Hard Rush Question

[NewBee]

Okay after reading these rush stories, I am really touched. I am glad to see there is so much more to sorrority life among the NPC then we would be led to believe by the media. I have become infatuated with the rush process and the iniation period and I want to experience it. However, I am like 99% positive I dont want to actually join a NPC sorrority. Its nothing against them, its just that I have been inpsired to eventually create my own. But, since I will be a founder of my organization, I am going to miss out on how recruitment is done, which is something that I want not only for my personal experience, but also something that I will need to execute recruitment smoothly. Added to all of this is my ethnicity. I am African-American and although I want to participate in rush, my goal is not to break some color line but I think if I drop rush it could be interpret that way. Okay here's the question. "How do I participate in formal rush, and see how things are done all the way through, without taking up a spot for someone who wants to join a house?"

[zchi2]

Even though I'm not apart of the NPC, I feel like I should advise you to not go through Rush without being interested in being apart of one of the organizations. But I would like to know why you don't want to apart of NPC? Because if the reason you don't want to be apart of NPC is because of the diversity, I think that you should look into the many multicultural sororities out there. This will give you a chance to participate in a form of recuitment and also help start your own chapter.

[FuzzieAlum]

Honestly, it really depends where you go to school on whether on not dropping out of rush will be perceived as a race issue. Sure, if you start rushing at 'Bama and drop out, WWIII might just break out! But at many schools the sororities are much more integrated, and they will assume you dropped out because you didn't find the sororities to be right for you.

Generally, schools set quota after third party ... so if you don't want to "take a spot" you'd have to drop out early. Also, it's a little unfair to the sisters to put them in a position of rushing you when you are 100% certain you don't want to join. If you were on the fence, that would be different. They could be getting to know truly interested rushees who might join their organization, rather than giving you an educational experience.

Some sororities don't do rush like the NPC groups (the NPHC and most MCGLOs come to mind), and new colonies are formed all the time of women who have no experience with formal rush - yet they manage to put together a great formal rush when their turn comes. So I simply don't see going through formal rush as a necessity for recruiting women for a new group.

[NewBee]

GRRR! I just gave a lengthy response but it got deleted it so here is the condensed version.

Zchi2: its not that I dont want to be apart of the NPC, there are a lot of great organizations with great legacies and and traditions, its just that times have changed and I seek more in a sisterhood. I love the NPHC orgs too, but to mean both umbrella organizations lack something and I hope to fill that need. It has nothing to do with diversity issues or lack there of. And as far as attending multicultural orgs. formal recruitment, from what I have found through research, as well as the orgs. on my campus is that they recruit pretty much like the NPHC, meaning you come to them when you have a serious desire to join. And I dont. Thanks for your imput though.

Fuzzie alum: I am thinking about dropping out early but one of the main personal reasons that I want to attend rush is pref. I was wondering if I could let a Rho Chi or whoever is concerned about my situation and I would be able to participate in the whole rush period as if I was really an interestee and then if my feelings changed or if I fall in love with a house or something than I could COB in the spring or something. Does anyone no if this is at all feasible. Besides, as far as starting orgs without formal recuritment, I know that it is possible but I want my org to attract all kinds of people and of course the organization will be influenced by my knowledge and experiences so thats why I am trying to experience as much as possible. An addes bonus would be developing greek unity at my campus because I will have a formal oppurtunity to meet a lot of the sisters, which would later aid in doing projects with them. I know of some NPHC orgs on campus that have extended invitations to do community service with some of the NPC and NIC orgs but so far nothing has come of it. There is absolutely no real greek unity on or campus and I regret that. If anyone could give me further ideas or suggestions I would apprecaite it and I am thankful to both of you and I will think about what was said.

[maggieaxid]

I think you would really have to get in touch with the director of panhellenic affairs or the director of greek life to see if they have any type of policy set up for this type of situation.

however, my guess would that it would most likely come down to the panhellenic vote, which (and correct me if i am wrong) they would need to be a 2/3 vote in order to pass.

the only real reason i can see NPC sororities not wanting to do it is that they don't want everyone to be like "oh i'm just checking it out, i don't really want to join like that other girl". It may make rush less special.

