Examples of Infractions
-Potential New Members leaving rounds with any item, including a napkin
-Asking a Pi Chi what a PNM thinks of the sorority
-Letting a PNM out of a round late
-Talking to a PNM about the sorority outside of recruitment
-Giving a PNM anything to eat or drink, except plain water
-Promising a bid to any PNM
-Letting a PNM out of a round late
Process for dealing with infractions
1. Informal discussion - The chapter president can confront the accused chapter president, if comfortable.
2. Complete form - The accusing chapter president fills out the Violation Report Form.
3. Mediation occurs - There is a facilitated disccusion between both chapters.
4. Judicial hearing occurs - A hearing will ooccur only if no agreement can be met.
5. The appeal process - Either chapter can appeal the result of the hearing.
During the recruitment period, Ball State sororities have stricter than normal regulations all the women must follow to avoid getting an infraction.
Infractions are violations of the rules set in place by both the National Panhellenic Conference and the Ball State Panhellenic Conference.
Some of the violations include bad-mouthing other chapters, implying bids to girls who are rushing and buying anything for Potential New Members, according to the Panhellenic Recruitment Manual.
Sorority members also can’t speak with PNMs about their chapter before recruitment, or ask PNM’s friends what they think of their sorority.
Danica Craig, president of Ball State’s Panhellenic Conference, said the regulations are in place because there has to be a standard everyone adheres to.
The rules exist to make sure each woman has her own rushing experience and isn’t attracted by anything other than the conversations with different members.
There are also specific infractions that prohibit putting lemon in water, leaving a sorority’s room with a cup or napkin, or saying “See you later” to a woman who is rushing before she leaves the room.
“[Ball State] has what is called values-based recruitment,” Craig said. “It’s been found that conversation is what recruits people, it’s not a lemon in a water. So we are a no-frills university, we’re values-based.”
Craig said a lot of people talk about the ban on putting lemon in water.
“A lot of people talk about [the ban] because it seems crazy, but it’s very minimal and it won’t make a difference in the long run anyway,” she said.
Beginning at the end of April, before recruitment season, about 30 girls begin the disaffiliation process from their chapter to become Pi Chi’s, or recruitment counselors. Once the school year begins, Pi Chi’s are no longer allowed to talk to their chapter members and must be completely disaffiliated.
“During relaxed silence, [our sisters] can’t see us and go ‘Hey sister, how’s it going?’ when we’re walking around on campus,” Craig said.
Caroline Lawson, a Pi Chi, said being away from her sisters was the hardest part of being a Pi Chi, but Sunday after the final rounds of recruitment made the distance worth it.
“So many of my girls that I just met a few days ago came up to me and gave me big hugs and were so grateful for everything we’ve done for them,” Lawson said. “It’s so cool to be able to make a difference for them.”
The Pi Chi’s guide the new women through recruitment and provide them with someone to talk to if they have any questions.
“If they have a question, comment, complaint, concern, anything that they want to talk about, they can come to us as an unbiased member of the community without worrying about our affiliation,” Craig said.
The rules are much more strict for Pi Chi’s. They can’t walk around in public with their sisters, and they have to deactivate their Facebook and other social media profiles.
“Social media is just another way that identities of those who are disaffiliated don’t get released,” Craig said.
Lawson said the main reason she chose to be disafiliated and become a Pi Chi was because she wanted to make a difference for the women going through recruitment.
“I know my Pi Chi’s really made an impact on me when I went through recruitment and I’ve had a chance to see both sides of recruitment at this point, so I wanted to try something different,” she said.
As a senior, being a Pi Chi meant Lawson had to miss what she said was the most meaningful part of recruitment - the preference rounds.
“[At the preference rounds], we are able to bond and hear the stories of what our sisters mean to us,” she said. “It’s a really special time and as a senior you usually get really emotional. I didn’t get to experience that with my chapter.”
Even after missing her final recruitment with her chapter, Lawson said being a Pi Chi was worth it.
“I’m so excited for tomorrow to see the girls in my group get the chapter they wanted and be able to reveal to them what I am,” Lawson said. “The best part was seeing the girls come out of my chapter and other chapters just crying because they were so happy, and just knowing we were a part of them finding those homes.”
Read the full Panhellenic Recruitment Manual
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