PNM vs. RUSHEE
OK, I'm wondering if I'm the only one who thinks this...
My understanding is that NPC wanted to change the terminology from "Rush" and "rushee" so we could encourage non-members to join by not using terms that they don't understand. Right? Well, not only is "Potential New Member" a mouthful, but also it's so cumbersome that we've shortened it to "PNM." (Which I always have to stop and think, so I don't say "PMS!") Do we really think that "PNM" is easier for non-Greeks to understand when I'm sure many don't even know what the letters stand for? I think the term "rushee" was a perfectly good word. I understand the choice of the word "Recruitment" -- that's easy enough. And certainly I'm glad the term "suicide" is no longer the official term (although "Intentional Single Preference" = "ISP" is kinda the same thing as "PNM" -- cumbersome.) Just my opinion. |
I'm of the old Greek school of thought, where it was always known as 'rush' instead of 'recruitment', 'PNMs' were 'rushees' and 'new members' were 'pledges' (or 'associate members' if you went Lambda Chi Alpha).
I can see 'suicide rush' being replaced with 'intentional single preference', because of the obviously negative connotation of 'suicide'. And 'recruitment' instead of 'rush' doesn't sound too bad, though some may find it too militaristic a word for their tastes. The origin of the word 'rush' and 'rushee': in days of old, fraternity men met the incoming freshmen at the train station and began their recruiting pitch as soon as the kids got off the train. In some cases they literally swarmed all over them, some several at a time, hence 'rush'. Formal rush rules in later years largely eliminated this practice, but the term stuck. |
Not only is it a mouthful, I think it is sort of misleading. "Rushee" simply denotes someone who is participating in the process of rush. "Potential new member" kind of implies you WILL be a new member when you're done, which isn't always true.
and recruitment is for Marines and Hare Krishnas, IMO. ;) |
Single Intentional Preference is not really a mouthful because I know on my campus you are not to mention it to the PNMs. If they bring it up or you overhear them talking about then you are to explain it and then discourage doing it. The change in terms from Rushee to PNM is to be more politically correct. NPC wanted to get away from the whole "RUSH" vibe, because it sounds stressful and well rushed. So if you use the word recruitment you can't use the word rushee, cause they are no long rushing but going through recruitment. Also it's not very misleading to the women going through recruitment to use the term PNM cause no one calls them that to their face. I didn't even realize when I went through that they had a special name for us.
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Whatever it's called, it is still stressful--changing the terminology will not change that fact. "Rush" describes the week's events so much better, it's not as clinical as "recruitment," and it's easier/quicker to type!
I don't like the new terms, but I'm trying to be a good little alumna and follow the rules. The old terminology has a warmer feeling than the new. I guess with the shortened time between Bid Day and Initiation, the new members are initiates before they have time to forget their "pledge" to join the GLO! As far as "suicide" goes, it might be graphic, but it can certainly describe what the PNM might do by only picking one. She has committed suicide by cutting her throat (a little too dramatic, I know) if she doesn't get a bid from her only choice. It might give a PNM something to think about and maybe she would hesitate (or at least be aware of the consequences) before choosing only one. |
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I'm just afraid that by trying to be "politically correct" we're shooting ourselves in the foot by doing away with terms that were unique to our community. In this day and age, I would think being unique is not such a bad thing.
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boy, i thought i was the only alumna who felt this way. thanks for all who have shared their thoughts. being p.c. all the time can be wearing!!lisa
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I guess I'm semi-old-school. I was a rushee, I went through rush, then I was a pledge; but some of my friends intentionally single preferenced, and then became new members. A few years later I was a rho chi.
This was in the early to mid '90s, when the terminology was just starting to drift over to the new "PC" terms. Rush was still rush, and rushees were still rushees, but suiciding was ISP'ing, and half the sororities used "pledge" while the other half used "new member". One sorority even still held initiation an entire semester, for grades. <hijack> When I was doing my rho chi training, we had role-playing sessions where one of us would be the PX and another would be a PNM and there would be some issue. In one of those sessions, the "PNM" was acting the part of someone who had preffed two sororities and wanted to ISP... only she was told she was "suiciding"... so she began talking about actually committing suicide. :eek: </hijack> |
We may not agree, but we still have to use the terms when working on official NPC business, Inter/National level individual NPC org business matters (does that make sense?), etc....
Use what you like in private, but support NPC outwardly... |
Old Dog Practices New Tricks
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Re: Old Dog Practices New Tricks
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It's easier to change things like terminology than actually stamp out dirty rushing practices or instill true Panhellenic spririt. Lots of noise, little action. I found this in an earlier post by James and think it's absolutely correct...it also kind of ties in with some of the rush/recruitment ideas Firehouse posted. Quote:
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I hardly ever use the word "rush." I'm just so used to saying potential new member, new member period, and recruitment, that I don't think twice about it, just comes out. However, I may find myself saying "rush" when talking to my parents about recruitment (they're not Greek).
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This is kind of funny. I, along with all of the advisors for Tech Alpha Phi, sometimes slip into the old terminology. When we do, the collegiates always correct us -- which I think is hilarious and cute!
We try to be good and use the new terms, but some of them are so clunky sounding! And, I agree, "potential new member" is misleading. We tend to just cut it to "potentials." |
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