Congratulations!

Congratulations! Hope everyone enjoyed bid night and is having fun getting to know their new pledge class!

Breathe.

That is what today is for. Catch your breath, because recruitment is almost over!

I hope you all enjoyed Philanthropy round, personally my favorite round of recruitment. After spending so much time in sorority living rooms, you finally get to see what the rest of the house looks like! But now that we're into the final week, with one round left until Bid Day, it's time to get excited!

Of all the rounds of recruitment, Preference, which is this Wednesday, is perhaps the most shrouded in mystery. But that doesn't mean you should be scared! The reason Panhel hasn't told you anything beyond "Wear a nice dress," is because Preference is different for each chapter. That's because Preference gives you a sneak peek into each sorority's ritual, the practices and values that make each chapter different.

Ok, "ritual" seems like a scary word, but I promise that it will become an aspect of sorority that you will come to respect over any other. Ritual is what ties each member of a sorority to each other, not only at Penn, but around the world. Sorority ritual doesn't include anything sacrificial or scary, instead, ritual mostly consists of words and practices such as the oath that we repeat during every chapter meeting, or during Pref for example, a poem about the sorority.

So when you're picking out your dress for Wednesday night, think about the values that you truly cherish. If you see them reflected in the chapters you visit that night, then you'll know that sorority is right for you.

Day 2: You can do it!

I don't know about all of you, but I'm already tired, and it's only day 2 of formal recruitment. Phew. But the first day is always the most scary and the most stressful, so know that it's only uphill from here! And, I promise, we're much more normal when recruitment ends. We don't yell cheers every time someone walks in the door, and you'll be allowed to talk to sisters for more than 5 minutes each :) In fact, here's a very normal picture of me (front and center, since I was recruitment chair last year) and the rest of my sisters after open house 2009.

Formal recruitment is a unique experience to say the least. It's not really normal to meet your best friends for life while freezing your tail off and wanting to throw your high heels against a brick wall. But, I swear, it's so worth it! Next Thursday, you'll run out of Houston Hall into a crowd of women who can't wait to get to know more about you and set you up for date parties and organize movie nights.

For those of you who are unsure about whether rush is right for you, trust me, I know how you feel. I went into recruitment with a "we'll see" attitude. Take it one party at a time. How do you know what's right for you? Focus on the conversations you have with sisters. Sure, we've decorated our houses from top to bottom, but that's only to impress you guys! What we really want to know is if we want you to be a part of our sisterhood. And that starts with a conversation.

On that note, I should probably go get ready for Open House part 2 and the wonderful conversations it will bring!

Good luck!

It's Almost Here

Hope everyone had a great winter break! Personally, mine was too short and I did not enjoy the 40 degree weather which I encountered on my trip to Florida, but other than that it was very relaxing. I am excited to be back at Penn though, especially because recruitment is so soon. As a sophomore, I've never been on this side of rush before, so I'm probably just as nervous and overwhelmed, but also excited, as you guys are. So much goes into planning for rush, we've been decorating our house for days! I hope that you are all as I excited as we are, because I can promise we can't wait to meet all of you.

I remember walking into my first house, feeling so overwhelmed and not really knowing what to expect. I promise we don't leave you to wander aimlessly! As soon as you walk in, you really will get the hang of this. Overall, I would say to really try to enjoy the process. When else will you have the opportunity to meet so many different types of people? Rush is a great opportunity to meet older girls in houses who can give great class recommendations, information on study abroad, and even restaurant recommendations. I can't tell you how many tips I got from girls I met during this week last year.

As someone who was really anxious about the rush process last year, I feel like I understand what many of you may be thinking. Don't worry! I remember before rush I stood in front of my closet analyzing every different sweater that I own. Now that I'm on the other side I realize how uninterested anyone I met was in my sweater choice! The only thing I would suggest is to dress warmly! Luckily the weather this year seems to be an improvement over our rush week last year. It happened to be the coldest week of the year as I was walking from house to house and I really wasn't a fan of my fingers turning numb. Judging by the weather forecast for this week, however, it seems as if all of you are a lot luckier than I was in that department

Tips for staying healthy this year in the winter weather: You're going to be shaking a lot of hands. Make sure to wash your hands a lot, get a lot of sleep, and stay warm!

See you soon! (For real!)

Recruitment 2010--ADVICE

I'm finally back in Philadelphia, sitting in my apartment on my roommate's computer (mine conveniently broke this morning), about to finally begin season one of Glee, and getting excited about RECRUITMENT 2010!!

I remember being a freshman at this time two years ago, freaking out about recruitment. Now that I've been through one year on both sides--a potential new member AND a sorority member--I have some advice for you.

1. WEAR UGGS AND WARM COATS. The first day of Recruitment 2008 I wore my cute pair of heels, cute dress coat, dress, and some sheer tights. While I looked cute for about the first ten minutes of leaving Hill, by the time I got to the first house, my hair was basically frozen, my nose was running, my eyes were tearing, and I couldn't even shake the girl's hand. FAIL. So don't be embarrassed about changing into a pair of uggs in between rounds and having a big puffy coat. I swear no one will judge you.

2. Be chatty. As a sorority member, the most annoying thing is when girls give one word answers and the conversation turns into an interview. You may feel kind of awkward at first, but it makes the conversation flow way more easily if you are talkative and responsive. Even if the conversation seems a little superficial at first, by responding well, the conversation will be great. Trust me, it'll be more awkward for both you and the sorority member if you give one word answers, because eventually, she'll run out of questions. It's happened to me, and I'm not so great under pressure. I'm pretty sure I blurted something out about my freakish obsession with Hilary Duff and she DEFINITELY judged me.

3. Keep an open mind. Even if you have a bad first impression of a house, do NOT be dismissive. Girls who are snobby are not well liked, and sometimes first impressions aren't enough. Going into recruitment, I was convinced I was going to be in one certain chapter--but I kept an open mind. Guess what? I found out that I liked EVERY SINGLE HOUSE I saw, and I didn't even end up pledging the original chapter I thought I liked the best. So it's really important to go into recruitment with an open mind and show interest and personality in every house.

Those are quick and easy things to keep in mind about recruitment 2010. Most importantly, though, don't be nervous! Relax. When you are comfortable at the chapter it makes it easier for both you and the girls you are talking to. It makes it a better experience for everyone. If nothing else, rushing is a great way to meet new people--in older classes and your own. I made a ton of friends in the lines at recruitment with whom I still keep in touch. And although waiting in line in the freezing cold may seem miserable, when you get inside the warm houses, full of friendly girls, it's totally worth it. Especially when recruitment is over and you belong to a sorority. Bid day is on the 21st--a mere ten days from now! When you put it in perspective, it's literally a week out of your life. Not so bad.

xoxo

volps

9 Days Until Recruitment!!

We're almost a week from the start of sorority recruitment! It's hard to believe that within two weeks, we'll be welcoming a whole new group of girls into sorority life at Penn. Right now, chapter recruitment chairs are preparing decorations and materials for parties and getting nervous to meet all of the potential members. The Panhellenic recruitment team is gearing up the rho gammas, checking to make sure everyone met grade requirements (2.5 minimum) and answering questions.

Are you signed up? Have you checked out the recruitment booklet? We hope to see as many women as possible on January 13th for Open House!