Chemicals in Recruitment

Sorority recruitment can really screw with a girls brain…no, really. Your brain is literally on an emotional roller coaster for one week straight. One second, you’re flirting with your “rush crush”, the next you’re crying over them because they dropped you. I kid you not, rush week has been the most exhausting, eye opening experience of my life. I have seen girls go from radiating joy to crying their eyes out within the time it took them to read a slip of paper.. but why? This roller coaster of emotions is all apart of a complex chemical process. When something makes you sad and you want to cry, or something makes you happy and you want to jump for joy… this is your brain working its chemical communicators. Rush week is all about becoming one with your chemical communicators, and yes, i applaud you if you can control yours.

Potential new members (PNMS) have been known to have anxiety attacks over their next days list and can go into deep depression mode when its not what was expected. Anxiety? Really? (Yes really, this process is emotional and so scary). Deep down in your brain is a small structure called the amygdala…This almond shaped piece sends signals back and forth from the part of your brain that senses fear, to the part of the brain that interprets fear. Never underestimate this little piece though… its very observant! This little piece tells the brain that a threat is imposing and triggers anxiety

Remember when I said the amygdala interprets fear? Well the hippocampus does it even better. This piece “encodes threatening events into memories”. This means that all those anxiety attacks a PNM has over getting her list back each day… is because the hippocampus is working its magic and remembering she was anxious about it.

No, sorority recruitment is not filled with only sad tears… happy tears can come out of it too! (Rare before bid day, but it happens)! Ever heard of happy chemicals? No? Well then hi there!!! Happy chemicals are obviously chemicals in your brain that make you happy. They are “turned on” when something makes you feel good, and “turned off” when that action is complete…much like when you finish an awesome recruitment party, you walk out those suite doors and your back in real non-sorority world. The happy chemicals of your brain are Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin, and Endorphins. Dopamine and Serotonin will no doubt be turned on during rush week.

Dopamine will be sparked when your efforts are rewarded… For example; spending hours talking to a girl in a room full of 80 screaming others, and getting invited back the next day.Serotonin will be sparked when you feel wanted… For example; receiving that invite, or getting that bid from your absolute favorite sorority. All anybody ever wants to is to be wanted…right?

But by the end of it all, no matter what chemical is released or what brain piece is working the hardest… rush will always be an overwhelming process, that can change a person for the better (or for the worse) depending on what you make of it.

Good luck to every PNM and may the odds be ever in your favor.

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Sources:

Click to access happy-chemicals.pdf

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwep3d.htm

http://www.brainfacts.org/brain-basics/cell-communication/

 

4 thoughts on “Chemicals in Recruitment

  1. Olivia Diane Talbot Post author

    @Jenna

    I was thinking of a different way to go about rushing sororities. I feel like by the end of it, every girl gets caught up in the tier system, and the popularity of each one. What if there was an anonymous rushing system? Like each sorority was a number or letter, and the name wasn’t revealed until the end. That way, your preferences are not based on their social rankings but by the people you’ve spoken to and theres no biased opinion.

  2. Jenna Rae Stoklosa

    Going through rush myself and I completely understand what an emotional roller coaster it can be. One minute you are having an awesome conversation with a girl from your top choice and the next you are questioning everything because they dropped you. Rush definitely plays with a girls emotions and we are already emotional to begin with! I’m still unsure of whether or not I’m going to end up joining a sorority and its the last day! They could probably make an experiment out of the girls going through rush because of the up and downs of everyones emotions. My only advice for anyone going through the process is to go with your gut and don’t just join a sorority to be in one. If it doesn’t feel right just drop, the added stress if NOT worth it!

  3. Olivia Diane Talbot Post author

    @Emily

    Not going to lie, i dropped today! I already found myself caught up in the superficial aspects of it and i can honestly say it was not worth the stress I’ve been through the past week. Maybe next year will be better but this year was no for me. Greek life is not for everyone and I hope people don’t get offended by that. I probably will regret it but in the end right now I’m feelin good.

  4. Emily Peacock

    This article is spot on – for the longest time growing up I told myself that, when in college, I would love rush and everything that came with it. I would be happy and make my closest friends. It wasn’t until the first day that I realized how off I was from what I expected rush to be. I dropped after the first day. I would be lying if I said I didn’t regret it, but I don’t think its worth the stress you girls are going through.

    Best of luck on Bid Day!

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