Laughing, memories and fun times is Greek Life . I have no experience with how Fraternities go through recruitment because I am not a male, and although Sorority rushing is new to me, my eyes have been slightly opened on to how it works. I am however, a hundred percent aware of the recruitment video that a majority of chapters make and one of them is what this blog will be about.
What Video?
Around three years ago, the members of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Baylor University decided to make a rap called Kappa Rap 2. You can view this song by clicking on the video below: .
Around three years ago, the members of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Baylor University decided to make a rap called Kappa Rap 2. You can view this song by clicking on the video below: .
With in the Kappa Rap 2 video, one will see members of Kappa Kappa Gamma, from Baylor University, showing their upbeat and fun selves. It goes from three girls singing, to a classroom full of people sitting and dancing, to people dancing on a Baylor structure, and them walking on the sidewalk. Throughout the video the scenes switch back and fourth from the four locations used.
Typically before rush the potential new members do research on the University’s different chapters. These videos tend to say a lot about each chapter and the better and more entertaining they are the more likely more girls will want to join.
Creating a recruitment video like this, which is out of decorum, can be risky because of the high standards that the University’s hold upon Greek life. In no means can they be racist, inappropriate or show disrespect to anything.
Gaining New Members
A more noticeable rhetorical move in the Baylor University Kappa Kappa Gamma’s video is argument. The author of Thank You For Arguing, Jay Heinrichs, defines argument as trying to “win over an audience” (p15). Argument is explained in a way that to get what you want, one most change the mood or perspective of their audience. This can greatly increase the chance of success.
A more noticeable rhetorical move in the Baylor University Kappa Kappa Gamma’s video is argument. The author of Thank You For Arguing, Jay Heinrichs, defines argument as trying to “win over an audience” (p15). Argument is explained in a way that to get what you want, one most change the mood or perspective of their audience. This can greatly increase the chance of success.
For example, in this video the members of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Baylor University are altering the mood to make the potential new members enjoy their up beat song and witty rhymes. Instead of making a normal video of pictures and background music the girls decided to switch it up and make a rap about themselves.
The way Kappa Kappa Gamma at Baylor University uses their catchy lyrics and witty rhymes to real in potential new members is equivalent to commercials on the television trying to get a viewer to buy their product. They both utilize how people can remember a more fluid song or catch phrase and will be more likely to say it repeatedly if it is upbeat and fun.
The use of argument that is in the video is well thought out because the sorority is trying to persuade and change the moods of girls to have a better chance in recruitment. By coming up with the right song and promoting themselves in a fun way this chapter believes that more girls will want to join.
Another rhetorical move used in the Kappa recruitment song is choice. Jay Heinrichs defines choice or future as an “argument [that] promises a pay off” (p.30). Every choice that one makes shapes and alters their future. One bad choice can lead to years of regret. Within the video the girls make it clear that by joining Kappa they will not regret it, seeing that they are the best.
When after one is initiated into a sorority you are in it for life, there is no switching, so it is being deal. In the video however they never make it forceful or switch from argument to fight, they keep it persuasive with an upbeat song. As defined in “Thank You For Arguing” by Jay Henrichs, this song insists that there is a life long pay off for choosing to join Kappa that no one could ever look back on and say, “I wish I hadn’t done that”.
The way that Kappa at Baylor University uses choice is like how real-estate realtors market a home. Realtors market a house as a home, which if in the right location and right amount of space, promises to pay off. People want to be able to know they are getting their moneys worth and if they want to sell it later on, that there will be a profit or equal match for what they paid for it.
It is similar in how the video uses choice because when girls join they want to be sure that they will get their money’s worth and that later down the road when they graduate from college there is still opportunity to be involved in that Sorority.
Choice is shown through out the video by the way they interact with each other. Their closeness and love for each other shows that their sorority is the right choice. TThe girls at Baylor University make sure that viewers know that they are fun and a very sister bound sorority that no one regrets joining. In other words the choice to join their chapter pays off with the people that are already members and alumni.
Kappa Kappa Gamma at Baylor University utilizes “ethos or argument by character”(Heinrichs 40) to grasp at their viewers heart and trust. In Thank You For Arguing by Jay Heinrichs, ethos is defined as “employ[ing] the persuaders personality, reputation and ability to look trustworthy” (p40).
The way that these girls use ethos to gain trust is by using buildings at Baylor to stand on. They are showcase their personalities by making this rap recruitment video. It shows that they are a goofy, fun time loving group of girls, who enjoy everything Kappa has to offer them. How they act in the video shines a light on their reputation and how they view themselves.
One could say that the way that this video uses ethos is just like how a nanny gains the trust of parents. The nanny has to show that she is willing to have fun with the child, while also being responsible and trusting.
The use of ethos is consistent through out the video because the Kappa members are trying to gain the viewers hearts and trust for the entire duration of it. In others words fakeness is not prevalent and their fun-loving sisterhood is shown throughout every scene in hopes that it will reach the heart of a potential new member.
How To Stand Out?
Trying to be caught in the eye of hundreds of girls is difficult, but with the right technic and skill it can be done. Baylor University’s sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma in my opinion did so, with being persuasive in a non-aggressive way and gaining laughter that is brought upon oneself while watching the rap.
Trying to be caught in the eye of hundreds of girls is difficult, but with the right technic and skill it can be done. Baylor University’s sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma in my opinion did so, with being persuasive in a non-aggressive way and gaining laughter that is brought upon oneself while watching the rap.
A majority of sororities use videos of themselves with music in the background as their recruitment video. They wave, throw what they know, blow glitter and jump around with each other laughing and smiling
This recruitment video is a rap, which is completely out of the box and decorum. I give Kappa Kappa Gamma a lot of credit for doing something new, because most of the time when someone breaks tradition it gets shut down automatically.
I urge you as my reader to not judge them based off of tradition but to keep and open mind.