Sorority Recruitment Prepares You For the Real World

Believe it or not sorority life is more than matching tee shirts, fake candid pictures, and themed parties.  Just like sorority life is more than all that, Recruitment is more than a popularity contest, matching outfits, and fake smiles. Being a member of a sorority means you are recruiting 365 days a year, whether it’s through formal recruitment, social media, networking with women in your classes, or the way you act while wearing your letters.  At some point during your time as a collegian, you will experience Formal Recruitment.  I’ve had the opportunity to experience the Formal Recruitment Process both as a PNM, Potential New Member, and as a recruiter. Formal Recruitment requires a lot of preparation leading up to the days filled with rounds of meeting new women. So how can Formal Recruitment help you in the real world?

Time Management Skills: Preparing for Formal Recruitment require long hours of preparation in the weeks leading up to the actual recruitment events.  For Fall Recruitment these days, known as Spirit Days, are crammed into the first few weeks of the year. On top of establishing new semester routines and remembering how to study, you now have to spend hours preparing to recruit your sorority’s future.  This requires time management.  For me, my agenda helps keep me sane during the first chaotic month of the fall semester. Time management is a skill that will help you be successful for the rest of your life.

Optimistic Outlook: Whether you are a PNM or a sister who is recruiting, the Formal Recruitment process can be very long and tiresome.  Sometimes you spend a long time in uncomfortable shoes and clothes, you go hours without eating, and you get hardly any sleep.  While these things sound awful, the experience you are getting makes up for it. There are two ways you can deal with these negative things: with an optimistic attitude or with a pessimistic one. Being pessimistic will make the whole process seem much longer, and if you are a PNM you will have a tough time getting into a sorority because nobody really wants a negative Nancy to be their sister. The better option is to have an optimistic throughout the whole process. Being optimistic will make you happier and allow you to turn the negatives into positives. This is a trait that will get you far in life. Living life with an optimistic attitude will bring you a lot more happiness and positivity, which makes life much more pleasant.

Communication Skills: Formal Recruitment is all about being able to converse with other women.  It is through these conversations that you either figure out the organization you will call home or the women you would like to add to your organization. Without these conversations recruitment really wouldn’t exist. Recruitment teaches you how to have quality conversations and how to communicate even when a conversation is dying. Being able to communicate in awkward or normal conversations is a skill that will help you in the workplace, socially, and on a daily basis.

Appearance: Believe it or not, first impressions are incredibly important.  During recruitment first impressions matter, which is why it is important to be groomed. This means your hair should be done neatly, attire should be on the conservative side, makeup should give off a clean appearance, deodorant should be worn, clothes should not be wrinkled, nails should be trimmed and painted neatly (or not at all), and perfume should be on the lighter side. Learning to make a great first impression through a well-kept appearance is something that is good to know how to do as you will need to do this during a job interview.

Good luck to everyone engaging in the Formal Recruitment process this Fall! Just remember that the experience you are gaining is helping you develop better professional skills, which will help you post college.

Congrats to one of our new writers, Michaela, for this amazing article!! She also blogs as The Shore Life According to M!

My Recruitment Story

Charisse A.

I don’t have the typical recruitment story. I didn’t sign up as a wide eyed freshman fresh outta high school, anxiously waiting for this process to begin. I didn’t meet so many sororities on campus during recruitment to where I lost track of faces and names. My recruitment experience is just the opposite.

               I had struggled with the thought of seeing myself in a sorority, but figured “hey, why not?” So I told my parents I wanted to go through recruitment during first semester of college. Needless to say they were not on board because they wanted academics to be my number one focus, understandably so. So I waited until spring semester. At that point, I was fully immersed in my school work and other extracurriculars that I didn’t even know how I’d be able to balance everything! But after a lot of back and forth from my parents, they finally became a little bit more understanding.

               Because I went through spring semester, I had an informal experience; meaning I would go to some events that each sorority was hosting and see where my best fit was. (It was pretty easy to decide, considering my school at the time only had 2 sororities.) I knew which house I belonged to. I knew where I wanted to establish my roots. Getting my bid was just perfect yet so surreal! And at first, I thought I wouldn’t feel the same as someone who went through recruitment before felt when they were greeted by so many sisters singing and yelling, waiting for new sisters to embrace them! I did in fact felt that way! Here’s where everything gets a little weird.

