Washington and Lee Recruitment...what is it like?

[Elephant Walk]

Knowing the girls I know who went to top houses there...

Recruitment is tough.

[alum]

How do you think it will play for ADPi to not have a gorgeous house in which to host rush as compared to the other groups? What's an equivalent place they could use that's in reasonable proximity for Rounds? If I'm matching dates correctly, those houses weren't built during the 2 previous expansions and I could see that being a big deal.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by alum

How do you think it will play for ADPi to not have a gorgeous house in which to host rush as compared to the other groups? What's an equivalent place they could use that's in reasonable proximity for Rounds? If I'm matching dates correctly, those houses weren't built during the 2 previous expansions and I could see that being a big deal.

I think I've said this elsewhere, but I don't really think it will hurt them at all to not have a house the first year if it's known for sure to PNMs that there will be a house in the near future. That was the main reason expansion failed when they attempted it my senior year - there were no funds allocated for a 6th house (W&L insists on owning & building all the houses) and the sororities selected realized it would be fruitless to colonize without a house on the way.

The problem is definitely what is the equivalent place they could use. I am guessing they will do it in the Commons as it's just over the Cadaver bridge. The law school is also close but I don't think they have any appropriate spaces. The other option would be somewhere in the gyms, which are just over the Sorority bridge. But for some reason I think it will almost certainly be the Commons. (For the non W&Lers, the sorority houses are located beside the football field and law school, separated from the rest of the campus but two bridges over a large ravine.)

The houses opened in Fall 2000, so that did not affect colonization for Pi Phi ('92) and KD ('97). Recruitment was formerly held in the University Center (the building connected to and beside the old Dining Hall, don't know what it is now called, I think it was renamed). Catering is in there now and I believe the Counseling Center is still there as well. Recruitment then was considerably more frilly and houses papered the walls/floors of the rooms completely with these huge murals and used way more decoration. Most of those rooms are now used for catering/the W&L business office though. It's also pretty far from the sorority houses.

According to what I've heard, the ADPi house is on track to be built for the beginning of the 2009-2010 schoolyear. At least that's what I've heard. So that would mean potentially 2 recruitments for ADPi sans a house.

The nice part of that is that ADPi members will get a lot of input into what they'd like in their house. The house will be on the far side of Kappa, closest to the Sorority bridge. Its address will 12 Frank Parsons Way.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

over the Cadaver bridge.

OK, I don't want to derail the thread, but I HAD to ask about the origin of this name.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by alum

The lack of the house probably wouldn't bother the PNMs if they see it in the process of being built. It's possible that the Class of '12 ADPi might get to live in the house as srs if the school breaks ground on schedule.

I was just wondering about the logistics of recruitment parties if it's 5 houses all in a row and then one off somewhere else on campus.

Yeah, the logistics will be weird; I'm assuming if they do ADPi's over the bridge, they'll have to add some extra time between parties.

Originally Posted by 33girl

OK, I don't want to derail the thread, but I HAD to ask about the origin of this name.

The Cadaver Society is a secret society. They're probably the most prestigious of the secret societies at W&L. Reportedly it's mostly rich southern pre-meds. About once a month they get really drunk and tag the campus with their symbol. And run around sorority row making fools of themselves and talking in really high voices. And sometimes making their "pledges" dance for us.

Anyway their alums give a lot of money to the university, including donating the money for a big concrete bridge across the ravine to the football field.

There's a bunch of web images of the Cadaver society and other secret societies at the link below, including the Cadaver symbol/tag and the bridge:

http://journalism.wlu.edu/rrarchive/...28611/real.htm

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

The Cadaver Society is a secret society. They're probably the most prestigious of the secret societies at W&L. Reportedly it's mostly rich southern pre-meds. About once a month they get really drunk and tag the campus with their symbol. And run around sorority row making fools of themselves and talking in really high voices. And sometimes making their "pledges" dance for us.

Anyway their alums give a lot of money to the university, including donating the money for a big concrete bridge across the ravine to the football field.

There's a bunch of web images of the Cadaver society and other secret societies at the link below, including the Cadaver symbol/tag and the bridge:

http://journalism.wlu.edu/rrarchive/...28611/real.htm

Thanks for posting the link.

During college, I had a summer internship and one afternoon a few of us were talking about our college experience - including fraternities, sororities and secret societies etc. There was a Washington & Lee student and a Virginia Military (VMI) student in our group. (They were actually from the same town in Kentucky.) While the W&L guy never confirmed if he was a member of one, he did say that it was his understanding that some of the W&L secret societies included students from VMI. The VMI guy claimed to not know anything about any secret societies. Have you heard anything along those lines? Not that it might matter, but this would have been back when both W&L and VMI were all male.

[PhiSigLisa]

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

The Cadaver Society is a secret society. They're probably the most prestigious of the secret societies at W&L. Reportedly it's mostly rich southern pre-meds. About once a month they get really drunk and tag the campus with their symbol. And run around sorority row making fools of themselves and talking in really high voices. And sometimes making their "pledges" dance for us.

