|
That 70s Rush!
Gather around, young’uns! Granny’s got a story to tell you. I’m not a regular greekchat poster, but I have been lurking for years. Since several greekchatters have mentioned in the past that they’d like to hear a recruitment tale from the long ago era of frills, and at this time of year we are low on current recruitment stories, I thought it would be fun to tell you my tale. It’s all about that thing called rush. Yes, rush. That’s what we called it back in the olden days. So here it is, in all its frill filled glory . . . That 70s Rush!
|
18 Year Old Me
I grew up in a large metro area and attended a small private school, which I will refer to as Prissy Prep. There were two public high schools in the immediate area, which I’ll call East Suburbia and Central Suburbia. I had several close friends and even more acquaintances from junior high, church and other social activities that went to those schools. I was pretty active in high school; it was easy to be since there were fewer than 100 students in each class. It was an academically rigorous curriculum and I graduated with a GPA high enough to earn a full scholarship to each state university I applied to. I decided to attend Jumbo State University (JSU), which is a large state school located in a big city about two hours away from home. Most of the students from my school who end up going to college in-state end up at JSU. When I arrived at school, I knew absolutely nothing about sororities or rush. I arrived at campus early because I was required to attend a special orientation program for my major. But since it was the week before classes, most of the girls who had already moved in were there because they were rushing. (Yes, it was called rush then, and I will be using the vernacular of the day in my tale.) No one in my family had ever been Greek, so it never occurred to me to even investigate it. Two of my new suite mates were planning on rushing, which was scheduled to begin the day after I arrived on campus. They convinced me it would be a great way to meet people, and since classes didn’t start for a few days, I agreed to join them. After I discussed it with my folks, the girls brought me over to the Greek Life office and I registered. No recs. No preconceived notions. No idea what to wear. No expectations. No Greekchat to give me rush tips. Nothing. |
I'm really excited for this story! I love hearing about "rush" vs. recruitment lol.
|
The Suitemates
Lisa was going to be the forth generation in her family to join a sorority. She knew the JSU Greek system inside and out. She was at least a single legacy to over half the houses on campus, and a triple legacy to one (which she had her heart set on joining and I later learned was the house everyone seemed to want.) Although I’d never met her before, Lisa went to East Suburbia high school and dated a guy who attended Prissy Prep. She was drop dead gorgeous, insanely well dressed, and super smart. I would have been completely intimidated if she hadn’t been one of the nicest, funniest and most sincere people I’ve ever met. Tina was from out of state, a cheerleader and valedictorian. Smart, very pretty, and unfortunately extremely conceited, which was something it took me much too long to figure out. She must have researched the Greek System long before arriving (LOL how did anyone do that before the internet?!) because she knew the reps of every single house, had her recs in order and knew exactly where she was going to end up. And that just happened to be the same sorority Lisa wanted. That sorority they both want must be something special, right? So I decided that it was probably the best place for me too. I can’t wait until we’re all sorority sisters! Gee, I’m not naïve at all, am I? |
Greek Life at JSU
Even though it was the mid-70s and an era of decline for Greek life on many campuses, Greek life was still very important at JSU, and about a quarter of the student body was Greek. Although not quite SEC crazy, rush was extremely competitive. I think there were 700 - 800 girls rushing with me and quota ended up being around 50. With a few exceptions, most of the sororities had between 100 and 160 members. At the time, there were 13 NPC groups on this campus. Since this is the 1970s and I am woefully uncreative, I am going to name them after characters from “That 70s Show.” Here they are in random order: Eric Donna Hyde Fez Kelso Jackie Red Kitty Laurie Midge Bob Leo Randy Our parties were stretched out over five days, with an Orientation Session and Rush Counselor Meeting on the evening prior to the first day of parties and Bid Day on the evening of the sixth day. The sets were broken up like this: Set One: Open House Day One – first 7 house parties Set One: Open House Day Two – last 6 house parties Set Two: House Tours – up to 8 parties Set Three: Theme/Skit – up to 5 parties Set Four: Preference – up to 3 parties As long as people are interested and not bored to tears, I'll start talking about the actual rush days tomorrow. |
Can't wait to see how you '70's rush compared to my own.
