When thinking of sorority recruitment, most people just think about the potential new members going through recruitment and the active members of each house. Two very important groups of people tend to be overlooked.
The Gamma Chis and Panhellenic officers help keep everything running smooth and coordinate all of the recruitment efforts between the houses and PNMs. The ladies chosen for these positions are very privileged and thrilled to be chosen, but along with this position comes disaffiliation. To be disaffiliated, the Gamma Chi and Panhellenic members can't have any contact whatsoever with their affiliation; no texts, no phone calls, no liking each others posts on Instagram, no Snap chatting, nothing at all from either party.
Sounds easy enough. Just a few short weeks of not talking to a few girls from your organization, right? That's what I thought. During the two weeks of work week and recruitment, I was proven wrong. My best friend was on pan exec. I had to see her when she visited my house during work week, during meetings (I was recruitment chair for my organization, so I had to attend recruitment meetings), and during parties the week of recruitment. Seeing her and acting like I didn't know her was harder than I imagined. I never thought I would have to "ignore" my best friend.
When I was stressed, she wasn't there to walk with me around campus like normal. She wasn't there for me to vent and cry to, and that's not just something I do in front of just anyone. She wasn't even there to tell me that she had faith in me.
The whole process wasn't all bad, though. It made me rely more on others and become even closer to some of my other best friends. It helped me open up and find different ways to de-stress than just walking to Swalm and sitting on the steps with her. It was just as much of a positive experience for both of us than it was negative.
I learned that lots of sorority girls are fighting bad tears between parties as they realize their best friend, big, little, or roommate are standing outside of their house, and they can't hug them like normal. It's a weird experience that most people don't realize is even happening, but it's very real. It just makes bid day that more special when the Gamma Chis and Panhellenic reveal their letters and rejoin their sororities. Without these ladies stepping away from their sororities and up into these positions, recruitment would not even be possible. It takes a special person to put aside their letters to help PNMs find their forever homes, and to those ladies, I would like to say a big thanks for all you do and for making recruitment the amazing process it is!