Cousin's pleasantly surprising recruitment!

[spirited*pnm]

So this is going to be the recruitment saga of my “Cousin,” aka long-time family friend. I have been bff with her older sister since 3rd grade and our families are basically best friends, go on vacations together, etc.

She is a freshman this year, and first semester was tough. I was very surprised by Cousin’s reaction to college. College is meant for people like Cousin: she is so enthusiastic, spirited, and involved. I was really disheartened to hear that her first semester wasn’t all she hoped it would be. She said that school was not what she expected, she had not found that “core group” of friends that one usually finds freshman year. She and her room mate get along amazingly, and are each other’s best friends, but felt like they were the only people the other really clicked with on campus. Cousin was sick of fakeness, and people not being involved/wanting to get out and DO stuff. She said that she had tried so many times to reach out and knock on doors, talk to people, but they all keep to themselves and keep their doors closed and are surprisingly quite unfriendly. So she submitted seven transfer applications to other schools.

My mom, who was/is Greek, and I encouraged her to give recruitment a shot—apparently about 60% of women on her campus go Greek. She said she’d do it, but I could tell she didn’t expect to get much out of it. I explained that she could drop out of recruitment and would be able to rush at a new school if she wanted, if she signed her preference/bid card that she couldn’t rush for one calendar year, and if she initiated she could never join another chapter, and that if she transferred, she could request to join if they had a chapter on her new campus, but nothing was guaranteed. My mom and I gave her advice and cheered her on, and she ended up LOVING recruitment! All her expectations went out the window, and she was very VERY pleasantly surprised by the whole thing and met some great people.

I want to keep Cousin and her campus anonymous. Please do not say what the campus is if you figure it out. I have permission to tell this story, but I promised Cousin that it would be anonymous.

I’m going to use fair/carnival stuff as code names. I don’t know why, I’ve always thought fairs and carnivals were kind of seedy and I don’t really like going to them, but I still find them fascinating, so I think these are pretty fun/funny and entertaining. I almost wish there were more chapters so that I could use some more of the fun things I thought of…oh well!

Funhouse Mirrors
Stilt Walkers
Tunnel of Love
Balloon Animals
Milk Bottle Toss
Dunk Tank

In the Greek system, there are two separate but equally important groups: the PNMs, who rush to aspire to become affiliated Greeks, and the sorority women who are looking for new, outstanding members. These are their stories.

[sceniczip]

I'm going with balloon animals

[ZTA72]

I'll go with funhouse mirrors. Sometimes, things are not as they seem.

[spirited*pnm]

When I talked to Cousin the night before she went back to school for rush, she was 90% sure she was going to transfer. After the first round of parties, she said “It was really really good! I was definitely pleasantly surprised!” Looked like things were turning around!

Cousin was a little nervous to have STILT WALKERS first because she had liked their vibe, and thought that they’d be near the top of her list going into recruitment and she didn’t want too much pressure at her first party, but she said the girls instantly made her feel comfortable. She said they were awesome and really put her at ease. She asked the active about her first semester at College, and the Stilt Walker had a similar story to Cousin’s: wanting to make more friends, not used to the school so far, having second thoughts. Cousin was glad she could be open with this Stilt Walker and that she could relate to her situation. The active made her feel like going through recruitment was a good idea and that someone else had felt like she does.

Cousin’s resident advisor and orientation leader are members of TUNNEL OF LOVE, and she really loved those girls, but she didn’t feel the same way about this house as a whole. Cousin was a HUGE tom boy growing up (and is still quite sporty, but also girly at the same time) and felt like these girls were more the type that she would play sports with, rather than hang out all the time with in any context. Something she was concerned about was that they didn’t seem to joke around with each other, or have that comfortable, sisterly vibe with each other that she had felt at STILT WALKERS.

First semester, Cousin had some interaction with sisters in MILK BOTTLE TOSS. Actually, the recruitment chair had approached Cousin and her room mate at a theme party, and criticized their outfits (apparently she thought that they were “too” dressed to theme, and had no qualms about going up to them and telling them flat out, then stumbling away after asking for their first and last names). However, Cousin was pleasantly surprised by the Milk Bottle Tossers. She said there was a fun energy at Milk Bottle Toss, and it just “clicked” and “worked.” She said she didn’t expect that at all, but it felt good. Although she was “unsure first semester,” she left “really surprised and very pleased.”

At FUNHOUSE MIRRORS, Cousin said she only talked to one active the entire time and they just did not connect. She said the conversation was very serious, not very fun, that the sister looked like she didn’t take care of herself. It just felt a little “off.” The active kept going on about a movie that Cousin hadn’t seen, and even after Cousin tried to graciously change the subject, the active kept droning on about the details of this movie Cousin admitted she had not seen. She wanted to keep an open mind and meet more Funhouse Mirrors, but this experience didn’t give her a positive vibe.

