The 5 Day Rollercoaster of Formal Recruitment: Part I

Luckily, I have been getting some good comments and feedback on the first post. WHEW! Ever since I posted, I have been trying to think about what I should share next. Well, obviously, I should probably explain my top-notch experience with Formal Recruitment. From there, I will most likely begin posting random stories and reflections on the good times/interesting times I have had in the sorority. The recruitment post will be 3 or 4 parts because my experience was an absolute trip. There is no way I can write about it all, in its entirety, in only 1 post, without drowning you with 15 pages of text or cutting some very funny and crucial parts. So here we go. Formal Recruitment Part I.

We last left off with my mother and me leaving the OSU Greek Information lunch seminar. Greek Life Poll: I was thumbs down, and my mom was two thumbs up. The word ‘sorority’ was not talked about again after that. My senior year wrapped up, and I graduated high school. I started to think about my future in college, and began to realize a very scary truth. I was going to college with ZERO friends. Some how, I had managed to be best friends with people whose aspirations did not lead to an orange and black university. Crap. What was I going to do? I couldn’t just live in my dorm 24/7 and only leave for classes, food and Diet Coke. Panic began to sweep over my soul. I did not want to be ‘that’ freshman. I wanted a life! I wanted friends! I wanted a REAL college experience.

I was in need of a quick solution…. An enchanted wand…. Some magic friend beans…? ORRRRR…. A house full of girls who had to be my friends…? Yes. That would work lovely. One day before registration closed online, I submitted a fee, a picture, and a bangin’ resume in hopes of joining the ranks in a National Panhellenic Sorority. Yee-haw. Do I even need to say that Doli almost cried when I fessed up to the truth two days later…? True Story.

After submitting my documents, I did not think much about recruitment. I mean, how hard could it be? I talk to girls for 5 days and sign a bid card. Then, snap. I have friends to have a college experience with. How naïve I was…. I still feel bad for my unknowingly clueless self. I had NO suspicions of what I was diving into. I moved into my dorm the weekend before recruitment. There were only 3 girls doing recruitment in the CASNR Village. CASNR is College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural resources… So that made sense that between 4 floors, only 3 women had signed up for the sorority gig.

When I checked into the Recruitment table, I received my name tag and a book filled with advertisements, letters from the NPC VP’s of Recruitment, and descriptions of all the houses. Before I could start prematurely judging the houses by their mascots and colors… I ran across this sweet survey…



IS RECRUITMENT RIGHT FOR ME?

Check yes if you agree to the following statements...

Do you like meeting new people?

….. Well… Do we have things in common….? Do I have to talk much? I mean I guess it is okay if it isn’t awkward… But overall not really. No. (Remember. This is freshman Cameron and she is quirky. And by quirky I mean weird.)

Do you want to get involved at OSU?

Involved. Do you have a choice? I thought everyone would be doing something in college. You’d have to try pretty hard not to be involved, right? So sororities are the only ones involved at OSU…. Interesting. But, yes. Yes I would love to be involved.

Do you want to be a leader on campus?

WHOA! Leader?? I am not qualified to lead right now. I am a freshman. The ultimate tag line for, “You have a lot of learning to do.” I have only led in FFA. I don’t think that qualifies me… So… No. No I do not see myself leading in the near future.

Do you like helping others by performing community service?

It is even legal to answer no on this? Like who would say, no? “No, I do not like helping others ESPECIALLY if it involves community service. Huh uh, leave that dumb stuff to juvenile delinquents and nuns….” Seriously. What person with a soul would say no? So, yes. This one is a yes.

Do you want to be a part of an organization that promotes academic excellence?

Again, what the heck?? The person that answered no to the last question would be most likely to say no to this one. If an organization doesn’t value your education in COLLEGE, re-evaluate it. So yes to this question. Because if I say no, I need to go ahead and drop out of college now.

Do you want to find a place to call home at OSU?

Whoever made this survey is ridiculous. Yes I want a home. No, I do not want to be a homeless student who hates life, academics, and the community.

If you checked one or more boxes yes, you should pack your bags and head to OSU for Recruitment 2007!

Well neat. I checked 4/6. Honestly though, the last 3 were gimmie’s. So according to the NPC magaize, 2/3 of me was ready to get this Recruitment going. The other one-third was skeptical.

I would love to continue writing, but my first day has a lot to it. I also think it would be better to just combine the first two days into one blog, so I am stopping. It is so funny to think back on the ‘old’ Cameron. About a million and three things have shifted and changed. I am a completely different person now. I know a lot of that can be contributed to growing up and maturing, but going Greek was like adding a match and some lighter fluid to the process. In two years I have evolved into a well-rounded woman, and could not be anymore pleased with the outcome so far.