever have good feelings when I left their parties. If I had gotten a bid from them and turned it down I couldn't pledge again for a year. So the way I see it is now I can still go to their COB events and see how I feel about them, but if I had gotten a bid from them from formal I can't say that I would have been okay with accepting it, and I wouldn't have been able to cob after recruitment or rush in the spring.

Did you go to COB events for that group? They're clearly the group that is most interested in you.

[krose]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Did you go to COB events for that group? They're clearly the group that is most interested in you.

I have been in contact with the president and we are trying to set something up. I am not writing them off completely, I just don't think I would have been able to commit to them without checking all of my options first, if that makes sense?

[nittanygirl]

Having done COB events, formal & then more COB events, you have exposed yourself to all the groups in the NPC on campus.

If this is not working out for you, I suggest you maybe check out other sororities on campus that may take juniors.
There are two service sororities, several multicultural sororities, engineering & ag sororities here at Penn State if you feel you need to look into other options.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by krose

I did not by any means try to pick a choose but sometimes it was unavoidable, like when two sororities would schedule a party on the same night at the same time. (during COB pre-formal)

I find it hard to believe that the ONLY time a sorority scheduled a party and didn't hold another one was opposite another group. That's just dumb on their part. It's COB, they can have as many parties as they want - or, as nittanygirl said, events that aren't even parties. If that is the case though, you should have let the other sorority know you weren't blowing them off completely - they may have made an effort for you.

[nittanygirl]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I find it hard to believe that the ONLY time a sorority scheduled a party and didn't hold another one was opposite another group. That's just dumb on their part. It's COB, they can have as many parties as they want - or, as nittanygirl said, events that aren't even parties. If that is the case though, you should have let the other sorority know you weren't blowing them off completely - they may have made an effort for you.

krose is not completely off-base on this.
I had considered COB last fall and there were groups that had events at the same times. This was an issue last spring as well which is why they held a structured informal instead.
Acknowledging that, I still think if she would have let the sorority know she was interested but couldn't make the time, that they might have worked something out to meet with her.

[psusue]

Originally Posted by nittanygirl

krose is not completely off-base on this.
I had considered COB last fall and there were groups that had events at the same times. This was an issue last spring as well which is why they held a structured informal instead.
Acknowledging that, I still think if she would have let the sorority know she was interested but couldn't make the time, that they might have worked something out to meet with her.

Co-sign on this. When I was beginning my journey into Greekdom, I looked into several COB parties before formal recruitment and some did indeed conflict. However I don't think there was ever two sororities who scheduled their parties at the same time that did not also offer at least one other party you could attend, if that makes sense.

Also you could have contacted the recruitment chairs about the conflict. If they wanted to, they could have worked something out with you to still meet you. Best of luck to you.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Look, the bottom line here is that the OP went through formal recruitment and was dropped by all the groups but one. Her best bet is to see if that group is still willing to get to know her.

[Blue Skies]

Originally Posted by krose

I'm not saying I know for certain but the whole time I was talking with the girls it just didn't feel like I belonged. It's nothing against them personally at all. I'm not sure if I can explain it without sounding naive. Basically I was unsure about them, didn't ever have good feelings when I left their parties. If I had gotten a bid from them and turned it down I couldn't pledge again for a year. So the way I see it is now I can still go to their COB events and see how I feel about them, but if I had gotten a bid from them from formal I can't say that I would have been okay with accepting it, and I wouldn't have been able to cob after recruitment or rush in the spring.

If you are unsure about them, then you should definitely give them a shot. You'll know when a group is absolutely, positively NOT for you. But the group that you are unsure about might be your home!

I would encourage you to give it one more try at spring informal or COB. You are obviously interested in greek life, why not?

Does every school have a greek life office to ask? I'm a junior doing COB events in the Spring and I don't see any information about an office for greek life on my school's webpage. I would like to know if upperclassmen count for quota.

Also, let us know how it goes krose. It can be really nervewracking to go through being a junior and everything so know you're not alone!!

[FSUZeta]

it may fall under student life, campus organizations or the dean of students.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Bronco

Does every school have a greek life office to ask? I'm a junior doing COB events in the Spring and I don't see any information about an office for greek life on my school's webpage. I would like to know if upperclassmen count for quota.

Also, let us know how it goes krose. It can be really nervewracking to go through being a junior and everything so know you're not alone!!

I'll go out on a limb and say if you can't find a Greek life webpage, being a junior is not going to be a big issue.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by Bronco

Theres a webpage. And we have a fraternity and sorority life office but I think it falls under student activities and theres no real contact information for the specific office.

I managed to find http://www.wmich.edu/greeks/staff.html by going to the Western Michigan page and putting Greek Life in the search and that was the first link listed. Oh look, names, email, phone numbers, office location. http://search.wmich.edu/search?q=greek+life&x=8&y=9 This link also appears on the Fraternity and Sorority Pages Contact Us http://www.wmich.edu/greeks/contact.html

Srsly.

[Regina.George]

Originally Posted by Bronco

Does every school have a greek life office to ask? I'm a junior doing COB events in the Spring and I don't see any information about an office for greek life on my school's webpage. I would like to know if upperclassmen count for quota.

COB has nothing to do with quota. There are no quotas in COB. Chapters can give bids up to total or average chapter size depending on the school. Being a junior does count. Every warm body that receives a bid counts into total.

[Regina.George]

Originally Posted by Bronco

Regina.George - so if the chapter average on campus is more than the total the chapters can take in more than total?

No. From what I understand, it will be one or the other as determined by the Greek life office/campus. From what I have observed, average size is used most often when almost all of the sororities on campus exceed total/total hasn't been re-set in a long time. These are things that are not under your control and you should not concern yourself with them. They don't provide any additional opportunities or loopholes for someone in your position. Generally they are attempts to help the chapters with lower numbers; they are not to help add even more members to healthy chapters.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by Bronco

Okay is it necessary to be so rude? I said there was an office. And yeah I know there are contacts but there's no number for the specific fraternity and sorority life office itself which is what I was looking for. Follow your own links and youd see that it basically directs you to student activities. Oh and gives you the number/email for two advisers. I already tried emailing one of them and they didn't email me back. The address is the student activities office too. I thought 33girl meant an independent office or something.

Regina.George - so if the chapter average on campus is more than the total the chapters can take in more than total?

Obviously you have no idea what RUDE is but I guess acting helpless is the way to go here? That link I provided has the names of two separate people, including the advisor, with two different phone numbers from the main Student Activities number at the bottom of the page. What more do you want? Honestly, Kristin Fouts is the Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life and can be reached at 269-387-2131 and kfouts@wmich.edu and there is a Fraternity & Sorority Life Graduate Assistant who can be reached at SALP-GreekGA@wmich.edu and 269-387-2138. Their offices are listed as #223 Bernhard Center in Kalamazoo. What else do you need? If you really want to go Greek walk yourself to 223 Bernhard Center, or call them since your email wasn't answered. Rush ended almost two months ago and you need to be proactive if you really want to be Greek and take matters into your own hands, which may include going in person or actually doing some leg work. If you keep getting led back or thinking it is just the Student Activities Office, why aren't you asking them who to talk to or what to do?

Do you think anyone here is going to tell you any different than to go to the office, we have no special knowledge and really, a lot of people would have been a lot ruder or not given you the links. I gave you the benefit of the doubt of being unaware of navigating pursuit of membership, a mistaken act of generosity for sure.