Brake for a retro recruitment story!

[groovypq]

Originally Posted by agzg

I'm incredibly upset that I completely missed that thread.

Me too! and I would have LOVED to see the ending!

[66Camaro]

DAY ONE:

My first class wasn't until 10, but I woke up at 6:30 because I couldn't sleep. I felt like, oh my God, I'm in college, I'm in college, I'm in college! And then I thought, oh my God, rush starts tonight! I forced myself not to start rifling through my closet to decide what I would wear that night so I wouldn't wake 65Mustang. I took a shower instead and washed my hair about three times, making sure to clean and condition each strand because I just knew it could make the difference. When I got done, I found my sister sitting on the edge of her bed, tapping her foot. She rushed into the shower and I figured out why. I had been in the shower for an hour! We both got ready for the day, had breakfast in the cafeteria really quick, and then we were off to class.

I got back to our dorm at 12:30, had lunch in the cafeteria, and went up to our room. We were supposed to report for rush at 5:30, and although 65Mustang had a lab that afternoon to keep her busy, I had tons of time to sit in our room all by myself and worry about my hair, my makeup, and my outfit. I managed to make it through a few soap operas without going too crazy, but finally I just couldn't take the nervousness anymore and attacked my closet. Tonight we were supposed to wear "business professional" clothes, and I wasn't sure what that meant. Mother had been raised to have an outfit ready for anything, so we were set with dresses- I just didn't know which one the right one would be. At last I settled on one that had no ruffles or flounces and had some white trim, so I could wear my plain white pumps with pearl earrings and necklace. I figured that would look "business professional".

65Mustang came back to the room at 4:30 and began getting ready. It turned out that she had already decided what to wear and how to do her hair, so she was much more relaxed. She actually took my comb away so I couldn't tease my bangs "just one more time" because I was obsessed with them. (Remember, this was the 1980's, so we suffered from Big Hair!)

We reported to the student center a few minutes early and broke into our groups. Our Rho Chis reminded us of how things would work tonight and appraised the outfits of any girls who asked them to. The sororities did not have houses on campus, so we would have rush in the student center itself. All the rushees together met in the ballroom, and the chapters were set up for rush in smaller rooms surrounding the ballroom.

Right before we got started, my Rho Chi reminded our group that we were not allowed to have any food or drinks, other than water, in the ballroom or the meeting rooms. I tried not to panic and hoped that I wouldn't get hungry enough for my stomach to growl! Then she added that the Panhellenic Council would provide a short break and snacks in the hallways outside the meeting rooms halfway through the evening, and several girls said, "Oh okay," so I knew I wasn't the only one who started to panic. The Rho Chi also warned us that the girls might be "very, very" excited to see us, so we shouldn't be surprised by anything. I wondered what that meant and looked at my party schedule.

My schedule looked like this:

Midnight Blue
Silver Streak
Violet Sparkle
Sky Blue
Candy Apple Red
Jet Black

And now it's off to the races!


Midnight Blue- The doors opened and they almost screamed at us with a cheer! I thought, now I know what my Rho Chi meant! There were balloons and bows everywhere and the room was decorated really cute. A girl with a big bow in her hair (yes really) grabbed me and introduced herself. We stood to the side and she started talking. And talking, and talking, and talking! She seemed nice, but she sure did like to talk. I smiled a lot and said a lot of "Oh really? Wow! That's cool!" Finally she started asking me questions. I told her about my activities in high school and my GPA, and she said, "Wow, that's really high! We can always use more good students in our chapter!" That comment surprised me because 65Mustang's grades were almost a full grade point higher than mine, and I wondered why the girl would think I was so smart. The second girl I talked to was friendly but not quite as talkative. I got to give her some information about myself, but she seemed to think it was weird that 65Mustang and I were living on campus and not commuting from home or living in an apartment. She kind of fixated on that and hung onto that subject for a few minutes. When it was time for the next party, I left feeling a little confused. The girls had been nice, but I felt like they really hadn't gotten to know anything about me because of how our conversations went. I wanted them to pick me for their chapter because they liked me, but I was nervous that they didn't have enough information.

