sorority rush..I don't understand

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

My point is, if the girls want to be petty with each other on her campus, they don't need the NPC to do it.

Obviously I was being facetious. I don't think "no drinking in the house" or "attend the meetings you agreed to attend" are petty rules, either.

But then, I don't think the NPC's rules are petty to start with.

[taumusigma]

Originally posted by SoCalGirl
Like Barbara said all the rules is to make rush fair for both the chapters and rushees.

But the biggest reason for the rules (imho) is also the biggest difference between IFC and NPC.

NPC's goal is for every girl on campus to go through rush and join a chapter. They don't care which chapter as long as it's NPC. (That's how it was explained to me by my sorority's National VPM.)

NPC does also work to establish guidelines for other concerns, like alcohol. But the number one reason NPC exists is to keep NPC existing.

IFC, on the other hand, is in existence pretty much only to establish guidelines for alcohol, hazing, etc.

If the goal is to protect potential recruits and make sure every girl who goes through joins a chapter, why are there so many girls who do not get accepted and then are staunch advocates against sorority life? I'm not sure of any guy who wanted to join a fraternity ever being turned away. Even the problem guys join bcause there is some fraternity who needs numbers and will take them. I feel sorry for the hundreds of women who don't get accepted and I can see why they would want to start their own sorority or simply be anti-greek for the rest of their college years.

[preciousjeni]

Originally posted by SoCalGirl
NPC's goal is for every girl on campus to go through rush and join a chapter. They don't care which chapter as long as it's NPC. (That's how it was explained to me by my sorority's National VPM.)

I know this post is old but

[33girl]

Originally posted by taumusigma
If the goal is to protect potential recruits and make sure every girl who goes through joins a chapter, why are there so many girls who do not get accepted and then are staunch advocates against sorority life? I'm not sure of any guy who wanted to join a fraternity ever being turned away. Even the problem guys join bcause there is some fraternity who needs numbers and will take them. I feel sorry for the hundreds of women who don't get accepted and I can see why they would want to start their own sorority or simply be anti-greek for the rest of their college years.

A lot of girls screw themselves over by saying "I only want ABC the top sorority" and refuse to look at something that might have a slightly lower status on campus. They have shown they don't want to be Greek, they want popularity whether they connect with the women (and vice versa) or not.

Sometimes there are girls who would be great but get cross-cut and don't bother to look into options like COB. Sorry, but if you're not bright enough to research your options (especially with so much more info than there used to be) it's your own fault.

Some women just find that they don't care for the Greek system as it is at their school, but they might love it someplace else. That's no reason to put down Greeks period....especially if it takes two clicks of a mouse to show that not all sororities even look like or are housed like the ones at your campus.

If all the sororities are full and many women don't get a bid...they can look into starting a new chapter. If some of them aren't full and Panhel is closed to expansion, rush as a group and turn that struggling chapter around.

And as for the fraternities who take the problem guys because they need numbers, I hope they are having a good time on their voyage on the S. S. Pathetic. Women are not quite so dumb as to do that.

[kk_bama]

I think it has a lot to do with the nature of women vs. men in the first place. Women, in general, are more organized and more structured in their lives than men, and I think it reflects in recruitment, and beyond.

[NebraskaDelt]

Originally posted by 33girl
A lot of girls screw themselves over by saying "I only want ABC the top sorority" and refuse to look at something that might have a slightly lower status on campus. They have shown they don't want to be Greek, they want popularity whether they connect with the women (and vice versa) or not.

Sometimes there are girls who would be great but get cross-cut and don't bother to look into options like COB. Sorry, but if you're not bright enough to research your options (especially with so much more info than there used to be) it's your own fault.

Some women just find that they don't care for the Greek system as it is at their school, but they might love it someplace else. That's no reason to put down Greeks period....especially if it takes two clicks of a mouse to show that not all sororities even look like or are housed like the ones at your campus.

I don't know about other guys, but I took my aim at DTD from the beginning. I was going to be a Delt or nothing because I related to the mission and values and I enjoyed the company of the men in the chapter. Does that make me a bad person to give an all or nothing persona? I don't think so. The point of recruitment is to find your niche and to join who you feel comfortable with.

[NebraskaDelt]

Originally posted by kk_gphib_01
I think it has a lot to do with the nature of women vs. men in the first place. Women, in general, are more organized and more structured in their lives than men, and I think it reflects in recruitment, and beyond.

