And, it's finally under way!

ESPRESSO!!!!!!!!!!! :D

You won't get a lot of details on what I wore to each round because frankly, I don't really remember! I don't think I mentioned, but the number of girls who came back for formal recruitment was much less than the number who went to open houses - I think it was more around 550. People didn't make grades or didn't want to (or couldn't) go back early from Christmas break or decided that it wasn't for them. My recruitment group only lost about 6 girls but some lost quite a few more.

First Invitational

The first party started at 8:30, which meant meeting the Rho Chis at 8, which meant waking up at 6 AM to make sure you could get a shower along with the 300 other girls.

Mocha - You'd think after open houses I'd have gotten used to the screaming and yelling but I wasn't ready 2 months later. I met a girl who I chatted with about the group's philanthropy some. Then we sat down to watch the chapter's presentation. My rusher kept pointing different people and events during the show. All the girls seemed like they truly got along with one another - I didn't think it was really possible! After the show she introduced me to a few more sisters before I had to leave. I got a good vibe from this chapter today.

Cafe Au Lait - Honestly, I don't really remember this party at all. There was a presentation, and someone talked to me about the philanthropy a little, but nothing really stuck out to me.

Cappuccino - This party was a bit of a blur as well, but I do remember that it was REALLY loud and I was practically having to scream to be heard. The girl who had rushed me in the fall stopped back by and said hi to me. Then we sat down to watch the presentation. I saw a familiar face up on the screen. It was Gina, my Rho Chi! They had a video clip and there she was in full Cappuccino gear. I turned to the girl who was rushing me and said something. She looked really embarrassed but I just laughed.

Ristresso - At this point the screaming from the last party was starting to get to me and my throat started to feel sore. This party was a little quieter which was nice and the recruitment chair for the chapter had picked me and another girl up at the door. Their presentation looked like it had been done by a professional! It was very nice, but I just didn't feel myself clicking with the chapter at all. I left knowing that the girls were very sweet, but they seemed a little shy, and that's one thing I'm definitely not!

As I walked to the next party, I ran in to Rho Chi Amanda and told her about Cappuccino's slide show with Gina in it. Or I tried to rather - I had started to lose my voice. Wonderful, now I wouldn't even be able to talk to the chapters. I was for sure going to get dropped from recruitment. :(

Espresso - I was picked up by a girl at the door who was so talkative and outgoing. At one point there were like 4 sisters around myself and another rushee and somehow we got on the topic of cooking. I said, "Well I don't cook much but my boyfriend loves too," and one of them said we'd all have to get together and have him cook for us one night. I definitely started to feel at home with this bunch even though I'm sure they could barely hear what I was saying. They had an adorable presentation and the girls all loved talking about everything they did for their philanthropy.

Americano - A girl picked me up at the door and started talking with me about the usual stuff when she "suddenly realized" where I was from and that I had gone to school with her cousin when I was younger. Amazing, right? ;) We sat down and watched their video and my rusher was cheering and singing along with all of the sisters. Afterwards she introduced me to a few more girls before I left. This chapter was nice, nothing really stuck out to me too much, but they seemed like a good group of girls.

Macchiato - My rusher this time was nicer this round perhaps, but absolutely clueless. We watched their presentation which was cute but didn't show anything about philanthropy. When I asked her what the chapter's national philanthropy was she said she had no idea :eek:. (To this day I actually don't think I know what this group's philanthropy is, and I knew what every other chapter's was pre-rush!) Conversation just headed downhill from there.

Once the parties were over around 4:00 we headed to the computers with our Rho Chi groups to rank. We were to list our top 4 as #1 and then rank 5, 6, and 7. I thought about everything for a few minutes and the things that all the girls had said during the fall got in to my head (bad plan). I ranked like this:

1 - Espresso
1 - Mocha
1 - Americano
1 - Macchiato
5 - Cappucino
6 - Cafe Au Lait
7 - Ristresso

On my walk back to my room I immediately regretted what I had done. I hadn't liked Macchiato, I had liked Cappuccino. And really, I had liked Cafe Au Lait more than Macchiato too. Why did I do that? I spent all night pouting to myself in my room and avoiding all of the girls on my hall.

Your story reminds me of my own experience for some reason. I'm predicting Espresso or Mocha! (on a side note your thread has reminded me of this girl I sort of knew in college who called espresso "expresso" ALL THE TIME and actually corrected people who said "espresso". Finally I was like "No, unless you're talking about a really fast coffee drink, it's espresso". I got a death stare and we never really spoke again. haha)

This is such a great story! I'm craving Starbucks now...

im still rooting for Macchiato and Cappuchino!

Getting Invites

The next morning I woke up early to go get my invite list from my rho chi and was still feeling crappy about what I had done while ranking. I trudged over to the building and found my group. I went to ask Amanda for my schedule and nothing came out of my mouth. I didn't just sound like a man anymore, my voice was just completely gone. Amanda laughed, looked at my schedule and said she'd meet me outside my first party with a cup of hot tea.

Cappuccino
Espresso
Cafe Au Lait
Mocha

You know how they say you end up where you're supposed to? I really started to believe it at this point. Even if I screwed up there was some alternate force in the universe working to correct things for me. I was completely fine not going back to Americano and Macchiato and I happily went back to my dorm to get ready for the day.

Little did I know that upon re-entering the building I would be walking in to a jungle.

Woo!!! I love your story so far! I need more... soon. Please?

In maybe the weirdest greekchat highjack:

You know that people saying expresso for espresso was one of the Columbine guys hangups?

http://www.slate.com/id/2099203/

I probably accidentally say expresso, I'm not sure why. I know it's wrong if I think about , but it seems right when I say it.

I love your thread, and it's great it worked out for this set the way your really wanted it to, despite having deferred to other people's opinion in your ranking.

more pleaseeeeeeeee!:p

I am loving this story!!

Wow, I'm sorry you had people being so negative about your choices. I'm also glad to hear you didn't let them affect you! I think a lot of PNM's forget that THEY'RE the ones that will have to live with the choices they make during recruitment, not their friends!

Lookin' forward to another update!

UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! :D

Go Espressooooooooooooooo!

I'm hooked on your story...it might be all the coffee references! Please tell us more!