Silver Streak- The group 65Mustang and I had recs for. I was excited to see if I could tell whether that made a difference. Walking to their party, a girl in my group who was a sophomore rushee "whispered" to another girl that it was okay if we didn't like this party because this chapter was in trouble anyway. Uh oh. I really didn't like that. I didn't know what in trouble meant, but I didn't think it was fair for the sophomore to say that. By the time I decided to turn around and say something to her, we were already at the door, so I dropped it. And then I saw what I thought she meant. This chapter was smaller than Midnight Blue. Most of the sisters in this chapter were rushing two girls. I got lucky though, and talked to sisters by myself. The first girl was really nice and seemed a little shy at first. As I talked to her, I got the feeling that she wasn't shy- she was desperate and was trying not to show it. I was really glad I hadn't worn my watch, because when I do I have the nervous habit of looking at it all the time, and I got the feeling from this girl that doing that would have really hurt her feelings. I could see over her shoulder, and the sophomore (who was double-rushing) would smile, nod, and look around the room distractedly while the sister tried to talk to her. I could see that sister's face and she looked like she was trying not to be hurt. This party was going so wrong for the sisters, and I felt bad. I tried to concentrate on having a good conversation with my sister, and when they bumped, I thought I'd done a good job. The next sister who talked to me was black, and I must have had a startled look on my face when she introducted herself. She laughed and said "Yeah, I get that look a lot." I immediately felt terrible and apologized, saying that I didn't know anything about the Greek system and I'd heard in my rush group that there were black sororities on campus. She briefly explained that there was another group of sororities and stressed that her sorority welcomes people of any race, color, or creed. We ended up laughing a little because I told her I get a lot of looks because I am a twin, and she said, "Well, if Silver Streak is where you belong, we can hang out and get looks together!" I liked her and the first sister, but still, they just had desperation in their faces and their voices. I felt sad for them and wasn't sure I could fit in here, but something in me liked them.

I wasn't sure what to think about the night so far. The first group had seemed nice but sort of scatterbrained, and the second group seemed to be hiding feelings of gloom and doom. I was starting to wonder how I would make it through the night as I walked to my next part.

Violet Sparkle- Oh boy, another cheering group! They were all smiles and claps and happy to see us. The first sister to grab me smiled at me and said, "Hi, 66Camaro!" Oh my God! It was 68VWConvertible, who had been in a high school club with me for two years! I hadn't seen her since then except for two or three times at the mall or eating out. I didn't know she went to this school or was in a sorority! I was glad to see a familiar face, and she gave me a big hug. She said she was excited to see 65Mustang and I going through rush and hoped that we would find our homes. We caught up on what I had been doing since we last saw each other, and she had some really nice things to say about all the chapters. I told her that I was starting to feel nervous after the last two parties and told her which ones I'd been to (she asked). She said that each chapter has its own strengths and the backing of years of solid sisterhood behind it, and I should be sure to participate in each party to my fullest so I would have the best experience possible. Then, bump, they went, and I was talking to another sister who was super nice and shared some of the same interests as me. I left this party feeling good about this chapter and thankful that my rush batteries had been recharged.


Finally, it was snack time! Thank God! I hadn't realized how hungry I was because my stomach mercifully had not growled during the first three parties. We were offered water, juice, crackers, cookies, and fruit trays. It wasn't fancy, but we were thankful for anything! I caught up with 65Mustang for a minute. She said she was having the time of her life. I looked at her schedule, which was: Sky Blue, Candy Apple Red, Midnight Blue, Silver Streak, Jet Black, and Violet Sparkle. I smiled at her and told her she might have a pleasant surprise at one of the parties, but I wouldn't tell her which one. She got mad at me and stuck out her tongue as we walked to our fourth parties.

Sky Blue- I think I am seeing a pattern here with the cheering sororities. Maybe I'm starting to get the hang of rush after all! The room was decorated in a very particular and recognizable theme, as opposed to being decorated in just the group's colors, and it looked super. The first sister who talked to me turned out to be from Mother's hometown, and she was excited to find someone who had been there. We talked a little about that and she seemed to remember to ask me about myself as an afterthought. I didn't hold it against her because it was a nice conversation, and she rarely met people who knew anything about her hometown. The next sister I talked to was an intercollegiate athlete for the college. She explained to me that she managed classes, her sport, work study, and her sorority, and even though it kept her busy, she was a careful scheduler and got it all done. I was in awe of her because I didn't even have to work, I just had to go to school and (hopefully) participate in my sorority, and I wasn't sure how I was going to manage those things by themselves! This sister and I talked about how the sororities can be involved in college life in many different ways. I thought, wow, there's a Greek Week? I left this party with a positive feeling about the chapter, but a few doubts as to whether I could balance my schedule.

Candy Apple Red- I can't believe it is 9:00 at night, and these girls have been cheering nonstop since 5:45, and they act like old pros! The room felt so cheerful, but I wasn't sure it was all because of the decorations. The first sister who talked to me was a junior and an officer in the chapter and was so laid back. She made me feel relaxed, like it was nothing at all to go to 6 parties with hundreds of strangers in a matter of hours on a tummy half full of fruit and crackers. She seemed to really pay attention to what I was saying. The sister she handed me off to seemed equally as interested in me and, surprise, had graduated from my high school's rival! We teased each other about being from Blue High (me) and Red High (her) and laughed. I left this chapter feeling really good. I was getting so tired, but I felt like the night kept getting better as it went along, and I was so glad I'd decided to rush.

