Recruitment

dear potential new members,

As Vice President of Recruitment I would like to thank you for your interest in Alpha Chi Omega here at UNH! Going Greek is one of the best experiences as a collegiate and we are so excited that you are considering going through Fall Recruitment 2015. Going Greek is an amazing experience that will change your life forever. You will embark on a journey that begins on the first day of recruitment making memories, friends, as well as become part of a sisterhood you can call your own. Alpha Chi Omega isn’t just a sisterhood, but a life-long support system that you can always count on. We wish everyone the best of luck in finding your new home here at UNH and remember-have fun and be yourself!

loyally,

katie bradley

VICE PRESIDENT OF RECRUITMENT

Alpha Chi Omega - Alpha Tau Chapter Recruitment Video 2015

We hope you enjoy watching our recruitment video almost as much as we enjoyed making it for you axoxo alpha tau

FALL 2015

Going Greek is one of the best decisions you can make as a collegiete and we are beyond excited that you are considering going through Fall Recruitment 2015 at UNH. We encourage everyon to participate UNH's Greek Life, as it is an amazing experience that will carry with you through the rest of your life. The UNH community is recognizing this and the number of students participating in Greek Life is growing at an expoential rate. The memories you make during the week of recruitment will be some of your most unforgettable as you travel through the houses on Madbury Road and Strafford Ave to find the sisterhood of your dreams. Without a doubt, you will find a home to call your very own by the end of this extrodinary weekend. The sisters of Alpha Chi Omega wish you the best of luck finding your home away from home at the University of New Hampshire. Don't forget to take a deep breath, have fun, and be yourself during the chaotic weekend we call recruitment. To register for rectuiment, visit https://unhmpsh.icsrecruiter.com/pan/enrollment/?uid=unhmpsh starting June 1, 2015.

greek dictionary

THROUGHOUT RECRUITMENT, YOU'LL BE SURE TO HEAR A FEW WORDS YOU'VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE.

HERE WE HAVE PROVIDED A STUDY GUIDE TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE VOCABULARY USED BY THE GREEK COMMUNITY.

Active // a collegiate member who has completed her new member process and has been initiated into lifelong sorority membership

Basket // in our sorority, a collection of gifts and hand crafted items given to "littles" by their "bigs" in exchange for a "paddle" the night of initiation

Bid // a formal invitation to join a specific sorority

Bid Night // the final day of recruitment weekend when bids are given out

Big Sister // each new member is given a "big" who serves as a mentor, guide, and closest friend throughout the new member period and initiation. this bond remains even after the new member has been initiated.

Cheer // rhythmic sorority cheering accompanied by clapping. cheers are a catchy mix of song and poem, which prominently feature the name of the chapter. they are used during recruitment and other greek events.

Chapter // an individual collegiate group of a larger national organization, designated by a specific greek name. some sororities refer to their weekly meeting as "chapter".

Dues // fees paid to the sorority organization

Exec- the sorority Executive Board which includes the elected executive offivers of the chapter (i.e. President, Vice Presidents, Social Chair)

Formal Recruitment // the organized process of mutual selection between potential new members and the chapters. formal rush includes orientation, open house round, philanthropy round, preference day, and bid night. the schedule is governed by the school's Panhellenic Council.

Fraternity/Sorority // the name that applies to Greek letter organizations charazterized by a ritual, a badge, and a strong tie of friendship

Good Standing // a sorority sister who has fulfilled all of her membership obligations, such as paying dues, maintaining the required GPA, and attending mandatory events

Families // the extended family tree of bigs, littles, grand bigs, grand littles, and twins. sorority families have unique names and wear matching shirts and accessories at big little reveal

Formal // a dressy themed dance helded once a semester. each member can bring a date.

Founders // the founding sisters of the national sorority. Founder's Day is celebrated by the chapters in honor of their founders.

Hand Signs // each chapter has a unique finger formation that symbolizes their greek letters. "throw what you know" is the phrase used for demonstrating your hand signs.

