"No Alumnae in Your Area? No Problem!"

TXGreekMom · #1 07-08-2014, 11:13 AM

I would like to hear what the GC alums think about this page at the Texas Tech Panhellenic webpage regarding rec letters.

http://greeklife.ttu.edu/org/recruitment/Alumnae

I had... thoughts... about several things, but I may be off-base and will reserve my concerns until I hear from the more experienced rec writers here.

Griffins&Quills · #2 07-08-2014, 11:38 AM

It seems like pretty standard rec letter information that the writer is providing, but I'm confused as to how you recommend someone to be a part of a group if you yourself are not part of that group and have no idea what their values are and if the potential member would make a valuable contribution. After all, isn't that what a recommendation is supposed to be? I'm an XYZ and I see XYZ qualities in you and think you would be a great XYZ. Not I'm an independent community member and think you should have a recommendation to XYZ?

I may be just spitballing but that's my opinion.

AZTheta · #3 07-08-2014, 11:44 AM

I looked at the form that their Panhellenic provides. It's not a recommendation. It's just a generic character type reference form. Not sure of the value.

As for what we think, hey - it's their Panhellenic, it's their recruitment. Not my circus, not my monkeys. Frankly, I'd be really surprised if PNMs weren't better prepared than what is written on that webpage.

ETA: there is a lot of good information, I sound far more disparaging than I mean to sound. I am saying that PNMs going through any TX recruitment better be way more prepared.

TXGreekMom · #4 07-08-2014, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZTheta

Not my circus, not my monkeys.

Haaaa, one of my favorites.

SWTXBelle · #5 07-08-2014, 12:13 PM

I have a problem with them stating that while some alumnae panhellenics require what they call "frills" ( transcripts, for example) Tech doesn't - here's the deal; if Katy girls do not include the packet information we ask for they run the risk of not getting a rec. They need to stay in THEIR lane and not try and second-guess the alumnae panhellenics. We ask for that information for a reason.

DeltaBetaBaby · #6 07-08-2014, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griffins&Quills

It seems like pretty standard rec letter information that the writer is providing, but I'm confused as to how you recommend someone to be a part of a group if you yourself are not part of that group and have no idea what their values are and if the potential member would make a valuable contribution. After all, isn't that what a recommendation is supposed to be? I'm an XYZ and I see XYZ qualities in you and think you would be a great XYZ. Not I'm an independent community member and think you should have a recommendation to XYZ?

I may be just spitballing but that's my opinion.

I think *maybe* it would be worth something if it was another NPC woman, like, "I am an XYZ and I'd love to have her as an XYZ, but there is no XYZ at Tech, so I'm letting ABC and DEF know that this woman is awesome."

....but only if we were short of women who *did* have real recs.

Griffins&Quills · #7 07-08-2014, 01:57 PM

^ That I agree with. I can see that being a reasonable and valuable use

TXGreekMom · #8 07-08-2014, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

They need to stay in THEIR lane and not try and second-guess the alumnae panhellenics. We ask for that information for a reason.

This! The page got my hackles up for multiple reasons. Making a blanket statement to the PNMs "Chapters do not desire or require more than one recommendation letter per student"... it feels invasive. How can TTU Panhellenic know what my chapter desires?

I mean, y'all tell me if I'm off base. I can take it.

FSUZeta · #9 07-08-2014, 04:21 PM

I don't think you are off base at all

33girl · #10 07-08-2014, 05:30 PM

The no golden ticket part is funny.

The random rec thing sounds like something that unknowing women will waste a lot of time on that will get them nowhere - sort of a rec Darwinism, if you will.

I think Jennifer Aniston's character from Office Space wrote this. Cause man, they really, really, REALLY hate flair.

HQWest · #11 07-09-2014, 02:46 PM

I think this might be what happens when some UT alum moms have daughters that decide to go to what was once the much more laid back Tech? Tech is trying to resist the madness?

Just interested · #12 07-09-2014, 04:04 PM

I think they went a little overboard but I do believe HQWest is right. While, a number of girls go through recruitment from the large Metropolitan areas and large West Texas towns like Midland or San Angelo, a HUGE number go through from very small towns of 2 or 3 thousand or even smaller like Hereford and Idalou and no other towns around for miles. I think this is an attempt to level the playing field for these girls so they can have a good recruitment.

This is not the 1st time I've heard of this. Back in the 80's a friend of mine had a daughter going to Southwest Texas State. I was asked to fill out a form Panhellenic Reference for her and send to Panhellenic office. My sorority has never been at Southwest Texas State. All I had to be was a member of a National Panhellenic Sorority. The Panhellenic Office made copies of my reference and gave them t the groups there at the time. I thought it was really strange but was glad to do it because she was a great girl and ended up in a group she loved. Never been asked to do it before or since.