Nothin' Sweeter Than Georgia Peaches: My Big/Little Story

Running home to Bralin aka the best Big
in all Xi land

My Big and I have a very unique relationship bonded by something very close to our hearts. Our home. Not just our "home away from home", Alpha Xi Delta, but our home state of Georgia. Bralin and I both shared similar stories so naturally, when we met on Preference Night during Fall Recruitment at the University of Central Florida in 2013, the fact that we were both from Georgia came up. I immediately felt a connection with her because not only was she from Georgia, but she also came to UCF from out of state to a completely different world. She had experienced everything I was currently experiencing: homesickness, being away from friends and family, and just the general lonely feeling. I could really connect with her, and hearing her slight southern twang made me feel at home.

That night after Preference Rounds, I had no hesitation when writing Alpha Xi Delta as my #1 choice and I was completely sure that the next day I would be running home to them, and I did. After all the chaotic Bid Day activities died down, we went inside the house to Bralin's room. A huge group of us went back and we got our special Bid Day bags with tons of goodies and Bralin gave me something special... I had no idea what it was when I saw the grocery bag. I looked inside and saw a peach. A Georgia Peach. I wanted to cry; it was such a simple gesture and she had no idea how much it meant to me. 

I was completely and utterly ecstatic with everything that was going on. Being a new member was one of the best times of my collegiate career (NMs- don't take it for granted!), but one of the weeks - Big/Little week - will always be a strong memory. The week leading up to Big/Little week all of the New Members went on "dates" with sisters who were potentially taking a Little. Unfortunately, Bralin and I were never paired up, but my choice never wavered. When the time came to create our Big/Little lists, Bralin was #1.

Bralin gets her paddle!

That night after our lists were made, the Bigs and Littles were paired and all Littles were surprised with treats the same exact night! I was in no way prepared for everything that was going to happen during that week! Bralin gave me all sorts of clues and treats throughout the week to make me think that she wasn't my Big. She gave me clues like "I grew up in Florida", "Curly hair runs in my family", and other things that didn't seem like Bralin at all! All week I was freaking out because I thought that on Friday when we ran home and found our Bigs, I wouldn't find Bralin.

The day of Big/Little Reveal, I went to a grocery store and got a fresh peach, just in case Bralin WAS my Big. I knew if she was, it would mean just as much to her as it did when she gave it to me.
After all the searching on that Friday, I finally ran home into my Big's arms... Bralin! You can see the video here:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10201120670672034&l=7597589781169387337.

I gave her the peach and ever since then it's sort of been our thing. My Big's paddle was even in the shape of a peach!

Big, Twin, and Sibling

Big/Little Reveal

Our relationship has definitely grown throughout the past year and I can't wait to see it blossom even more. My entire lineage is so amazing and are all inspirational women; I love every single one of them more than they know! I know that whenever there is a problem, something is bothering me or I just need someone to go grab Sunday brunch with, I can count on any of these ladies. It's not just four years, it's for life! TFJ, XiLAM, and all that jazz <3=

Sorority Recruitment Do's and Dont's

Last year in August, I went through sorority recruitment as a potential new member. This year, I will be on the inside as a sister of one of the chapters. Some girls (myself included) go through rush with no idea what to wear, what to say, or what is going on. Sure, the Panhellenic council makes a website, but that only helps so much. I've compiled a little list of do's and don'ts that may help!

DO: Get recommendation letters, if possible. Ask any Greek alumni you or your family and friends may know who belong to chapters at the school you are rushing at to send a letter. These letters can be especially helpful with schools that have massive Greek life (think SEC/ACC), but never really hurt your chances. If push comes to shove and you don't know anyone Greek, post on this page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/270665629731083/
There are helpful people who would be willing to write you a letter if you send them a resume and provide some background information!

DON'T: Come into rush with the mindset of "I'm only rushing chapter XYZ" or "I'm NOT rushing chapter XYZ" because that mindset will get you let down quickly. Many girls who go through the recruitment process thinking those things are crushed when XYZ doesn't invite them back for the next round. Some even drop recruitment altogether. Don't let that be you because, as the rounds go on, you learn more about each chapter and there may be something that causes you to fall in love with a chapter you didn't like all that much in the beginning. Be completely open to all of the chapters; each one has something special to offer you!

DO: Talk to your group leader (Rho Gamma, Pi Chi, etc.) about your thoughts throughout the whole recruitment process. Many group leaders hand out little notebooks where you can write your thoughts in after you visit each house. These are especially handy when you are going back and forth between house and things get confusing. They're especially fun to read through after the process is finished! Write out a Pro's and Con's between each sorority and be realistic. 

DON'T: Be afraid to ask questions. You want to know if they have a payment plan? Ask! Asking questions makes you look like you are genuinely interested in the sorority. The sisters will definitely remember that during the final days when they are torn in their own selection process. I remember when I went through recruitment, I would ask a question during a dead conversation. It helped to avoid awkward pauses.

