. Kappa Phi Lambda . Mu Chapter .

What is rush? What does it involve?

Rush is a period of time at the beginning of every semester where Greek organizations (fraternities, sororities, and co-ed fraternities) try to recruit members. If you choose to participate, you become a rushee. There are no commitments or promises made during rush, so don't worry about any kind of obligations. During this time, we hold a mix of events where we try to give you a bigger picture of who we are, what we do, and what each sister within Kappa Phi Lambda is like. We hold events such as informational question and answer sessions, a small project to give back to the community, and a night out with the Sisters to get to know each other more. We also host a bunch of fun events; in the past we've had make-your-own-sundae nights, game nights, a night of shopping, and social mixers with fraternities on campus, just to name a few. Basically we try to condense a bunch of activities into a week so that you can get a sense of whether or not you fit with us and we fit with you. Wear what you want, say what you want. Just be yourself! It's usually a great week, lots of fun, and totally FREE for you to attend!

What are the requirements to join? Do you have to be Asian?

In order to be eligible to participate in the intake process, you must have a GPA of at least 2.3 and be currently enrolled at Umass Amherst. You do NOT have to be Asian. We have many different nationalities represented within Kappa, and as a cultural sorority we encourage diversity and the last thing we would do is discriminate. We also look for individuals who were involved with a lot of clubs and community service activities in high school, although if you haven't done many extra-curricular activities that doesn't mean that you can't rush, or that you won't get a bid!

What is a bid? How do I get one?

After the end of rush week, we ask that you come in and spend some time talking to sisters one-on-one during Interviews. This is the final chance that we have to get to know you a little better before we give out bids, which is an invitation for you to participate in our intake process for our sorority. Interviews usually last about an hour or less and they are just a question and answer session where we ask you about your personality and who you are. In order to be eligible to receive a bid, you must attend a minimum of 3 rush events, 1 General Interest Meeting, fill out the application given to you at the GIM, and attend Interviews. Once you receive a bid, you have 24 hours to tell us that whether or not you accept or decline our invitation for you to take the next step--pledging!

What is the intake process? I heard it was really hard! Do you haze?

If you accept your bid, you become inducted in a formal ceremony with the rest of your pledge class (the girls that also accepted their bids). After induction, you are all officially intakes. The other members of your class, your pledge sisters and you are on your journey towards sisterhood! There are no specific guidelines on how long it will be, or how hard, but the point of pledging is to challenge you and teach you more about yourself, your pledge sisters, and the sisters of KPL. We DO NOT haze-- nothing extreme, no horror stories-- we wouldn't have done it ourselves if it WAS hazing!

The intake process is difficult. There's no nice way to say that. It's also a BIG time commitment, and one not to be taken lightly. Also on that note, if you work hard for something, you'll appreciate it that much better when you do earn it, and it's the exact same way for pledging. If you don't try your hardest, then the experience of sisterhood won't be as meaningful without the effort. On the other hand, we've had sisters that work, take 18 credits, go through the intake process, and get a 4.0 GPA, so it's not impossible. It's a question of time management and balancing your schedule. The sisters would be more then happy to help you at any time. You're here at UMass Amherst to study, and that should be your first priority!

What is being a sister like? Why would I want to be one? What do I get out of it?

It's hard to describe to someone what sisterhood is all about. It's being able to sit in a room of 20 girls and all watch Sex in the City together, figuring out who is most like Samantha and who is most like Charlotte. It's going to a party with everyone and having a blast dancing and going out to eat after partying. It’s about having someone to wake you up for class when you have to get there at 9:30 AM for a midterm, even after they stayed up with you helping you study the night before. It’s about having someone to talk to when something goes wrong, or when things aren’t really right. Sisterhood is forever; it’s a bond that we share because of our experiences together, because of the bond that grew during pledging, because of mutual respect that we have for one another. We all have busy schedules; many of us work, take over 16 credits, do community service, join clubs on campus, and all the other responsibilities and opportunities that come with college life, but the one thing that all our sisters have in common is the desire to do something more. College is a confusing, fast-paced part of your life, and it's all too easy to join one club and float through four years without truly accomplishing something other then a degree. Joining Kappa is a way to have a long-standing impact through community service, philanthropy, and cultural awareness events. It's a way to gain leadership and time-management skills that will be valuable to you as you move through life. It's also a great way to make lifelong friends. =)

How do I know if a sorority's right for me?