               Towards the end of second semester, news broke that my school and another one were “merging” which meant that my university and another were to now be housed under the same name and jurisdiction. This also meant that for the fraternities and sororities who existed on both campus would also consolidate and we’d have to take on a whole new group of guys/girls whom we didn’t even know! After a lot of back and forth and trying to fit all the pieces together, everything turned on alright! I was initiated with a pledge class of 4, but now have a pledge class of over 70, will be recruiting with more than 80 sisters, and are expected to recruit HUNDREDS of PNMS!

            

   So like I said, I don’t have the most traditional recruiting story, but it’s unique and something special that I’ll always carry with me. 

Declutter Your Sorority Junk

I feel that the longer you stay in a sorority, more items keep popping up. Some of those items can be crafts from your sisters or shirts from philanthropies. Naturally, all of these items are cluttering together in the corner of your room, closet, or floor. The best way to keep your room clean and clutter free from sorority “junk” are with these easy tips:

Make use out of your old shoe boxes. I am positive that I can’t be the only one that has empty shoe boxes lying around her house. Shoe boxes act as a great storage unit for a multitude of things. As there are a ton of shoe boxes and a ton of sorority tanks, they work well together to give you more closet space. Once shirts are folded and stored, the shoe box can be placed anywhere without taking up a lot of space in your room! 

Rolling drawers are great to hold your craft items. Everything can be divided up by glitter, glue, paints, and more. Rolling drawers become an essential piece to a crafter because everything isn’t mixed together, you have more than one shelf space, and you can move it around with you when you are crafting.

Sorority items are hard to keep around because some can hold a special meaning or some were given away to you and you just kept them around. One way to make sure sorority items don’t become junk is to store them in boxes, decorative or plain boxes from Target or Michael’s will do the trick, and place them on an empty shelf to stack or under your bed so it doesn’t make your room look too messy. Another way to de-clutter sorority junk is to give them away. If your items hold no sentimental value to you, it doesn’t hurt to pass them down to another sister or your little. 

Editor's Note: This post was written by Christina! Show her some love in the comments! 

Big Appreciation Week Ideas

There’s no relationship quite like the big/little relationship. She’s your mentor, your best friend, you role model, your partner in crime. She was showering you with gifts before you even knew her name. Now it’s your turn to pay her back for everything she’s done…it’s Big Appreciation Week! If you’re at a loss for what to your amazing big, here are some suggestions:

Picture Frame - I’m sure you and your big have tons of adorable photos together. What better way to say “you’re beautiful and I love you” than with a frame for her to look at every day. Bonus points to you if you craft the frame so it’s more personalized. If crafting isn’t your specialty, hit up your local TJ Maxx or Target to look for a cute photo frame.

Crafts - Speaking of crafting, why not make some crafts! I’m sure your big made you a slew of cute crafts for big reveal. Now it’s your turn to return the favor. Whether it be a paddle, monogrammed wine glasses, or a pin box, I’m sure she’ll love whatever you make. Every craft is beautiful if it comes from the heart.

Date Night - Take your favorite lady out for a big/little date night. Grab a bite to eat at your favorite café and then catch the latest RomCom that your boyfriend refuses to see. Don’t forget a trip to the nearest ice cream parlor at the end so you two can catch up on gossip over a cone of rocky road.

Matching Shirts - There are so many cute big/little shirts out there. You can find the style that fits your relationship perfectly. Preppy? Get matching frockets with your monograms embroidered on the pockets. Too cool for school? Get the all too hip Biggie Smalls shirts. The possibilities are endless!

When in doubt, just buy candy! Every girl loves candy. With gifts like these, it will be like big reveal week all over again, but this time you get the be the gift-giver!

What have you done for Big Appreciation Week? We’d love to hear it in the comments.

Philanthropy Spotlight: Delta Phi Epsilon's ANAD Week

One of my favorite events that my sorority hosts each year is a week to bring awareness to ANAD - the National Association of  Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. Every Fall, the sisters of the Gamma Omicron chapter of DPhiE plans a week that essentially promotes positive body image and self-worth.

The week's activities include No Make Monday, Trashing Your Insecurities, Zumba, a fashion  show and a candle light vigil. In one event, Scale Smashing, students from the Georgia Southern campus were invited to write inspirational quotes and phrases on scales and then take sledge hammers to destroy the scale. 

