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New year, new sisters: 5 tips for crushing spring recruitment

By Leslie Brockman Chunta, Contributing Writer (@texastechzeta)

As you return to campus with the mission of dominating the rest of the school year, it’s time to make decisions about the future members of your chapter through spring recruitment. Whether your chapter has Primary Recruitment in the spring or is planning to CROWN (what Panhellenic calls COB, continuous open bidding), remember these five tips to make sure you’re bringing in sisters that want the same things you do: to make ZTA theirs for a lifetime.

Pictured: @furmanzta during its spring recruitment

Remember that meeting people for the first time can be intimidating.

Recruitment events can be an awkward way to meet people for the first time, but it doesn’t have to be. Being vulnerable is hard, but the payoff is significant. Both the potential new member and the recruiter are taking risks by participating in a process like recruitment. But finding a place of common understanding—be it a shared passion for doggos or a love for intramurals—will give you both that comfort zone to be vulnerable and get to know each other.

Your conversation should be more than surface level.

I always say that my sister has the “gift of gab,” or the ability to talk to anyone about anything no matter how dull. In recruitment, this is a gift and a curse. You only have a finite amount of time to get to know someone deep enough to extend an invitation for a lifetime of sisterhood. Don’t waste your time talking about your love (or hate) of the Kardashians for 30 minutes. While sharing common experiences is a great icebreaker, you should aim to find out who that woman is on a more personal level. What are her interests? Does she want to be a leader? What is she seeking in a sisterhood?

Make time for funtivities.

For chapters that are hosting a smaller spring recruitment event or need to CROWN, a joint activity between the chapter and PNMs is a great way for women to interact while getting to know each other. Make your time together count. Whether you host a mani/pedi party, board game night or service event to craft cards for a retirement home, do something that will get chapter members excited about spending time with the PNMs. It also eases that tension we discussed above.

Pictured: @ztarutgers during its spring recruiment

Progressing through recruitment is like the stages of dating.

For those diving into Primary Recruitment this spring, remember that each time you see a PNM is a chance to get to know her on a more personal level. Just like when you date, you have the first date, you get married and you buy a house. In a formal recruitment situation, you are progressing through all the steps in a matter of three to four days. You’re asking new members to make a commitment to ZTA not for four years, but for a lifetime. You’ve made that commitment, so you want to know the women who will follow after you are ready to make that same promise.

You get what you give.

Every time you bring in a new pledge class, you’re adding another layer to the foundation of your chapter. Will your chapter be strong and stable and present for the years to come? Or will it be weak and easy to tear down? Use this opportunity to seek women who fill the gaps your chapter may have. Looking to boost your GPA? Seek women who prioritize academics. Need more student leaders on campus? Select women who have had leadership positions in the past and want to continue finding ways to serve their campus and community. But in return, you also have to show them that those things they find important are important to you, too.

Pictured: @longwoodzta-blog during the chapter’s Bid Day

Recruitment represents the opportunity to grow your chapter’s legacy. It is an exciting time to grow our sisterhood. Enjoy the moment and savor the time together. You’ll always remember you were a part of something bigger than yourself and that you invited other people to join you on the journey.

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ZTA Joins NPC Executive Committee as Vice Chairman

By Monica Ceja, Extension Coordinator (@utsazta alumna)

This week, several ZTA leaders attended the National Panhellenic Conference Annual Meeting with key leaders of NPC’s 25 other member organizations to conduct business, learn about trends in Panhellenic communities and higher education, and share information.

ZTA’s NPC Delegation, left to right: Stephanie Arnette Powell, NPC Alternate Delegate II, @georgiazta Meghan Vicinus Parker, Executive Director, @okstatezeta Carolyn Hof Carpenter, National President, @unczta Laura Ladewig Landers, NPC Delegate, @txstatezeta Malaea Nelms Seleski, NPC Alternate Delegate I, @unazta Katie People Zamulinsky, NPC Alternate Delegate III, @ztarutgers

This meeting was extra special for ZTA as one of our sisters joined the NPC Executive Committee. Malaea Nelms Seleski, former NPC Delegate and current NPC Alternate Delegate I, assumed the role of NPC Vice Chairman, and she will become the NPC Chairman in 2019.

Carole Jones (right), Alpha Omicron Pi and NPC Chairman, installs Malaea as NPC Vice Chairman

The NPC Chairman and Vice Chairman serve in an established order of rotation, so this opportunity only comes around once every 52 years for each of the 26 NPC member organizations. In 2019, Malaea will be only the THIRD Zeta to hold the office of NPC Chairman since ZTA joined the NPC in 1906.

“I’m so thankful for the opportunity to serve, but it’s all about what we can accomplish together,” Malaea said.

During her time in office, Malaea and ZTA will strive to:

SEEK,

SERVE,

LEAD

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Long-Distance Sisterhood

By Jenna Uszenski, Contributing Writer (Kappa Nu Chapter, Monmouth University)

When love is the greatest of all things, it’s easy to make lifelong friends through our sisterhood. However, like any relationship, cultivating sisterhood takes work and effort. It is especially hard once you graduate and don’t get to see your sisters daily or when your best friend moves to a different state or even coast.

pictured: @ztarutgers​

I firmly believe “distance makes the heart grow fonder.” When you have an amazing connection with someone, especially a sister through the bonds of our Creed, no distance can come between you. Throughout my 10 years as a Zeta, I have developed some ways to keep in touch with my closest sisters across the country.

Make plans. My closest sister from college lives in a different state. After graduation, it was weird not seeing her every day on campus. It took true effort to make time for each other. We started planning weekends together that included some of our non-Zeta friends and even our families so we could see each other more. And then we made a pact to see each other once every month, no matter what or for how long—we had to do it. We found the midpoint between our homes and met for weekend brunches. Then we got creative and starting taking weekend trips and vacations to the Caribbean. Since that pact, we have not missed a beat, and now my sorority sister’s family and friends are close friends of mine, too!

pictured: @texaszetataualpha

Schedule phone dates. From the moment I met my Grand-little during her recruitment, we shared a special bond. She was practically my twin; we had the same interests, quirks, majors and much more. We became instant friends before she even joined our sisterhood. After graduation, she decided to take advantage of an amazing opportunity and move across the country to Arizona. I was so happy for her and her new adventure but nervous at the same time for our relationship. We decided to schedule phone calls with each other and found that talking during our drives to and from work worked with both of our schedules and complimented the time difference. This still works for us and our relationship has remained strong. I actually just got back from her wedding in Arizona.

pictured: Jenna and her Grand-little

Become pen pals. Throughout my time as an alumna and ZTA volunteer, I established an amazing bond with another sister from my chapter. We hit it off instantly as we worked together as collegiate advisors. I consider her my alumna “Big” as she helped me grow in my ZTA position, as well as in my professional and personal life. She truly is the epitome of a Big Sister, and I thank her regularly or making me the strong woman I am today. She recently moved south with her family for a new opportunity. Much like my grand Little, I was ecstatic for her but devastated to see her go. The move happened fast, and within a month, she was scheduling time for goodbyes. Unfortunately, with our schedules, saying “goodbye” was not doable. As we cried on the phone trying to plan something, we decided maybe it was better not to say goodbye and to continue our friendship like nothing had changed. In reality, I really only saw her once every month or so, and our relationship was already so strong from texting and talking on the phone. So we decided to become pen pals, a lost art due to technology, and share the books we are reading with one another.

pictured: @arkansaszta

Life happens, but you make time for the people that matter. And when you meet sisters that shape your life for the better, distance means nothing. No distance can break the bonds of sisterhood.

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