Going through Sorority Recruitment

 

Here at NKU we are gearing up for sorority recruitment weekend! I can't believe it has already been a year since I went through recruitment and found my home with Delta Gamma. It can definitely be a nerve racking experience. Here are some of my top tips for those going through recruitment:

 

• Bring Snacks! Recruitment requires long days/nights so bring some snacks and drink plenty of water.
• Wear Flats. Or bring flip flops to walk in and change into your heels right before the party. You may have to walk around your campus to get from one chapter to the other.
• Talk about yourself. The girls really want to get to know you to see what you can bring to their chapter. Don't be afraid to share your accomplishments and your goals for college.
• Stand Out. The women in each chapter will be meeting hundreds of potential new members, so try to wear a little something each night that will make you stand out and be remembered. Think a cute pair of shoes, something in your hair, etc.
• Keep negative comments to yourself. When I went through recruitment there were girls in my group that openly talked badly about specific chapters. Just because a chapter isn't a perfect fit for you doesn't mean it wasn't meant for someone else. If someone does end up joining the chapter you dissed, that girl will always remember what you said.
•  Remember that each school is different. Just because you heard something about a sorority at a different school, doesn't mean that it is true for the chapter at the school you are going to. Plus, don't believe everything you hear. Its important to experience things for yourself. Each college has their own unique Greek community.
• Don't let a guy influence your decision. Join the sorority that is the best fit for you, not the one your current guy thinks is the most popular.

How will I know when I have found the right chapter?

For me, it was when the conversation came easily. I could see that the girls had high standards. I felt like I could relax when I was with them and at the end of their party I didn't want to leave.

 

 

Sorority Ever After is a great website with more detailed information and advice about recruitment.

 

Good luck to everyone going through recruitment!

 

 

 

 



Getting Involved on Campus

 

The number one piece of advice that we give incoming students is to get involved in at least one student organization on campus. Joining an organization will help you meet new people who will help you along your college journey. Plus its fun and gives you something to do!

 

This weekend was full of campus involvement for me. Friday was one of our biggest campus events of the year: Fresh Fusion. Basically it is a huge organizations fair. All of the campus organizations set up booths and there is free food and stuff like airbrushed banners. All of the incoming students get to talk to organizations that they are interested in.

 

The Orientation Leaders even got to do a fun dance to kick the whole event off.

 

 

I was there representing my sorority, Delta Gamma. We also had our first meeting of the year this weekend getting ready for recruitment. It was great to see all of my sisters again and pose with our new wooden letters!

 

Our campus also gives us the opportunity to do a lot of service for the community. On Saturday I participated in "Service on Saturday" and worked a giant blow up slide at a family festival sponsored by Girl Scouts. Even though it was super hot, hearing the children giggle as they came down the slide was worth it.

 

Check with your campus's Office of Student Life to see what you can get involved in!

 



Last Summer Weekend

While I am excited for classes to start tomorrow, it seems like this summer has flown by. My last weekend before school was super busy!

Friday was Freshmen Move-In Day.

My Delta Gamma sisters and I were on Move In Crew. It was great to be able to meet some new students and see their excitement about starting their college career. I can't believe it has been two years since I first moved in!

Friday night was our soccer game against UK.

I got to be a part of history here at NKU since this was our first home game as a Division 1 university. Plus, it was a record setting audience! The game ended in a tie at 2-2 and made me super excited to cheer on our Division 1 Norse in the Atlantic Sun Conference this year.

Saturday we had Rock and Jock.

Rock and Jock is basically a big kick-off for Greek recruitment and the Orientation Leaders got to wear our letters in front of the freshmen for the first time.

I also got to be reunited with my Delta Gamma sisters and talk to some great freshmen that are interested in going through recruitment.

Finally, today was the Orientation Leader Reunion Picnic so we got to see all of our freshmen again before school starts.

I had a blast at all of the events! It was a great way to end the summer and I hope it is a sign that this will be a great semester.

Good luck to everyone starting classes tomorrow!



Dorm Decor: Clothesline for Photos

This year I am lucky to have an apartment style dorm and I have been working on getting settled in this week. I love displaying pictures in my dorm because it makes it feel even more like home. Today I added this clothes line style decor to my wall to display pictures and cards.

I attached small Command hooks in the corner of each side of the wall. I tied yarn that I got on sale for .88 to each hook. Because the clothespins are a little heavy for the yarn I also used sticky tabs to attach the string to the wall. The tabs are covered by the tissue paper flowers.

To make the flowers I cut out circles from tissue paper (2 circles per flower) and folded them in together. I then stapled the circles together in the back and stuck them over the sticky tabs.

I can't wait to add more pictures and cards as the school year progresses! Here is what it looks like on the whole wall:



Favorite Five Friday: Dorm Essentials

Freshmen move-in day for NKU is a week away! I can’t wait for the campus to be busy with people again. This will be my third year living in the dorms so I wanted to share some dorm essentials that you might not think about.

1. Mattress Cover and Pad

Protect your bed from bed bugs with a cover that zippers around your entire mattress. Then add some comfort with an extra mattress pad. You never know how old that mattress is or who used it before you.

