Cutting or pledging a group for dumb reasons

[RushLeader08]

i had to cut this one sorority because this mean girl from my high school was in it and she was so snoody!

[KSUViolet06]

Dumb reason to cut/keep a chapter:

Because you heard they were ___________ on "that website."

Because you think their letters look "cute" or you think they look "ugly/stupid."

Because you like/dislike their colors.

Because you heard *insert stupid rumor from fraternity guy here*.

[KSUViolet06]

More stupid reasons to keep/join a chapter:

Because you think boys will like you more if you become a ________.

Because all the popular girls from your HS are ________s.

Because your boyfriend's fraternity only dates/mixes with _______s and you're afraid he'll break up with you if you don't end up pledging there.

Because all the girls in your group seem to really like _________ and you don't want to be the only one who doesn't.

Because all of your high school BFFs love __________ and you all want to be in the same sorority, so you have to like ________ too.

Because Carrie Underwood/Neve Campbell/Ashley Judd/insert celebrity here is a ________ and you love her.

Because your friend AT ANOTHER SCHOOL is a __________ , and her chapter is considered the "rich/pretty/cool/party/whatever stereotype you like sorority" and you want to be one.


Stupid reasons to drop a chapter:

Because a girl who once gave you a dirty look in 8th grade is a ______.

Because that teacher you hated in HS is a ________ alumna.

Because you hate the color ________. (I joined a sorority whose main color is not my fave)

Because you don't like pandas/sailboats/teddy bears/doves/angels/whatever.

Because you heard that the girl who plays Izzy/Meredith/whoever on Grey's is a ___________ and you HATE her character.

Because ________ only has 2 letters, and it would make your boobs look weird in tee shirts.

[ASTalumna06]

At one of our recruitment events a few years ago, I overheard one PNM saying to another that she would only consider joining our sorority because our letters "flowed" better than the other two... and that ASAs letters were too symmetrical.

Fortunately, she didn't come back after that.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

At one of our recruitment events a few years ago, I overheard one PNM saying to another that she would only consider joining our sorority because our letters "flowed" better than the other two... and that ASAs letters were too symmetrical.

Fortunately, she didn't come back after that.

I take it you don't have A Phi A on campus as their letters are TOTALLY symmetrical. That might have given her a conniption.

This is gone now since no boys are allowed at Bid Day, but one of the really dumb ones used to be "because they're mixing with ABC fraternity on Pledge Pickup night."

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I take it you don't have A Phi A on campus as their letters are TOTALLY symmetrical. That might have given her a conniption.

If she had seen that, it probably would have sent her running!

[APhiAnna]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

When I went through recruitment, DG had their upstairs hallways painted bubblegum pink on one floor and light blue on the other floor. I really liked it, but when I commented about it to the DG active I was talking to, she was like "Ugh, we are going to paint over it soon, everyone thinks it looks tacky." Come on, it's a sorority house, the decor should be fun!

Haha, this reminds me...one of my really good friend's recruitment advisors donated this hilariously tacky rug...I mean really hideous...that was in the sorority colors and had their letters on it. It was huge and really gaudy, and she demanded that it be displayed in the foyer during recruitment (they keep it locked up in the basement during the rest of the year because they hate it so much!). My friend said that their recruitment chair during house tours had to keep reminding actives not to talk badly about it because they were all so embarrassed and kept assuring PNMs, "don't worry, that rug is only out for house tours!". Maybe it's only funny if you could see it...they kept comparing it to that word vomit scene from Mean Girls...everytime they walked by it the actives felt compelled to assure the PNMs they thought it was ugly too!

[southernsugar]

I was an idiot during recruitment and decided not to join any group that had more than 3 girls from my high school... which was nearby and always sent a ton to my university. I had about a third of the chapters that fell under that, including ones I did like, but I thought "oh no! I'll never make new friends in a chapter of 200 if I already know 10 girls!". . .
of course, in my pledge class, there were three from my high school in a sorority that didn't have other actives at the time.

[thetygerlily]

^^^ Bumping because this thread just made my Monday... and today is exactly a year since it was last bumped.

Here are the very special 18-year-old thoughts that went through my mind about letters, colors, and symbols. Luckily with only three chapters we weren't required to drop any of the groups, so none of this was used as drop criteria!

Kappa Kappa Gamma: I didn't like that it had a repeat letter, and the Gamma didn't look Greek enough to me. My university's colors were navy & white, so Kappa's blue & blue didn't leave much room for variety. The owl was a little odd, but the key was pretty- definitely my favorite badge.

Kappa Alpha Theta: I loved the way the full name sounded, and that their nickname was a Greek-looking letter. Black & gold were a bit harsh, but I liked the simplicity of the kite badge.

Delta Gamma: Both letters were fully Greek, which made it seem more special or interesting (and somehow the Delta made the Gamma look more Greek when side-by-side). And they didn't have a Kappa letter like the other two! The white enamel on their badge seemed too strong at the time (although now I think it looks really classy on the DG badge), and I didn't like the Hannah dolls everywhere.


