Too much knowledge?

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Especially if they were white carnations.

Stalker status!!!!!

[DubaiSis]

I was waiting until the end to find the word that answers why it is not cool to know all that... STALKER. Why would a person want to know that going into recruitment? What purpose does it serve?

Knowing the letters, the colors, flower, philanthropy, maybe, but much more specific than that and I'm thinking maybe you should have spent your summer doing something fun instead of cramming for recruitment. I can tell you if you're picking a sorority for the history of the founders, your priorities are in the WRONG place. I've always thought it a shame that we can't tell the meaning behind our letters, because that WOULD be a thing to make your choices around. But since it doesn't work like that, it should be on finding loving and welcoming friends, not textbook data.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

I was waiting until the end to find the word that answers why it is not cool to know all that... STALKER. Why would a person want to know that going into recruitment? What purpose does it serve?

Knowing the letters, the colors, flower, philanthropy, maybe, but much more specific than that and I'm thinking maybe you should have spent your summer doing something fun instead of cramming for recruitment. I can tell you if you're picking an NPC sorority for the history of the founders, your priorities are in the WRONG place. I've always thought it a shame that we can't tell the meaning behind our letters, because that WOULD be a thing to make your choices around. But since it doesn't work like that, it should be on finding loving and welcoming friends, not textbook data.

FYP.

Sometimes, a potential is expected to know some information going into rush/recruitment/whatever.

[Gusteau]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Especially if they were white carnations.

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Stalker status!!!!!

Haha, you guys are too much!

Post event update: no flowers, thank goodness!

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Gusteau

Haha, you guys are too much!

Post event update: no flowers, thank goodness!

BTW, maybe that guy was just nervous. Nervousness turns some people into dorks like that.

[Gusteau]

I think it came off a lot stranger than it really was, and like I said it didn't hurt his chances - he got a bid!

[tld221]

Originally Posted by naraht

Is there such a thing as too much knowledge about a group known by a rushee? In most cases would the following show positively that the person had show interest or negatively a creepy level of interest? (Assume the person is not a legacy of the National or chapter)

a) Knowing when the National was formed
b) Knowing where the National was formed
c) Knowing when the chapter at that school was formed
d) Knowing that the chapter had been rechartered at the school (after being inactive)
e) Knowing the names of all of the National founders
f) Knowing the names of all of the Chapter founders (presuming it is not the first chapter)
g) Knowing the fact that the chapter had the best GPA in the greek system last year.
h) Knowing the National organization's special service project (like helping the deaf)
i) Knowing the symbols such as the flower...

Any stories about a rushee who knew "too much" or close to it?

Speaking strictly for my org/from NPHC lane, none of this would strike me as odd. An interest knowing these things says anything:

• the interest is simply memorizing facts (because some people thrive off of stats and facts, or perhaps it comes easy to them, like studying for an exam)
• they spent longer than the average person in getting to know our organization (and not just a person who just wants to join a club)
• they like to make an informed decision (which is important to me, i like to weigh all my options)
• they don't know how to sell themselves so they rely on this information to get by
• they don't have anything to sell about themselves, so they use this information to get by

after a couple interactions, a member should be able to differentiate where the interest falls. if an interest wants to spend their whole summer or semester (or multiple semesters) cramming this information, more power to them - as long as they understand that this isnt the sole aspect that earns you a membership invite.

and, IMO, if an interest spend all that energy knowing this information and was denied membership, i'd best not see them pop up as a member of another org, because then it was all an act.

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I agree. A know-it-all isn't a shoe-in for membership. There are a lot of women who know public information about Delta and her chapters but are not, and probably will never be, Sorors.

This stuff is all public info either through websites, school records, or talking to people. Commiting charter members to memory is the only thing that I didn't do until much later in the process.

True, and this is for ALL orgs. My question then, to NPC members, why do you put this info on your (public) sites and school records if there isnt any emphasis on knowing it until becoming members, which you would learn in your new member education period anyway? Who's the information for, the general public?