I hope that you all remember that regardless of your body shape, hair color, weight or age that you are all beautiful! I invite you all to take a look into ANAD and even print out your own copy of the ANAD pledge to put next to your mirror! 

Let me know what your favorite philanthropy events are in the comments! 

Cute and Fun Ways to Wear Your Letters

Being in a sorority it is inevitable that you will be wearing your letters the majority of your time. While it is comfy to throw on a t-shirt with a pair of norts and chacos and head to class, sometimes it is nice to dress up and show off your letters in a higher fashion way.

A cute casual way to show off your letters is with a pair of skinny jeans and boots. You will be just as comfortable as if you were wearing leggings or norts but will look 100% more put together.

If you live in an area where it isn't quite cool enough to commit to jeans and boots, you can simply grab a pair of cute shorts and tuck your letters in. Adding a belt will complete the look and you will look good while staying casual and comfy

For a slightly less casual look, add a sleek pair of skinny pants and pumps with your letters. By wearing black on black a simple t-shirt will look high class and fancy. 

A skirt, boots, and a belt are the perfect items to match with your letters if you are heading to a philanthropy concert or any outdoor event. You will look cute without going overboard and still be able to show off your sorority. 

Beyond the Leggings

No one warned me that joining a sorority would mean that my entire wardrobe would double from t-shirts alone. I have so many sorority t-shirts that I have to devote an entire drawer exclusively to them. The problem with having this many t-shirts, though, is that I tend to get into and leggings and t-shirt rut mid-way through the semester. It’s an easy go-to outfit and the shirts are just so cute I can’t bear to not wear them. If you’re anything like me, you’re dying to step up your wardrobe. Here are a few tips on how to wear your plethora of sorority t-shirts in a new way.

Add a skirt…

Skirts are just as easy to put on as a pair of leggings. By tucking your latest philanthropy shirt into a cute skirt, you are showing the entire world that you’re proud of your sorority and that you can actually look like a put together adult. As the weather gets colder, opt for wool skirts and/or tights. Pick a skirt that fits your style, whether that is a classic black skirt or a more funky floral skirt. If you’re really feeling ambitious, go ahead and add a statement necklace.

Funky Skirt

Layer under a jacket…

It’s easy to throw on a sweatshirt of a fleece, but why not elevate your style a little bit. Adding a cool leather jacket or a cozy sweater is the perfect wardrobe decision in the fall. Cardigans can class up your favorite new bid day shirt, especially when paired with a bright pair of pants or well-fitting jeans.

Cozy Sweater

Buy something new…

If you’re looking to buy some new sorority apparel, you’ll be surprised by how many unique options there are these days. Why buy another boring t-shirt when you can have a vest, a button down, or even a cute tote bag. You can add your letters to almost anything these days. Get creative! Watch heads turn when you walk into chapter with your brand new cardigan embroidered with your sorority crest.

Chic Vest

How to Celebrate Fall with your Sisters

Happy fall!

One of my favorite things about fall is spending time with my sisters! Here are some of our favorite fall sisterhood activities!

1. Scream through a haunted house! You can hold them tight all night long! This could even lead into a sisterhood horror movie marathon and a sisterhood sleepover!

2. Carve pumpkins! Incorporate your letters or just add glitter - your options are limitless.

3. Go on a hayride! Even if you have to drive to find one, this is a great way to bond with sisters!

4. Make s'mores! If you can find a bonfire, you can make legit s'mores or you can settle for oven s'mores - whatever works.

5. Take a fall sisterhood photo shoot! Jumping in leaves, throwing leaves, running through falling leaves - adding leaves to any photos makes them more fun!

6. Play at the playground. Bring out your inner child at your local playground! Have a competition to see who can swing the highest. Winner gets coffee!!

I hope you have fun with your sisters this fall! Be sure to send us photos at sisterhoodredefined@gmail.com!

Impromptu Memories

My years in Delta Zeta afforded me some awesome opportunities I would have never experienced on my own. I’m not talking about business contacts or having to buy chapter clothes that now double as interview outfits—I’m talking about sisterhood events that brought me all around Columbus, and even outside the city limits, and the memories I made with both sisters I saw regularly, and those I didn’t.

