Recruitment, Long Hair, Hair Flipping & Singing in Doorways

[USCTrojanPNM13]

Originally Posted by kaeb

Haha yeah I'm convinced Greeks speak a foreign language that closely resembles English.

It seems a bit like Lawns Dances, Hair Flipping and Door Stacks oh my!

I thought I knew all the terms but I guess I need to study up over the next 2 weeks!

[WhiteRose1912]

Let me dust off ye ol' Green Book.

“No Frills” Recruitment Recommendations (1989, 1991, 1997, 2003)
Incorporation of “no frills” concept. All College Panhellenics and their member chapters shall incorporate the following into their membership recruitment programs as soon as possible:
• Establish guidelines for membership recruitment budgets and set a cap on membership recruitment expenses, including the value of all donated goods and services in the cap figure.
• Eliminate all outside decorations.
• Confine all membership recruitment entertainment within the chapter house or other recruitment facility.
• Evaluate all membership recruitment skits as to length and content.
• Discourage the use of membership recruitment skits at the first round of parties.
• Discourage elaborate costuming and purchase of special membership recruitment outfits.
• Eliminate all gifts, favors, preference letters or notes for potential new members until they have accepted bids.
• Develop conversation and interviewing skills.
• Follow NPC recommendations for release figures.
Guidelines for implementation of this resolution can be found in the College Panhellenic Resource Information chapter of this manual.

[DubaiSis]

From the rushee perspective, it might be best not to know how the sausage is made. You learn too much and you'll start to judge chapters ON their door stack and quality of hair flip. And that would just be tragic. Concentrate on your conversations, the feel you get from the gals, where you see yourself going as a member of that sorority, etc. and consider the other stuff silly tack-ons to the business of making friends.

[NinjaPoodle]

Originally Posted by USCTrojanPNM13

This video actually makes it look even more terribly dangerous and unhealthy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnn6FIewe-w

We have absolutely nothing like this where I'm from!

FWIW, I think it's unique. Specifically, The one Alpha Phi did seemed sort of "sloppy" and the one Delta Gamma did seemed a bit more put together. (everyone was moving in the same direction at the same time). My thought was it seems ok as long as the ladies space themselves apart enough not to hit each other. I guess as a PNM, I would not base my judgement of the org on the houses hair flipping skills.

This video popped up after I saw the first one. No hair flipping but I thought it was interesting.
Alpha Chi Omega - UF Panhellenic Rush 09

[agzg]

We didn't do door songs/chants/etc. at my campus since it would have seemed REALLY weird, but boy, they look like a lot of fun to me.

[IUHoosiergirl88]

We did door chants at IU, but none of the hair flipping. My vertebrae cry just seeing it!

[Benzgirl]

Originally Posted by kaeb

USC is (slowly) moving towards making its recruitment more "no-frills."

Isn't this like Christmas without a tree?

[greatdane]

Originally Posted by USCTrojanPNM13

I actually got the impression that all the NPC sororities at USC did this.

All of them do this on house tours day. It's crazy and over the top but it's so unique and legitimately fun to do. I just graduated and am coming back to SC in a few days to help out with rush school. There is literally nothing like door stack anywhere else. The look on freshmen's faces during their first door stack is priceless. But it's not all about how high you can flip your hair or how loudly you can scream your house's song--it's about the conversations you have with the girls. Most USC sorority girls laugh about how ridiculous our door stack and hair flipping customs are. Just relax and enjoy the show when you finally get there!

I'm glad they got rid of lawn song though. Our house is fortunate enough to not have problems reaching total but for the one or two houses with far fewer members it really made it obvious during lawn song.

But USC formal recruitment is not going to be "no-frills" anytime soon. On average, each house spends about $40k on rush week.

[WhiteRose1912]

Originally Posted by greatdane

But USC formal recruitment is not going to be "no-frills" anytime soon. On average, each house spends about $40k on rush week.

Holy... over my years as a collegian, Panhellenic cut chapter budgets from $1000 to $850. I can't imagine.

[USCTrojanPNM13]

Originally Posted by greatdane

Just relax and enjoy the show when you finally get there!

Oh I will! I am really excited. I just hope I don't look too much like a gobsmacked tourist!

But USC formal recruitment is not going to be "no-frills" anytime soon. On average, each house spends about $40k on rush week.

I know WhiteRose1912 gave a definition of "no-frills". And I guess I kind of can figure it out from context. But what exactly comprises of "frills" that results in a $40,000 budget? How many other schools do this?

PS: While it seems shocking to hear about that much money, I still am in total amazement of how much USC's Athletic Dept. gets in funding! Especially when post-Olympics there has been a lot of issues with funding for our NATIONAL teams!

PPS:

I just graduated and am coming back to SC in a few days to help out with rush school.

Whats Rush school?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by USCTrojanPNM13

Whats Rush school?

Not anything you have to worry about as a PNM.

[yayaya]

I have worked behind the scenes at my daughter's sorority and watching the doorstacks...even from the back ...and hearing the energy...it is so exciting! I would be so sad if they did away with doorstacking. I didn't experience it as a PNM, but watching it now as my daughter's sorority does their doorstack... all I can say is...WOW!

[redlady2]

The UF video posted by NinjaPoodle is the norm. What you see there is what each house does when there's a long break coming up in a round. It isn't done after each party. The standing neatly outside and then filing back inside happens after each party - note how the door closes quickly in order to not get a time violation! - but each house does their chant once there's a break because after that door closes you are "off the clock" so to speak. You can hear the other chapters doing it in the background too. The chants there are also done outside recruitment. On the morning after initiation, we all would run outside and do the chant as well to celebrate. (That's also one way we could tell if other houses had initiated - waking up to a 7 am Saturday morning chant from down the row.)

But thank heavens, no hair flipping.

[kaeb]

The maximum budget allowed by USC Panhellenic for recruitment is $12,000.

[Pearly]

Yayaya: I'm with you...working behind the scenes at my daughter's chapter was a wonderful experience! I loved their excitement and enthusiasm and it was contagious! Many girls really love being part of doorblock.
Kaeb: will your chapter be participating in formal recruitment this year?