If you’ve watched YouTube or the news lately, you probably saw that some universities allowed their students to come back to campus and sorority recruitment was virtual. Michigan State, however, decided to not allow undergraduate students to live on campus to move back into their dorms. Due to this change and COVID-19, the Panhellenic Council decided to host formal sorority recruitment completely virtual. It’s a weird change of things considering that recruitment has always been in-person and some of you are confused about how it went virtually. So, here’s my recollection of my five days of recruitment!
Disclaimer. I will not be specifically stating which houses I voted for at the end of each night or got invited back to for the sake of secrecy but will state the house I received a bid to.
Spirit Day. I always envisioned myself getting ready for recruitment and walking to each house but it was the opposite this year. With our recruitment guides, PNM’s (potential new members) watched each sorority’s intro video that welcomed and informed us about their sorority. Every video carried positive energy and excitement that made me more thrilled for recruitment. As the day progressed, I became tired sitting on my family room’s couch and was grateful for the 10-minute breaks we were offered. I enjoyed watching each chapter’s videos but during the second-to-last video, I was ready to eat dinner. After choosing my top ten houses at the end of the day and eating dinner, I was ready to head to bed and find out which houses I got back the next morning.
Philanthropy Day. This day started earlier than the rest because we were allowed to receive at least 10 houses from the 14 chapters we learned about yesterday. I attended the PNM morning meeting and checked my schedule. I thought something was wrong so I reloaded it. I wasn’t wrong. I only got two houses back. I felt upset, at first, that the houses I selected last night didn’t want me back and then realized it was alright since I didn’t feel connected and didn’t see myself in them. I was also grateful that I didn’t have to talk to 10 houses and could spend most of my day finishing homework. Before attending the 2 houses I got back, I was really excited about the first house because I felt connected to their philanthropy. I wasn’t that pumped up about the second house but still wanted to get to know the girls and why they’re passionate about their philanthropy.
The 10 minutes I was in the waiting room, I was nervous and excited to see my first house. When I entered, they presented us with their philanthropy and I instantly fell in love with it. I felt an instant connection and wanted to discuss it more. After the philanthropy video, I talked to two girls and wished I had more time talking to them. I loved how we talked about one another’s lives and our hobbies. One girl in particular (love her!) made me not feel embarrassed about my obsession with HGTV and Fixer Upper. She made me love it and I could just talk about home design all day with her. I enjoyed talking about how I was adjusting to quarantine and my job. I was sad to leave the first house and not only did I want to talk to the same girls again, but I wanted to talk to the rest of the sisters too. I felt alright going into the second because it was right after the first house and I got my nerves out of the way during the first round. I didn’t connect with their philanthropy though it was interesting to learn about it and why they love it. The first girl I talked to actually lived in a town a couple of miles from where I grew up which was amazing to learn! Mostly I asked about their chapter and philanthropy events and delved into what I did during the summer. The same thing happened to the second girl I talked to but overall I enjoyed talking to the girls and learning about their house. I definitely wanted to talk to the two houses and hoped I would get them back the next morning.
Values Day. This morning was stressful and exciting because I felt good about the conversations I had with houses the day prior though I was worried I wouldn’t get asked back to them considering I only had two houses. My worries quickly went away during my morning meeting with my RG’s (Recruitment Guides) when I noticed I got the houses from yesterday back!
I went to my first house from yesterday and after talking with two girls from the house, I learned how they incorporated diversity and inclusion in their chapter based on recent events. I also learned why each girls’ value resonated with them. Values day for my first house made me fall in love with it even more and made me feel more comfortable with them. I definitely could see myself living in this house and being best friends with the girls. My zoom call for the second house was a couple of hours away but I was nerves-free. During the second house, I felt bad talking to the first girl because I had the first house, from earlier in the day, on my mind and I wasn’t really engaging in the conversation. After talking with her and watching their house tour video, I talked to another girl where we didn’t talk about values at all. I enjoyed getting to know her and each other’s Netflix list. I discovered she watched the same shows as me (The Vampire Diaries) and was starting Parks and Recreation. The conversation focused only on Netflix and then we suddenly ran out of time which I was disappointed about. I loved how we went off-topic but I wished I had learned what her values were.
After talking with my two houses on this day, I became torn between them. I loved the first house’s philanthropy which I felt connected to and loved their values that resonated with me. I also loved talking with the girls on Spirit Day and had a great time talking with them today. I especially saw myself in the house and spending time with them. Even though I enjoyed learning about my second house’s philanthropy, I wasn’t interested in it nor did I feel connected to their values. I, however, did appreciate the conversations I had with the girls that offered me a chance to get to know more people. I hope I can get both of them back on Preference Night to be able to figure out which is my home away from home.
Preference Night. Before I go into my experience during this night, I would like to state a few things. I am grateful and blessed to be invited back to houses that saw something in me even if I didn’t see anything in them during Spirit Day. I’m thankful to still be invited back to those same houses and for them to have me on Preference Night. I also won’t delve into their pref night ceremonies because I know these are special to sororities and it would be wrong to reveal them.
From my day off up, I was already choosing which sorority and already had one in my mind that stuck with me since Philanthropy Day. When I got my list back, I was beyond excited. I got the two houses I talked to since recruitment started. Sadly, I was going to talk to my favorite house last but there’s a saying that good things come to those who wait. My first house genuinely surprised me. The two girls I re-met had me laughing most of the time and it was wonderful getting to know them on a personal level. In the second house, I talked to the same girl I talked to on Philanthropy Day. She almost made me cry when she explained why she would love to have me as a sister and how we’ll still be friends if I don’t choose her house. After our deep moment, we drifted off into talking about the rest of the house and getting to know each other better. The ceremony is where it had me thinking that this house might be for me. It discussed their values and philanthropic service that reminded me of my connection to them. After leaving the zoom call, I realized this is the house that I wanted to call home and run to on Bid Day. It’s the house I envisioned myself living in and hanging around. It’s the house in which I saw my friends and me. It’s the house I’ll always look forward to when coming back to MSU and be sad to leave.
Bid Day. Every single day of recruitment, I looked forward to Pi Phi, and every time I left, I always wanted to go back and talk with the amazing girls I met. The connections I made, their philanthropy, and values made me fall in love with them each day and I couldn’t see myself without them. I’m so happy to say that I went home to Pi Beta Phi and had an amazing time, no matter how short it was. I would run home to Pi Phi every single time and look forward to the memories that I’ll make!
Last Words. Getting two houses back after the first day was a blessing in disguise. It was upsetting at first to see that none of the other houses wanted me back but after Philanthropy Day, I realized that the houses I got back wanted me for a reason and I opened my mind (and heart) to them. I’m grateful that I gave them a chance because the conversations I had with them were the most natural and funniest I had in a long time during this whole quarantine period. They say to trust the process and it all works out in the end. Those words stayed true to me and made me realize that Pi Phi (cheesy I know) was the place for me at MSU.