Search results matching tags 'Greek life' and 'sorority'

What I wish I knew then that I know now...

BUTaylorM — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:04:00 GMT

Let me start this off by saying that it finally feels like fall. It's lovely. As I look back on all the time I have already spent here, I thought of all the things that I have learned in the past few weeks... thing I wish I had known before I started school. I don't want to leave everyone in the dark so I will shed light on some burning, prospective students' questions.

1. Flex-Dollars/Dawg Bucks/Meal Plan(s)

I am not going to sugar coat it. As an incoming student, meal plans are confusing. I had no idea what flex dollars were, what dawg bucks were, if they were the same thing, or how to use them. Flex Dollars are points, essentially, that come when you get your meal plan. I, for example, have a 240 meal block plan and it comes with $150 flex dollars. The 240 meals can be used at Atherton or ResCo dining halls (or through the C-Club Meal exchange, which I will explain in a minute.) and they last for the semester. I have, honestly, had trouble getting to meals at Atherton because I have a busy schedule and, often, I don't worry about my meals. Flex Dollars last only for the semester and don't roll over. Dawg Bucks do. Also, Dawg Bucks are something you buy to supplement your flex dollars if you go through them quickly. You can use your flex dollars/dawg bucks at C-Club, Starbucks, or the Zia juice bar in the HRC (health and recreation center). *see below for useful sites about meal plans*

2. C-Club Meal Exchange

I love the meal exchange. It is available from 4:30-9:30 PM at C-Club. Basically, you get yummy food like wraps, sandwiches, quesadillas, or chicken strips with a side and a drink and it counts as one of your meals rather than deducting from your flex dollars. If this weren't an option and I went to C-Club as often as I do, I would be out of flex dollars already. This is something I highly recommend you use as an incoming student.

3. Wi-Fi/Internet Access

Before I came to Butler, I was unaware of the fact that the campus in its entirety is not wireless. However, don't let this deter you from Butler. Schwitzer Hall now has wireless internet (Ross Hall does not) and buildings like Jordan, Gallahue, Holcomb, and the Pharmacy building have wireless, too. The thing is... Butler is an old campus (that was something that attracted me to the campus) and things like wireless and air conditioning are hard to install in the beautiful old stone buildings but like I said we are on our way to a wireless campus. In all honesty, I haven't had too many problems with internet connections or any of that.

4. Homecoming/High School-like Events

Currently, Butler is having Homecoming Week. It's really exciting as the sidewalks are covered in chalk... a huge thing here at Butler (if you need to know what's going on, just look where you're walking). Just this past weekend, there was an '80s dance. I wasn't really aware that there are still dances, homecoming, and clubs like high school. If that is something you were afraid of losing from high school, fear not! It is still here! If that is something you thought would go away, fear not! You don't have to go to Homecoming... there are plenty of other things to do. College is kind of awesome like that.

5. Dry Houses versus Wet Houses

A dry house is a fraternity/sorority that cannot have alcohol on its premises. All the sororities and one of the fraternities are dry houses. Now, for some that may sound like a terrible thing. What's college without parties, right? Well, I am not condoning underage drinking whatsoever but WHEN you are of age, there are places to have a good time. The nice thing about dry houses is that they are, generally, a lot cleaner. Without alcohol, there aren't parties where the house gets trashed.

6. Greek Life

Like I said above, we have wet and dry houses. Another thing I didn't know, specifically regarding Butler, is that Butler's sororities/fraternities are not off in their own little world. There isn't a divide between the 2 groups. In fact, there is a club, Independent Council, that serves to join the 2 groups together: Greeks and Non-Greeks. Also, because Butler is not a large state school... you won't find the groups separated. Campus is united... something I didn't know. Another thing that is really great about the Greek system here at Butler is that you don't rush until your second semester (unlike Purdue and Ball State where bid day has come and gone). This allows you to really get to know the houses, the girls, and Butler's campus in general. You won't have to make a rash decision because you have no time. Awesome, no?

