Welcome to Panhellenic Formal Recruitment 2010!

What am I getting myself into!?

When you join a sorority, you join Panhellenic, which consists of approximately 700 women at Eastern Illinois University working together towards similar goals.

What is Panhellenic?

The Panhellenic Council, or PHC, is basically the governing council of all of the sororities on campus. Every Greek woman on Eastern’s campus is a member of the Panhellenic Council.

What is a Gamma Chi?

Gamma Chi’s are women that were selected to help guide you through your Recruitment experience. Each of them is part of a sorority already. They are here to help you and will answer and address any questions or concerns you may have throughout the Recruitment process.

You will meet your Gamma Chi on Thursday September 9 th, 2010 at the “Gamma Chi Meet ‘n’ Greet” Don’t be afraid to go to them with your thoughts and feelings, they are completely disaffiliated from their chapters and will be completely unbiased. If for whatever reason you know what sorority a Gamma Chi belongs to please do not disclose this information to anyone else.

Recruitment Schedule

Gamma Chi Meet ‘n’ Greet Thursday September 9th Location: Grand Ballroom Time: Starts at 5:00 PM You will meet your Gamma Chi, the woman that will be guiding you through the Formal Recruitment process. A brief introduction/orientation will also be held to help you become acquainted with the Recruitment process.

Slideshow Night Friday, September 10th Location: Grand Ballroom Time: Starts at 5:00 PM You will be viewing a slideshow made by each chapter. This will give you some exposure to each chapter before first round! Each chapter will also have an Informational table set up in the back, if you have any questions afterwards.

First Round Saturday, September 11th Location: Grand Ballroom Time: Arrive at 9:30 AM ROUND ONE:1- 11:00-11: :40-12: :20-12: :00- 1: :40- 2:10 (LUNCH) 6- 2:20- 2: :00- 3: :40- 4: :20- 4: :00-5:30 You will be visiting all 9 sororities on this day. Rounds will be 30 minutes long with a 10 minute break in between. On this day, there are ten rounds but only nine Sororities. The extra round is added to give everyone a lunch break. (Food will be provided for you by Panhellenic). You will return to the Union around 5:30PM to fill out your ranking card and then you will be free to leave!

Second Round Sunday, September 12th Location: Grand Ballroom Time: Arrive at 9:30 AM ROUND TWO:1- 11:00-11: :40-12: :20-12: :00- 1:30 (LUNCH) 5- 1:40- 2: :20- 2: :00- 3: :40- 4:10 You can be invited back to up to 7 sororities on this day. Rounds will be 30 minutes long with a 10 minute break in between. On this day, there are eight rounds but the maximum number of Sororities one could be invited back to on this day is 7. The extra round is added to give everyone a lunch break. (Food will be provided for you by Panhellenic). From this day on, some women will be invited back to as many chapters as possible on that given day and some women may be invited back to less. It is really important to keep an open mind and realize that you are just that much closer to finding the sorority where you feel at home! Do not get discouraged and remember that you can talk to your Gamma Chi about your feelings, questions, anything! You will return to the Union around 4:10PM to fill out your ranking card and then you will be free to leave!

Third Round Friday, September 17th Location: Grand Ballroom Time: Arrive at 3:30 PM ROUND 3:1- 5:00-5: :50-6: :40- 7: :30- 8: :20-9:00 You can be invited back to up to 5 sororities on this day. Rounds are 40 minutes long with a 10 minute break in between. There is no extra round added on this day. Remember, some women will be invited back to 5 chapters and some may be invited back to less than that. Do not get discouraged, you are that much closer to finding the Sorority that fits you! You will return to the Union around 9:00PM to fill out your ranking card and then you will be free to leave!

Fourth Round (Preference Day) Saturday, September 18th Location: Grand Ballroom Time: Arrive at 11:30 AM ROUND 4:1- 1:00-1: :05-3: :10- 4:05 You can be invited back to up to 3 sororities on this day. Rounds are 55 minutes with a 10 minute break in between. There is no extra round added on this day. Remember, some women will be invited back to 3 chapters and some may be invited back to less than that. You will return to the Union around 4:05PM to fill out your ranking card and then you will be free to leave!

Bid Day Sunday, September 19th Location: Grand Ballroom Time: Arrive at 1:00 PM This is the day that women will be extended bids to the sororities. Each chapter will then host some sort of welcoming celebration for their new members. You will also find out what Sorority your Gamma Chi belongs to!

What should I wear?

First Round Saturday, September 11th Eastern Wear! This is a very casual day and it meant for you to get a feel for each of the sororities. Jeans, shorts, flip flops/sandals, and an EIU themed shirt would be acceptable wear for this day. We would not recommend wearing sweatpants/workout shorts, heels, or fancy clothing on this day.

