Keep up with your Greek this summer!

Ah, summer–the perfect time to kick back and relax. Or get ahead!

During the busy school year, it’s often hard to keep up with some things in Greek life. Take the summer to get your engines running full throttle for the start of the new school year (which is, unfortunately, soon than we think).

Update your website: Take this time to cull through old photos featuring alumnae or de-affiliated members. If you have members listed online, update their information with year/major/position. E-mail you sorority for photos to give new life to the public image of your house.

Check in with your office of Greek life/national counterparts: During the summer, advisers and directors often visit other schools, have meetings and go to conferences about Greek life. Pick their brains about ideas for the coming school year and take constructive criticism for thoughts on your own organization.

Scout out the rest: Check the websites of your organization’s other chapters. Cool T-shirt ideas, philanthropy projects and sisterhood activities are waiting to be discovered. Stealing ideas is the highest form of flattery.

Plan for success: If you’re on your chapter’s executive board, keep in regular contact with the rest of the board. The summer is a great time to plan for the upcoming school year without the stress of meetings or studying for an exam. Reflect on the past year–the things that went well and also the things you’d like to work on in the coming year. Take notes! You’ll want to hit the ground running come August.

Update your wardrobe: For many of us, fall means recruitment! Use some of your summer spending money to update classics in your wardrobe, like a crisp white shirt, a pair of dark wash bootcut jeans, a little black dress or initiation whites.

Clean out your Facebook: Take a solid evening or afternoon to de-tag photos that might reflect poorly on you or your organization. Join networking groups surrounding your sorority, and friend anyone in your house that you haven’t. Put your best foot forward for potential new members to see–now’s the time they will start browsing houses for fall recruitment.

Wear your pin with pride: Whether at your internship, church or a nice dinner, wear your pin! When you wear it at your best, you reflect well on the rest of the organization.

Make memories: Meet up with sorority sisters, take photos and have fun. These are the conversations that will be best and fresh in your mind to bring up once recruitment rolls around.

Stephanie Hardiman is an intern with College Lifestyles (TM). She is a proud alumna of Washington and Lee University and Pi Beta Phi, attending graduate school at DePaul University in the fall.

Calling All New Sorority Alumnae!

As a recently-inducted alumna of my sorority, there are times when you are going to want to jump in and be a part of the chapter again – especially if you are nearby and had a lot of input in it before!  Here are some general tips on how to transition into your new role as an alumna of your sorority.

Be the Chapter’s #1 Fan!

You are the supportive backbone and offer moderate advice when asked.  Now that you are an alumna, you only have national dues to pay each year, which means a lot more $$ for donations for recruitment, decorations, food & supplies for sisterhood retreats, the Convention pot, and much more for your home chapter!  Think about the philanthropic ideas everyone wanted to accomplish and what monetary needs the chapter had when you were there and take advantage of the opportunity by helping your fellow sisters!  If you don’t have the funds, come up with a few ideas yourself and mention to the current chapter Fundraising Coordinator, Philanthropy Chair, or come out for a scheduled fundraiser for encouragement. 

Time:

One of the top priorities you now have is giving your time to the chapter.  This also means having to understand where your boundaries lie.  Whether or not it was your choice to become an alumna of your sorority, you no longer have that power of “what to do” in the chapter.  This is a very touchy subject to most recently-inducted alumnae.  Take my side for example..  This is my first semester being an alumna and having so much input holding the position of Chapter President before I transferred schools definitely makes me take a step back and evaluate myself.  Just because I was the president for a year does not mean it is my place to give a freely expressed opinion.  I left my home chapter knowing everyone still had things to learn, accomplish, and improve on, but I have FAITH in my sisters.  I know no one is out to “destroy” any tradition or lead the chapter into shambles.  If someone needs help with a situation, I might give my input on “what I would do” with the facts given to me, but also add in “what is best for the chapter or sister, etc.?” because I have not been at close distance to know what’s appropriate or not. 

Take the Initiative:

Just because you are no longer on the chapter roster doesn’t mean your sisters don’t think about you!  You remember how busy each semester calendar is, along with everyone’s school, work and daily life.  If you haven’t heard from a certain sister in a while, she hasn’t cast you out- she is probably just running around like a chicken with her head cut off!  J  Don’t stop contact with your sisters.  A simple text or tweet will let them know you also have not fallen off the radar and still think about them, too! 

