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-   -   PNM vs. RUSHEE (http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=41412)

NutBrnHair 10-27-2003 10:03 AM

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.

AlphaSigOU 10-27-2003 11:12 AM

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.

33girl 10-27-2003 02:20 PM

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. ;)

AXWhoah 10-27-2003 02:31 PM

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.

MSKKG 10-27-2003 02:55 PM

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.

kappaloo 10-27-2003 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 33girl
and recruitment is for Marines and Hare Krishnas, IMO. ;)
We have issue with that at my school. Most people associate "recruitment" with "agressive religious recruitment" (aka cult recruitment) which isn't uncommon at my school - not exactly what us Kappas want to be associated with!

NutBrnHair 10-27-2003 04:13 PM

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.

FSUZeta 10-27-2003 05:11 PM

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

KillarneyRose 10-27-2003 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FSUZeta
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
I would bet that most alumnae feel the same way you do, Lisa. I liked the old terms because, as NutBrnHair said, they were unique to us as greeks. I say, if it ain't broke, then don't fix it!

aephi alum 10-27-2003 05:18 PM

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>

sigmagrrl 10-27-2003 05:23 PM

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...

NutBrnHair 10-27-2003 05:31 PM

Old Dog Practices New Tricks
 
Quote:

Originally posted by sigmagrrl
Use what you like in private, but support NPC outwardly...
Trust me, no one makes a greater effort to learn and use the current terms, but the point I want to make is that I think NPC acted hastily in ditching the terms "Rush" and "Rushee." I think there was a study (or probably several) showing that numbers on many campuses were down; therefore, the push was made to change things. I'm not against change, per se, but I think many factors went into the decline in numbers during the '90s (the least of which was semantics).

33girl 10-27-2003 06:06 PM

Re: Old Dog Practices New Tricks
 
Quote:

Originally posted by NutBrnHair
Trust me, no one makes a greater effort to learn and use the current terms, but the point I want to make is that I think NPC acted hastily in ditching the terms "Rush" and "Rushee." I think there was a study (or probably several) showing that numbers on many campuses were down; therefore, the push was made to change things. I'm not against change, per se, but I think many factors went into the decline in numbers during the '90s (the least of which was semantics).
I agree with every word of your post.

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:

Originally posted by James
The naming of Rush to recruitment is probably a bad change. Not just because its PC but because its very misleading.

Generally recruitment is taught on a sports team model, not a military one.

So a college sports team has a certain amount of people that will just try out. Very similar to Rush. The teams that have a better reputation and stronger programs get more people at try outs. Or the schools that have reputations for strong programs see a lot of automatic joiners.

Thats still not recruitment.

Recruitment is when the coaches go out and actively try to find and identify talent and then convince them to go to their school and join their team.

NPC Formal Rush (recruitment) has nothing to do with a true recruitment model. In fact your rules prevent you from doing that at all.

COB would come closer to allowing that model. But most chapters are not good at COB, just as most fraternity chapters are not that great at Rush/recruitment.

A true recruitment model would probably have you identifying and "recruiting" already established student leaders.


MeLikey 10-27-2003 07:40 PM

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).

TechAPhi 10-27-2003 07:46 PM

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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