On the way to our final party, the sophomore (the one I mentioned earlier before the Silver Streak party) told another girl that this last chapter was the "best" chapter on campus and she really wanted to get in there. I frowned inside because after her behavior at that second party, I wasn't sure how I would react to any place that she wanted to be at.

Jet Black - We went in, and the sisters sang us a loud and cheerful song and were smiling and friendly even after 5 previous parties. This room was decorated in kind of a "classy" way with two main colors and the sorority's colors as accents. Being in that room made me feel sophisticated. The first sister who talked to me was blonde and friendly, and we talked about both me and about her sisterhood, but by that time, I was fading, so I really don't remember anything specific to that conversation. Same thing with the second sister I talked to- friendly, nice, interested, but I was getting so tired. I smiled and talked and laughed, and I thought I must have made a good impression because the second sister hugged me and told me she hoped to see me again. As we walked out, the sophomore who wanted to be in this group seemed to have a satisfied look on her face. I wasn't sure what that meant.


Wow, the night was finally over, and we were exhausted! We met again in the ballroom with our Rho Chis, who reminded us that tomorrow night, we would attend all 6 parties again, and after that the rushees and sororities would make their first cuts. We were reminded to wear something "business casual" and that we would again be provided snacks halfway through the night. Then we were dismissed with smiles.

65Mustang and I walked back to our dorm in near silence because we were so beat. When we got back to the room, we changed and washed our faces and compared notes, but stuck to our rule of not naming groups or giving clues (well, trying, anyway) to their identities.

She had gotten angry at 3 girls in her group who said something mean about one of the chapters, and she turned to them and said, "That's not very nice. You don't even know those girls." I was proud of my sis for speaking up for who I was sure was the Silver Streaks when I hadn't. 65Mustang had a definite frontrunner. She also told me she had figured out the "pleasant surprise" in one of the groups because, although 68VWConvertible didn't rush my sister, she did come by to say hello during the party.

I told 65Mustang that there was a very opinionated girl in my group too, and I wasn't sure what to think of her and her opinions at this point. I told her that the night started off slow for me and got better as it went along until I got tired, but I was having a good time. I wasn't sure I had a frontrunner yet. We were both looking forward to tomorrow night and collapsed into bed to get some rest. That night, I didn't wake up once.


Pit stop time again! Next post will be about night number two!

[66Camaro]

Originally Posted by DoubleRose

I'm confused, you got recs to chapters that weren't at your school? Or did the ladies from Orange, Royal and Green just offer to help find recs?

I had a blue 65 Mustange in college, so I'll cheer for Midnight Blue for your sister

What happened was, the woman from Hunter Green Metallic had a connection to our mother. We, and our mother, knew nothing about sorority rush, but the woman from Hunter Green Metallic said that it would help to have recommendations, even if they weren't from chapters at our school. She hooked us up with some of her friends, who were from Bright Orange, Royal Blue, and Silver Streak, and they wrote the recs for us. Looking back years later, I realize that Mrs. Hunter Green Metallic must not have been active in the local Panhellenic, where we could have gotten recs to chapters at our college, so she may have tried to get us recs from wherever she could in an effort to help us out. We went along with it because we just trusted what she said.


And if anything in my thread doesn't make real sense, please remember, I am writing this as I was when I went through rush- an 18 year old girl who knew nothing about college, sororities, dorm life, or being away from home.


Oh, and let me edit this in, just in case anyone is wondering how I mentally ranked the chapters from that first night, here it is. It was hard, because I didn't have a truly negative experience anywhere, but my baby college girl rushee brain thought:

1. Violet Sparkle- I'd had a great time there, and had been glad to see my high school friend.
2. Candy Apple Red- I'd had a great time there too, but I gave them second chair to Violet probably because of my friend.
3. Sky Blue - I had doubts about making my schedule work, but I had a good time at the party and the girls were nice.
4. Midnight Blue- The girls had been friendly, but our conversations had seemed a little weird. I did want to give them another shot.
5. Silver Streak- The girls were trying so hard to make the party work, and they had been friendly. I just couldn't rank them last.
6. Jet Black- I wasn't sure what kind of impression I made since I was tired and it was the end of the night. I mentally ranked them last because I didn't know any better, and because I still wasn't sure I wanted to be in a place where that sophomore badmouther wanted to be.

[twinkle555]

Lovin the story!! Im gonna cheer for Candy Apple Red because it just sounds so delish!