Cousin said that at DUNK TANK she led the conversation the entire time, it was dull and the Dunk Tank couldn’t hold a conversation.

Cousin had heard snobby stereotypes about BALLOON ANIMALS, but she said it was awesome (Cousin is the farthest from snobby and in high school had lots of friends from different groups and generally gets along with everyone). She clicked with all the Balloon Animals she met. She met an active with the same major, same extracurriculars, she found a funny hometown connection, etc. She said it was the only chapter that asked her if she had any questions about the sorority (I read in another recent recruitment story that a PNM didn’t like that the actives asked if she had questions about the chapter and preferred the actives to ask her questions about herself—just goes to show different PNMs like different things!). Cousin was a leader in high school and super-involved and really wants to be in a leadership position. She actually confessed to me before starting college that she would love to be a sorority president. Anywho, she said that the conversation with the Balloon Animals (I crack myself up) was the most serious in terms of what she wants to get out of Greek life and what she wants to contribute to her sorority. She said that the primary sister she was talking to would introduce her and say “This is Cousin, she is already so involved with X, Y, Z, clubs and activities and is so accomplished, etc.” Cousin felt like whoa.

At the end of the first round, this was Cousin’s ranking (the first 5 are actually all number 1 after the first day, but this was her order in her mind):

1 MILK BOTTLE TOSS
2 BALLOON ANIMALS
3 STILT WALKERS
4 TUNNEL OF LOVE
5 FUNHOUSE MIRRORS

6 (ranked) DUNK TANK

I was also ecstatic to hear Cousin say that she was going to stick it out all the way because she was having a lot of fun meeting new people! Yayyyy

[tri deezy]

Originally Posted by spirited*pnm

In the Greek system, there are two separate but equally important groups: the PNMs, who rush to aspire to become affiliated Greeks, and the sorority women who are looking for new, outstanding members. These are their stories.

Love you already This would make a GREAT panhel recruitment t-shirt.

[Merci11]

Is your cousin already done with recruitment or did she start this weekend?

[spirited*pnm]

Cousin could visit up to 5 houses for the second round of parties…and I got a text: “I got all the ones I wanted!”


After this round of parties, Cousin said that she really LOVED THEM ALL! I was excited because then she really couldn’t go wrong with any chapter. Another family friend knows a girl at College who said she felt the same way about the school first semester, until she went through rush and found a home with the Funhouse Mirrors. My mom met this Funhouse Mirror, and she told me that it sounded like she had had a similar experience to Cousin’s. Apparently this seems to be a trend at College. I was really hoping Cousin would find her home.

Cousin said that her impression of FUNHOUSE MIRRORS really turned around after this round. She said they were adorable and sweet, and that it finally clicked.

Cousin was willing to give TUNNEL OF LOVE a chance and she really wanted to and tried to like it, but it just didn’t happen. She couldn’t see herself hanging out with them. There was some intangible missing/lacking here, and she felt that she and the sisters were just on different wavelengths.

Cousin felt like she had known the BALLOON ANIMALS forever, and she liked them even more after this party. She said they were all telling stories and it felt very natural. However, Cousin was a little weirded out by some dirty rushing. Apparently a sister told her she needed to go out drinking with her, invited her to her room to hang out, and said that Cousin “should just stay here the whole night with me!” Cousin was a little shocked, but laughed it off and changed the subject. I reminded her about strict silence, etc., and she said she would definitely be sticking to that. Although that was totally inappropriate, Cousin said she and this Balloon Animal still clicked.

At MILK BOTTLE TOSS, they bonded over theme parties. She said the conversation with here felt like talking at lunch with old friends. She said she felt like she and the Milk Bottle Tossers were already friends. She also said that the girl from first semester who came up to her at a party was actually the recruitment chair (!!!) and she gave a big speech. But this didn’t dissuade Cousin; her positive impression of the house as a whole wasn’t changed by the actions of one person on one night.

The STILT WALKERS were still high on Cousin’s list. She said they continued to impress her and they were really sweet, genuine, and classy ladies.

After this day, Cousin said that she “REALLY clicked with the Milk Bottle Tossers and the Balloon Animals.” She also said that Funhouse Mirrors really moved up in her book, and that they were now neck-and-neck with the Stilt Walkers. The PNMs put 3 chapters as #1, and ranked 2 chapters as #2 and #3 (but I’m listing it as her ranking in her mind too).

(1) Milk Bottle Toss
(2) Balloon Animals
(3) Stilt Walkers

4 (ranked) Funhouse Mirrors
5 (ranked) Tunnel of Love

[gee_ess]

Great story! Looking forward to finding out where Cousin ends up!

[spirited*pnm]

Originally Posted by tri deezy

Quote:
Originally Posted by spirited*pnm
In the Greek system, there are two separate but equally important groups: the PNMs, who rush to aspire to become affiliated Greeks, and the sorority women who are looking for new, outstanding members. These are their stories.

