This is a cautionary tale for pnms:
Last fall at a different unversity than where my pnm goes her friend went through recruitment. She was a double legacy at one house, but refused to consider that house. And that is certainly acceptable, but given her reasoning, maybe not so much. They were LOSERS and nerds, in her estimation, so she looked elsewhere.
Friend went into recruitment blind, even though my daughter (who was by that time a pledge having gone through recruitment 4 weeks earlier) tried to give her the 411 on how to prepare. Friend didn't get the houses that she wanted and dropped out. Friend told me that she was "rude" (those were her words, not mine) at her legacy house and several other houses that weren't good enough for her. The Reluctant One cringed and then mentioned that behavior gets around to all the houses.
HOWEVER, there was a chapter reorganizing and she pledged that one. From the mom's description, it was a mess. Since the national owned the house it was under refurbishment. And Monday night dinners consisted crackers and some snack type food. Friend depledged.
Friend decided to go through informal. One house, in her estimation, suited her needs. Her friend, a member there, invited her to an event. Friend was told that, after that event, the house didn't get around to voting on COB candidates. So, Friend decided to go through formal spring recruitment.
This time she was prepared, at least sartorially. But, she and her mom told me, out of the 8 or so houses, Friend was only interested in two or possibly three. The Reluctant One strongly advised the open mind thing. The Reluctant One strongly suggested that she just go and have a good time.
Friend went through with 4 friends. Two received bids to a higher tier house. One received a bid to a middle tier house. (These tiers were according to the Friend). Her roomate received a bid to what Friend considers a lower tier house. Friend received a Pref invite to the lower tier house, and refused to go. (Can you imagine that pairing in the dorms next year?).
Friend has now determined that she is going to COB the "top" house next fall. She has a friend in that house who will "make sure that she gets a bid". Reluctant One mentioned that if it is the "top" house they won't be doing COB right after formal, but well, Friend knows better.
In a nutshell, this recruitment saga, is the cautionary tale to pnms. This saga isn't about having unfortunate things befall and have to drop out. Nor is it about restructuring finances, illness, or schoolwork. It is, pure and simple, about a recruitment that was only about perceived status that one acquires upon pledging.
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