Little Things To Show You Care:

Look for an upcoming holiday or find out the next social event your home chapter is putting on and make little goodie bags focused around that theme.  Add some candy or bake a little treat (rice krispies are the best, quick and easy to make; you can create a fun and funky color with food dye matched around the theme, too!) and put a cute and short sisterhood quote or personalize it by telling each sister why you love her and/or are thankful for her in your life! 

Alpha Sigma Tau - Epsilon Gamma Chapter - Fall 2009 Bid Day

 

Find CL Executive Director – Shelly Marie    , CL Intern Emily R., and ME! (Hint: search front row).

Kayla Norris is an Intern at College Lifestyles(TM).  She is a proud sister of Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority and misses her busy life at Epsilon Gamma Chapter, but is excited to see her sisters at Alum Day at the end of the month! J

 

Winter Recruitment?: 10 Rush No-No’s (For Actives)

If you’re one of the lucky few to have a whole semester to meet women for winter recruitment, here are some rush no-no’s for the big week.

1. Never let potential new members (PNMs) leave your house with a bad impression. Even if you’re sure a woman will not choose to pledge your sorority, or you will not offer her a bid, you never want women to be happy that it hadn’t worked out between you. Be classy and kind to everyone who walks through your door. It’s a great way to promote better inter-Greek relations if they join another group.

2. Avoid closed body language. About 90 percent of communication is non-verbal. Crossing your arms, playing with your hair or fidgeting with your jewelry may be inadvertent and meaningless to you but could come off as unfriendly or cold to a PNM. Keep your arms at your side, lean into the conversation and nod to show you are listening.

3. Avoid negativity. Don’t talk about how your day sucked or you’re mad that a professor assigned a certain assignment—recruitment is all about the PNM and making her happy and excited to be at your house. Avoid saying you hate things (i.e.: “I absolutely HATE cats”) because it could be something the PNM enjoys and may turn her off.

4. No Boys, Booze, Bucks, Buddha or Barack. Stay away from topics concerning how much money PNMs (or their family) make. Rush is not the time to have conversations about fraternity men, boyfriends or partying. Conversations regarding religion and politics are usually awkward, polarizing and potentially offensive. Focus on the values and attributes the woman has and portray your organization’s values to her.

5. Don’t break ritual. Keep private voting matters private. Being loose-lipped sacrifices the integrity of the organization and the membership selection process. And don’t think other sororities aren’t capitalizing on the information you’re spilling to them—your loss is their gain.

6. Don’t “dirty rush” by talking bad about other houses or particular women. It’s just tacky. Let what your organization stands for speak for itself. Genuine and kind women will be attracted to people who act likewise, and those swayed by your mean comments will probably bring a similar mindset into your group.

7. Don’t be a slob. This isn’t the week to let yourself go. Looks aren’t everything, but it’s important to make a good impression, the same way you would if interviewing for a job or meeting your boyfriend’s parents. Keep your hair and nails neat (after all, you’re extending the hand of sisterhood!).

8. Don’t blow off rush. Recruitment is the lifeblood of your organization. If you fail to attract new members, your sorority cannot survive. We all want to be able to come back to a thriving sorority for Homecoming (or have our daughters go through our house as well!), and recruitment is the key.

9. Don’t stress out. Yes, recruitment is important, but it’s not worth denying yourself sleep or relaxation or ignoring schoolwork. Take care of yourself so that you can be at your best. Be yourself and be open-minded, and the right women will come your way.

10. Don’t take emotion out on your sisters. During recruitment, emotions run high, and we spend a lot of time with our sisters. It’s easy to snap at each other or to let little things get under your skin. Resist the urge. This is an exciting time for your house to welcome new women into your sisterhood!

Stephanie Hardiman is an intern with College Lifestyles (TM). She is a senior journalism major at Washington and Lee University. She is a proud sister of Pi Beta Phi and is getting ready to welcome new baby angels to Virginia Theta through deferred recruitment!

So you’ve joined a sorority, now what?

 

Recruitment season is now in full swing and very soon many of you will be accepting bids from great sororities all over the country. For me recruitment was fun, but it was nothing compared to my first week as a Greek on campus. From the second I opened up my bid card my routine schedule suddenly fell apart. Here are some tips on how to manage those first few weeks once you are Greek.

 

1. Get an agenda…and use it. It is impossible to keep track of all the meetings, dates, and events that will come at you so quickly in the fall. Keeping an agenda will help you stay on track with school and ensure that you don’t miss any of the fun activities. Even if you are not an agenda person, you will soon rely on yours. One of my good friends always says, “The only thing scarier than not having an agenda is having one and not knowing where it is.”

