Last semester, HC Oxy gave you the DL on Greek Life at Oxy. Now, we’re back to talk about Spring Recruitment, because it’s never too early to start thinking about Rush! Here are five tips on how to rock Rush your way and get the most out of the experience.
1. Put away the phone. When you go through Recruitment, the purpose is to meet each chapter and get to know the girls and the feeling of the sorority. If you have your phone out it puts up an instant barrier! When you feel awkward and out of place it can be a defense mechanism to pull out your phone, but during Rush you want to be open to meeting (and being met by!) everybody. I take notice when girls have their phone out and don’t appear to be participating in Rush events.
2. Stand out in some way.Wear a statement necklace, fancy earrings, or a cute top. Wear a shirt with your favorite band on it, or wear your hair differently than usual. Do something to make you stand out from the crowd, because we see a lot of girls come through Recruitment and you’ll find that each organization has its own way of connecting with you on a personal level. We can’t do that if you don’t stand out to us! Whether it be your infectious laugh or your signature braided bangs, think of something that is uniquely you and bring it with you to Recruitment events. Try and connect to at least one girl in each organization.
3. Ask questions. This is another way of showing us you are genuinely interested in joining the organization. The girls you meet at Rush are the girls that care for the organization and her values, and you want to show each organization that you would fit right in with their ideals. We’ll always ask if you have questions, so it’s awkward if you have to say “no” and it sends the vibe that you aren’t interested in the organization. Stuck for questions? Try some of these:
– Why did you decide to join this organization?
– What is your favorite thing about being in this organization?
– Why did you decide to run for this officer position? (if the girl is an officer)
– What’s the hardest part about being in this organization?
– What’s the big/little program like in this organization?
– What’s your relationship like with the other Greek organizations?
– What’s your organization’s main philanthropy?
4. Branch out. Sometimes girls will go into Rush knowing which organization they’re thinking of joining, or knowing girls in each organization already. Don’t fall into the trap of sticking to girls you already know! It’s definitely safe, but we can tell when you’re not interested in meeting the rest of us and it’s a pretty good indicator of how you will be as a new member.
5. Avoid the touchy topics. No talking about how wasted you were last weekend, no talking about religion, no gossip about anybody, no talking about the notches on your belt, etc. Rush is the time to talk about what is awesome about each organization, not put down the others (sororities at Oxy like to support each other!), and it’s definitely not the time to bring the drama.
There are so many articles out there about how to go through Rush, but having gone through both sides of the Recruitment process these are the five things that really stand out as being super important. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who’s wearing the nicest jeans or who knows whom, what really matters is that you bring your best attitude and enjoy Rush! See you girls at Recruitment!
Photo credit: HC archives