Second Round Sunday, September 12th Cute, Comfortable, and Casual! This is also a very casual day. Jeans, shorts, flip flops/sandals, and a comfortable and casual shirt would be acceptable wear for this day. We would not recommend wearing sweatpants/workout shorts, heels, or fancy clothing on this day.

Third Round Friday, September 17th Cute, Comfortable, and Casual! This is also a very casual day. Jeans, shorts, flip flops/sandals, and a comfortable and casual shirt would be acceptable wear for this day. We would not recommend wearing sweatpants/workout shorts, heels, or fancy clothing on this day.

Fourth Round (Preference Day) Saturday, September 18th Dressy Attire! Preference Day is a very special and exciting day for the Sororities. On this day you will see some of the rituals of the chapters that you visit and will get to see the women one last time before making your final decision. Dresses and heels/dressy shoes are acceptable wear for this day. We would not recommend wearing jeans, shorts, sweats, or any casual wear.

Bid Day! Sunday, September 19th Cute, Comfortable, and Casual! (Try to wear a light shirt; at your Bid Day event you will be given a t-shirt to wear)

Tips for Potential New Members (That’s you!)

Be interested in all of the sororities - You will be remembered and you may decide you really like a sorority even if you initially did not care for them Be polite - Even if you are really not interested you should still be polite and thank the individual you met for showing you around Look at each sorority as a whole - Try not to judge it by the one or two women you met. Ask questions - It can be very intimidating for both you and the sorority women to have a conversation with someone they do not know. It will help the conversation and be a sign of your interest and you will learn more about the sorority. Smile! - Have a good time with Recruitment, it is a process that opens up a ton of doors for you!

Be mature in your decision making - Be realistic about which members you felt most comfortable with. Do not be influenced by other’s opinions. Sorority members are just as nervous and anxious as you! - They have all been through recruitment themselves and know exactly how you feel! Get plenty of sleep - The days will be long and tiring and a good night’s sleep can help keep you on top of your game Try not to speak negatively about any Sorority. - While you may have not been interested in that particular sorority, another girl in your group may have really loved them, or vice versa, so it is extremely important to not badmouth a Sorority. If you need someone to talk to, please talk to your Gamma Chi

Don’t be afraid to decline refreshments or food - You will not offend the Sorority! Involve your Gamma Chi in your decision - Your Gamma Chi will try to answer any questions you may have for her and will do her best to guide you successfully through the Recruitment process. She is here as your friend and you should feel free to go to her with any problem, thought, question, or concern you have. Think if these are the women you want to spend the majority of your college years with. Be yourself and enjoy Recruitment!

Just so you know…

Recruitment is mutual selection - You are choosing a sorority as well as the sororities are selecting new members Chapters are not required to offer bids to legacies You will not be allowed to carry a purse or cell phone into any chapters during Recruitment.

A prospective member may not contact, visit, or associate with any sorority member except during the Recruitment events (and vice versa) Do not interpret any remark made at an event as an assurance of an invitation back or an invitation to join. - Sorority women do not know and are not allowed to extend such an offer on behalf of the entire chapter. If this does occur, please inform your Gamma Chi.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I expect when walking into a Sorority house? Each Sorority is different in the ways they organize their Recruitment time. At most chapters the girls will be lined up on their stairs, waiting to greet you. They will then lead you to their large chapter room or to their individual rooms for conversation. Most will have scrapbooks and other items to show you that will help you get a better feel for their sorority.

What does it mean to “maximize my options”? Maximizing your options means that if you visited five sororities in a day, you should list all five sororities on your ranking card. For example, you decide you only like three of the five sororities you visited and you decide to only list those three on your ranking card. By doing so, you decrease your chances of receiving an invitation back to those three sororities. However, if you list all five in the order you prefer them chances are greater that you will receive an invitation back to the sororities you like. So all in all, it is much better to rank all of the sororities that you visited than to just list the ones you prefer.

Will I automatically get into a chapter at the end of the week? Sometimes it works out that a few girls will not be placed into a chapter and this could be for multiple reasons, such as the individual not maximizing her options. All of the girls will not get their first choice and some may not receive their second choice either. Just remember to keep an open mind because your perception of a chapter may change once you start really getting to know the girls!

How do I decide which group I prefer? Think of if you would be happy spending your time with these girls. Do you share the same interests and personality traits? Do the values of the chapter align with your own personal values? Think of what you would like to contribute to a sorority and how your goals fit in with those of the chapter. In the end, it is your decision and your decision only!

I’m going to miss part of Recruitment. Am I still able to participate? Yes you will still be able to participate however you should be aware that chapters may not invite you back because they did not have the chance to meet you. However, this being said, you should not be skipping class or work or any other important obligation to attend Recruitment events because you are in college first and foremost to get an education! Please tell your Gamma Chi if you will be unable to attend any event/round.

If you have any questions please feel free to Ally Dinkle V.P. Recruitment Lauren Patterson V.P. Recruitment Elect Good luck with Recruitment 2010!