DO: Dress for the weather and bring makeup and a comb for touchups throughout the day. Comfort is very important because if you are comfortable and confident in what you're wearing, that's going to show! During recruitment, my outfits got progressively dressier. Throughout the week I wore a romper, cute shorts and tank, two sundresses, and a cocktail dress for preference night. I went through rush at the University of Central Florida in the middle of summer!

Throughout the whole process, there will be times when you will question if the whole thing is for you. If you are having any doubts, speak to your group leaders (that's what they're there for). I think everyone can make the most out of going Greek and recruitment was honestly one of the best experiences of my collegiate career so far. When you're running home after opening your bid card... that's when you'll know. GO GREEK! RUSH! LILP <3

Kelsey

Getting Your Name Out There Using Social Media

It is every sorority girl's and general organization member's dream to be that number one organization on campus and to be known by every student on campus. I wanted to share with you some tips, tricks and ideas I have learned firsthand from my position as Public Relations Vice President and Vice President of External Recruitment.

First, let me tell you a little bit about me, that way you will have full confidence that you too can make anything Public Relations possible. I am going to be a senior at the University of Nebraska-Kearney (UNK) and at my campus there hasn't been much of anything PR wise except for the last two years. In November, I was elected to both of my current positions which one is all about publicizing my chapter, and the second publicizing sorority recruitment to all of the new and current UNK students. I had no experience and I had never seen anyone really do PR who held the position before me. Have no worries though! I was able to teach myself how to use new programs and to learn from others.

To better your PR take a look at what other campuses or chapters on campus in your area are doing to get their name out there. If you see something that another chapter is doing that you like, take it, adapt it, and make it better. There is always improvement for whatever is being done, so don’t worry that you feel like you are copying someone, you are simply just building off of what they have done before. Don’t forget to check out what the fraternities are doing also! I have adapted some of their great stuff to work for my chapter!

Create pages and utilize social media for your organization. I have done this both for my chapter and our Panhellenic Council. One site is never enough! Not everyone uses the same types of social media, you want make sure that you are reaching all of your audiences! Some of the hot social media sites to use right now are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

This is the sorority life page I created for the University of Nebraska-Kearney with influence from the Sorority Life at Indiana State University page. 

Facebook will allow you to reach to your current members, those new to your school and alumnae as well! Not only can you reach a wider audience, you will be able to post longer stories, share what others have to say and can have members promote more prominently than twitter! Twitter is great for the sweet and short to the point updates! One thing to consider doing is promoting your longer Facebook stories that exceed the 140 character limit by linking them in your tweet and having all of your chapter members re-tweet the story. Instagram is great for showing what is happening now, in present time. Pintrest is any easy way to show your chapter style, collect future ideas and share with the world your old ideas.

This seems super overwhelming right? Don’t let it be! There are great programs out there that let you plan out your posts! My favorite is HootSuite. You can plan out your posts in advance allowing you to get a great deal of your posts done in between 8-5, rather than feeling like you have to sit at your computer with your sites pulled up at all hours of the day. Also learn to delegate. It helps to have one person in charge of each social media, so that way they can implement your ideas but keep track and have more time to work on each of the social media platforms.

I hope you have found this post useful on how to integrate social media sites in promoting your chapter or council! Have questions or comments, feel free to leave them and we will get back to you! Once again thanks for coming to the LP Blog!

Welcome Back to Recruitment

 
Every chapter has their own ceremonies, traditions and events, but there is one thing that every chapter has in common, recruitment.  Everyone seems to have a strong opinion about recruitment, whether they love it or hate it, its something that has to be done in order to make your chapter the best possible.  As an incoming senior I’ve experienced my fair share of recruitment on both sides of the fence, and over the years I have come to understand, and maybe not completely always enjoy, but appreciate everything that recruitment has to offer. 

There is the obvious, which is adding members to your chapter.  These girls not only boost your chapter total but they add to your family.  They become your littles, grand littles, or even great grand littles.  They create an image for your chapter on campus and even though it’s hard to imagine, those incoming freshman will be the ones that can make or break everything you have been working toward and will be the ones leading your chapter one day. 

Though the goal of recruitment is to add new members, a common misunderstanding is recruitment isn’t all about them. I come from a large school with a lot of girls in my chapter and though everyone tries their best, it is hard to get to know everyone during the year.  When recruitment rolls around, that all changes.  Everyone spends two weeks together, basically 24/7 working toward the common goal of having the best recruitment week ever, but what also ends up happening this week is that everyone learns more about each other and themselves.  

This is the time that you hang out with girls you might not necessarily hang out with, and you become even closer with the ones you do.  It’s where you learn songs that you will never get out of your head.  Dress up in crazy outfits to boost moral, and try to win that coveted tank top for most spirit.  You share funny stories and your deepest secrets.  You laugh, you cry (happy tears of course) and you become closer with your “sisters” than ever before.  This is the time that your sorority becomes your family and at the end of the week your family gets a little larger.  

Though recruitment can be daunting and stressful, and sometimes even seem unimportant.  Recruitment is a memory you will always look back on fondly and remember the laughs you had, the bonds you made and the sisters you gained along the way. So whatever you do, don’t take the week for granted, though your sisterhood last a lifetime, college and recruitment does not.

XOXO- Taylor S