[66Camaro]

DAY TWO:

The next morning, I slept in, and it was my sister's turn to spend forever in the shower. Normally I wouldn't have cared, but she started singing and woke me up! We got ready, had breakfast, and went to class. We each had two that day, and our second class was an introduction to psychology class that we'd scheduled together. When we got to that class, we noticed that a girl in the class was wearing a shirt with Sky Blue's letters. We got excited and whispered that we'd go say hello to her after class, not really understanding the rules of silence during rush. We ended up missing her because while she was sitting on the end of a row in the auditorium, we were in the middle and had to wait for people next to us to get out, so when we looked for her, she was gone. We headed back to the dorm and had lunch, then picked out our outfits for that night. 65Mustang suggested that we take a short nap so we'd be fresh for that night, which I thought was a great idea. I had also learned from a dorm resident in my first class that the pizza parlor in our dorms served resident meals throughout the day, even when the cafeteria was closed. I suggested that after our nap, we run to the pizza place to get food and eat it early to keep our stomachs from getting noisy.

Our plan worked out. We woke up at 4, got meals of two slices of pizza and a drink, ate, did make-up, got dressed, etc. We nearly had a catastrophe when we got to the dorm lobby and 65Mustang's hose snagged on a passing student's backpack zipper, but we doubled back to the room so she could change, and we still made it to the ballroom at 5:30. Thank God we lived on campus.

I noticed that one of the rushees was missing from my group. Our Rho Chi told us that the girl would not be re-joining our group due to personal reasons. My curiosity kicked in, and I wondered why anyone would quit after only one night. Then I meanly thought about the sophomore badmouther, and the three meanies in 65Mustang's group, and wished for a second that they all would have quit after that first night. Then I mentally pinched myself and put the thought out of my head so I could concentrate on my new schedule, which read:

Violet Sparkle
Jet Black
Sky Blue
Candy Apple Red
Silver Streak
Midnight Blue

I was excited to go to Violet Sparkle first and see my friend 68VWConvertible again, and glad that Jet Black would get a chance to meet me earlier in the evening. And I thought that visiting the sisters at Candy Apple Red would be a good pick me up after the snack break. Then I found out that there would be skits tonight, which would cut into our time to talk to the sisters. I got nervous and wondered if this meant that the girls at Jet Black really wouldn't get a good picture of me.


Violet Sparkle did not disappoint, mostly. Their skit was really cute, and the sister I talked to was very friendly, but I didn't get a chance to talk to 68VWConvertible, which made me a little sad, but she did wave to me from across the room. The sister who rushed me talked about how my talents could benefit their chapter of Violet Sparkle and how her group was made up of sisters from lots of different backgrounds. Even though I didn't get to talk to my friend, I still left this group feeling really good.

Jet Black was next, yay! When I walked in, a sister pulled me aside, introduced herself, and said, "66Camaro, I'm so glad to meet you. I've heard so much about you!" That surprised me! Maybe I had made a good impression last night after all! She ushered me to another part of the room, where we watched their skit together, then we talked. She had been a Jet Black for a year and sympathized with how hectic rush was for me. She said she hadn't known much about sororities when she decided to rush, and the experience was overwhelming for her, but it had been really rewarding to find her Greek home. Then she turned me over to another sister- who smiled and told me, "66Camaro, my name is *****, and I just spoke to 65Mustang in the first party!" She said she was glad to meet both of us and thought it was neat that we were rushing together. I left this group feeling so much better than when I began the night, but I was starting to get confused. I really was enjoying myself at all the parties, which was great, but what if I couldn't make a decision when the time came? I noticed that sophomore badmouther left the party almost strutting, and I felt sure she had found her home, but what if I was so indecisive that I couldn't find mine?

I had to shake those thoughts and go into the Sky Blue party, where we were ushered to the center of the room as a group to watch the skit. These girls showed they could sing and dance, and it was impressive. After the skit, the intercollegiate athlete I'd spoken to last night came over to me and said hello. She introduced me to another sister and we had an okay conversation, but I felt like our personalities weren't clicking. We shared no common interests at all and the conversation stalled from time to time. So while we were polite to each other, it was a little awkward for me. As I left this party, I reminded myself that I'd had a good time at their previous party, and decided that if I did get invited to become sisters with a chapter of girls, that didn't mean that I had to be best friends with every one of them.

Break time hit, and I was glad to have the chance to clear my head. I got a cup of juice and a few grapes and found 65Mustang, who was talking to a girl from her rush group. The girl introduced herself as 57Chevy and she was really funny. We tried not to talk about our experiences so far, and 57Chevy even said that the 3 meanies in their group had basically alienated all the other girls in their group because they seemed to have something bad to say about every chapter. My sister and 57Chevy pointed out the 3 meanies, and I looked over- to find them talking to the sophomore badmouther from my group! I rolled my eyes and told them I knew exactly what they were talking about. We all agreed that we were having a good time. 57Chevy said that she was a legacy to two of the groups, but grinned really big and said she wouldn't tell which ones. My mouth fell open, and 65Mustang said, "I know, doesn't that drive you crazy?" Then break time was over and we were off to our fourth parties.