I don't think this is anything but a false generalization. Having 108 pages of rules is more like psychopathy.

I am not a female, but I am more organized than my girlfriend. My office and tool shed can attest to that. While my girlfriend's makeup and fingernail polish is stranded throughout the house. She does the work in the kitchen and nothing is organized there. I found Nyquil in the spices section of the cupboard.

I can give you other instances of the complete opposite of what you have stated as something "in general". We can rectify it by saying some men and women are organized and some aren't, but can't say one gender is more organized than the other because it just isn't so.

[texas*princess]

Originally posted by NebraskaDelt
I don't know about other guys, but I took my aim at DTD from the beginning. I was going to be a Delt or nothing because I related to the mission and values and I enjoyed the company of the men in the chapter. Does that make me a bad person to give an all or nothing persona? I don't think so. The point of recruitment is to find your niche and to join who you feel comfortable with.

No it doesn't... if you reread 33girl's post,you'll more than likely find out why.

I'm glad you only rushed the fraternity you related to because of their mission and value statements... and I'm glad you were able to join the brotherhood you felt was right for you.

However- when many young women go thru rush, say SuzyQ for example, they will only want ABC sorority because they are the "top tier" sorority on campus. They have the most mixers, with the best fraternities, they are the reigning flag football champions, they have the most homecoming queens, or they are just a popular sorority in that region (south, north, west, east).. whatever. Regardless of how or even *IF* SuzyQ connects with the women in that ABC chapter, that is all she wants and is unwilling to even consider a chapter of "lower status" filled with sisters she may actually connect to. In other words, she just wants ABC for the wrong reasons. For some people who join for the "wrong reasons", it ends up being a miserable experience anyway because they don't mesh well with the ladies who are already there, and may end up deactivating later. (Not saying it always happens, but it's definitely possible... esp. if the new member only joined for the "status" and not the people there)

Your reason for only rushing your fraternity and the reasoning of SuzyQ here are entirely different.

[slickwilly95991]

Originally posted by texas*princess
However- when many young women go thru rush, say SuzyQ for example, they will only want ABC sorority because they are the "top tier" sorority on campus. They have the most mixers, with the best fraternities, they are the reigning flag football champions, they have the most homecoming queens, or they are just a popular sorority in that region (south, north, west, east).. whatever. Regardless of how or even *IF* SuzyQ connects with the women in that ABC chapter, that is all she wants and is unwilling to even consider a chapter of "lower status" filled with sisters she may actually connect to. In other words, she just wants ABC for the wrong reasons. For some people who join for the "wrong reasons", it ends up being a miserable experience anyway because they don't mesh well with the ladies who are already there, and may end up deactivating later. (Not saying it always happens, but it's definitely possible... esp. if the new member only joined for the "status" and not the people there)

Your reason for only rushing your fraternity and the reasoning of SuzyQ here are entirely different.

I'm not sure this reasoning justifies the use of the sorority's rush program (I use rush because it's not recruitment, it's rush). Now if the girl who just wants to join ABC goes through a traditional fraternity recruitment and has her eyes only for ABC but doesn't mesh with ABC or its values then members of ABC can sit her aside and say, "We think you're nice, but don't think you are a fit for our organization." The whole process is a little more personal and protects both interests. Having a girl go through a whole rush process and in the end get snubbed is not protecting her.

And this I guess is a side track to the whole discussion, but doesn't sorority rush process seem a little un-personal. I know for fraternity recruitment I'm sitting down with members and having discussions about what I get by joining and I present what I can give and there is real personal feelings going into it. In sorority rush, it seems like potential rushees are just herded around and nothing is personal.

It also seems monopolistic. Why not let other organizations on campus and have competition to get the best members. I'm sure numbers would go up for everyone because the members would have to work for what they get not assume a quota.

[texas*princess]

Originally posted by slickwilly95991
I'm not sure this reasoning justifies the use of the sorority's rush program (I use rush because it's not recruitment, it's rush). Now if the girl who just wants to join ABC goes through a traditional fraternity recruitment and has her eyes only for ABC but doesn't mesh with ABC or its values then members of ABC can sit her aside and say, "We think you're nice, but don't think you are a fit for our organization." The whole process is a little more personal and protects both interests. Having a girl go through a whole rush process and in the end get snubbed is not protecting her.