7. Hall Commodities

Things Schwitzer Hall has that I didn't know about:

-Kitchenette for each unit (microwave, sink, recycling bins)

-Kitchen with stove/oven in basement

-Movies/kitchen utensils, pots, and such

-Ice machine

-Laundry Room

-Computer Lab

-Study Rooms

-TV lounge

Granted, you will see/hear a lot of this if you go on a tour or to information sessions but still... it's nice to know that you really don't need a microwave in your room. It's all there at your disposal. Who knew?

8. Club involvement

Something I learned really quickly here at college is that you do not want to get overly involved with clubs because the meetings will overlap and it's not worth it. It is more useful and tactful to choose a few clubs to get really involved in and focus on them. Granted, that is just my opinion and there will be other people that tell you otherwise but I have always found my time to mean much more to an organization when it is focused and not worrying about other things (if that makes sense). To each his own, I suppose.

8. Free Stuff/Free Events

5 words: College students LOVE free stuff. It's everywhere. Find it and get it! You'll never need a pen or notepad ever again and pizza will never taste as good unless it is free.

9. Laundry

I am not going to lie to you- laundry is expensive. If you have 5 loads of laundry, it will end up costing $10+ if you wash and dry it. If you do your laundry at a busy time, like Sunday, then you will have to wait. Either way, laundry can take forever. Some tips that I have found useful are

Only wash what you need (if it's something you won't use for awhile, let it sit in your basket until you can take it home)
Make a makeshift dryer in your room using a drying rack and fans
Watch your laundry 24/7. Take your books/laptop and work while you wait.
Moms will help with laundry (THANKS MOM!)
Sort your clothes before you get there.
Fold clean clothes in your room (the laundry room can get a little gross... same goes for above).
Get the most out of your money... don't wash small loads because it will cost the same either way.
This is what I do while waiting:

I would like to credit my unit friends: Bethany R., Bethany G., Laura S., Lexi C., and Megan R. with giving me some extra ideas and thoughts on BU.

Hope this was useful, Dawgs.

P.S. Meal Plan info:

Meal Plan Terms

Meal Plan FAQ

Re: sorority

ChristinaL — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:51:32 GMT

[quote user="Callie"]

Hi!I am going to be a student athlete at Butler but I also wanted to consider being in a sorority....would be it to overwhelming to be in a sorority and be in a sport?? -Callie

[/quote]

Hey Callie! Seitu is right that you have to consider the other time factors in your schedule, but I know there are lots of Butler athletes who are in sororities. We have had several members of the golf team in my house, and we currently have two swimmers. Our chapter president (a huge job) is also the captain of the lacrosse team, which is a club sport, but still a big time commitment, so it is definitely possible. At Butler, we don't have formal recruitment for sororities until second semester, so you would have time to adjust to college and know more about your schedule before committing to a sorority.

The Spice Girls, live at Hinkle Fieldhouse

ChristinaL — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:52:29 GMT

One of my initiatives for Panhel, the group which oversees all the sororities, is for us to be a united force of women supporting women. So, I organized a fun evening for all the sorority women at a BU women's basketball game which was on ESPN. The theme was "Spice Up the Night! Girl power for women's basketball" and we had a Spice Girls costume contest and Spice Girl themed games (the sing-a-long was very popular).

Here I am with a full set of all 5 Spice Girls from Pi Phi. I had to be Scary because of my curly hair... my roomie Kim even went all out and dyed her hair red to be Ginger!

The event was SO much fun and it was the largest turnout at a women's basketball game in YEARS... success!

My Greek family at Initiation!

ChristinaL — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:45:26 GMT

My little sis Jackie and her little sis (my grand little!) Stephanie at initiation for Pi Phi. Part of this special day is letters and Pi Phi presents for our new members.