Candy Apple Red was just great. Their skit was great (it also had music like the Sky Blue skit), the two sisters I talked to were great, and I was excited about the whole party. One of the sisters I talked to said that she liked the energy that 65Mustang and I had, but that we were still different people. I was glad to hear that we seemed to be standing out as individuals and figured that her comment about energy must be good! The second sister talked about how academics was important to Candy Apple Red and said that there was a lot of support available to any sister who needed it, and mandatory study groups for all pledges. Oh God, I wondered, would my grades be good enough for this chapter? But the sister seemed to mean it as a supportive statement, not as a warning, so I figured she was just telling me that to be informative. I left this party feeling like my decision making process just kept getting harder.

Silver Streak was next. I worked my way to the front of our group, tossed my hair back, and walked into their party first. I'd show that sophomore badmouther that I wasn't afraid to take a chance and enjoy this group's party! The sisters' struggles showed again, though, from the beginning of the party to the end. Since they had fewer sisters than everyone else, their skit only had a few sisters in it, and they seemed to be trying to be too cheerful. Tonight, I was one of the girls who rushed two to a sister, and the girl I was with had been talking to- oh no- sophomore badmouther. The sister we were with first did her best to talk to both of us and smile, but when she was talking about some of the principles on which Silver Streak was founded, my co-rushee yawned loudly without excusing herself. The poor sister stopped talking and had a stunned look on her face. I felt awful and jumped in with a question to get her talking again. She re-grouped and got back into it- obviously talking more to me now than to the other girl- and she really tried, but now her voice was strained and she even looked like she was trying not to cry. She got bumped by another sister, and it was one I hadn't talked to yet. The yawning girl acknowledged to the second sister that she remembered talking to her the previous night- and then hurriedly excused herself to go to the bathroom. I wanted to kick her, especially when she never came back for the rest of the party. The second sister and I had a nice enough conversation, but she seemed so matter of fact that I wasn't sure how to take it. When it was time to go to the next party, I shook her hand and told her I'd had a nice time, and she gave me a smile that seemed really tired, I guess. I started walking out of the room kind of in the middle of our rush group, when I hit on an idea. I turned around and looked for the first sister, the one who looked like she was going to cry earlier, and jogged (as best as I could in my heels) over to her. I gave her a hug and told her that I really had had a good time talking to her. She seemed surprised and hugged me back, thanking me for coming. I was the last one in my group to walk out of the party because of that, and when our group gathered in front of the door to the next part, sophomore badmouther looked at me, then rolled her eyes and looked at yawning girl- who had suddenly re-joined our group. I didn't care. I didn't think that Silver Streak was the place for me, but I knew they sure didn't deserve to be treated meanly.

Midnight Blue was our last party for the night, and I became glad that 65Mustang and I had taken that nap this afternoon. These girls were still full of energy, from their skit to their conversations with the rushees. The first sister from this group who had rushed me last night, the one with the big bow in her hair, came over and hugged me and told the sister I was with that I was a really super girl. I thought that was a little weird, since this girl had talked to me so much more than I talked to her, but the sister I was talking to didn't know that and smiled really big at me. Like the second sister at the Sky Blue party, we really didn't share any common interests, but I felt like this sister handled it better because she at least said things like "Wow, that's neat" and "I've never tried that! That sounds interesting!" and she managed to keep the conversation flowing, pretty much. The second sister I talked to was nice, but she was a little too excited about having been recently asked to be a bridesmaid in her sorority sister's wedding. She pointed out the sister and talked about the wedding for several minutes. I was polite and tried to reflect that everything sounded really exciting, but I wasn't there to talk about a wedding of a girl I didn't even know. She finally dropped the subject and talked a little about her sorority. I didn't leave this party with a bad feeling, but I definitely did not feel connected to the girls.


We returned to the ballroom and our Rho Chis told us that it was time for the dreaded first cuts. The rushees could come back to a max of 4 parties the next night, and we had to cut two. I had a difficult couple of decisions to make, and it made my stomach flip flop a little bit.

We all sat at tables without talking and made our cuts. I couldn't think straight with everyone around me, so I quietly waited until most of the people at my table were gone. After a few moments, my Rho Chi walked up and leaned over to whisper in my ear, "Would you like to talk about anything?" I took a deep breath and told her that I was having trouble making a decision on who not to keep. I told her there was a group I wasn't really feeling a connection with, but I wasn't sure I wanted to cut them altogether. My Rho Chi told me that this happens all the time, every year, at every school, and she had experienced this herself. She told me to follow my heart and she was sure I would make the right decision. It helped that she was supportive, but she didn't make the decision for me, like a good Rho Chi.

After about 5 more minutes, I decided that I wanted to return to:

Violet Sparkle
Jet Black
Candy Apple Red
Sky Blue

And I regretted:

Midnight Blue- The girls had seemed nice, but after I added up the experiences from both nights, I really hadn't felt a connection to this group. I was sorry to have to tell anyone no, but not as sorry as I was to tell...

