Rockin' the Red @ Illinois State

Wish I would have been able to update a little earlier since this chapter visit has been two weeks, but with the mad rush of recruitment finding time to answer phone calls, emails...oh yea and sleep & eat...became my main priority! My visit to Epsilon Omicron at Illinois State University has definitely been one for the books! First, it's been great to have a kind of relaxed schedule (before & after the recruitment period), I've been able to sleep in a litle bit each day and go for a run every morning.

I've loved Illinois, first time in the state but I approve--minus the no ocean thing of course! The girls here have gotten a kick out of my use of "ya'll", other terms and my "southern twang," which I guess is more apparent when I am no where near the south. I've been happy to provide them entertainment haha! I've gotten to eat at Noodles, one of my new fave food places, a few times and will need to find some of these back East pronto. And they sell alcohol at Sam's Club? Definitely interesting haha!

The campus is again, much more compact thatn UNCW which I love. There always seem to be people aroun walking to class or somewhere and you can feel the school spirit. ISU is home to the tallest residence hall in the country, Watterson--also the tallest building between Chicago & St. Louis, it's 30 floors, yikes! Definitely a big leap from the 4 floors of Graham Hall I had freshman year! It's broken up into houses that are 5 floors each and the elevator only stops on the 3rd floor of each house, then you walk up/down steps to the floor you need. It was definitely intimidating and I felt like a tourist as I snapped pics from the top floor...

Recruitment here was interesting, many differences from how things go at UNCW. The recruitment counselors (not Gamma Chi's!) actually sit inside the parties rather than outside the doors. PNM's (Potential New Members) are allowed to bring purses, and some were even very rudely texting during the parties, I was beyond words about this! Many differences, but some that I very much liked, and now I'm interested to see how recruitment goes @ my next visit to Penn State--they have 20 NPC sororities, so I'm sure it will be out of control.

Bid day here was also very different, it was inside in an auditorium. All of the sororities sat in the back and each sorority's new member group was brought onto the stage one by one while everyone cheered an went crazy. The way recruitment counselors were given back to their chapters was cute, they all coordinated having some fun way of removing their hoodies to show their chapter letters. I know that description did the actual revealing no justice

but I am at a loss for words.

Here's a video of the sororities waiting for their new members on Bid Night!

Me with the chapter & new members on Bid Night

The girls here have been absolutely wonderful! I have been able to really get to know a lot of them which of course makes my job 10 times even more amazing than it already is. Being here I've felt very at home as if I was back at my own chapter, and I see my chapter in sisters in a lot of these lovely ladies.

Me with Aimee & April (Recruitment Director) on Bid Night

Leaving on Friday will definitely be hard, although I know many of them will keep in touch! I'll be making my way leaving at 6:30pm Friday from Bloomington-Normal headed to State College, PA--and am excited to be back on the East Coast!! I'll be arriving at Penn State at 11pm on Northwest Flight 3810, with a layover in Detroit...again. I'll be at Penn State from 9/4-9/18 and will hopefully update a few times while there so I make sure to include more fun stories!

Until next time,

xoxo Anna