The game: little hunting
Purpose: For women in sororities to meet with the new members in their organization in hopes of creating a strong connection with one of them and obtaining said new member as their “little sister.”
Strategy: Varies by participant. Some sisters choose to focus on a few girls that they feel will be a best “fit” for them. Others try to meet every new member to have a general knowledge about who they think they would “fit” with and who they wouldn’t.
[Definition of fit: the feeling you get when you meet someone who you know you were meant to meet and somehow be involved in their life.]
Territory: Einstein’s, dining halls, and the DSU
Time: Generally an hour to an hour-and-a-half.
Play: First step: casual conversation. Year, major, hometown, siblings, family, how the semester is going, etc. Second step: dive into more in-depth conversation. Examples: What did she find appealing about this sorority? What values that the organization has really resonate with her? How does she see herself contributing to the chapter? Goal: search for the instant spark (see definition of “fit”).
This sounds absurd: In the short sense, little hunting is basically speed dating for sorority women. We have plays and tactics and sometimes there might be a little tension. But this tension comes from the wanting to show a new member so much love it causes us to be competitive about who has more love to give.
Surprising facts: Little hunting is not easy and does take a lot of time and energy. While people look at little hunting as ridiculous, you would be surprised at how many valuable skills comes out of this once a year activity. The women on both sides of the game are being pushed outside of their comfort zones. The ability to speak with someone who you have never meet before in a manner that exhibits trust and compassion can be difficult and during this crazy time of year sorority women get to practice these skills. Many like to think of little dating as a safe and comfortable networking exercise that helps their confidence grow and allows them to take these skills beyond campus to future employers, relationships with professors, the beginning of new friendships and much more.
Reference: An overwhelmed senior who has experienced little hunting for the first time. This experience has given me so much more than just closer relations with my sisters. I truly have seen my confidence and ability to speak easily with others grow. Many people may judge Greek life and the customs and traditions that these organizations have. Many stereotype what Greek life is all about, but I am here to tell you that at Christopher Newport Greek life is something different; it’s something special. During my time here I have seen so many amazing young Greek men and women grow and blossom into incredible young professionals. Greek life will give you amazing friendships, support and memories, but it will also give you the opportunity to become the best version of yourself that you can possibly be. As for little hunting, it was crazy, but I loved every minute of it and I cannot wait for my little to find out who I am!