Silver Streak no. The girls had been trying so hard to be nice to everybody and to put their best feet forward, but it seemed obvious that they were expecting people to not want to join their group. I had a lump in my throat and hoped that the sister I had hugged wouldn't think I was being fake if she learned that I didn't want to come back to their party tomorrow night.

65Mustang and I walked back to the dorm with 57Chevy, who lived on another floor in our dorm. We all agreed that tonight had been very interesting, and it had been more difficult than we had thought to cut the groups that we had cut. 57Chevy agreed to come by our room the next day around 3 to show us what she planned to wear that night, and to critique what we were wearing. We were supposed to wear "business casual lunch date" attire, which we understood to mean no jeans, but we were still a little unclear about it. We invited 57Chevy to lunch, but she had a class when we had our afternoon break, and she was coming by our room after the class.

After 57Chevy left, 65Mustang bounced on her bed with excitement. Of the 3 of us, she seemed to have the least trouble choosing where she wanted to go the next night. She was even more sure about her frontrunner tonight, but she had other groups she really liked too. I told her that I didn't have a definite favorite yet, but I would be really happy if I got to return to the four places I wanted to go back to.

We truly realized that rush was an exhausting process overall, because now that we were back in our room, we were beat, even though we had napped today. I was asleep almost before my head hit my pillow.


Pit stop time again! The next big post will be day three!

[indygphib]

I'm really enjoying your story! Don't keep us in suspense for long...

[66Camaro]

Originally Posted by indygphib

I'm really enjoying your story! Don't keep us in suspense for long...

LOL thank you! I will probably not be able to post the next installment until tomorrow morning, because I have things to do tonight. But thank you for being interested!

[ComradesTrue]

Originally Posted by 66Camaro

We returned to the ballroom and our Rho Chis told us that it was time for the dreaded first cuts. The rushees could come back to a max of 4 parties the next night, and we had to cut two. I had a difficult couple of decisions to make, and it made my stomach flip flop a little bit.

We all sat at tables without talking and made our cuts.

I rushed in the early 90s (so a few years after this story takes place) and at least in my little corner of the world the sororities did the cutting first. Based on the invitations that we received from them the next day (or whenever), we would then cut the list down, if necessary.

Were schools already using this mutual selection system in the 80s?

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by Blondie93

I rushed in the early 90s (so a few years after this story takes place) and at least in my little corner of the world the sororities did the cutting first. Based on the invitations that we received from them the next day (or whenever), we would then cut the list down, if necessary.

Were schools already using this mutual selection system in the 80s?

That's what I'm guessing, that when she says the PNMs "cut" she meant "rank".

[66Camaro]

I am sorry- I do keep saying "cut" because that's what we all called it, and how we thought of it. If the next day, we got invited back to more parties than we could go to, cuts were made if needed. But I will add that even though I say this story happened in the 1980s, it was closer to the 1990s than the 1970s.

[twinkle555]

Ahh Im lovin it!! MORE PLEASE!

[66Camaro]

DAY THREE:

When I woke up with my nose running and my eyes almost crusted shut, I knew I was in trouble. I thought, no, please don't let me have an allergy attack today- it isn't fair! I worried that I would be a snotty, runny eyed mess at the parties tonight, and I knew that would make a horrible impression. 65Mustang mentioned that she thought we could check out the library this afternoon (it was humungous) and see if we could find a hidden quiet study spot, but I didn't think it would help for me to trudge through stacks of old books (since that is where all the good quiet study spots are). I figured I would go straight to class and come straight back and rest.

The other problem was, the medicine I took at that time made me really woozy, so I was in a tight spot- I could either have a dry nose and eyes and act like I was high at the parties tonight, or I could leak snot and stuff everywhere, yuck. I decided to brave class without taking medicine, and armed with a pocket of tissues and my CoPilot travel mug from 7-11 (remember those?) filled to the top with ice water.

I made it through class with one unused tissue left and a dry CoPilot. 65Mustang decided not to go to the library alone, so we had lunch, and I went back to our room while she explored our dorm to find the laundry room, computer room, and things like that. I lay down in front of the tv and dozed off. When I woke up, 65Mustang was back and my eyes were dry, but my nose was still drippy- and I now had a headache from lying down. I took Tylenol and drank a Coke for the headache, and then wondered- what would happen if I took half a dose of my medicine? I decided to risk it and just do it. In the privacy of my dorm room, I could snort and honk my nose all I wanted, but it wouldn't do for that to happen during the parties tonight.