2. Go to everything you can. The only way to really enjoy a sorority is to participate in as much as you can. This helps you get to know other members in the chapter and to become involved on campus. After all, isn’t this what you were looking for during recruitment?

3. Get to know the old folks. Seniors can be intimidating but they can also be some of your greatest advisors and friends.The seniors have been around for a while and can guide you through what to expect.

4. Wear your letters! Be proud of your organization. Letters also identify you on campus so other members can spot you even if you are new. When I first joined KD I always scanned classrooms for girls in my letter so I would have a friend to sit by.

 

Congratulations in advance to all of you who will be joining sororities soon. You won’t regret it.

 

SaraP is a senior at Western Kentucky University and an intern at CollegeLifestyles (TM).

How to Join a Sorority: Part Two

Step Four:  Get prepared.

Figure out what to wear for every round.  Start here.

Get tips and tricks from women who’ve been in your shoes, like from here and here.

Step Five: Recognize the importance of being Panhellenic.

You may not know what “being Panhellenic” means now, but I assure you, it is a huge part of being in a sorority – and it starts even before recruitment.  Before recruitment, it means taking every stereotype with a grain of salt.  During recruitment, it means not judging other PNM’s opinions of sororities and not letting “tent talk” bother you.  After recruitment, it means making friends in other sororities and keeping the ones you made during recruitment.  It means being involved in your school’s Panhellenic council – whether that means serving as an officer or simply attending events.  Being Panhellenic will provide you with many lifelong friendships with women outside of your own sorority.

Step Six:  Know that your recruitment experience won’t be perfect.

Sometimes you’ll sweat and sometimes you’ll be cold.  Maybe one day your hair won’t look perfect.  You might not get invited back to a chapter you fell in love with.

You’re not alone and none of the sisters you meet will have had a perfect recruitment either.  It doesn’t exist.  Try to make the most of your recruitment experience and have fun with it.  It’s all worth it, I promise.

Step Seven: Register.

Depending on your school size, this may mean sending an e-mail to the Panhellenic Vice President of Recruitment or registering via a website and paying a fee.  You can find out how or who to contact on your school’s Greek Life website or College Lifestyles’ upcoming Recruitment PDF Guide – look for it soon!

Have a great recruitment everyone!

Brynne is a senior at the University of Connecticut, a College Lifestyles™ intern, and a Kappa Alpha Theta.  Her interests include reading, identifying nail polish color by name, and trying every Larabar that exists.

Going Greek: Opportunities for the Future

“Letters Today, Leaders Tomorrow”

American Idol winner Carrie Underwood. Designer Kate Spade. Television Journalist Katie Couric. Founder of Susan G Komen Foundation, Nancy Goodman Brinker. Co-founder of the Marriott Corporation, Alice Sheets Marriott. Former First Lady Barbara Bush.

These six women are influential, professional and successful.  They are leaders in their given professions and give back to their communities.  Do you know what else these six women have in common?  They are members of Greek Life.

In fact, it is not unusual for Greek members to be leaders in society.  Being involved in a Greek organization as an undergrad teaches members life skills, value and ideals that prepare them for life after college.  Actually, Greeks graduate from college at a higher rate than other students, enjoy their college experience more and contribute more time and money to their Alma Maters as alumni.

During college, student leaders are disproportionately Greek, and this translates into even higher levels of leadership after graduation.  Take a look at how many of our governmental leaders are Greek:

• All but 5 United States Presidents since the 1830’s
• 2/3 of the members of Congress
• 80% of the members of the Supreme Court
• ½ of all the S&P 500 Officers and Directors

If you are truly interested in going Greek, look past the stereotypes and find the facts.  Greek organizations were not made to give college students a place to party and drink, but rather a place to learn and grow as a person.  Joining a Greek Organization will give you so many more opportunities than you could ever imagine.

Now what are you waiting for? Go get ready for Recruitment!

Wondering just which sororities these six women are in?  Carrie Underwood: Sigma Sigma Sigma.  Kate Spade: Kappa Kappa Gamma.  Katie Couric: Delta Delta Delta.  Nancy Goodman Brinker:  Kappa Kappa Gamma.  Alice Sheets Marriott:  Chi Omega.  Barbara Bush:  Kappa Alpha Theta.

Cruise on over to http://www.thesororitylife.com/is_she to see the full list!

A big Thank You to Chi Omega for the facts and figures provided above.

Emily Trimble is a College Lifestyles Intern.  She is a 2009 graduate of Valparaiso University and an alumna of Chi Omega. She knows about Greek leadership first hand, having served as Chapter President in 2008.