I had never even heard of Sky Zone before we started planning 2013’s bid day. Now I’ve been there twice, both times with my chapter, and I absolutely loved it. Though I love hockey, I probably never would have attended a Blue Jackets game. But when the Greek Life office offered us seats in the press box, I was beyond excited. And when my sisters and I had so much fun we decided to make a weekend of it and hung out at a local spot before heading to an Ohio State hockey game, it combined for a weekend I won’t forget.

Tip: only jump off the walls if you want to snap your neck

Because even though I would probably not have made it to Nationwide Arena without DZ, it’s the impromptu sisterhoods like the OSU game that have always been my favorite.

OSU hockey game

The entire month of October was devoted to scary movies in the informal room. And, subsequently, Insomina cookies to make us feel better after The Exorcist girl rotated her head all the way around. It’s my favorite thing to talk about every year during recruitment when I pass through the informal room during house tours.

It’s the sisterhoods we have after the Mirror Lake jump each year, all congregated in our dining room tracking mud all over the house (much to our house mom’s dismay, sorry Barb!) and talking animatedly about the night and potential hypothermia we faced to show *ichigan we’re still better than them that I remember the best.

Or the times I’ve spent on the mouse mansion floors upstairs, talking about the most random topics until four in the morning when I had to get up for an early class the next morning.

Even though planned sisterhoods are all about bonding with one another, it’s always the unplanned ones that have the most lasting impact. They're worth the late nights; the relationships last far longer than the desire to take a nap. 

Transitioning From New Member to Second Year Member

Okay, so contrary to what you might think I’m not a second-year member of my sorority. I’m actually a senior (yikes!). As I look back at my time in Kappa Alpha Theta, though, I think that transitioning from a new member to a second-year member was one of the most difficult parts. To help other women navigate this tricky time, I’m going to offer up a few bits of advice.

When you are a new member of a sorority, everything is about you. From bid day to big reveal to initiation, you’ll be showered with more gifts and crafts than you ever thought possible. You’re in a whirlwind of Facebook friend requests and coffee dates with your new sisters. Everything is new and exciting: first chapter meeting, first formal, first set of letters. But like all good things, this can’t last forever. Soon you won’t be the new bids on the block, but that doesn't mean the fun has to stop.

Being a second year member comes with a whole slew of new opportunities. In my opinion, your second year is the most meaningful year. You come into your own as a member of your chapter. This is the time to step up and take on leadership roles in your chapter. For most people, this is also your chance to finally live in your chapter house and nothing beats living with your best friends. I got closer to my pledge class and the older girls when I lived in because we would see each other so often.

(My first preference night as a member and my little's first night...and yes I wear the same dress every year.)

A lot of the exciting events for new members are even more fun as a second year member. Being on the other side of recruitment for the first time will open your eyes to so many wonderful things. As your chapter prepares for recruitment, you’ll have a unique opportunity to spend uninterrupted time with all of your sisters. Recruitment preparation is a great time to reflect on why you joined your house, its values, and what being a member means to you. When you’re thinking about who to welcome into your sisterhood, you’ll remember that the women before you chose you specifically for the same reasons you are choosing others. Being on the other side of recruitment is a truly heart-warming experience.

After recruitment is over, the fun of being a second year member reaches its peak: little hunting! Now this may have started during recruitment, but it gets really intense once you actually have all of your new members. Now it’s your turn to invite girls on coffee dates and Facebook stalk endlessly. And once you've found the mac to your cheese, it will be time to enter into the wonderful (albeit sometimes stressful and expensive) world of crafting. You’ll spend days covered in glitter and paint but it will all be worth when you get that first hug from your brand new little on big reveal day. It’s a moment you will both treasure for years to come.

So if you’re ever nervous about transitioning into your second year, remember all of the special moments of your first year and realize that now it’s your time to make your new sisters feel just as loved as you did when you joined.

How To Budget For Your New Sorority

When it comes to Greek life one of the biggest things that comes up is affording Greek life. I am not going to lie, it can get a bit expensive, but it's all about being conscious of how much money you have to spend and keeping to a strict budget. Here are some tips on keeping your budget together and how to budget for your new sorority.

1. Always budget a little more than you think you'll need: The sticker price of your new sorority might not be the only charges you face. You might want to go to a semi-formal or a pageant; you might want that extra shirt you never thought you'd want. Also some fees just pop up that you never thought you would have to handle. Make sure you are always prepared for more.