DaffyKD |
I sure am enjoying your rush story -- I attended college in the 70's also. I am looking forward to reading your next post.:o
|
Wow, you sound so much like me. I was from a large metro area as well and I, too, went to a " Prissy Prep" and had friends in several other public and private high schools in the area. I was in a high school sorority which had members from the other private and some public schools.
I went to a large state university. No other members of my family had gone greek and I knew basically nothing about rush... no recs, no pre conceived notions. I still can't bring myself to call it recruitment. Can't wait to hear more of your story. Go 70s! ZTA72 |
I can't WAIT to hear your thread!
|
Love this! Keep it going! :)
|
I love it already! Let's hear more!
|
Love this thread already!
Where will Lisa and Tina end up?? |
Convocation/Orientation Evening
After spending the entire day in my major orientation program, I arrived back at the dorm to get ready for rush orientation. Lisa and Tina assure me it will be a casual affair, which is a good thing because all I have time to do is take a quick shower, put on some lip gloss and mascara and change my clothes. We walk over to the activities center together, looking a little like clones. We’re each wearing an embroidered peasant top, Levi’s 501s, and water buffalo sandals. No, we weren’t hippies. That’s just the way most girls dressed at the time and we met up with lots more girls wearing the same “uniform” at orientation. The activities center is packed and so loud! I am overwhelmed by the sheer number of girls who are rushing. This rush thing is obviously a much bigger deal than I realized. The Panhellenic board takes the stage and explains just how things will work. I’m a little surprised when I learn we can’t go to the parties with whomever we want. I had hoped to tag along through rush with my suitemates, especially since I was sure we’d soon be sisters! I had a bit of an awakening when the process was explained during orientation. After the convocation ceremony and orientation, we all break up into our rush groups and get to meet our Rush Counselor. She seems so sweet and genuinely interested in helping all of us. She hands out a booklet that includes a page for each sorority with a photo of the house along with their Greek letters and the words spelled out in English. All of those Alphas, Phis, Pis and Deltas! I knew the only chance I had to keep them straight would be to take good notes; and thankfully each page also had a place just for this purpose. Especially during the first four days, I ferociously scribbled notes right after each party. I still have that booklet and am using it to write this today. I know two girls in my rush group from the public high schools I mentioned, but not well. The worst part is I feel like everyone seems to know what they are doing except ME! I’m confused but since I’m in it for fun, I’ll give it the old college try. I’ve had a very long and overwhelming day and go right to sleep once I get back home, in spite of my jabbering suite mates whose anxiety keeps them up well past midnight. I sleep like a baby. I haven’t a care in the world. |
Love this rush story already, keep it coming!
|
Quote:
|
|
I am glad people are enjoying my story! It's especially fun seeing some of our more - uh - mature greekchatters chiming in! :D So on with my tale...
Set One Day One - Open House I’m breaking up the first two days here since they were the open house rounds but except for the first and last houses, I have very little recollection of which houses I saw on which days. It’s really warm and I decide to wear one of the new sundresses I had bought a few weeks before going to college. I’d spent most of the last 12 years of my life in uniforms and didn’t have much of a casual wardrobe, so my mother had thankfully taken me out for a shopping spree before leaving for school. Like most girls, my wardrobe mainstays were Levi’s 501s, sweaters, cute t-shirts, Mexican peasant tops, khaki shorts and cutoff 501s. I wear my hair the usual way, long, straight and parted down the center. I’m wearing a pair of sky high Kork-Ease platform sandals, with sun tan colored panty hose naturally! Yes, girls, we all wore hose then! This is the look I wear all the way through rush until preference, and it’s a look almost all the other girls are wearing as well. I remember being relieved that I fit in with the other girls. It’s already insanely hot and the sorority houses and activities center where we are supposed to meet each day are all located on the opposite side of campus from most freshmen dorms, including mine. These are the dark ages before campus shuttle systems and the parking on that side of campus is non-existent. By the time we meet our RC at the activities center, and start the trek to the first party, most of the rushees are already melting. It’s not a great look for making good first impressions (and some girls are already freaking out about it), but at least we are all in good company! Hyde – Oh my God! The noise! Why didn’t anyone warn me about this? They come stampeding out the door like a herd of buffalo, screaming, chanting, clapping, cheering and singing. I was not expecting this at all! This is a pretty