Thanks for the explanation. I've seen that funky skull thing all over town but I always thought it was a fraternity thing.

[alum]

The lack of the house probably wouldn't bother the PNMs if they see it in the process of being built. It's possible that the Class of '12 ADPi might get to live in the house as srs if the school breaks ground on schedule.

I was just wondering about the logistics of recruitment parties if it's 5 houses all in a row and then one off somewhere else on campus.

[xoredhotxo]

There are going to be 15 minutes between parties instead of the usual 10. ADPi will be using a room in the Commons, according to the main rumor going around. While the extra time between parties will be nice for us, I feel sorry for those poor girls who will have to be standing outside in the freezing January night! Hopefully they'll remember to wear sweatpants and Ugg boots underneath their dresses and to bring their coats!

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by xoredhotxo

There are going to be 15 minutes between parties instead of the usual 10. ADPi will be using a room in the Commons, according to the main rumor going around. While the extra time between parties will be nice for us, I feel sorry for those poor girls who will have to be standing outside in the freezing January night! Hopefully they'll remember to wear sweatpants and Ugg boots underneath their dresses and to bring their coats!

Thanks for the on campus update! My predictions are so money. bwa hahaha.

[pinkpirate]

I'm a current senior at W&L and needless to say, the rumor mill is overflowing with talk about ADPi. The latest official news that I've heard from Panhel is that they're being allowed to take as many upperclassmen women as they can get before formal recruitment in January. During formal recruitment, their quota will be set around 70, so in theory, if they can get a large number of upperclassmen women this fall, their chapter size could be quite a bit larger than the others on campus, though I doubt this will end up being an issue. Quota for the other houses will be set as others have said around 20 or so. No firm decision has been made as to where ADPi will be for formal recruitment, but they've been given the choice between the dance studio in the gym and the Morris House on the hill - apparently there are plans to shuttle the PNMs between srat row and the hill using golf carts. Also, unlike in previous years, the schedule is 6-5-3-2 and what used to be philanthropy night (night 1) is now "open house" night while philanthropy has been rolled in with sisterhood night on night 3. ADPi had girls here on Friday for a Meet the Greeks cookout from UVa and VA Tech so that the PNMs could meet collegiate women and not just nationals reps.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by pinkpirate

I'm a current senior at W&L and needless to say, the rumor mill is overflowing with talk about ADPi. The latest official news that I've heard from Panhel is that they're being allowed to take as many upperclassmen women as they can get before formal recruitment in January. During formal recruitment, their quota will be set around 70, so in theory, if they can get a large number of upperclassmen women this fall, their chapter size could be quite a bit larger than the others on campus, though I doubt this will end up being an issue. Quota for the other houses will be set as others have said around 20 or so. No firm decision has been made as to where ADPi will be for formal recruitment, but they've been given the choice between the dance studio in the gym and the Morris House on the hill - apparently there are plans to shuttle the PNMs between srat row and the hill using golf carts. Also, unlike in previous years, the schedule is 6-5-3-2 and what used to be philanthropy night (night 1) is now "open house" night while philanthropy has been rolled in with sisterhood night on night 3. ADPi had girls here on Friday for a Meet the Greeks cookout from UVa and VA Tech so that the PNMs could meet collegiate women and not just nationals reps.

Cool.

If ADPi has any sense they'll use Morris House and not the dance studio in the gym. I've never been to Morris House, but I can't imagine the dance studio in the gym being a good venue in any way, shape, or form (and I've been there many, many times).

First I've heard about them taking upperclassmen though. Is that starting... now? Are they going to have an interview weekend to take in the upperclassmen and then take the freshmen through formal? The whole thing is verrrrrrrry interesting. I figured they'd just make the upperclassmen go through formal like everyone else.

For those who may be interested, W&L traditionally has no kind of fall informal recruitment.

[pinkpirate]

There was a vote taken by Panhel towards the end of winter term regarding whether ADPi would be allowed to take upperclass women before formal recruitment. The interesting thing is that no quota has been set on the number they can take or whether the number of upperclass women they recruit will affect their quota during formal recruitment. Both Panhel and ADPi seem very disorganized - the informal recruitment rules weren't finalized until two weeks into fall term and the details of formal recruitment have yet to be decided.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by pinkpirate

There was a vote taken by Panhel towards the end of winter term regarding whether ADPi would be allowed to take upperclass women before formal recruitment. The interesting thing is that no quota has been set on the number they can take or whether the number of upperclass women they recruit will affect their quota during formal recruitment. Both Panhel and ADPi seem very disorganized - the informal recruitment rules weren't finalized until two weeks into fall term and the details of formal recruitment have yet to be decided.

I hate to say this, but it's no shock that W&L Panhel is disorganized. That said, they are under new leadership since I graduated, and I was hoping for improvements...

So I would take from this post that they haven't bid any upperclassmen yet? It is still pretty early in the W&L year (classes usually don't start until after Labor Day).