Keep these things in mind

[kddani]

BUMP

[adpiucf]

I love that the PNMs are posting so actively, but...

Ideally, if it is known that the person is rushing your alma mater or if your sorority is represented on her campus, I honestly think it would and could be a good thing in the spirit of recruitment silence to refrain from posting in that thread from the day recruitment begins through Bid Day. I don't think it's necessary to elaborate, and I know some may see it as unrealistic. I'm not trying to censor anyone-- just be fair to the PNMs and this process (which was established pre-Internet!).

The same goes for their pseudonyms! The whole reason for the pseudonyms was to eliminate shameless plugs or preference for your sorority in the posts. I know, I know-- you may not know what sorority "Yellow" is-- but the comments "Oh I love Yellow! Yellow all the way!" ... I just think that defeats the whole purpose.

I've also been seeing some subtle plugs for individual sororities in the posts. I'm not expecting anyone to change their screen name or signature, but I think its time to stop commenting about the pseudonyms and saying "I hope its XYZ" or something to that effect.

I feel the that NPC and the sororities need to address silence and the Internet-- it just feels like a double standard right now.

And another thing: if you don't know about a campus's recruitment culture, please keep your 2 cents for the McDonald's drive-through! While one southern campus may cut you for not having 5 recs at each chapter, another southern campus may not fill that mold. In that respect, better to encourage the PNM to get recs to make her feel prepared and confident-- but is it really necessary to put the fear of God into her if you don't have experience with that campus's recruitment?

Now, to the PNMS:
Remember that a sorority is a cross-section of the women at the university—you can easily --truly-- find your niche in any of them. All sororities are devoted to the same ideals—friendship, scholarship and service. And the sorority you join is not the one you graduate from—it is constantly growing and evolving because of you and your fellow members!

You don’t have to love every single member—but you should feel like this is an organization where you can make friends and be yourself without putting on an act. You can’t possibly expect to be best friends with every single member of any org. Acquaintances with some, friends with many, best friends with a select few—that’s true of any group!

Bottom Line: The chapter you don't connect with today can be the one you love in the next round-- and choose to accept a bid to if offered to you! Keep an open mind and maximize your options.

Also, while you're not revealing which chapter is which, chances are you may tell us who's who of the pseudonyms after recruitment... and we do go back through the thread to read your impressions of "Yellow" which we now know is really XYZ sorority... it can cause some hurt feelings, depending on what you've said. So if you're going to be brutally honest in your posts, don't reveal a who's who at the end.

ETA: Random things keep coming to me. I'm not hating on anyone, and I don't want the PNM's to be in the dark... but I feel this is the time for them to be going to a recruitment counselor for recruitment-specifics... and for everyone to be more discrete during recruitment week.

[PM_Mama00]

adpiucf, I think you hit just about everything on the nail. I cannot agree with you more.

[kddani]

bumping b/c of some posts by newer GCers

[kddani]

BUMP, I think it's about that time

Good bump.

Being that it seems like there are more PNM parents than actual PNMs themselves this time around, I really hope that they do take some time to read old recruitment posts.

It would totally suck if a parent was responsible for their child having a horrible recruitment.

[kdonline]

Originally Posted by OTW

Being that it seems like there are more PNM parents than actual PNMs themselves this time around

Yeah, why is that? I think this is the first year GC is truly experiencing the Helicopter Parent syndrome!??

Or was the link to GC posted on that collegetalk (collegeconfidential?) website...???

[srmom]

Hey, parents get bored at work too

Doesn't mean they are helicoptering.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by kdonline

Yeah, why is that? I think this is the first year GC is truly experiencing the Helicopter Parent syndrome!??

Or was the link to GC posted on that collegetalk (collegeconfidential?) website...???

I don't know about GC, but I've noticed a change in the parents at my school in the last two years.

The thing that worries me about it isn't that parents support their kids through recruitment; it's that I've seen more and more parents who do the work for the kid when it comes to high school organizations and responsibilities. (It's weird; it's like the kids delegate some of their responsibilities to their parents.)

How far off are we from parents clubs running the chapters or moms doing the work for the officers?

I'm not kidding.

[alum]

In old GC posts, PNMs were criticized for posting their stories because they were naive and revealed too much. I even vaguely recall comments insinuating that if a PNM (or even a girl who was just thinking about going through rush) was on GC, then she wasn't social enough to handle Greek Life if she was posting her rush/life story.

Now there are criticisms regarding the mothers (and the few dads) who post their kids' recruitment stories. From what I have heard, some of the GCers go out of their way to find out info on the posters and end up spoiling the girl's rush even if the girl's mom is a GC regular.

[adpiucf]

I just remember what it was like to go through recruitment as a PNM, and then as a collegiate sister. We had no free time and we were exhausted by day's end... all I wanted to do was have dinner with my roommates and go to sleep. Then again, this was before the internet was very popular.

I think many people use message boards, My Space, Facebook, as an evening "unwind" at the conclusion of their day... So I can understand people signing on and posting story updates. In the past, as someone said, we would have journaled or read a few pages from a novel before going to bed.

I do think PNMs would be much better served to journal their experience offline and then post it on GC once they had a chance to live the experience and perhaps edit their impressions for public consumption. But that's a personal decision. I wish the best of luck to everyone pursuing membership this school year, and to the sorority women going through membership selection. Both sides will experience a lot of ups and downs throughout.

As anyone who has been through this process can attest, recruitment is simultaneously the best and worst week of your life.

[UGAalum94]

adpiucf,

I agree.

I also agree that the undergraduate members might be posting in class (I'm convinced it must be what the law students are doing) or when they get a moment here or there, but I really doubt that the PNMs are reporting their disappointing rush results from their handhelds.

And I stand by the idea that if you are composing a thread, you are focusing on it and not the other people right around you.

The girls who I think will have the most successful rushes at SEC schools this fall are not the ones who ignore the people right around them to post or talk to people far away. And unless you are talking about posting right before bed. . .

[AOII Angel]

I kinda get the impression that girls who are posting their current rush experience are in need of support. Maybe they don't have understanding family or friends who can council them during this hard week. If you have your parents or boyfriend or girlfriends telling you that it's stupid to rush, then GC is probably a great place to find someone to validate your experience.