Using my example from before, sometimes if ABC thinks SuzyQ is not a good match for the chapter, she will be cut, and if SuzyQ doesn't want any other sorority on campus, she will most likely drop out of rush, so it's not like she went thru the entire process to get "snubbed" at the end. The NPC process is used to protect the chapters as well as the pnms. The chapters want to meet people they feel are a great fit with the chapter, and most of the pnms want to do the same. Sometimes women do fall thru the cracks, but there is always other opportunities for her to join NPC sororities thru COR/COB or to rush again, or to start an interest group to form another sorority.

And this I guess is a side track to the whole discussion, but doesn't sorority rush process seem a little un-personal. I know for fraternity recruitment I'm sitting down with members and having discussions about what I get by joining and I present what I can give and there is real personal feelings going into it. In sorority rush, it seems like potential rushees are just herded around and nothing is personal.

Unless you've actually sat through an entire NPC rush process, you won't really know what we talk about @ the recruitment events There are many personal feelings going on during the process, and the reason pnms are "herded" around is usually because the Panhellenic wants to give all the pnms the chance to meet all the houses... additionally they want all the houses a chance to meet all the pnms. At some of the larger schools there are THOUSANDS of women interested in becoming greek, and it would be hard to schedule a laid back event for one sorority to house that many women all at one time. While I rushed (I went thru COR) I talked a lot to the sisters about why I wanted to join a sorority... and they talked to me a lot about the positive aspects of going greek and joining ADPi. And (*gasp*) surprisingly it was the same way when I did formal recruitment the following semester on the "sister side".

It also seems monopolistic. Why not let other organizations on campus and have competition to get the best members. I'm sure numbers would go up for everyone because the members would have to work for what they get not assume a quota.

You're using the word "seems" a lot.... because while it may "seem" that way, it is not entirely that way. Sororities participating in *ANY* form of recruitment - whether it be formal, informal, whatever, DO work hard to recruit the best women they can find to become members in their organization. I only wish I could go into full detail on number of things we do to prepare for recruitment and for our upcoming new member classes. I would be here all day.

Unfortunately you say you're so "sure" that numbers would go up for everyone, but that is not always the case. On any given campus there are only so many women even remotely interested in greek life to go around. If schools could just keep adding and adding sororities (or even fraternities) the number of potential members to go around (i.e. school enrollment or people interested in greek life) remain relatively the same unless enrollment numbers drop. So on a campus with 7000 students and all 26 NPC sororities, well, each sorority will only have a handful of members.

A prime example of this would be the school I used to go to. It was a relatively small school with around 7000 students. At one time our campus had SEVERAL chapters of different sororities and fraternities. After awhile, enrollment dropped enough to drastically affect numbers in all the chapters. Of all those GLOs, only 2 IFC fraternities remain. All the NPCs died out or closed, and their greek system just started rebuilding about 2 years ago.

It is basically a principle of supply & demand. If the sororities already existing get too full (this happens on a lot of campuses, especially larger ones with chapters that have over 200 members each) the campus panhellenic will usually decide to expand because there is obvious a big demand for room in greek life. If there is too much supply and no demand, the chapters will probably end up dying out.

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by kk_gphib_01
I think it has a lot to do with the nature of women vs. men in the first place. Women, in general, are more organized and more structured in their lives than men, and I think it reflects in recruitment, and beyond.

True, it has a lot to do with the nature of men vs. women, but not in terms of organization and structure.

It's nothing more than a manifestation of the hunter/gatherer instinct.

Men (and male GLOs) want to join a fraternity (want new brothers), they find a particular fraternity (prospective brother) they like, they join that fraternity (offer a bid to that prospective brother).

Same thing with shopping: Man need shoes, Man find shoes, Man kill shoes, Man leave with shoes.

Women, given their nature, want to gather all the prospective new members and women's GLOs together so they can all interact with one another, nurturing each other in the confidence that the right fits will emerge and the right matches will be made.

Again just like shopping: Woman needs or just really wants shoes (or just really likes to look at shoes), Woman tries on 20 pairs of shoes and assesses color and fit and style and material and heels and ..., Woman might buy one pair of shoes, but not until she has tried on shoes at all of the other shoe stores.



Just joking people.

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

Sorority rush = not personal?

bwahahaha. Tell that to 50 sobbing Phi Mus at pref night.

