Wednesday, August 10, 2011

College-Style

College-Style

Behind the Scenes Practice for Sorority Recruitment

Posted: 09 Aug 2011 08:51 PM PDT

By: Piper of University of Georgia. Follow me @PiperEDavis.

So this week while all of you freshmen scramble to get your outfits, resumes and recommendation letters together, just know you aren’t the only ones doing work. Sororities at the majority of universities begin preparing for recruitment days before you arrive. At the University of Georgia, many sororities call the practice before recruitment Spirit Week or Work Week. During these few days, we practice the cheers we perform for the PNMs, put together the skit for round 3, decorate the house with pictures from socials and other events and practice mock recruitment rounds.  We do all of these activities to make sure all rounds of rush go smoothly for the PNMs.

A Regular Day of Spirit Week:

Here is a generic schedule for a regular day of practice for sororities.

8:30 a.m. Breakfast

9:00 a.m. Walksong practice — Walksong is the cheer performed by the active members of the sorority when the PNMs enter the sorority house.

9:30 a.m. Preview philanthropy video for Round 3 — The philanthropy video is shown during the skit, which each sorority puts on for Round 3.

10:00 a.m. House Visit from Panhellenic — These sororities perform their Walksong and then Panhellenic reviews some important rules for recruitment.  These are very important to follow in order to prevent penalties and make recruitment a comfortable experience for the PNMs.

10:30 a.m. Ratings Workshop — The ratings system is how sororities decide which girls they are interested in after each round. Girls come in with a certain pre-rating due to GPAs, resumes and for some sororities, whether or not they are legacies. After recruitment commences sororities rate through traits and leadership skills they want in their new pledge class and which PNMs could fulfill those needs.

10:45 a.m. Conversation Workshop — Specific to Round 2 (Things to talk about and things not to say during each round.)

11:45 a.m. Fashion Show — What to wear/what not to wear with the new t-shirts for House Tours. Many sororities think it is important to display a diversity of style and to of course make sure there will not be any wardrobe malfunctions during Walksong.

12:15-1:15 p.m. Lunch

1:30 p.m. Song Practice – Specific to all rounds except for Round 1 —These are songs the girls sing when the PNMs enter during preference and skit round. Skit round tends to have more theatrical songs and Preference rounds’ songs tend to be more serious.

3:15 p.m. Rotation Workshop – Specific to Round 2 — Rotation workshops teach the sorority girls how to move the PNMs around during each round and introduce them to other girls in the sorority.

3:45 p.m. Mock Round 2 — Round 2 is House Tours so sororities take girls around to different bedrooms and parts of the sorority house.

4:15 p.m. Discuss strengths and weaknesses of Mock Round 2

4:30 p.m. Break Time

5:15 p.m. Committee Time — Work on skit for Round 3, which is usually a performance by girls in the sorority often featuring pop culture, funny YouTube videos and SNL skits. Other committees decorate the house, make name tags, put together gifts for the new pledge class and create a banner to hang in front of the house for bid night.

7:00 p.m. Dinner

This week is a tiring time and super busy but it is all so worthwhile for the formation of a great new pledge class!

If You are Going Through Recruitment…

An important thing that all PNMs should realize from this schedule is that sororities are so excited for you to come though.  Don’t be nervous about sororities liking you because look at how much they do in order for you to like them! Be sure to check out my past blogs on the inside scoop from a sorority rush chair, mooching off recruitment,  and what to wear during recruitment!

Thoughts?

What are your thoughts about the things sororities do to prepare for recruitment? What are some of your sorority’s spirit week stories? Email us at info@college-style.com or tweet us @Collegestyle12.

TOMS: My Footwear Obsession!

Posted: 09 Aug 2011 01:45 PM PDT

By: Madison of Samford University. Follow me @freckshairbows.

When I first heard about TOMS, the cause behind the brand caught my attention. The founder of TOMS, Blake Mycoskie developed the idea for his company after a trip to Argentina. He realized the major need of the children in the area: shoes. He became inspired to help and created the idea of “One for One,” for every pair of TOMS you purchase, a pair goes to a child in need. Not only did Blake go back to Argentina with 10,000 pairs of shoes to give, but he and his company continue to give all across the country. What a great idea right? During my recent trip to the Dominican Republic for a mission trip, I saw the need for shoes and it made me happy to have purchased a pair of TOMS knowing that hopefully one day those children will receive shoes as well.

Although the cause behind the TOMS brand got me interested, the comfort kept me hooked! I have five pairs and of course would love some more. They come in such a variety of colors — fun basic styles that can go with everything — to brighter ones for special outfits. Most of the TOMS are made out of a canvas material, but some are made in other materials like burlap. Be sure to try them on before you buy. Each shoe is made to be as close to the correct shoe size as possible, but because of the way these shoes are made, it is better to try them on first. Also consider that they will eventually stretch out about a half a size. So when you first purchase TOMS you want them to fit the best they can, not too big or too small.

TOMS are so much fun to wear and you always notice others who are a part of the TOMS family. A lot of people get creative with their TOMS, painting them or adding other details. I have added ribbon to mine with fabric glue. Originally I put the ribbon on because I had a small hole at the toe of my shoe and wanted to cover it up since my shoes were still wearable. I loved the look of them after I added the ribbon and received a lot of compliments on how creative and cute they looked. If you want to get creative with your TOMS, be sure to think it out before you get crafty. Before you paint or glue, outline your image or place the ribbon to see how it would look and take your time! Check out this post about how to make your own custom shoes! Have fun with styling your TOMS as well. They are the perfect footwear for tailgating and showing spirit! Buy TOMS in your school colors or to show support for your favorite team. I definitely suggest buying a pair that will go with the majority of your wardrobe, because trust me, you will want to wear them all the time! For more information about the TOMS One for One cause and to browse all of the fabulous styles, check out TOMS.com!

Thoughts?

Do you love TOMS just as much as I do? Or do you have a different footwear obsession? Submit comment below, send an email to us at info@college-style.com or a tweet to @Collegestyle12.

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