I know websites are for anyone who visits them, but im sure a high percentage of people who frequent our sites (especially chapter websites) are people interested in becoming members or affiliated in some way (working together on philantrophy, for example). For NPC, is it just a "showing off" thing, like "hey look at our history, isn't it awesome?"

im sorry, i can't think of a better way to get this point across. websites are meant to show off, but also be a resource. it's just as valid a way to get to know the chapter personality - after all, your website should be an electronic representation of what your chapter is like in person. Don't you want PNMs to take that in?

Originally Posted by Ch2tf

Stepping back out of NPC realm, if there was an aspirant that we were "highly interested in" and during the process of speaking to her she showed this level of interest in an appropriate manner, I don't think I'd remove her from consideration.

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Knowing this stuff doesn't weird me out. It's when a PNM comes through spouting off facts and acting like a "know-it-all" that it becomes weird.

It's great that a PNM would take the time to learn about the sorority. But when all you do is talk about what you know about us, it tells us NOTHING about you as a person.

Originally Posted by RaggedyAnn

Speaking only on an NPC level...
This is where the interviewer can take control a little bit though. The woman may be spouting out facts because she is nervous and doesn't know what to say. Asking open ended personal questions to counter the fact spouting could help. For example, if she is talking about your philanthropy, you could ask about what community service she has done. If she's talking about grades, ask about her major and why she chose it.

Exactly, to KSUViolet06 and RaggedyAnn. If an interviewer (member) has to take control of every conversation with a PNM/interest, it means they need to step their conversational skills up. Nerves are one thing, but I have no qualms with (and have done this) saying "time out - listen, don't give me the same ol 'i love community service, i want to be a member because i want to be part of a sisterhood and give back and i just LOVE maintaining high GPAs' because everyone tells me that.

Since we're trying analogies out, i think this is kinda like taking the SATs. Whether you study hardcore or just show up for the exam, everyone is getting between a 200-800 (or 2400, whatever it is now). For argument's sake:
--we know nothing about who's taking this exam
--200="all i know is the GLOs name and i just showed up to this event"
--800="i know all of the items listed in OP, created notecards and have all of your websites in my bookmarks folder."

If you get a 200, your pickings are slim - say, Lame-O Community College. If you wanted to increase your chances of getting into a better school, you'd have to do a LOT of extras to bump your chances, but even then, your best bet is, say, Lame-O Community College's Honors Program, or even Lame-O University.

No one wants to go to any Lame-O school.

At the same time, if you got an 800, you most definitely could get into Supermegaawesome University, but its not a surething. They too, would want to see your extras - but you wouldnt have to work as hard as getting into LU, which, still, no one wants to go to.

Ehh, point is, go for 600-700 and be awesome in person. put yourself in the running to be taken seriously as a potential member, but don't overdo it.

[AGDee]

I think a few of these depend on how publicized the information is. If a chapter just recolonized within a couple years, they may know someone who was part of that or who was Greek at that school when it happened and it came up in the normal course of getting information. Suzy PNM to her friend "Tell me about the chapters at XYZ University", current Greek Member "Well, ABC just recolonized two years ago...". Not weird. If it was 15 years ago.. weird.

Knowing chapter founders? That's not something we were even required to know as PNMs. An NPC group starts out with a lot of founders. As for National founders.. knowing all 11 of ours would be weird. We learn that as PNMs, most can't recite them within a few years of graduating. You'd recognize the name, but probably not come up with them from memory.

Knowing how long the chapter had been around? Again, if it was recent, they would probably know. If it was a significant year (50th anniversary or something), that may have been publicized so they would know. "Oh! I saw in the Eastern Echo that your chapter is celebrating 35 years this year!" wouldn't be weird.

The GPA thing is well publicized before and during Recruitment in NPC. That chapter generally brags about it a lot and I would be glad that a PNM was paying attention to that.. I was always impressed with PNMs who were academically oriented.