The phone rang, and when I kind of croaked "hello", Mother immediately knew something was wrong. She wanted to rush to campus, pick me up, and take me to the doctor. She was very persistent and insistent, and I tried to be nice, but I finally barked at her that I had rested and drank water, and it was still my decision to go to rush tonight. 65Mustang leaned into the phone and told Mother that if I was still sick tomorrow, she would call Mother herself and let her know. Mother was unhappy, but we had put her off long enough to leave me alone. We spent a few minutes telling her how things were going without being too specific, because my sister and I didn't know where we were going tonight- and we still didn't want to leak to the other which chapters we had liked and didn't like.

57Chevy came to our room after her class, just as promised, and she had brought a really sharp looking dress with her. We were just talking and drinking Cokes in the room when my medicine started to kick in. So far my nose seemed to be drying up and I didn't seem to be zoning out, so I thought I would be okay. We all got dressed in our room and helped do each other's hair. I thought maybe I would try something to take attention away from my allergy problem, so I dug a nice pair of slacks and an Oxford shirt out of the closet to wear with a pair of medium heels. 57Chevy said she had the perfect finishing touch in her room, so she left and returned with a printed scarf (the kerchief kind, not the long wintery kind) that had a deeper shade of the color of my Oxford in the print. I tucked some Kleenex in my pocket just in case, and we headed to the ballroom.

My Rho Chi was all smiles to see me, but there was a serious look in her eye. She told me that I had been invited back to 5 out of 6 parties! My heart stopped for a second, but when I saw that the one that hadn't invited me back was Midnight Blue, I figured it was just as well, because I hadn't wanted to go back there. Then my heart hurt to see that Silver Streak had invited me back. My Rho Chi could see it in my face, and she reassuringly told me that I had to do what I felt was best for me and not worry about other people's feelings, because I needed to go where I felt comfortable. I sadly declined to go to Silver Streak's party. Something about those girls really made me like them, but I didn't think my home was with them. I also told my Rho Chi that I was having issues with allergies and a headache, and she became concerned. She told me to be sure and let her know if I didn't think I could make it through the night or needed something.

While waiting for the parties to start, the sophomore badmouther loudly told some girls that she had a full schedule tonight, just as she expected. I wanted to stuff tissues down her throat.

My schedule for the night was:

Candy Apple Red (they made me feel really comfortable, then later said academics were really important, which worried me a little)
Sky Blue Metallic (the first 2 sisters I talked to were fun, but the 3rd sister and I had an awkward conversation, but I still liked them)
Jet Black (I felt sophisticated the first night, the second night a girl told me she had just rushed 65Mustang, but sophomore badmouther wanted to be in this sorority)
Violet Sparkle (I had fun at their parties, the girls were really nice, and I had a friend there from high school)


Candy Apple Red- These girls had a really neat philanthropy, and though I had heard of it, it was nice to learn more about it tonight. We saw a slide show of some local community events where this chapter had volunteered, and some of the pictures from their charity events brought tears to my eyes. After the presentation, sisters took us aside and we assembled little things for the philanthropy. The sister I talked to was so nice and you could tell that this chapter and organization really meant a lot to her. We talked about some of the volunteer work I had done as part of my high school organizations, and she said that it sounded like I had a lot in common with Candy Apple Red. When the time was up, she hugged me and thanked me for coming, but she didn't say anything like "see you tomorrow night." I tried not to be paranoid, because I really liked spending time with these girls.

Sky Blue Metallic had the same kind of thing going on- the sisters talked about their philanthropy, and we saw a slide show. When they talked about their main local philanthropy, I remember thinking, "Wow, I didn't know Our Metropolitan Area even had a place like that!" Their big annual philanthropy event was so cute, and I loved it! A sister took me aside, and we worked on some small things for that annual event. As we were doing the activity, I realized that I wasn't feeling sick again, but I was starting to feel a little "out of it". Oh no, I thought, that stupid medicine might be kicking in. I smiled and interacted with the sister, who seemed to be happy with our conversation, but I started to get so preoccupied with not acting stoned that I don't know what kind of impression I made. At the end of the party, I hugged the sister and told her I had a good time. She smiled and said she would like to see me again, no matter what happens. Oh no. Now I really tried not to be paranoid.

As we were ushered out for our break, my Rho Chi came to check on me. She looked a little concerned and asked if I needed to sit down. I remember telling her that maybe I should wash my face (! Makeup!) and she took me to the bathroom. She was thinking, though, and gave me a damp paper towel to pat my face with. She made me another one and I patted that on the back of my neck, which woke me up a little. She took me into the lobby outside the ballroom and had me sit down. 65Mustang saw this from across the lobby and rushed over. I insisted to them that I was fine and maybe should sit down for a minute. They fussed over me and finally got me to agree to stay put for a little while. My Rho Chi said that she would tell the girls of Jet Black that I wasn't feeling well and might enter their party late. She said as long as she told them that, it wouldn't look bad. I had no choice but to trust her, and she walked off to their room. As soon as she came back, over came none other than the sophomore badmouther. I really did not want to interact with her, but she shocked me when she said she had seen the other girls fussing over me, so she thought she would bring a cup of juice. She said she was a diabetic, and she wondered if I was, and she knew if I was having a problem with my blood sugar that I might need help. I couldn't believe it, and I thought maybe she wasn't such a jerk after all. I thanked her for the juice and said I wasn't diabetic, but I appreciated her thinking of me. She and 65Mustang had to leave for their parties then, and after the halls were quiet, my Rho Chi sat with me for about 5 minutes while I drank my juice. I finally felt collected enough to go into the next party, so she ushered me in.