How to Join a Sorority: Part One

Thinking about joining a sorority?  Take the first steps.

Step 1:  Ask yourself why you want to go through recruitment.

If the answer includes lifelong friends, performing community service and helping out a philanthropy, a connection to something with a deep history and limitless future, academic support, and expanding your leadership skills, sorority life may be for you!

If the answer includes scenes from Animal House, you may want to try a different route.

Step 2:  Do your research.

Log onto your school’s Greek Life website.  Usually these are located under Student Life, Residential Life, or Student Activities sections.  Find the answers to these essential questions:

•    Are you eligible for recruitment?  Or does a low GPA or class status (some schools require that you be a second or third-semester student) hold you back?
•    When is recruitment?  Is it only in the fall, only in the spring, or both?
•    If it is held in the fall, will you need to move into your dorm early?
•    What chapters are active on campus?
•    Do you need recommendations?
•    What is required of you financially, academically, and time-wise?  Do you meet these requirements?

Step 3:  Find out what sororities are REALLY all about.

Check out your school’s chapters’ national and local websites.  Read the histories, creeds, purposes, and open mottoes of the sororities you may be meeting.  All of these things will give you great insight into the organizations.  Know that we are NOT what you see on TV and in movies.  We care about more than booze and boys.

Visit the National Panhellenic Conference’s website.  Look at all the information under the “Potential New Members” tab.  See what famous and renowned women are sorority members – you may be surprised!

Test your Sorority IQ at this website headed by the National Panhellenic Conference.  Take the quiz to see if sorority life is for you and get some recruitment tips.

Check out The Sorority Life for much more information about what sororities are and what they are not!

Check back soon for Part Two!

Brynne is a senior at the University of Connecticut, a College Lifestyles™ intern, and a Kappa Alpha Theta.  Her interests include reading, identifying nail polish color by name, and trying every Larabar that exists.

Sorority House Rule #4- Is your room recruitment ready?

Before moving back to the sorority house in the fall take a little time to make sure your room is recruitment ready. While we all know sorority houses look their best during recruitment these tips will keep your sorority house space looking fabulous all year round.

 

1. Bulletin Boards- These boards provide space for all types of things. Take time to place fun pictures, notes from sisters, and memos on the board even for recruitment. This makes you look like a real person and can highlight fun events in the near future. Even if this is just in the background a potential new member will take a glance around the room notice the small details.

 

2. Decorations with a story- Do you have a stuffed version of your sorority mascot sitting on your bed? Or a picture frame your big sister gave you? What about a candle from a candle pass? Place these in a visible spots because they can serve as a great conversation starter during recruitment and it will highlight some of your favorite memories, which are always great to share.

 

3. Make a rush screen saver- Pick specific pictures showing sisterhood or your favorite events from the past year. While you will want to show all of your favorite pictures be sure the pictures are clean and follow recruitment guidelines, such as not having any recruitment staff members in them. I did this last year and haven’t changed my screen saver since. I love seeing those fun pictures every day. If there is a lull in conversation looking at pictures can be a great way to get it going again.

 

 

Finally, if your chapter doesn’t show a bedroom during recruitment consider doing so. It is a great way for potential new members to see a personal side of some of your members especially during Getting To Know You parties.

Meet Brynne!

Hi!  I’m Brynne and I’m a senior at the University of Connecticut, majoring in English.  I’m currently the Vice President Education for the Gamma Zeta chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta.  In the past I have also served as Risk Manager.  After graduation next year I’m planning to attend graduate school to get my Masters in Higher Education and Student Affairs or College Student Personnel.  I love to shop, watch movies, and read – especially David Sedaris and Jodi Picoult!

I’m so excited to be interning for College Lifestyles!  This blog includes so many of my interests – style, food, and sorority life.  I have a lot of plans for my blogs, including:  Best Beach Treats, Top 5 Summer Reads, Healthier Options at Starbucks, and some healthy smoothie recipes.  I’m really a sorority girl at heart, which I didn’t discover until I went through recruitment my sophomore year.  Since I’m somewhat obsessed with Greek life, there will probably be more than a few blogs about things relating to being/going Greek.

And since we love lists here at College Lifestyles, here is list of 5 things I’m currently obsessed with.
5.  Crossword Puzzles (it’s my true nerdy, English major self that loves them)
4.  Smoothies (since I discovered I’m not so bad at creating them)
3.  Twilight (sorry, I really can’t help it)
2.  Nail Polish (it’s really a problem at this point)
1.  Recruitment (I love it and I’m going to be this fall’s pledge class mom so I really just can’t wait!)

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