large house and I recognize a few girls from both my school and the public schools back home. The house is ok looking but one of the girls I talk to mentions they have sleeping porches (which has to be explained to naïve me) and I am not keen on that at all. They are all very attractive in a high maintenance way but seem a little bit too wild for me. All the girls I talk to really emphasize how many socials they have with the fraternities. I’m pretty sure I won’t fit in here. I’m not nearly as pretty and as outgoing as these girls and I am already feeling a little overwhelmed. Donna – So this time I am ready for the noise, and these girls didn’t disappoint. This is another huge sorority and is full of girls from my high school. I don’t know all of them personally, but recognize everyone at least by name or their face. Our conversations are like a walk down memory lane and the time just flies. There is already one thing that concerns me though. Many of the girls I know come from extremely wealthy and prominent families. Although no one at my high school was exactly poor, these girls are like the who’s who of my home town’s high society and live in a completely different stratosphere. I am worried that I might not measure up. They are also very athletic and have lots of awards for that, and I am a pretty clumsy girl! But overall, I feel good about this group. Kitty – This house is gorgeous and looks like an Italian villa. It is only about 10 years old and was custom built for the chapter shortly after they colonized. There’s a huge amount of noise coming from the girls inside before they burst out the door to welcome us. But I am shocked at how few girls there were making all that noise. This chapter only has about 25 members. There are a lot of unattractive girls and several are very overweight, but they all seem very nice and genuinely happy to meet me. I don’t know or recognize anyone here. They have a high GPA and are actually excited when I tell them what my rather geeky major is. In spite of what many rushees would consider shortcomings, I like all the girls I talk to in spite of their looks and awkwardness. Bob – This is another smaller chapter; there are maybe 60 or so members. I don’t recognize a single person here and it seems they are all from either Chicago or New York. These girls are really sophisticated! Every single one of them is brunette, darkly tanned, perfectly coiffed, fashionably dressed and wearing lots of expensive looking jewelry. Unfortunately, the first girl who rushes me seems completely bored with me and there are lots of awkward silences until she bumps me to an equally unenthusiastic sister. I feel like an unsophisticated bumpkin and like I have nothing in common with these girls. The house is very 1960s looking with very low ceilings and dark wood. I feel claustrophobic because it’s so dark and cramped. Maybe that has a lot to do with it too. I even trip on the step of the sunken living room as we leave. Although several sisters see it happen, no one bothers to try to help me or asks if I am ok. Definitely an omen of doom. I already know I definitely would not fit in here and can’t wait to leave! Fez – This house has one of the highest GPAs and is one of the biggest on campus. It’s also the one Lisa and Tina (and I! Ha!) want. There do not seem to be many girls from my town, much less my state, in this house. The girls are very attractive in a preppy sort of fresh scrubbed way and I feel comfortable here. Although I don’t know any of them, they feel very familiar and remind me a lot of the girls I went to school with. They have a nice comfortable house, and although it isn’t quite as grand as some of the others I will see, it feels very homey. Kelso – This is another big house with lots of girls from my high school, but they are more of the laid back kind of girls who don’t try too hard to impress others. They know they’re special and don’t have to tell anyone they are. They also have a high GPA and are very cute in a down to earth kind of way. They have a gorgeous historic house and it is one of the oldest sororities on campus. I have some great conversations with some girls I already know here and I really like it. Randy – Oh dear. This chapter makes me want to cry. No chanting, singing or cheering, they just open the door and stand in line to personally greet us as we enter. There are only about 10 of them and they are so completely socially awkward, it literally looks like they took the ten least attractive and shy girls on campus and put them in one place. There are 3 to 4 rushees per member, and the poor girls have no conversation skills at all. The rushees all seem to be talking amongst themselves in each group and the sisters aren’t saying much at all. The only thing I can remember my rusher telling us is that everyone gets her own room and can move in right away. I imagine so since they have a beautiful spacious house and no members. You can almost smell the desperation here. I cannot wait to leave because I am so uncomfortable and embarrassed for them! |
Your rush story makes me smile. :) Keep it comin`!
|
lovin it!!
|
Another vote of approval from a...cough...mature GCer!
|
Ha ha, Gee Ess, maybe I should call us seasoned greekchatters. Onward to Day Two!
