Alabama Recruitment

[als463]

Originally Posted by phiwho?

Not only did Nick Saban's daughter pledge Phi Mu but three other alabama football heroes' daughters did too! Paul Ott Carruth's daughter, Richard Todd's Daughter and Van Tippins' daughter. Very strange! Makes you wonder if they knew each other before?

Okay...be prepared for this stupid question: Who? I'm from the North and not as well versed in football, so excuse me for not knowing who those men are. If you don't mind me asking....Who are they? I'm sure they are great but, I just don't know who they are. Sorry....

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by 33girl

A lot of it IMO is just a misguided attempt by national Panhel to "de-frill" these very frilly, very traditional recruitments. All I can say is GIVE IT UP!! Nathan Lane will be banging Pamela Anderson in a dive bar in Omaha before that happens. Just be honest and put the info out there so first generation Greeks know what to do.

Awesome!

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by bama

Bingo Zillini!

And LittleOwl- are you somehow inferring that Alabama is not a good academic university? I know some people think we are all inbred and don't wear shoes, but The University of Alabama System (UA, UAH, UAB) is one of the highest respected systems in the country for engineering, medicine, business, etc. We are able to maintain 3.5+ GPAs and still know how to have a good party. I have friends who graduated from ivy league schools who have amounted to nothing after college and some of the most successful people, in the South at least, graduated from UA. And like I said, elsewhere things maybe different, but when I say I am a graduate of the University of Alabama, the first thing out of people's mouths are "What sorority are you in?" and I am proud to tell them.

Wow, I didn't get that from her post at all!

In some regions (I'm thinking coastal California and the Bos-Wash corridor as specific examples), there's more of an emphasis on having attended a relatively small number of schools because people are from all over the place. Since alumni of those schools come from and end up all over the world, there's international recognition. When you hear the names "MIT" or "Johns Hopkins," most people around the world know those are kick-ass schools. While Alabama is a great school, a lot of people who aren't from the South may not know that because it's primarily known on the regional level. It's good that you're proud of where you went to college--I think everyone should be. I know I certainly am.

I think I'm of two worlds on this topic--on one hand, I grew up in the South and don't understand why everyone gets so freaking hysterical about "SEC" rush. Hell, I was prepared with recs for every house at UF even though my parents could have given two flying farts each about Greek Life. My high school hosted a Panhel info session in March of my senior year, and I met with women willing to write my recs. As a result, I was prepared to rush at a southern school even though I didn't end up at one! So, I understand and have no problem with the fact that you need a rec or you'll get cut. It's like having references on your job application!

On the other hand, I went to a liberal college in the Northeast that lumped Greek Life in with every other extracurricular activity. So I understand that while I made lifelong friendships and learned leadership skills, I could have had as great a time there if I hadn't gone Greek. I was not going to meet my husband because I was in a certain sorority.

I am just ready for Southern rush to be over! All kinds of crazies come out of the woodwork!

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I don't think it's so much the fact that things are done differently in the south that sticks in some people's craws. Anyone should understand that with that many girls, you have to cut a LOT and cut fast so rush doesn't turn into an out of control clusterbuck. I think it's things like seeing "recs are suggested but not required, it is the chapter's responsibility" and clothing that is far more casual than what women actually wear on the websites. Then again, the South hardly has a corner on that sort of thing. A lot of it IMO is just a misguided attempt by national Panhel to "de-frill" these very frilly, very traditional recruitments. All I can say is GIVE IT UP!! Nathan Lane will be banging Pamela Anderson in a dive bar in Omaha before that happens. Just be honest and put the info out there so first generation Greeks know what to do.

You have hit the nail on the head, 33girl. All National Panhell has accomplished is to make the process seem more unfair to the women unaccustomed to the process. For the women who grew up in the state of Alabama is makes perfect sense. To women coming from Maryland, for instance where for many schools recs are non-existent, the process would be very confusing...especially if you went by the panhellenic website!

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

I am just ready for Southern rush to be over! All kinds of crazies come out of the woodwork!

Yep.

