Colgate Panhellenic Association Welcome Letter Dear Potential New Members, Welcome to 2012 Formal Recruitment! I am very excited that each of you has made the decision to explore sorority life at Colgate and gain an insight into each chapter’s values and character. Before you share your personalities, interests, and backgrounds with us, I want to share a story with you. When I was in high school, I didn’t think I would ever join a sorority. I’d seen Legally Blonde too many times to count, and though “Woods comma Elle” was entertaining, she painted a picture of sorority girls that was silly and… pink. My perspective slowly shifted during my freshman year at Colgate as I got the sense that, here, sorority women were different than the “Miss America” types I’d heard about at other schools. I didn’t know many, but one sorority woman that I was friends with was creative and wrote a cooking & fashion blog complete with her own photographs. Another sorority friend was inclusive and spoke to me about her close ties with her family. Sophomore year, I participated in Formal Recruitment and joined a chapter whose mission and members resonated with me. Today, I am lucky to be surrounded by women who inspire me, give me advice and make me laugh like crazy, many of whom I don’t think I would have met had I not joined a sorority. And now that I am an officer for the Panhellenic Association, I am convinced every day of the strength of Colgate’s three sorority chapters and the fact that here, we use the lens of Greek life for good. Particularly in recent years, I am impressed by the interconnectedness of our female Greek community – it seems that each chapter sees its success in the success of the other two as we work collectively to make an impact on Colgate’s campus and on each other. Together, we sponsor many philanthropic and educational initiatives per semester, we serve as leaders in nearly every corner of Colgate’s extracurricular life, and we achieve an all-sorority GPA that is higher than the all-university (and all-fraternity!) GPA. We’re not perfect, but sorority members at Colgate are certainly at a high point of self-reflection and innovative problem solving, bringing us into an even more mutually supportive and empowering future. So, I urge you to keep an open mind and think of Formal Recruitment not as an end invitation to a specific chapter, but as an opportunity to learn more about and potentially join a greater community that is fun and kind, intelligent and ambitious, interested and interesting. I hope that you will show us your true self, for it is the celebration of your uniqueness that will enrich our existing chapters. We have hand selected amazing Recruitment Counselors to support you throughout this process, and Pam and Lindsay will always be available to you this week. However, if at any point during this experience you would like to talk to me (questions, concerns, comments, anything at all…) please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. I mean it. Wishing you all the best, Katie Rapp Colgate Panhellenic Association Inclusivity Statement The Panhellenic Association governs Colgate’s three nationally recognized female Greek letter organizations, Delta Delta Delta, Gamma Phi Beta and Kappa Kappa Gamma. Panhellenic values sisterhood and philanthropy, manages sorority recruitment and creates and maintains standards for member chapters. Panhellenic is working to: Continue to encourage and provide resources for exceptional academic achievement. Establish a growing number of opportunities for officers and other Greek members to take active roles as leaders in our school and broader community. Create educational events meant to enrich the intellectual and personal growth of chapter members and the greater Colgate community, with a focus on women’s wellness issues such as body image and female solidarity. Better the Hamilton community through communication with key Hamilton leaders to assess how we can support the needs of the town through service projects. The Panhellenic Association values diversity and will recruit potential new members on an inclusive and non-discriminatory basis without regard to race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, or socioeconomic status To further the Panhellenic Association commitment to value diversity and nondiscrimination we... o create welcoming and receptive environments for potential new members from diverse backgrounds and experiences o recruit and support the needs of a diverse group of young women, including providing financial support in the form of awards where needed o explore genuine and new avenues for connecting with, and welcoming women from all walks of life into Formal Recruitment Schedule of Events Monday, September 3rd: Information session for all PNMs, Love Auditorium, 7pm Wednesday, September 5th: Go Greek Night, parties begin at 5 pm Thursday, September 6th: Sisterhood Night, parties begin at 5 pm Friday, September 7th: Philanthropy Night, parties begin at 4 pm Saturday, September 8th: Preference Night, parties begin at 5 pm Sunday, September 9th: Bid Day, bids handed out between 11 am and 1 pm Colgate Panhellenic Association Contact Information President: Katie Rapp, [email protected] VP of Recruitment: Pam Duncan, [email protected] VP of Recruitment: Lindsay Martin, [email protected]