For many freshman girls, joining a sorority is high on their to-do list for their college years; but before they join, there's the ever-dreaded recruitment process. A week of hair flips, small talk, and annoyingly catchy songs that incorporate various Greek letters--it's just terrifying in the eyes of a PNM. So here’s a few tips to calming those nerves as you go through that hectic week.
1. Tradition won’t change, so just go with it.
At USC, hair flipping is a huge tradition of sorority recruitment. I don’t mean a simple tousle of your locks, I mean full-on arching your hair over your head hair flip. It’s like a head bang but side-to-side. Anyway, it’s ridiculous, and I’m pretty sure it scared the living daylights out of me as a PNM, but don’t write off Panhellenic because of them.
These traditions are silly—and us Panhellenic women are fully aware that you’re not going to pick our house based on our stellar hair capabilities. But just like throwing up a V for Victory (for all you non-Trojans, it’s essentially a peace sign) and screaming “FIGHT ON” when you see a fellow Trojan, hair flips are a tradition that make you feel like a part of the bigger picture once you’re on the other side of recruitment.
2. Dress for success.
Now, before every non-Greek individual attacks me for “fortifying the superficial hierarchy of the Greek system,” I personally don’t think dressing well for recruitment supports that system. Sure, it isn’t a job interview, but it is an interview for an organization that offers so many opportunities, like connections for jobs and exclusive internships.
Plus, us actives talk to hundreds of girls a day, so first impressions are pretty important in this case. We usually remember the best-dressed girls, because they carry themselves well and their clothes reflect that. We’re looking for leaders, girls that will fortify the integrity of our organization, so we look for girls that take us seriously too.
3. We like to have deep and maybe personal conversations, but not venting sessions.
Quick reminder that you’ve just met this girl! Don’t lay your heart out on the nicely decorated patio table even if your ex just broke your heart the night before. (I swear to God, this has happened to me before, and it’s so awkward.) There’s a difference between talking about how a difficult experience in your life made you into a better person and venting about it.
4. We’re just as nervous as you are.
I know what you’re thinking; that seems like a lie, but it’s a different kind of nerves. Active members are responsible for carrying on the legacy of their house, and that’s a huge weight on their shoulders. They have to run every party of every day and be as bubbly on the last party as they were on the first.
You think small talk is hard on the PNM side? Try having to carry a conversation with someone who responds to everything like it's a yes or no question. It’s nerve-wracking and awful, so, believe me, we’re nervous too.
5. Trust the process.
At times it’s superficial and absurd, but at the end of the day, it works. Later parties lead to deeper conversation, and you’ll know which house you feel most comfortable in.
Sounds crazy, but silly small talk and slideshows of how “fun but intelligent and overall pretty chill” every house is eventually brings you home to your sisters. And when you run home on bid day and laugh with your bid day buddy about how the trident signs look like pitchforks, you'll probably take a "medieval mob" picture and know for a fact that you made the right choice.
