Within this past week a video of a sorority practicing their recruitment process has gone viral.
I am happy to say that these fellow Alpha Delta Pi sisters did a fabulous job at performing "Boom Boom" and executed an utterly perfect door stack. I will say that to anyone who has never watched, what seems like a thousand, sorority women sing in their front door before, it is extremely frightening.
This is what each Possible New Member (PNM) experiences at every house they may encounter in their recruitment experience.
While singing in the door is one of our many recruitment traditions, the PNMs are able to learn more about the chapter beyond the clapping and cheerful tunes.If you are thinking about or are going to be a potential new member to any chapters on your campus, I have a few words of advice to help prepare you for what is yet to come.When I was a PNM my freshman year, I was overly excited about joining a sorority. I had done all of the research, sent in my recommendation letters and had my outfits planned at least a week in advance. Just because I was this excited about recruitment, that doesn't mean that every other girl expressed the same eagerness as myself. Most women were nervous, had their minds made up about which house they wanted or had no idea what they were getting themselves into. This will happen at any campus during recruitment season. All I have to say is be yourself, and if you ever feel intimidated by someone who is too excited or already knows a massive amount about the houses on campus, don't let their thoughts and behaviors sway you. This is an experience that should be handled differently by every PNM. So let this be yours and no one else's.
Since my recruitment was at the tail end of the summer, the heat was incredible and the rain was unpredictable. Always bring an umbrella, even if the forecast doesn't call for rain, and dress comfortably so that you don't overheat.
You are probably nervous. I was when I went through recruitment, although the thing that got me through it all was remembering that the recruiter was just as nervous as me. As a PNM, you have to remember that these women have been, as the sisters in the video say, "waiting for you all summer." This means that they have been practicing and anticipating the arrival of bright and shiny PNMs for a decent amount of time. All of that anticipation for conversation really gets the nerves to rattle. Recruiters are trying to impress PNMs just as much as PNMs are trying to impress recruiters. So just remember to take a deep breath and be yourself; that's all the sorority women are asking of you anyways.
Always remember to have fun. Sorority recruitment isn't supposed to be stressful or anxiety-inducing. As PNMs, you are searching for your home-away-from-home, that's exciting! So when you are talking to a recruiter, remember to be involved in the conversation, because getting to know someone new — that's what makes the recruitment process enjoyable.
I wish y'all the best of luck with your recruitment endeavors, and I hope that each of you finds the perfect place to call home.
