Dirty Rushing and Hazing Rumors

[AOII Angel]

The chapter I advise just completed informal recruitment. I am really disgusted with the PHA at this campus after events this weekend. Everyone knows that we had issues at Towson in the fall with 5 groups ending up on probation. This spring, after nothing was done by PHA to improve the reputation of Greeks at Towson, we had a record LOW in PNM numbers going through informal recruitment. The women in my chapter worked so hard to get ready for this week and did a great job. Unfortunately, PNMs came in saying that they'd been told at another party and by outside sources that AOII hazes. They trotted out the stand-by Lifetime movies favorites- "circling fat" and "forced naked drinking in front of fraternity boys." These rumors are so ridiculous that I don't even know why anyone would believe them, but apparently they do! The problem with PHA is not just that another chapter sees fit to recruit by bashing other sororities, but PHA never, ever does anything about these recruitment violations. The PHA is very weak. It is very much "every sorority for itself!"
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to improve the Panhellenic Spirit so that chapters don't feel that killing one chapters chance at recruitment is a legitimate way to further their own? How do we make them see that a strong Panhellenic makes every chapter stronger or that ruining one chapter makes us all weaker?

[KSUViolet06]

Panhellenic spirit is hard to improve if your PHA isn't helping. Does the Panhellenic Advisor (or whomever is in charge of PHA) at Towson know how bad this stuff is getting? Maybe you should speak to him or her and see if they could bring it up at a PHA meeting.

When I was active, there was a chapter that got into some troouble with its HQ and was placed on probation. To prevent the "rumor mill" from starting, we were not allowed to discuss their probation during recruitment. So if PNMs asked us anything about "I heard XYZ did _______, is that true?" we were to tell them that since we weren't XYZ's, we didn't know anything about it and that they should talk to them about any questions related to it. That way, XYZ had to answer any questions about their probation and nobody else spread rumors about it to PNMs (at the risk of an infraction).

[SWTXBelle]

How do the other chapters feel? If several chapters sent reps to talk to the PHA about the need to improve panhellenic spirit and reputation, it might carry more weight.

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

We have a greek advisor who is genuinely interested in us all getting along...BUT...even without that, there's some things that I think can help.

One chapter who shall remain nameless was cited for a recruitment infraction during fall 2006 recruitment and had to hold a Panhellenic program as part of the punishment. And it turned out to be helpful. The speaker had girls from every chapter share things that made them love their chapter, and love being Greek in general. She found something about everyone's organizations to discuss and share, like mottos, purposes, etc. It was kind of an eye opener.

Greek week no longer has an overall winner, which helped ease competition.

Though no chapter should air their dirty laundry, when some major problems come up that do eventually become common knowledge, many girls, especially freshmen, were sympathetic to each other. This encouraged older girls who had grudges to be a little more understanding as well.

I know in our chapter, my sis-daughter said something in chapter that really made everyone think...we used to have a rivalry with another chapter on campus...we traditionally did not get along. At all. I had suggested a mixer with them, and asked who would show up. VERY few people raised their hands. When I got on my soapbox about it, everyone had excuses. But she raised her hand and pointed out that though in the past there had been shady dealings on both sides to foster ill will, it was mostly the freshmen that didn't want to go...she pointed out that maybe if the older girls didn't pass down that negative attitude then there wouldn't even be a need for a mixer. And...she was right.

Lastly our recruitment team was especially close this year. It wasn't something that was planned, but we ended up loving each other completely, and the majority of us are still very close. We took that back to our chapters and set an example for the PNM's. I really think that in itself helped times ten...and this year every chapter has girls clamoring to join recruitment team!

[AOII Angel]

I don't know how the other chapters feel about this. I don't know if they even see a correlation between current numbers and the past events from fall recruitment. I'm not really in a position to speak with women from these other chapters. Would it be appropriate to have an alumna from one chapter go to other chapter's meetings to discuss this? Part of the problem, as I see it, is that the greek advisor is a recent graduate of the university who was involved in one of the campus fraternities. I don't think he has a clue what a good panhellenic should be!

[Zillini]

If the campus Panhellenic isn't strong and/or unwilling to take a stand and the Greek Advisor isn't much help in the matter, then I suggest you take your complaints to your own org's NPC Delegate. Perhaps it's time for something to be done on a higher level.

[SoCalGirl]

Going to the NPC Delegate is good but I wonder if the advisors from the other chapters feel the same way. Maybe you can first have a meeting, something in a neutral and relaxed setting, with the other chapter advisors. Try to figure out if everyone is having similar issues and concerns. If so, go collectively to the Greek advisor or NPC Delegate.

[Just interested]

Run, don't walk to your National NPC Delegate. They will know what to do.

[AOII Angel]

Thanks for the advice. I hope we can work this out. I miss having a strong panhellenic spirit! We've contacted our Network (i.e. IHQ) who is hitting the ground running.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

I don't know how the other chapters feel about this. I don't know if they even see a correlation between current numbers and the past events from fall recruitment. I'm not really in a position to speak with women from these other chapters. Would it be appropriate to have an alumna from one chapter go to other chapter's meetings to discuss this? Part of the problem, as I see it, is that the greek advisor is a recent graduate of the university who was involved in one of the campus fraternities. I don't think he has a clue what a good panhellenic should be!

Wow, the EXACT same thing is going on at my alma mater.

I'd love to say that regional panhel reps and HQs will help solve the problem, but the fact is, unless the school and Panhellenic is willing to enforce either sanctions or a more positive reward system, it's not going to make a damn bit of DAILY difference.

Oh, and the fact that everyone and their sister can be a rho chi doesn't help at all....that needs to be changed, and that maybe is one thing that the regional Panhel rep can fix.

I would think that after everything that happened last fall, the groups would have seen the importance of being united rather than trying to tear each other down further. Maybe once they get their butts handed to them by their nationals for not making total it'll be a wake-up call.

[FSUZeta]

a lot can be accomplished thru the chapter advisors, as long as they are aware of the problem and are approached in a friendly way. i would like to think that while advisors are naturally wishing the best for their own organization, they have grown up enough to also want what is best for each sorority on their campus, too.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

a lot can be accomplished thru the chapter advisors, as long as they are aware of the problem and are approached in a friendly way. i would like to think that while advisors are naturally wishing the best for their own organization, they have grown up enough to also want what is best for each sorority on their campus, too.

Appparently the problem chapters don't have advisors! It explains a lot!!

[SunnyBlueEyes]

Panhellenic unity has been something that my campus has been working on in the last few years and we started a recruitment certification program. It clearifies all of the recruitment rules &/or changes and how to recruit for Panhel.

Many chapters on campuses don't understand that the weeks before recruitment it can't be everyone for themselves until the actual recruitment rounds start. If I meet a woman who is interested in being Greek but I know that she would not fit into my chapter, I still recruit her to come out to recruitment because she would be a great addition to another chapter. If every sorority does this, more women will come out and it will help every chapter because then quota is higher for recruitment.

I am currently on our Panhellenic e-board and was last year also. If you have any questions about a program like this, please let me know or feel free to PM me. It has really helped our campus recruit for Panhel and by making strong recruiters for Panhel, you make strong recruiters for your chapter.

Hopes this helps a little bit. I also have some other suggestions of events that we have held and rules that we have enforced and made (especially with Rho Gamma training) for recruitment that as really helped our campus.