2. Learn to say no: If you can't afford an event and you don't have to go don't be afraid to say no. If you can't afford that shirt that isn't mandatory you don't have to sign up for it. Being in a sorority shouldn't break the bank so if you don't have to sign up for something and you don't want to sign up for it, don't.

3. Check for national and local resources: A lot of sororities offer a ton of resources for members in the form of great scholarships for dues. Also a lot of local sorority councils might offer a scholarship to the new member of the year or other people so that they can pay their dues. With paying your dues every little bit counts so if you can find a great scholarship it might make affording sorority life easier. Some sororities also have special consideration opportunities for those in the chapter who can't afford the whole of their dues.

4. Adjust your lifestyle: If you eat out a lot, cut back on going out. Eating in saves a lot of money and don't forget to use your meal plan if you have one. Instead of eating off campus every night, be sure to actually use the meal plan that you have. This also goes back to learning to say no, if your sisters want to eat off campus and you can't afford it, it's okay to say I'd rather stay on campus today.

5. Remember that sororities cost: When you join a sorority you are committing to every part of that sorority, even the boring parts like paying dues. Paying your dues in full and on time is important to the existence of your sorority. Sororities are expensive to run; especially when you are dealing with a sorority with a national organization. When your sorority has a national organization you have those bills and then you also have a ton of local dues that go to things like t-shirts, important events thrown by your chapter, and keeping your chapter afloat. There are many ways to make a sorority more afforadable, but in the end you also have to realize this is what you signed up for when you signed your bid card.

I hope this was helpful for you. If you have any other ideas on budgeting for new sorority women please leave them in the comments below!

How to Organize Your Planner

The first day of classes is vastly approaching, for some people classes may have already started. With a new school year in gear, it's important to stay organized and the tool I use most to keep organized is my planner! Here are my tips & tricks to using your planner efficiently!



Start with a to-do list on a sticky note, random piece of paper, whatever. I find it easier to put assignments on a to-do list and then in the weekly section of my planner, I write the assignment down on the day I want to complete it and again on the day it is due.

I use a color coding system that is really simple:
Due Dates
Sorority Events
And then I use a blue or black pen to write down everything else.
I find using a color code system is really helpful if you keep it simple like this. I tried using multiple colors and it just confused me but do what works for you!

Make it Fun! If your planner is colorful and fun to look at you'll be drawn to use it more. This year I bought my first Lilly Planner (the one in the picture above!) & I am absolutely in love with it. Use stickers (Lilly has some Greek themed planner stickers), washi tape, the whole nine. Like I said, the colors will make using your planner more appealing.

What planner did you get this year? How do you organize it?

What To Wear To Recruitment

Thinking about recruitment is here! It's finally here! I'm so excited to welcome new members.  I know that schools do their recruitment process differently so I have made outfits based on what my school does. Unfortunately my school does not have houses therefore we don't have a "house tour" round.  As you can tell from the outfits they get fancier by the day.  

Black Scalloped Shorts // Denim Chambray Shirt  // Jack Rogers //  Earrings 

The Open House round is just the first step in the whole process.  It's very exciting! Don't be nervous by any means.  Go in with an open mind and listen to what every sorority has to say.  As you meet girls from each chapter they will briefly but efficiently explain who they are and what they stand for.  

Dress // Shoes // Nail Polish // Bag // How To: Hair

After a full day of meeting every sorority your list has dwindled down to a few.  In the Philanthropy Round you will learn in greater detail what the particular sorority values and supports.  This round may be meaningful for you in which you have that "ah ha!" moment and see this is where you see yourself.  

Dress // Necklace // Bag // Shoes 

You're almost there! Yes after many busy days of meeting many wonderful women you probably have in mind where you want to be.  Still, although you may have your head set on one sorority, still remember to keep your opinions of others open.  Preference round can be more intimate where you are given longer amount of times with these group of women.  

Shirt // Jeans // Shoes

You did it!!! You have a home! Bid Day is SUCH an exiting day.  After you've opened your bid you get to run home to new beautiful sisters.  This round is the most relax dressed day.  Usually your given  sorority will give you T-shirts so having a shirt that you can slip off quickly would be a great thing to wear.   

Congrats on your new sorority! I'm so excited for your newest adventure.  

Send us pictures of your outfits during your recruitment to our twitter account! @SisRedefined