Love you already This would make a GREAT panhel recruitment t-shirt.

When I thought of it I kind of daydreamed and imagined myself on Panhel and designing the Greek recruitment promo shirts!

Originally Posted by Merci11

Is your cousin already done with recruitment or did she start this weekend?

She is done with recruitment, but I'd rather not reveal the exact dates to keep it anonymous unless she gives me permission

[spirited*pnm]

I didn’t get too many specifics from Cousin after this round, but more of general impressions. And boy, did her general impressions change.

At STILT WALKERS she said she met two of the greatest girls and she loved it here.

BALLOON ANIMALS was still absolutely amazing in her book, and totally was a head and shoulders above Milk Bottle Toss at this point in the game.

After being her steady #1 all through recruitment, MILK BOTTLE TOSS fell. She said it was awkward, they were looking around the room during the conversation, and it felt so different from the past 2 parties with this chapter. It felt like a completely different chapter.

Cousin could attend a max. of 2 parties for preference, and this was her ranking:

(1) Balloon Animals
(2) Stilt Walkers

3 (ranked) Milk Bottle Toss

Her favorite all along had disappointed her and she just told me “Ugh, I CUT Milk Bottle Toss.” Cousin can definitely cut through BS, doesn’t fall for fakeness, and could give a crap about tent talk (she’s a very independent thinker), and I have a feeling that she sensed something “off” here. From her tone, I also think she felt good about cutting them, like she wasn’t falling for whatever they were putting on.

[KappaKittyCat]

Originally Posted by Zeta13Girl

Our chapter does this we call them special sisters they stay with the pnm the whole round and introduce all the basic info to the other sisters. I think its nice that way, so the pnm doesn't have to repeat everything over and over again. Plus it shows that the sister was actually listening and paying attention to the pnm as well.

That's really smart. I know it would make me feel special to have an active "talk me up" to her sisters by means of introduction.

[KappaKittyCat]

Also, I'm loving your cousin and this story.

[spirited*pnm]

Cousin’s thoughts REALLY changed during preference.

She said that preference with the BALLOON ANIMALS was really, really awkward. She said everyone held hands (I got the impression that PNMs and sisters held hands, which seems kind of weird, but I could be wrong). She also got the impression that there was maybe a crop of Balloon Animals who *seemed* trashy. She felt like the Balloon Animals partied a lot, not that that is a bad thing, but she didn’t want to join a sorority JUST for parties. She also got the impression that there was a bit of a campus feud between the Balloon Animals and Milk Bottle Toss with which she didn’t want to be involved. However, this is a popular group on campus, and she couldn’t ignore her feelings about them all through recruitment thus far.

Cousin said she LOVED the preference with the STILT WALKERS. She said the ceremony was very personal (way more personal than at Balloon Animals) and she almost cried (Cousin=NOT a crier for this kind of stuff). Cousin said that the Stilt Walkers were the most genuine, said the nicest things, and were AMAZING. She said that after learning about them, they completely sold her and she thought they were the best overall. Cousin said that the Stilt Walkers are classy, genuine, leaders on campus, and care about academics, and seem like amazing people all-around. I think she used the term “genuine” about ten times.

After preference rounds she hid in a campus bathroom and called me for advice. I reminded her that if she filled out a preference/bid card and signed it, she could not rush for another year, and if she transferred to a campus with fall recruitment, she would not be able to participate. She told me that rushing was absolutely the best thing she could have done at this point (considering her previous “90% sureness” that she’d be transferring soph year). She definitely wanted to go through with it, but she really wasn’t sure who to put because she had loved Balloon Animals all through rush, and they had consistently been at the top of her list, but pref was a letdown. She told me “I think I have to put down Stilt Walkers.” She said that Stilt Walkers really impressed her and it just “felt right” on the last day of rush. After about 10 minutes of saying some variation of this and of me telling her to go with her gut/heart, she decided that she absolutely wanted to be a Stilt Walker, and put Stilt Walkers first, and Balloon Animals second.

She called me again the next day before she got her bid and was completely gung-ho about the Stilt Walkers. She told me that she would probably be disappointed if she got Balloon Animals because she felt that Stilt Walkers was where she was meant to be. I told her that her decision to give recruitment a try and join a house sounded like a turning point for her at school, and that hopefully this semester would live up to her expectations about college, and that she would find that core group of close friends that she was seeking. I told her that if she was invited to Balloon Animals she should give it a try too, and not to forget how much she did love them all through recruitment.

She texted me back after she opened her invitation to become a......






































































STILT WALKER!!

[Benzgirl]

And Stilt Walker is..................

[spirited*pnm]

(Tee hee, I couldn't resist )

Also known as...






































































DELTA DELTA DELTA!!!!