Also, (and someone more well versed than i am with rush and NPC) if you go all the way to pref, you run the risk of utlimately taking a bid from someone else who really wants to be in a sorority and i don't think thats very fair.
Like if you and suzy go through rush, and XYZ sorority really like you and suzy (and they think you are going to pledge) but they only can invite 25 girls to a party and they end up inviting you, but not suzy and then suzy is heart broken and dissapointed and she is unable to cob bc XYZ has gotten qouta on bid day, this could be a serious problem.

[FuzzieAlum]

You can certainly go all the way through rush without joining (simply don't fill out a bid card at the end) and you could still COB then, but if it's known to the sororities you don't want to join, they'll drop you before then. And NPC rush rules will prevent the schools from letting you rush without counting you in the numbers. That is, the system expects that if you pref you will join, thus making quota a tiny bit higher, and by not joining, you keep one chapter at least one person away from quota. If you want this experience, you can't get it with the school's coorperation, I guess is what I'm saying - you have to play the game of pretending to be interested (or at least undecided).

[shadokat]

Maybe it's just me, but I think that going through recruitment to get an idea of how NPC groups recruit women, then dropping out and starting your own organization, which you want to differ from NPC is sort of odd. I mean, if you do recruitment like NPC does recruitment, then you'd be attracting the women who want to join sororities. Maybe I misread your post or don't understand. If you're looking for ideas, consider talking to your Greek Life Advisor first.

[KDHoney]

I agree with those telling you not to go through rush. I understand wanting to see how it all is done, but I would recommend simply talking to sisters, VPs of Membership, Recruitment Chairs, etc. When we became a KD chapter last year, none of us had gotten to go through formal recruitment (we went from a local sorority to a national chapter and there was no real formal recruitment in the local system). Admittedly, reading these rush threads makes me a bit envious that I didn't get to go through it all. But, especially if you are in a preference round, you can take a bid from a girl who is truly interested in that sorority. Also, pref is meant to really show off the sisterhood to those who are truly interested in becoming sisters. I agree with maggieaxid that it could make it less special.

Basically, there are ways to find out about the experience of formal recruitment without going through it yourself. Best of luck to you.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Why don't you just ask a chapter if you can watch their practice?

[Fewdfreak]

If you go through rush thinking that you really don't want to join a chapter, you might end up liking one by the end. I rushed last week and about 50% of the girls said they didn't want to join a chapter and just wanted to meet people/see what it is all about. I heard this from all most every girl I talked to, and they were like "Are you really going to join, I'm just going to meet people, and see if I like it..." etc. The girls that rushed us asked, are you looking to join, or are you just seeing what it was about. I know there were three girls in my rush group that definately didn't want to join houses, but by the end of the week one girl said that if she didn't join, it would be a waste since she went through the whole week, and she ended up preffing APhi, and then told me that she fell in love with the girls there because they were just like her. The other two were pretty discouraged because of cuts and one joined ZTA and the other A Chi O. So you may not be looking to join, but by the end of the week, you may have changed your mind.

[valkyrie]

Just a little, tiny thought I had -- you are interested in building Greek unity, so I would be *very* careful about going through rush. If anyone finds out what your objectives are, they may feel mad or hurt -- for example, if the sisters of a particular house REALLY, REALLY like you and they end up finding out that you were going through rush as sort of "research" into starting your own org., they may feel hurt or angry. I mean, by going to pref., I think you're at least sending the message that you're interested and you like them as much as they like you.

If you feel like it, I'd be more interested in hearing about your interest in formal rush. If you're looking to create an organization that is not NPC and not NPHC and not an already existing multicultural org., how would you have rush? I would think that your rush would, by default almost, be more like the NPHC process, because you wouldn't be a part of a larger umbrella group like NPC that is involved in rush. I hope that makes sense!