Crusade on the catwalk
Over 300 first-year women gathered in the Hughes Trigg Ballroom last night at 7 p.m., Monday October 7, 2002, to view the Fifth Annual Recruitment Fashion Show and Dessert. SMU’s Campus Crusade, a non-denominational Christian student organization, and the Panhellinic Association at SMU, which acts as the liaison between all eight Panhellinic sorority houses and the SMU community, sponsored the fashion show. Kimberly Sellers, one of the recruitment counselors that helped emcee the fashion show and a member of Campus Crusade, has been involved with the event for three years. “We’re able to get girls excited about spring recruitment and expose them to our mission,” Sellers said.
Crusade men of all grades dressed in khakis and ties, greeted and help seat the first-year women as they arrived. They also served as waiters throughout the night. Doug Phillips, a fourth year student at SMU, was one of the waiters. This was his second year to participate. “All the girls that have come have enjoyed it, because rush is so confusing,” Phillips said. “It’s a good way for them to understand what’s going on and for us to represent Crusade.”
Sponsors created a “goodie bag” for each attendee placed at each seat. The bags included a FAQ sheet from Panhellinic regarding Spring recruitment; gifts from Erno Laszlo(cq), Betsey Johnson, BCBG and Ann Taylor; and a Christian book and CD from Campus Crusade. Café#233; Express, Celebrity Bakery, Kathleen’s Art Café#233;, La Madeleine, Starbucks provided the desserts for the evening, and the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas provided water for each place setting.
First-year women Laura Knapp and Natalie Fettweis(cq) were excited before the show began. “I heard the outfits were outrageous. I’m looking forward to seeing the clothes,” said Fettweis. Knapp was more there for the recruitment advice. “It’s nerve-racking because we don’t know what to expect with recruitment,” Knapp said. “We don’t know anyone yet.”
A video, provided as an in-kind donation by Chris Mano from Quinn Matthews Film, acted as the emcee of the event. Recruitment counselors explained each day of recruitment and the appropriate clothing for that day on the video. Thirty first-year women involved in small group Bible studies through Crusade were the models. Ann Taylor, BeBe, Erno Laszlo(cq), Neiman Marcus and Betsey Johnson donated the clothing for the models. Kenneth Cole provided each model with shoes and MAC Cosmetics provided a $50 gift certificate awarded at the end of the night by a drawing to one of the attendees. Erin Littlestar, one of the models, found the evening helpful and insightful. “This is mainly an outreach to share Jesus with other students and to stress that recruitment is not life,” Littlestar said.
Following the video and fashion show, Stacey Kole(cq), a former Miss Arizona and Top Ten Finalist at Miss USA in 1998, spoke comparing the stress and chance of winning Miss USA with getting into the house you prefer during recruitment. She shared her insecurities and personal search for approval during the pageant competitions. She explained her awareness of the importance placed on outer beauty, both in recruitment and in pageantry. She closed her speech sharing her Christian testimony and how she came to Christ through a battle with a compulsive perfectionist disorder, bordering on an eating disorder. She encouraged each girl to “live her life to the fullest in every endeavor.” Kole is a speaker that nationally partners with Campus Crusade to speak to college students across the country.
Robin Rice, assistant director for Campus Crusade, and her husband Robby Rice, director of Campus Crusade came up with the idea for this fashion show and dessert in 1998. The show has progressed drastically since its inception. “The first year, the models wore their own clothes. Now we have stores from all over the city donating,” Rice said. “My husband came up with the idea one night in the living room. He thought it would be a creative outreach to share a Christian version of recruitment.”
The Crusade members planning the event got to pick out the models’ outfits with the help of the individual store managers. Each outfit featured in the fashion show is available for viewing online at www.smucru.com. The outfits were returned to the stores, so that others can go and purchase them.
Tracy Richards is a member of Crusade that has been involved with the fashion show since its second year. She believes the show is so popular because Crusade gets to share not only recruitment fashions, but their heart for the campus: for everyone to realize God desires a personal relationship with each of us.
Campus Crusade meets every Wednesday night at 8 p.m. in McCord Auditorium in Dallas Hall. SMU Panhellinic Recruitment begins