Hazing // any action, or situations created to produced mental or physical discomfort. sororities including Alpha Chi Omega have a strict anti-hazing policy. hazing is absolutely untollerated in our chapter.

Headquarters // the center building where the nation organization operates

House // where a chaper conducts meetings and where a portion of the sorority sisters live. some chapters also refer to the entire organization as a "house"

Informal Recruitment // a more relaxed method of recruitment held on the alternate semester from formal recruitment. informal rush is an opportunity for PNMs who didn't join in the fall, transfer students, and older women to pledge a sorority.

Initiation // a formal ceremony which marks the beginning of active membership. each chapter has a different set of requiremnts to be initiated. the ritual of initiation is kept confidential by each sorority.

Lawn Letters // the oversized wooden letters that sororities design, paint, and display at all their important greek events. posing with the giant lawn letters is a bid day tradition.

Legacy // the daughter, granddaughter, or sister of an alumna or active sorority member. each local chapter has its own policy reguarding offering membership to legacies. being a legazy does not mean automatic membership to a particular chapter. a legacy is offered a big on her own merits. some chapters extend legazy qualification to a stepmother, stepsister, or aunt as well.

Letters // the Greek letters of a sorority name. wearing letters is an honor. our letters are AXΩ

Little // each new member is called a little sister. she is given a "big" that serves as a mentor and guide throughout the new member period. there is a ceremonial reveal, gift giving, and other bonding traditions. this relationship remains strong even after the new member has been initiated.

New Member // a member of a sorority who has not been initiated. they are part of a new member class.

New Member Educator // an initiated member of the sorority who serves as the new member class teacher. she is their guide throughout the new member period.

New Member Period // the time between recieving a bid and initiation where the new member learns about the sorority beore becoming initiated. the process, prescribed by the sorority headquarters, teaches the history, ideals, and values of chapter life. the new member period is typically about 8 weeks long for our chapter.

Open House // the first part of formal recruitment, during which the PNMs visit all the chapters participating in recruitment

Paddle // a special gift into the sorority world. usually hand crafted and given to bigs by their littles. sometimes paddles are also given to the new member educator from the entire new member class. our sorority tradition includes littles giving their paddles to their bigs the night of iniation in exchange of a "basket".

Panhellenic Council (Panhel) // meaning "all Greek," it is the governing council on each campus for the sororities. the council oversees the chapters and coordinated sorority activities. respectives from each sorority serve on the council.

Philanthropy // the non-profit organization supported by a chapter. usually philanthripy affiliation is officially established by the national organization. chapters may also partner with individual local charities. members spend community service hours fundraiding and volunteering for their philanthropy.

Philanthropy Round // the second night of UNH's formal recruitment where sororities inform the PNMs of their philanthropy and what it means to them

Potential New Member (PNM) // a college woman who is participating in Pnahellenic formal or informal recruitment

Preference Night (Pref) // the final stage in the recruitment process in which the PNMs are invited to a formal event. traditionally, PNMs visit two sorority houses for a special round of recruitment. this is the last party before PNMs and chapters make their final decisions about membership.

Quota // the maximum number each sorority can pledge during formal recruitment. this number is determined by the Panhellenic council at each school and is based on many different factors.

Reveal // the event where bigs are revealed to their littles. following a week of secret clues and gifts, the big sisters stage a surprise revealing to their littles.

Rho Psi // a sorority member who temporarily disaffiliated from her sorority to assist PNMs in navigating formal recruitment. rho psis serve as group guides and are charged with providing impartial assistance to PNMs making sorority selections.

Ritual // secret ceremonies performed by sorority chapters, which are prescribed and endorsed by their headquarters. rituals are the outward depiction of the sorority's stated values, aims, and principles.

Sister // a term used by sorority members to refer to one another. the entire chapter is called a sisterhood.

Slogan // a succinct one sentence statement that summarized the primary value held by the sorority

Symbols // every sorority has their own collection of insignia which hold special significance. each sorority has a crest, colors, a flower, and a mascot or symbol. many chapters also have a designated jewel and slogan.