Jet Black was already talking about their philanthropy, which I knew nothing about at all. We saw a slide show of people they help, and I felt a little scared of those poor people. I felt bad for thinking that, but I had not had exposure to anyone like that before in my somewhat sheltered life. I decided maybe I should learn more about them, and so when we were taken aside by the sisters to do our activity, I asked the one I was with if she could tell me more about the beneficiaries of their philanthropy and how Jet Black helps them out. She obliged me as best as she could, so it was nice to have more information. She and I finished our activity early, so she got up and brought back a photo album of the Jet Blacks at a bunch of social and philanthropic events. As she told me about some of the things in the pictures, I couldn't help but notice that almost all the girls in the photos were tall, blonde, athletic looking, well put together, kind of "California girl" types. I was blonde, but I was short, and I wondered when I looked at these photos if I would really fit in with these girls. At the end of the party we hugged and she told me she hoped to see me later. My head was spinning, so I did nothing but smile shyly back.

My last party was Violet Sparkle, and I was glad to see them, but also glad that it meant the evening was nearly over. Again, there was a slide show about their philanthropy events, and again, we learned about another philanthropy tonight, and it wasn't that I wasn't happy about it or I didn't think their work was good, but I was just feeling distracted. I composed myself as best as I could while I talked to the sister who sat with me. I think I made a nice enough impression, because she seemed nice enough and friendly enough. She and I also finished our project early, so we talked about general things about her sorority. She talked about some of the organizational awards they had won at the college, and I was impressed. 68VWConvertible came over for a moment and asked if I was okay, because she had seen me from across the room and said I looked like I wasn't feeling well. Uh oh. If she could see that from across the room, how did I look to the sister I was sitting 2 feet from? I told her I was fine but was having bad allergies, and she laughed. Laughed? Then the sister who was sitting with me told me a story, with 68VW standing right there, about how they were doing a particular philanthropy event in a dusty place the previous semester, and 68VW had such bad sinuses afterwards that she couldn't talk for a week, so the chapter gave her the nickname Froggie! We all laughed and I felt a little better. Maybe if the girls didn't mind sharing something like that with me, that was a good thing.

The night was finally over, and decision time for the rushees again. The Rho Chis explained that we were to pick 3 chapters where we might like to go for preference, and we could attend a maximum of three preference parties, but we were not guaranteed to do so. For some reason, tonight's decision was not hard for me. I don't know if I made a snap decision because I didn't feel well and just wanted to go home, or if I had decided to cut my losses and avoid a cut that I felt might be coming.

I wrote on my card that I wanted to return to:

Candy Apple Red
Jet Black
Violet Sparkle

and that I declined to return to:

Sky Blue Metallic.


I sat in a chair near the door to the ballroom when I was done, so 57Chevy and 65Mustang would easily find me. We went back to the dorm, and although I was tired, I took a quick hot shower to clear my head. I felt like I should have been more nervous at the end of that night than I was, but for whatever reason, I just wasn't.

When I got out of the shower, 57Chevy had gone back to her room. 65Mustang said she was going to meet us tomorrow for lunch, then come back to our dorm room about 5:00 so we could leave for preference. 65Mustang gleefully told me that the three meanies in her group hadn't gone to 4 parties tonight, and they were griping about "having" to return to the one place they really didn't want to go back to. 65Mustang said it was their just desserts for having talked bad about those girls on Monday night. She also said that Mother had called (yuck) while I was in the shower, and she told Mother that I was doing better, but I should be prepared for a phone call tomorrow morning. I told 65Mustang that I had to drop one group tonight, and she told me she had gotten invited back to 4 groups, so she didn't have to drop anybody at the beginning of the night, and she was happy about that.

Since the night was finally over, I took the other half of my dose of medication, and we turned out the lights and talked in our beds until we fell asleep.


Pit stop! Next time: Pref Night!!

[Ch2tf]

I like this story. I was rooting for Silver Streak though.

[FSUZeta]

56 mustang is actually 65 mustang, right?

love your story!

[66Camaro]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

56 mustang is actually 65 mustang, right?

love your story!

LOL yes! I will fix that now. Typing and multi tasking do not necessarily go together.