2. Clothes Drying Rack

A lot of my friends were amazed when they first say this is my room because they had never used one before. It folds up for easy storage and allows you to save money on laundry. If I’m afraid something will draw up I always put it on this drying rack versus a regular dryer.

3. Good Wall Adhesives

If your dorm is older it will be tough to get things to stick to the walls and most places forbid using nails. The worst thing is having your bulletin board fall on you in the middle of the night. I attached ribbon to things I wanted to hang and invested in some Command hooks. Adhesive tape is helpful as well.

4. Power Strip

Your room will not come with many outlets and you will have to share them with your roommate. Make sure you have a power strip to ensure you can plug in your mini-fridge, printer, alarm clock, etc.

5. Make-up Mirror

Your own mirror will be a lifesaver when you and your roommate are trying to get ready at the same time or you don’t want to go to the floor bathroom. Plus, dorm lighting usually isn’t the best for applying make-up.

These are just a few items that I have really found helpful in my years of living in a dorm. My advice is to come with the essentials and buy more as you discover that you need it. Freshmen usually end up overbuying and sending a lot of stuff back home after the first few months.

Also, for move in day I suggest suitcases or bags with handles or wheels versus the big tubs. The tubs get very heavy, the lids don’t stay on well, and they are hard to carry.

I hope this is helpful! Get excited for move-in day!



Orientation

The Last Orientation

Last Thursday and Friday was our last 2-day orientation of the summer and I am finally getting my pictures uploaded! This summer as an orientation leader has been very busy and tiring, but also rewarding. If you ever have the chance to become an orientation leader at your school I highly recommend it. Not only did I get to meet and work with amazing students and staff, it reminded me of why I fell in love with NKU in the first place.

To all of the freshmen that I got to meet, I can't wait to see you on campus soon! Getting to know you guys is the best part of this job. I am going to be so proud to see you get involved as you grow and find your place here at NKU.

This whole experience wouldn't have been the same without all of the people I met and become friends with so I have a few people I need to thank:

Small Group Partner Chanell

Chanell, it has been such an honor to work so closely with you this summer! I couldn't have picked a better small group partner and I am proud of all the work we did together. You are one of the coolest people I know and I admire your individuality and confidence. I can't wait to see all of the amazing things you do at NKU this year! Classic Peg for life!!!

Roommate Erin

You are the best roommate ever! I am so thankful that our paths crossed at NKU because you are the kindest person that I know. I will miss watching Food Network Star with you, the way you turn the sound down on the TV when you get scared, and waking up in the middle of the night talking to you. Thank you for being such an amazing roommate! Missing you already!

The Orientation Leaders

All of the other orientation leaders added fun to every part of this summer. While they aren't all in this picture, I am thankful for the opportunity to work with all of them. It has been great to have the opportunity to get to know people on campus that I might not have hung out with before. This group of leaders has definitely made its mark on NKU and the freshmen class!

School Spirit

This post will be pretty short because I am exhausted! The orientation office had a super busy day. This morning we gave tours to high school students that are interested in coming to NKU. Then we got the chance to take part in a photo shoot on campus for the NKU Admissions office. Finally, we put on an orientation for transfer and non-traditional students and set up for tomorrow's orientation.

Amidst all of these events we even found time to have a little fun with the Victor E. Viking costume. Victor is actually in a contest right now for the best mascot in our new Atlantic Sun division. You can vote for him here: VOTE! 

Orientation leaders definitely know how to have fun!

Even though it was a busy day, it is great to be able to have a job that allows us to share our love for NKU. One of the best parts of our job is getting to tell high school students and incoming freshmen about how awesome our school is. I can't believe my time as an orientation leader is almost over and school starts in less than a month. However, it will be awesome to show my school spirit by supporting our Division 1 sports teams this fall for the first time!



Free Events!

Who doesn't love free events? The summer orientation leaders were gifted with free tickets for a suite at the roller derby yesterday! Naturally, we were curious to see what actually happens at a roller derby having only seen them in movies. I talked my orientation small group partner, Chanell, into going with me so that we could mark this event off of our bucket list.

We definitely felt like V.I.P. in our super cool suite! Not only did it include comfy seats, there is a mini-fridge, T.V., bar area, and personal bathroom. Here we are checking it out:

Thankfully the event program included a guide to the basics of roller derby or I would have been completely lost! Each team has a "jammer" that tries to break through the other team during a "jam". After the jammer breaks through, they can score points for each subsequent time they pass the other team. There are different types of blocks the teams can use but I wasn't advanced enough to learn those. Oh, and of course this is all on skates! This would definitely not be the sport for me because I am an awful skater! One of the most entertaining parts for the orientation leaders was learning all the nicknames of the girls. You can imagine the fun they had cheering for "Spank You Very Much" and others humorous nicknames.  

With summer coming to a close this was a great opportunity to mark something off our bucket list for free! If you want to mark "attending a roller derby" off your bucket list or learn more about it check out the Black-N-Bluegrass Roller Girls.