Behind Closed Doors: Sorority Sister Week

ChristinaL — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 17:54:00 GMT

Hey friends! I’m sorry it’s been awhile… things have been craaaaazy here at BU as we just had our first week of the spring semester, and all of that coming right off of formal recruitment for the Greek community. Steph and Liz have done a great job of showing you what it is like to go through as a freshman in their blogs, so I wanted to take some time to talk about the other side of recruitment, which is not so easy to see – the mysteries that happen behind the beautiful facades of the Butler sorority houses!

Ok, obviously I’m being melodramatic. I just know that many people want to imagine Greek life as this crazy hidden web of secrets and drama, and to be on the inside and know how things really are, that makes me laugh.

For those of you who (like me before I came to Butler) know absolutely nothing about Greek Life, let’s do a little primer on Formal Recruitment, or as they may call it in the movies, “rush.”

At Butler, we have our recruitment in the spring semester, so that first year students can take time to adjust to college, grow up, meet people, make their own friends, develop new interests, and observe all the houses before they are asked to make a decision about joining one. The week before classes start in the spring, everyone interested comes back to campus. Men’s recruitment is a little different, but for the women, we have a five-day process. The first day there are eight parties, and for each party, women go to a different house, where they meet and talk to the members for about 45 minutes.

However, imagine hosting 400 girls in YOUR house, all in one day. Obviously it couldn’t just be a random free-for-all kind of party. Who is going to sit where? Where do we put our guest’s coats? How do we get everyone in and out in a timely manner? These are all things that we have to plan from the sorority side. We also have to get our house clean, move furniture, decorate, prepare the entertainment, etc. For these reasons, we a) move back to our house a few days before the freshmen come back and b) pretty much stay in our house all day* – there’s lots to get done! (*exceptions are made for late-night Steak n Shake runs. There is always time for milkshakes and cheese fries, my friends.)

At Pi Beta Phi, we call this time Sister Week, because as much work as there is to be done, you will never find a week when our house is more filled with laughter, inside jokes, and sisterly fun. During recruitment week, people usually ask me if I’m going crazy being “stuck” in my house, but I love it. It is the one week when we don’t have class or work or clubs or anything to worry about except being together and growing closer, and of course, there is nothing to help bond you like working towards a common goal. Whether I’m painting a banner with my best friend, unpacking with my roommate, or going on a hunt for a huge ladder with my small group, there is always fun to be had. And of course, when you're up late decorating... there are BOUND to be some 4 am N'SYNC dance parties.

Me, my roommate Kim, and one of the coolest sophomores I know (Colleen Kelly aka CoKe) doing "the E-Fay" dance move in tribute to one of our graduated sisters, Emily Fay. Don't judge... we had been decorating allllll night... gotta keep it fun : )

Still, we also make sure to have some official playtime. In between our all-house-cleans, decorating and skit rehearsal, we would play Sardines (like group Hide & Go Seek – it’s awesome in a big old house) or share Remember When?s. This is probably our favorite game ever, and consists of someone saying “Remember when…” and then retelling one of our funny stories for the whole house to hear. I love remembering all the funny ones I’ve been around for (or starred in… see the blog about the time I almost burned the house down) but I also love hearing the stories that come from before I even joined the house, and hearing them passed down to our sophomores.

Recruitment is also a time when lots of our alumni come to visit and help out. My Big Sis graduated last year, but she came back to help us decorate and we ran around the house being crazy and ridiculous like always, catching up, and remembering all the good times we’ve had.

My Big Sis Ariel and I! I miss having her around SO much but I was so glad she could come visit during recruitment.

However, my favorite thing about recruitment this year was definitely getting to know all the sophomores better. Since I was studying abroad last semester, I didn’t have as much time to get to know them, and I kind of remembered them as being young and quieter then our outgoing upperclassmen. But when I moved back in to Pi Phi for recruitment, I saw how much they had grown up. All the sophomores now live in the house and have really made it their own. They have leadership positions and always step up to help out; even the shy ones have become outgoing and friendly, and I noticed that they have all grown so much closer to each other and to the older members. They are truly part of the family, and I feel so lucky to have them as sisters. I have gotten to witnes how cool they all are and I love just seeing them around the house with all their antics every day.

