Spirit video: Sept. 24

Aside from the PNM orientation, the spirit video is the first official day of Panhellenic recruitment. After meeting with your base group somewhere on campus, you finally get to learn about the houses. The entire afternoon is dedicated to watching five- to 10-minute videos from each of the 14 sororities discussing their values, sisterhood and philanthropy. 

As this does take a while, dressing comfortable and casual is recommended. This looks like wearing items such as matching sweat sets, a workout dress, leggings and a T-shirt, etc. As a PNM, this day is to learn and take personal notes before voting begins. The only accessories that you need to have with you is either a pencil and paper or a laptop to take notes on.

Philanthropy days one and two: Sept. 25 and 27

Philanthropy days one and two are the first time the PNMs get to visit the sorority houses in person. This consists of 30-minute parties that PNMs get invited to following a mutual vote from spirit day. The outfits for these days are more brunch-casual because the Panhellenic Council provides an MSU T-shirt that is to be worn during this round. Which makes the bottoms, shoes and accessories the most important part of your outfit.

With the PNM shirt being white this year, you can be versatile when it comes to matching with your bottoms. For this round it is common for girls to wear maxi or mini a skirt, a nice pair of jeans or a dressier pair of shorts. As for shoes, kitten heels or sandals are always a safe choice. Accessories will mainly be jewelry, as you cannot take anything inside of the house during the parties, but this allows room to get creative. 

As an example, pairing the white MSU shirt with a forest green mini skirt, white kitten heels, chunky gold jewelry and a black headband would work perfectly.

Values days one and two: Oct. 2 and 3

Values days one and two are the start of the second and final weekend of recruitment. After another round of mutual voting, the houses invite PNMs back for 40-minute parties with a major focus on the chapter's values and sisterhood. These two days are classified as brunch formal, meaning short dresses or matching skirts and blouses. This round gives the PNM room to show their personality and stand out in their outfit. For accessories and shoes it’s relatively the same as philanthropy, meaning clean sneakers or heels and jewelry. 

An example of an outfit that would work for these days is a short black polka dot dress with red ballet flats and a red headband. Also, a white maxi skirt paired with a powder blue halter neck top and chunky gold jewelry would fit nicely. 

Preference round: Oct. 4

Preference round is the final day of the recruitment process. After finishing the values parties, there will be another mutual vote, meaning PNMs will visit no more than two houses during preference. These parties are 50 minutes long and typically when the deepest conversations take place. The final day is the most formal out of all of them, meaning long or short dresses are typically worn. Shoes and accessories remain very similar to the previous days. 

Some outfits that would work include a floor length baby pink gown with gold heels and jewelry or a floral white and purple mid length dress paired with nude heels. Another great alternative if dresses aren’t your style would be pantsuits or dress pants and a blouse. 

Going through this process can be extremely nerve-wracking, but everything will ultimately work out in the end. The clothing comes second to your comfort, confidence and faith in yourself. The personal values that you hold close are what active members will connect with more than the cute dress you have on.