Then for someone else's story... I know one woman who chose her GLO before school started. She researched all three organizations and determined which one she thought would be most beneficial for networking after graduation She was dead set on joining that org, regardless of the chapter itself. And yes, she joined- but I'm not sure whether the org actually helped her post-college.

[AnotherKD]

Loving that this was bumped!

I knew a guy who rushed KDR hard because he was on the crew team and liked that the house had "Rho" in it.

Myself, I hate to say it, but I didn't look at SDT very much because their letters looked like "EAT" to me... even though I got to know them after rush and everyone was great. There were a few sororities whose houses were kind of far away from campus, at least away from the main grouping of sororities, and so I didn't really want them either. (Again, this is coming from a 17-year-old's mind.) Another house seemed too gloomy, as their walls and carpet were a really dark color. I can't remember what else I thought, but I am quite embarrassed that I felt that way back then. I may have ended up elsewhere, but I'm glad I chose KD.

[ADPiTigergurl]

Originally Posted by dggirly

I had the problem when rushing where I had to drop houses every night. So i decided that I wanted to be in a larger house so the 2 on my campus that were much smaller then the rest I dropped because there were not enough girls. Then the next night I dropped another house because of their nickname(which I now find it silly, the nickname was not even bad I just thought it was stupid). Then, I started to become really superficial and I started cuting houses because of peopels shoes(yes I know that is really superficial)!!! Looking back on my rush experience I know I was not choosing wisely lucky I pledged the house that was right for me!

Actually, the reason I pledged Delta Gamma was the girl I was talking to on day 1, when she asked if I had a job and when I told her I had never worked she didn't make me feel stupid and spoiled like a lot of the girls in the other houses made me feel. Also we talked about how neither of us wanted to go to a small farm town school because we didn't like the smell of cows, whih is probably the stupidest thing I have ever had a conversation about during rush but it was just so quirky that I loved that I felt like I really connected with the girls, and she had jimmy choo shoes on, as you can tell I am a big shoe freak!!

Speaking of dumb conversations...during recruitment this year while I was talking to a DG sister we got on the subject of how easy it was to find things with their colors, letters ( i was a actually wearing Dolce and Gabanna sunglasses the say D&G in silver letters on the side), and anchors on stuff. SHe then went in to a huge spill on how Target had a super cute bra and panty set with anchors on them and how every girl in the chapter ran around town looking for some in their size. (like I needed to know this as a PNM lol) However I just smiled and agreed...but the look on her face when she was trying to explain what we were talking about when the bumper came was completely hilarious.

[UofM-TKE]

I went through fraternity rush as a first semester freshmen with 4 other guys from my dorm. We all planned to pledge the same house (bad idea, but who knew any better)?

When we got to the Kappa Sig house and walked into their foyer, I saw a nice version of their coat of arms on the wall. I immediately told my guys that we couldn't pledge here and we all left. The reason was that Kappa Sig has a Caduceus (entwined snakes) on their COA and I thought that this meant that they were a medical fraternity and so, not for us.

I was 17 and hadn't a clue.

[Preston327]

Last semester when I was trying to drum up interest for the new fraternity that contacted me (Phi Delt) the response I got from a lot of people was "I don't want to pledge a group that won't let me drink." Attempts to explain that it was only an in-house ban on alcohol and that as we had no houses that provision likely didn't apply fell on deaf ears.

[Gusteau]

Originally Posted by UofM-TKE

I went through fraternity rush as a first semester freshmen with 4 other guys from my dorm. We all planned to pledge the same house (bad idea, but who knew any better)?

When we got to the Kappa Sig house and walked into their foyer, I saw a nice version of their coat of arms on the wall. I immediately told my guys that we couldn't pledge here and we all left. The reason was that Kappa Sig has a Caduceus (entwined snakes) on their COA and I thought that this meant that they were a medical fraternity and so, not for us.

I was 17 and hadn't a clue.

LOL, I was strongly opposed to any group that used snakes, I have a paralyzing fear of them. Kappa Sig and Theta Chi were out right away. I was also turned off by Phi Kappa Sigma because they almost exclusively refer to themselves as "The Skulls" and I thought it made them sound sketchy.

[aephi alum]

Originally Posted by Gusteau

I was also turned off by Phi Kappa Sigma because they almost exclusively refer to themselves as "The Skulls" and I thought it made them sound sketchy.

One of my dorm floormates was turned off from greek life when he visited for campus preview weekend. This was a weekend in April where all admitted women and minorities are invited to spend Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on campus, go to lectures, go to social events, etc. The prefrosh stayed with current students, and of course fraternity and sorority members were highly encouraged to be hosts as this allowed them to do a bit of pre-rushing. When my floormate arrived, he'd been paired with a host from Phi Kappa Sigma, who greeted him with an exuberant, "Hi, nice to meet you! I'll take you on over to Skullhouse." The term "Skullhouse" put him right off...