[Glitter650]

Originally posted by lifesaver
I guess the parts I don't understand is like, how the sororities (all this is only what I have seen at my campus) have to turn in all reciepts after rush, and can only spend X amount on rush, but you just get around it by saying "Oh, well, that is something the chapter owns." rtight, like your house really owns a gazebo that yall keep in your living room." Or that if the Panhel wants to set up a table at summer orientation, they have to have a rep from each org there, or none at all. Like if the AAA's don't care to show up, why should the BBB's not be able to attend the orientation, and possibly miss the opportunity to sell going greek to 200 new female students, because they couldn't have a table out there. I am not trying to stir up trouble, but I really dont understand why an org that works really hard to be the best it can be is only allowed to do as much as the meekest org can do? I mean if the BBB's can't or won't fufill their panhel obligatons, why not say oh well, and bring someone else who will.

or like the discussions here about suicuideing and then not being able to join for a year if they dis affilliate. (I have read the discussions, so I am not attempting to re-start them here). Why do some campus make references mandatory, when obviously it is SO stressful for some potential new members. Or why rush app fees? Our IFC had to make money but we called it a grade release fee. so after they had decided to join they paid IFC the tarriff. But in a day and age when all GLO's are facing declining memberships, maybe we should focus on removing the barriers between potential new members and ourselves. Just from a marketing standpoint I would think that would make sense. Are the local panhels allowed much flerxability in enforcing the rules, or adaptingg them to fit their campuses?

The receipts and stuff are turned in because there is a budget, and it's one way to make sure it's being stuck to (Yes there are ways around it, but it's one way to check)
NPC actually WANTS rush to become less "frilly" (IE decorations everywhere, turing the house/room into a floral shop on pref etc) They want it to be more conversation based like most fraternity rush events. I"m sure they'd have a dance if they knew of a campus where potentials came to the house and just had a BBQ with the sisters and just kinda relaxed instead of being ushered into the house with cheering and hundereds of balloons and sisters in matching outfits. However, as we all know greek life is based on tradition, and most chapters run their rush like they have for years and years.
I don't really think it's a fact of the meekest NOT "being able" to keep up, but sororities don't really discuss their rush plans ahead of time, so if there were no rules (or starting point) your chapter could end up doing something very different during rush and it could set you apart from the PNMs in a bad way.
It's the same for things over summer (or anytime leading up to rush) all recruitment has to be panhellenic because at that point we just want girls to go through rush period and if all Panhell groups are represented then none can say that the group was recruiting for themselves, it's to watch your own back really.
If it was a perfect world, every girl going through NPC rush would get a bid and every chapter would have roughly the same amount of girls... but even with all this "equalization" there tends to be a few groups every potential wants and some won't join if they don't get them, and the sisters have a right to choose who they feel fits their ideals and chapter best, so if there was no equalization through the rules, then the big would get even BIGGER and the small would cease to exist. (it happens anyway, so the way we do it at least gives smaller chapters time to recruit mroe ladies)
It is hard to comprehend and not have your head spin hearing about all the rules, but I think it's a system that (pretty much) works. There are lots of changes being made this upcoming year with a bunch of new NPC resolutions on rush so we'll see what that brings, but it all comes down to trying to be fair and trying to get everyone interested in sorority to be in SOME NPC group on campus, when it's done right it works my school went from having a quota of about 10 around 4 years ago (and no group being at and having about 1 group reach it, and no groups at total for 10 years or so to having a quota of 27 and having two groups (out of three) take quota and one group take 21 with COB after and having one group with about 15 women above total.

[Wine&SilverBlue]

Originally posted by MysticCat81

Same thing with shopping: Man need shoes, Man find shoes, Man kill shoes, Man leave with shoes.

Women, given their nature, want to gather all the prospective new members and women's GLOs together so they can all interact with one another, nurturing each other in the confidence that the right fits will emerge and the right matches will be made.

Again just like shopping: Woman needs or just really wants shoes (or just really likes to look at shoes), Woman tries on 20 pairs of shoes and assesses color and fit and style and material and heels and ..., Woman might buy one pair of shoes, but not until she has tried on shoes at all of the other shoe stores.



Just joking people.

HAHHAHAHAA. I laughed out loud at that... especially the "Man need shoes, Man find shoes, Man kill shoes, Man leave with shoes."

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

I have to admit I like the matchy-matchy outfits. I think it's funny and cute for one damn week.