It's almost that magical time of year again! The time when hundreds, even thousands, of young ladies throw on their best dresses, put on their most charming smile, and line up to participate in an age old tradition that has been tweeked, tilted, and turned to perfection throughout time. Yes, you are correct, I am indeed referring to Recruitment! Recruitment, as stressful and intimidating as it may be, can also be an extremely rewarding process! A lot of people, myself even previously included, think that going through recruitment, and rushing a sorority, is just like what you see on TV or in the movies. You may even be how I was and think that it's something you could never imagine doing! Well, I'm here to tell you, as living proof, that you should never say "never;" and that you shouldn't always believe what you see! Now, the movies and the TV shows, they don't get it all wrong; but they definitely don't get it all right either! I'll be completely honest; it is not as simple as you may think. It is a long grueling process. You are on your feet all day; mostly having, what feels like, rehearsed chatter with girls you've never met and know nothing about; and you're trying to do everything you can to portray your honest and best self, in such a short amount of time! BUT, I promise you, those little parts that you dread, the parts that are making you hesitant or nervous; are only a small portion of what going through recruitment is really all about. Recruitment is an experience you will truly love, that will last with you a lifetime! In short terms, going through recruitment is mainly about three things:
1. Branching out and getting to know your fellow peers, because no matter the outcome, going through this process you will have made, at the very least, one new friend! You meet and get to know so many new faces through recruitment that even if you're not necessarily sure about joining a sorority, you should really think about going through it anyway just to meet new people; you may be surprised at what you find!
2. Of course the process of recruitment was invented and put in place to help you find your sorority, but by partaking in this step, you will discover more about yourself than you ever expected. When you go through recruitment you are entering a room full of hundreds other girls every hour so, that you may not know, having to create conversations with them, trying to learn about them, while at the same time trying to sell them the best version of yourself. And we all know how girls can be to each other; sometimes it's only natural to feel intimidated, shy, or picked apart; but as the groups go on, and as the days pass by, this really cool thing starts to happen! You start to become more proud and at ease with yourself and who you truly are, because by that time, in your heart, you'll know that you've found at least one place that you think you fit in well. A place where you feel confident and you'll start to wear that newly found confidence everywhere you go. You wont worry about impressing every single sorority anymore because you'll have found one that has impressed you.
3. Finding your sorority is finding your sisters, and finding your sisters is finding family. Recruitment doesn't work the way most people assume it does. You don't just get to pick which sororities you do and don't go to, and sororities don't just get to pick whether or not they want to see you or not; it's a process. Like I said, it's a process that has been tweeked, tilted, and turned to perfection. Years upon years have been spent perfecting the in's and out's of this process. The process was made for YOU! In the famous words of our very own Greek Life Coordinator: "TRUST THE PROCESS!"......Seriously listen to her, it's true.
You may think going through recruitment is just not really for you. You may know that this is the day you've been waiting for since you met your mother's sorority sisters. You may not even know enough about it to have an opinion on it yet; and that's okay! Regardless of your opinion or situation regarding the matter, I encourage you to give it a chance, because you never know the people you could meet, or what could come of this experience if you don't at least try!
So, with all of that being said, here are some quick tips to help you survive the wonderful experience that is "Formal Recruitment:"
1. Be Yourself!
Don't try to be what you think a sorority is looking for; be yourself and your sorority will find you!
2. Get Friends To Sign Up With You:
You may not be together 24/7, and you may get separated into different groups, but trust me you are going to want to have somebody by your side who knows what you're going through that week; because if they're not doing it, they won't get it. They will have no clue why you're so on edge or why you're not allowed to go out with them that week; and they will not be able to even begin to comprehend what is so exhausting and stressful about finger sandwiches and small talk.
3. Dress To Impress, Dress Appropriately, And Show Off Your Style:
Yes, it's true you will be required to wear nice clothing for the majority of recruitment, but that doesn't mean you have to wear something of any cliche' stereotype. First and foremost remember to dress appropriately, you want to look like the mature and sophisticated college woman you are; but at the same time, dress to show them you! Your outfits are just another way to show them more about you and your personality! If you like Lilly wear Lilly; If you like combat boots and skulls, okay maybe you cant wear the combat boots, but no one said a cute skull accessory cant be added to your sophisticated artsy, hipster, punk look! Don't be afraid to showcase your individuality through your style, because we love the diversity!
4. Favor Your Feet!
WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES!!! Trust me I know about those new wedges you just bought that tie together your whole outfit! Great; wear them! Show them off, strut your stuff; but bring a pair of comfy flats with you at least! Take it from somebody who wishes she would have known; BRING THEM; because in between groups, houses, or even on breaks, those flats stowed away in the bottom of your bag WILL be your best friend.
5. Straighten Up Your Social Media:
When your mom and dad tell you, "be careful what you put on that facebook of yours, everyone can see it," and you roll your eyes; you'll wish you would have scrolled on over to the delete button, because mommy and daddy are right! They look for everything! Pictures, Tweets, Blogs every public representation of you. Now that doesn't mean you necessarily have to make your social media private if you don't want to; but I would advise going through some things to at least double check. Maybe look over those 4th of July pictures you posted just to make sure that the only cans you see, are of Americas favorite soda; and maybe you might just want to go back and delete that raging twitter war between you and your high school frienemy who stole your bf. Either way just clean it up a bit, you don't want something as silly as social media to keep you from your future sorority.
6. See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, Do No Evil:
The most Important part of recruitment is keeping an open mind! You want Sororities to keep an open mind about you, so you should return the favor! Whether it's your first week on campus, first year, or fourth year, you will hear all of the "he said, she said" on each organization. Do not listen to it, do not look for it, and do not talk about it. Also, have fun, but act responsibly! Do not choose to participate in any belligerent inappropriate actions, especially before and during recruitment. The impression that you give before recruitment can be just as, if not more important, than the impression you give during recruitment. People are everywhere, and people will talk. Fraternity, Sorority, Non-Affiliated, it does not matter! You may be at college now, and it may be big, but word and actions can still get around fast. Bottom line is you don't want to walk into a house or group, on your first day and get paired with the girl who heard you bashing all of the sororities two days ago, when she was behind you in line at Starbucks; and you don't want the first person you're introduced to, to be the girl who saw you drunk passed out at the club on Thursday night.... Awkward.......They weren't wearing letters then! You didn't know! Members don't want you to witness or hear about them acting that way; you shouldn't want them to see or hear about you acting that way either. Everyone, recruits and members, are all under a microscope, don't give them anything to find!
7. Do A Little Research:
Each Sorority has a national and school dedicated website! Take the time to learn just a little bit about the sororities your school has to offer. I'm not saying you need to go in there your first day being able to recite the founders and their symphony, no one expects that; but it can be helpful, for personal reasons, to look a little into their backgrounds. Each sorority's site lists what their sorority is about; their symphony of morals, their ideals, their philanthropy, their insignia,(mascots) and so on!
8. TRUST THE PROCESS!
It always works!
Want To Learn More About Your UNC Charlotte PHA Sororities? Keep A Look Out For More Articles To Come About The PHA Sororities Offered On Our Campus!
UNCC Fall 15 Recruitment Registration Link: http://unccdso.orgsync.com/org/ofsl