Having a home with different generations of women is what makes living in a sorority so amazing to me. The Pi Phis who have come before me inspire me, brighten up my life and make me a better person… and the ones who follow me do, too! I know now that when I graduate, my house will be in amazing hands.

Speaking of the next generation, I am SO excited about our newest Pi Phi Angels!

It has now been exactly one week since we welcomed them into the family on Bid Day, but it already seems like I have known them so much longer. I think I know why. We like to say that Pi Phi is not something girls become; it’s who they already are, and that’s why they were chosen to be here. They have always had that friendly and beautiful spirit that we look for, and so even though I am just getting to know them, I already care about them so much. I am really looking forward to spending time with all of them this spring. Who knows? I may even decide to live in the house again next year so we can spend even more time together.

At any rate, this was my last recruitment from the inside! I was recently elected Vice President of Educational Planning for the Panhellenic Council, which oversees sorority life here at Butler and runs recruitment for the new members. So, next year I will be outside in the cold with the freshmen, lining them up as they eagerly wait to go into the houses and find their new homes. It will be different, and I know it will be very hard to miss Sister Week, but if running recruitment helps women to find a home as happy and wonderful as mine, I know it will be worth it.

Thanks to my friend (and all-star recruitment counselor) Erikaa for this pic of the Panhel side of recruitment!

All you need is THETA LOVE!

SarahG — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:38:00 GMT

I'm a KAPPA ALPHA THETA!!!!!!!!

As you can probably tell, I am SUPER excited to be a part of this sorority! Theta was my first choice and I definitely made the right decision! Bid day was an absolute blast.... we got sweatshirts, scarfs, shirts, and totes... ate pizza with our new sisters... and even went ice skating at the pepsi colosseum! I've been so excited this week to wear my Theta gear! I know this post is exclamation overload, but I am seriously beyond thrilled to be a KAO! I would most definitely recommend going through recruitment... the roller coaster ride is completely worth the end result!

If you have any questions about sorority life, just let me know! You can learn along with me!

Recruitment

SarahG — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 01:09:00 GMT

Although formal recruitment has only been going on for a few days, I'm already exhausted from all of the events. The first day we went to all seven of the sorority houses, the second day we went to six, and today we went to four. Each day is a little different, and today was definitely my favorite. All of the sororities put on skits that really showed the personalities of their individual houses. So tonight we had to narrow our choice down to two houses. It seems like a simple process, but it has actually been quite stressful. Not only do you have to pick the houses you like, but in turn the houses have to invite you back. I'm not going to lie, it can be a bit upsetting when you don't get invited back to a house you had your heart set on. Luckily, I have two great houses that I'll hopefully get to return to tomorrow. (Curious? -- You'll just have to wait until I join one!) In the end it'll be worth it because I know I'll find the house that is truly right for me!

PS -- Don't get me wrong, this process has been a lot of fun. You get to meet a ton of really great girls who you might have never had the opportunity to know otherwise. If you come to Butler, I would definitely recommend giving greek life a try... it might just surprise you how different it really is here (in a good way)!

Panhellenic Dessert

SarahG — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:55:00 GMT

All throughout the fall semester there have been various events held by the Panhellenic Association. This association works to inform interested students on the different aspects of Greek life. Now, ever since coming to Butler, I've known that I would want to join a sorority. (Which is odd to me, because in high school I never really wanted to.) I don't know exactly what it was that changed my mind, but now just the thought of being a part of a sorority excites me. However, this proposes a new problem... which house to join! Although it's not an easy decision, the Butler Panhellenic Association does a great job with helping students to make the right choice. Not only have I had the opportunity to go on tours of all of the houses, but I've been invited to eat dinner by several girls from different sororities.

Last week there was a "Panhellenic Dessert" held to answer questions the students might have about Greek life. It was a great chance to get input from girls who have experienced living in a sorority. (Plus, we got free dessert... which is ALWAYS a good thing!) :]