#disaffilation

So you're probably tired of hearing "I'm disaffiliated and can't tell you what chapter I'm in", "She's disaffiliated so she isn't a part of a chapter right now" and so on. So what's the big deal with hearing stuff like this? Why is it such a secret and no potential new member can know while going through formal recruitment? Well hopefully after reading this you'll understand why women on the recruitment team are required to be disaffiliated.

Being disaffiliated means that women on the recruitment team (all 6 recruitment counselors and the 3 officers) have taken off their letters temporarily to be unbiased during the formal recruitment process. These women will not participate in recruitment through a specific chapter and will be helping with Panhellenic sorority recruitment instead. Being disaffiliated means not attending any chapter-related things until after Bid Day. Having these women being disaffiliated is so important because they are neutral to the recruitment process and although they are away from their home temporarily they are more concerned with helping women who go through recruitment find theirs.

Being disaffiliated is not an easy process. This means being away from your sisters, best friends, and family during recruitment. But even though it may be difficult it is well worth it. Whenever we all run back to our chapters on Bid Day we know we've changed the lives of so many women.

During recruitment, if you notice you do know the affiliation of someone on the recruitment team make sure to keep their affiliation secret. It is important that someone's affiliation is not a guessing game so please refrain from figuring their affiliations out.

Next time you hear "Sorry I can't tell you what chapter I'm in because I'm disaffiliated" I hope you now understand why and how important it is we don't tell you. Being disaffiliated is hard, but we wouldn't be doing it if we knew that it wasn't worth it in the end. This team is full of some of the strongest, genuine, and kindhearted women and they can't wait to meet you. Always remember to rock on and go Greek!

xoxoxo

Meet Aubrey Nielsen.

I am on my third year and second major here at Drury. Right now I am a Secondary Education and Biology major with a minor in Spanish, but my freshman year I was going for a degree in Biochemistry. I am also on the cheerleading team here at Drury. When I graduate, I would love to teach high school science somewhere in the Springfield area and to keep up with my passion of cheerleading through coaching.

Why did you want to be a Rho Chi?

I debated on applying to be a Rho Chi my sophomore year, but I decided not to because I wanted to go through recruitment as an active member with my chapter first. When applications were sent out this year a lot of the girls in my chapter told me that I should go for it and that it would be something I’d enjoy. However, the deciding factor was how great my Rho Chi was my freshman year. I had an amazing experience with recruitment and most of that was due to how fun and friendly my Rho Chi was. I want every PNM to have as great of an experience as I did with recruitment.

Why did you Go greek?

I never thought I would go Greek. It’s just not something I would have ever seen myself doing. Being on the cheer team and having a difficult major my freshman year I thought that I wouldn’t have time for it. My roommate was going Greek and convinced me to at least go through recruitment with her, so I did. I signed up last minute at the activities fair. After spending the summer with the cheer team I still didn’t really connect with them, so I was hoping to find my home through Greek life.

Best Part?

The best part about recruitment was being able to learn about each chapter and see what they’re passionate about. Each chapter is so unique and it was really cool to see what each one valued most.

How was your Rho Chi/What kind of Rho Chi do you want to be?

As I said earlier, I had a great experience with recruitment and with my Rho Chi. I was super nervous and didn’t know a single thing about Greek life when I came to college. My Rho Chi was really good about explaining things as we went through recruitment and making me feel confident in my decisions. I was really unsure about my decisions on the final day and my Rho Chi ensured me that I was making a good choice and that I would be happy. I found my home and I want to do everything I can to help PNMs find their home here on campus.

Advice to PNMS

My biggest advice to PNMs is to keep an open mind! Keep an open mind about Greek life and keep an open mind about the chapters in general. When I went through recruitment I didn’t know anything about any of the chapters and at the time I hated being clueless. But, looking back on it now I think that it was a blessing in disguise. Don’t let anything anyone has told you or any stereotypes influence your decisions. Keep your mind and heart open when you visit each chapter and really listen and learn what they’re each about. You may be surprised!

What are you most excited about for this year’s recruitment?

I am so excited to work closely with the recruitment team! Each person is such a strong woman that I look up to and I cannot wait to learn from and grow with them. This is an absolutely amazing group of people and I truly think that the PNMs are in the best hands.

Favorite part of Drury Greek life?