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<p>The one case I remember from college was founded back when racial discrimination against Asian people in rental housing was common. However, it did not exclude non-Asian students from joining.</p>
<p>It appears base on current events that much has been accomplished as a result of the article in the Crimson but that much remains to be done. The administration at Alabama was concerned about the racial segregation which occurred during rush but until the article by the Crimson was published they were unable to properly diagnose the problem. The university had left the selection of the sorority members in the hands of the sororities themselves, and in general all of the Panhellenic sororities are racially diverse at the national level. What was uncovered by the article was the sorority alumni advisors ability to prevent AA recruits for receiving bids. By removing the alumni influence from the bid process several AA recruits received and accepted bids from previously segregated sororities. In order to continue this process I think other changes should be made. I think that rush should be completely integrated and that recruits be permitted to submit a letter of recommendation from their high school guidance counselor instead of a letter of recommendation from a sorority alumni.</p>
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<p>Many years ago when I went through rush I had no idea that recommendations were needed until after I had pledged. When I asked how in the world the sorority I pledged was able to obtain one for me (I grew up in a very small town) I was told that if they wanted to pledge a girl and were not able to get an alumnae rec, they would contact the high school. This is a sorority that required recs then and now. A girl from my hometown went through rush with me and pledged another sorority that required recs. So unless we had some hidden sorority alumnae in our hometown, I assume the same was true for her.</p>
<p>I think that you make some good points swimkidsdad.</p>
<p>A thousand years ago, back in the 70’s, my sorority didn’t require any recs, but if one came in from an alum and you dropped the PNM after the first day, the rush chairman had to call the alum and let them know. These were calls 20 year olds hated to make. So, having a rec from an alum actually could work against a PNM. Lukewarm response after first day? Rush chair says " OK, so who’s willing to make the call if we dont have room to give her an invite later in the week?". Same girl with no rec might get another invitation just to see if there was a connection the next time. </p>
<p>I agree wholeheartedly with the idea of a high school official giving a rec. I think the Panhellenic organizations ought to be all over that. Or, don’t require them at all. Good enough for the university, good enough to meet and connect with people without some older person saying yea or neigh…</p>
<p>So what goes into an alum rec letter? Info about how girl comes from a “good family” or has a “good background”?</p>
<p>No. The alum rec letter usually includes grade information, activities information, and a character reference for the student (not her family).
When I write them, I emphasize a student’s academic strength. Sororities report their chapter GPAs, and those are compared to campus-wide GPAs. No one wants to pledge an academic risk.
If the student is rushing at a campus with a Greek sing event, I include details about any singing or dancing experience.
If a student is rushing at a campus with Greek intramural sports competition, I include details about softball, volleyball or relevant athletic experience.</p>
<p>There was talk earlier about providing references to people you don’t really know. Do you still vouch for their character? I guess I don’t understand why they can’t provide a transcript to show their GPA. And wouldn’t their athletic experience and singing/dancing experience be a topic of conversation at the party? From the outside the recs seem to be a way of keeping out the riff-raff. (or at least limiting PNM to people woho have connections.) I’m not saying this is true, but explaining why some of us see the process as exclusionary.</p>
<p>If rush at UA is during the second month of school, there’s not much of an academic record.</p>
<p>A good rec looks beyond the transcript. I will not write one unless I meet the person. I like to point out their strengths and passions that you can’t always see on a resume. I recently wrote one about a young lady that dances, cooks like a professional chef and has a tender and loving heart. I spoke to her kindness and initiative, her joyful smile and love of family.
I also refused to write one for a precious snowflake that blew off her meeting with me, acted like a brat in emails in had a mother that badmouthed my requirement to write the letter with all these extra steps. In my earlier days I would have been tempted to write a no-rec, but I am older and more patient.
I look at this women, rightfully, as someone who will be my sister. I want kind, funny, enthusiastic women to join my organization. I trust my other sisters to recognize kindred spirits and pearls in the sea of students. A rec is a way to say that a current member of this organization believes this person deserves a closer look.
As for the EC activities, they can be brought up at a party, but it is good to know about it ahead of time. When pairing up people at parties, it is good to know more than Penny PNM is a business major with good grades. It is even better to know that she raised goats in the 4-H program, has a brother serving in Afghanistan and goes on mission trips to Peru so she knows the country well. That way the chapter has more information when pairing her with actives to talk about the house.</p>
<p>I think a good rec can help a chapter get to know a PMN before they’ve met, and in the best case this helps everyone. My D is going through recruitment right now, and though I’m worried and somewhat ambivalent, people like MizzBee have been gracious and helpful with their insight and knowledge. </p>
<p>I like swimkidsdad’s synopsis of the situation at Bama. Time for a change! I am hopeful that in a very few years, the new way will be perceived as the way it’s “always” been and progress will continue.</p>
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<p>It’s the high school academic record which is noted. Greek life is time consuming; if someone is a grade risk, it’s not good for either party. If the girl going through rush is a sophomore, they look at the college transcript.</p>
<p>Why would you need a rec to speak to the sudent’d gpa whn the high school transcript does so perfectly well?</p>
<p>I assume girls in sorority houses do not generally have access to someone’s HS transcript.</p>
<p>Does the alumna interviewer have access? Not unless the pledge gives it to her, right?</p>
<p>The alumna interviewer would only have the transcript if the student gave it to them.</p>
<p>The girls send their transcripts to the university panhellenic office, who in turn sends a copy to each sorority house.</p>
<p>If one of our high school’s guidance counselors were asked to write a recommendation letter for a former student trying to get into a sorority, I assume (and certainly hope) that the request would be ignored as absurd and shared in the faculty break room to wild laughter. Our counselors have enough on their plate dealing with discipline issues and assisting current students with career and college matters. The last thing they have time for is bolstering former students’ social lives! That is is no way their responsibility.</p>
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Presumably they could just supply the same GC rec they used for college admissions. That wouldn’t be too big a burden. That’s what I suspect they’d do at my kids’ high school.</p>
<p>I think recs could be very useful. I hate the current alumni rec requirement. Not a fan of the school counselor idea either … my kid’s HS couselor’s have 250+ kids each … not much faith a recommendation could do any applicant much good. Why not a recommendation from whomever the PNM chooses … with a preference that it be from someone who knows the PNM in a team/group setting. I would think a coach, band leader, club advisor, religious leader, etc could provide valuable input on the PNMs … much better input than they are receiving from the current rec process … and eliminating a bunch of the other possible negatives also.</p>