There's no one RIGHT reason to join a sorority, but there are a lot of benefits (see the above question and answer). However, there are a lot of WRONG reasons to join. Some of them being: "Because I want to meet people," "Because I think fraternity guys are hot!" "Because I want to party!" "Because I miss my friends from back home…" "Because the sisters seemed SOOO nice!" Now that last one's a tricky one. During rush, every organization is going to put on its best face to encourage people to rush for them. It's going to be really hard for you to tell if they're being genuine, or if it's a front that they put up so that you'll join. The best bet is: if you find that the values of the organization coincide with your own, and that they organize events that you'd like to be a part of, then it's probably a good fit for you.

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For Parents

Sending a child to college can be a challenging and stressful time in a parent's life. While in College your child will encounter many opportunities to become involved outside of their classroom experience. It is important that you, the parent, be educated about the enriching experience that your daughter will find by being involved in a sorority.

What is being involved in a sorority all about?

Knowing what you have seen on television and read in the local newspaper, the reality is that those are extreme cases of sorority life. What the media will not tell you as a parent is that there are many life-long benefits to membership in sororities. Membership in a sorority offers a small community of friends away from home. Additionally, national research has shown that involvement in fraternities and sororities increases students' chances of graduating from college. As a life-long member of a sorority, students are offered the opportunity to develop as leaders, serve the local community, and focus on academics, as well as their careers, by connecting with local alumni members of Greek organizations.

My child is considering joining a sorority, what advice should I give them?

Since joining a sorority is a lifelong commitment, and there is an expense associated with membership, it should be a joint decision between student and parent. Consider sitting down with your daughter and research all of the organizations that are available to join. Utilizing local chapter and national websites are a great, convenient way to gather information. Feel free to contact students who are currently involved and their parents and ask them about their experience. In most cases, both students and parents will speak candidly about their Greek involvement.

As an educated consumer, consider asking the following questions before your child joins a sorority:

What is expected of sorority members?
What leadership opportunities are available to students as both new members and active members?
Does the chapter perform hands-on community service? If so, how often?
Does the sorority require members to live in the facility (if housing is available)? If so, for how long?
What is the quarterly/annual expense associated with membership? How does this vary as a new member?
What type of member is the chapter looking for?
What values does this organization promote?
Is the organization officially recognized by the University? If not, why is this the case?

I am not Greek, how can I learn more about it?
Websites to take a closer look at:

www.nicindy.org
www.npcwomen.org/memorg.htm
www.nphchq.org

What are the safety risks associated with membership in a or sorority?

It can be perceived that or sorority membership may compromise a student's safety and well-being. This certainly is not the case. In order to be recognized by the University, all Greek organizations are required to follow fairly strict alcohol and risk management policies. The policies are in accordance with the state law, and are enforced by both University administrators and members of sororities themselves. In addition, all organizations should have at least one alumni adviser and university faculty or staff liaison to assist and ensure that the chapter is promoting a safe environment for its members (both in and outside of the physical facility).

Hazing is both against university policy as well as state law. Hazing is defined as "Doing, requiring or encouraging any act, whether or not the act is voluntarily agreed upon, in conjunction with initiation or continued membership or participation in any group, that causes or creates a substantial risk of causing mental or physical harm or humiliation. Such acts may include, but are not limited to, use of alcohol, creation of excessive fatigue, and paddling, punching or kicking in any form" and will not be tolerated