[LadyLonghorn]

Does anyone else find it strange that PNMs and moms have no trouble finding GC so they can complain after they or their dd has been cut but can't seem to find it prior to recruitment when any normal person would be researching and preparing?

[LadyLonghorn]

Originally Posted by littleowl33

On the topic of recs and such... I can't say I agree when you say that "ignorance is no excuse". I grew up in the northeast, had never heard of recs and knew no one in an NPC sorority. I assumed Greek Life was like any other extracurricular - if you wanted to join, you just joined. Luckily, I ended up at a school where this is pretty much the case - no recs or legwork required. The groups don't ask for resumes or anything, and really, cuts are based on GPA, personality and any sort of glaring "my reputation precedes me" (positive or negative) situation. I rushed with little to no knowledge of the Greek system and got a group I loved. Lucky me!

But if I had gone to a school with a really intense Greek system, where you're cut immediately if you don't have recs or haven't sent in a resume, body shot, head shot, etc. etc. I would have gotten steamrolled. Honestly, I would have had no clue that things like this even existed. It would never have occurred to me to research it before I got there, just like I wouldn't have researched the application process for joining any other philanthropic or social group - I was focused on what major I would declare, what dorm I was in, stuff like that. I can same the same for 95% of my high school peers. It's just not part of the culture I grew up in, at all. Like the southern girls who were groomed for elite groups at SEC rushes since they were children, I was groomed for "elite" colleges since I was little. Everything is about what college you go to - big names preferred. For the rest of your life, you're introduced as a So-And-So grad, not an XYZ sister. Greek life was never mentioned. If I heard of it, it was just a "fun thing you do in college". Reading this over, I feel like it sounds snobby, and I really don't mean it that way at all. I'm just trying to point out how different it is.

Not to toot my own horn, but going into college I had great extracurriculars, very high GPA and SATs, and since joining Kappa I've been really (perhaps overly) involved and have held a leadership position every year. I would say I've been an asset to my group, and I love my membership. It's kind of saddening and frightening to me that had I rushed at a Greek system that relied so heavily on recs and connections, I would never, ever have had this experience.

I don't mean this as a criticism of the system, just another viewpoint!

And there are some who attend colleges with just as rigorous admissions standards as yours and recruitment about as competitive as the SEC.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by LadyLonghorn

Does anyone else find it strange that PNMs and moms have no trouble finding GC so they can complain after they or their dd has been cut but can't seem to find it prior to recruitment when any normal person would be researching and preparing?

I do.

I mean I typed "sorority recs" into Google and GC was like the 3rd result.

If you type in "Bama sorority recruitment" I think it's 4th or 5th.

[littleowl33]

Originally Posted by bama

And LittleOwl- are you somehow inferring that Alabama is not a good academic university? I know some people think we are all inbred and don't wear shoes, but The University of Alabama System (UA, UAH, UAB) is one of the highest respected systems in the country for engineering, medicine, business, etc. We are able to maintain 3.5+ GPAs and still know how to have a good party. I have friends who graduated from ivy league schools who have amounted to nothing after college and some of the most successful people, in the South at least, graduated from UA. And like I said, elsewhere things maybe different, but when I say I am a graduate of the University of Alabama, the first thing out of people's mouths are "What sorority are you in?" and I am proud to tell them.

I am absolutely not inferring that. I'm sorry if you're offended, but I thought I had made that pretty clear in my post - that I was just offering another viewpoint from a New-Englander who grew up in a different area of the country than you did. Nowhere did I say anything negative about UA, which I already know is a wonderful and well-respected institution. I, too, am very proud of my University and my sorority. I'm not sure why you're on the defensive here. Though I'm not at an Ivy League school, I'm sure we can all find examples of men and women who have done poorly (or well) after graduating from any institution... so I'm not sure why you're trying to degrade the Ivies.

As Munchkin said...

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Wow, I didn't get that from her post at all!

In some regions (I'm thinking coastal California and the Bos-Wash corridor as specific examples), there's more of an emphasis on having attended a relatively small number of schools because people are from all over the place. Since alumni of those schools come from and end up all over the world, there's international recognition. When you hear the names "MIT" or "Johns Hopkins," most people around the world know those are kick-ass schools. While Alabama is a great school, a lot of people who aren't from the South may not know that because it's primarily known on the regional level. It's good that you're proud of where you went to college--I think everyone should be. I know I certainly am....

...On the other hand, I went to a liberal college in the Northeast that lumped Greek Life in with every other extracurricular activity. So I understand that while I made lifelong friendships and learned leadership skills, I could have had as great a time there if I hadn't gone Greek. I was not going to meet my husband because I was in a certain sorority.

I'm sure we would have already heard from quite a few other offended Alabama GCers if they read my post the same way you did.

[littleowl33]

Originally Posted by LadyLonghorn

And there are some who attend colleges with just as rigorous admissions standards as yours and recruitment about as competitive as the SEC.

I'm not really sure where you're going with this, but I'm not trying to complain or act like I've been put-upon. I'm sure a lot of girls do have it a lot tougher. I'm just offering another perspective based on my experience.

[Low C Sharp]

I know people don't get how we do things, but like I said it is because we have such a high volume of girls we have to take other things into consideration.

I know many women who rushed on a whim without recs at U of Illinois and experienced few cuts. You can do all right without them there, even though the system is immense.

That's not a criticism of Bama -- IMHO, it makes a lot more sense to cut PNMs based on recs than on looks, and looks are necessarily going to form a bigger part of the impression a PNM makes if the chapter has no other information. I'm just saying that system size alone doesn't explain the importance of recs in the SEC.
________
QueenOfLove

[Bear]

Is anyone else going to post pictures?????
The only ones so far are from Gamma Phi Beta.
****They look so great in thier Pink and Brown.******

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by Bear

Is anyone else going to post pictures?????
The only ones so far are from Gamma Phi Beta.
****They look so great in thier Pink and Brown.******

I love the one new member who looks like she is can't believe she's really a Gamma Phi! (Those tears must be of joy - and who can blame her?)

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

That's not a criticism of Bama -- IMHO, it makes a lot more sense to cut PNMs based on recs than on looks, and looks are necessarily going to form a bigger part of the impression a PNM makes if the chapter has no other information. I'm just saying that system size alone doesn't explain the importance of recs in the SEC.

Yeah, actually it does. Honestly, I used to be a very vocal critic of recs, and I kinda get where they're coming from down South. If 1500 women are registered, and a chapter has to release half of those women or more after round one, you're looking for "reasons" to release and reasons to keep and recs offer more information than an active can learn in 15 minutes. Not to mention, when your chapter is 250(?) think about MS with that many women deciding the fates of 1500 PNMs. Recs help a PNM stand out against PNMs who don't have them, and well-written recs help PNMs stand out against PNMs with generic recs. Recs are like step 1 in showing your commitment to Greek Life, because they take time to obtain.

It may not seem fair to cut a PNM for not having a rec, but imagine as a single active, you talk to, say, 30 PNMs in the first round total. Some you have great conversations with useful information on whether she'd be a great member. But face it, sometimes you end up talking about your favorite TV shows or your hometown...things that can make for an enjoyable conversation but leave you with little idea on what kind of member a PNM would make. How else to decide? Recs.

The only gripe I have about recs is that it seems unfair to women who decide at the last minute that they want to go through recruitment, and therefore, have little to no time to get recs.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

I know many women who rushed on a whim without recs at U of Illinois and experienced few cuts. You can do all right without them there, even though the system is immense.

That's not a criticism of Bama -- IMHO, it makes a lot more sense to cut PNMs based on recs than on looks, and looks are necessarily going to form a bigger part of the impression a PNM makes if the chapter has no other information. I'm just saying that system size alone doesn't explain the importance of recs in the SEC.

Illinois is deferred recruitment, though, right?

If you had a semester or more to actual see what a girl did on campus, the recs wouldn't matter as much.

ETA: nope. It's not. I wonder how they do handle it. What do you suppose the chapters use to release girls in the early rounds?