Set One Day Two - Open House Jackie – This is another large sorority and they have a big sunny and comfortable newer house. A girl from my church youth group, who was a senior when I was a freshman, is a member of this group. Let’s call her Liz. She was the most stylish girl I knew as well as being extremely nice and smart. I totally idolized her and am thrilled when she recognizes me and picks me up. She remembers me! She does a great job of summarizing who I am and how she knows me when she bumps me to the next sister. There are a lot of girls from my high school here as well as from the two public high schools nearby. I am a little intimidated though. Everyone seems to be a beautiful blonde and I am not. I do also have another small concern. Many of the girls I know there had a bit of a party girl rep in high school and although I like to have fun, I am not exactly a party animal. They also have one of the lowest GPAs on campus. I know my folks would be less than thrilled with that! Eric – This is another large house with the highest GPA on campus. There are lots of girls from Central Suburbia High here and several from my high school. The older sister of one of my church group friends is a member and she recognizes me and picks me up. They have a stately big red brick house with pillars; it’s very traditional looking and what I imagine a sorority house should look like. They seem very down to earth and nice, but from the girls I already know and the conversations I had, I get the sense they may be a little too uptight for me. Laurie – This is a smaller house with maybe 60 members. I don’t recognize anyone and can’t seem to get a handle on who they are at all. No one and nothing stands out and they seem just kind of blah. Although they are nice enough, I can’t see a single thing that would make me remember this group, much less want to join it. Midge – I don’t recognize anyone at this house either. They are another one of the huge groups on campus and have a beautiful old house that looks like a Spanish villa. The girls are beautiful, but in that 1970s natural no makeup needed kind of way. I have some good conversations here and feel pretty comfortable even though I don’t know anyone. Red – This is another larger chapter. A couple of older girls from my high school that I don’t really know are members. I am having a great time until I see a girl I will call Vicki across the room. She went to Central Suburbia but I know her from junior high and Girl Scouts. I can’t stand her. If anyone has ever seen the movie Election, she is exactly like the Reese Witherspoon character. Insanely high strung hyper opinionated over achiever at all costs. She plans on being the first female president of the US. She waves frantically at me, but I am thankful the room is so crowded and she is not able to make it over my way. My feelings about her really cloud the way I feel about this house even though the girls I talk to seem nice and normal enough. I don’t know what to make of this situation. Leo – I don’t recognize anyone here and they seem to be primarily local girls. Although it was built specifically for them about 15 years ago, the house looks like a dorm to me and is really really ugly! This is a smaller group with maybe 40 members. They are pretty socially awkward, and seem much more interested in talking between themselves and giggling over private jokes. The other thing that’s kind of odd here to me is that a lot of them are biologically related to each other. There are at least four sets of sisters, and several make a point of letting us know they are cousins. I feel like I am having to pull conversation out of each sister I talk to and am super uncomfortable here as well. I have to admit that not knowing anything about Greeks made me much more vulnerable to the opinions of my suite mates and others I met during rush. I am NOT proud of that, but it’s a fact of life and I made notes that included these opinions, although some of the things that I was told I had already figured out for myself. (I mean, it’s not too hard to figure out a chapter is struggling if it has 25 members and most others are well over 100.) Some of these comments are going to be pretty blunt, but I think it’s important to see the kind of pressure others can put on a girl who’s completely naïve to the system and why that’s not a good thing! I don’t specifically remember which houses the other girls went to on each day since they weren’t in my group, so the comments of others are pretty random and simply what I can remember when looking back 30 years and deciphering from my notes. Lisa mentions she is a legacy to both Randy and Kitty, but didn’t bother to list them on her rush application or have “paperwork” sent to the chapters. (Whatever that meant! Again, I had no clue about recommendations and legacy forms and she had to explain this all to me.) She does not want to be invited back. Tina is far meaner. She calls them “dog houses.” When I mention how uncomfortable I was at Bob, Tina tells me it’s because I am not Jewish. I was pretty sheltered and wasn’t sure what this meant. Of course looking back, I realize that even in the 70s, Greek life at JSU was still very segregated. When I mention how thrilled I was to see Liz, Lisa has a lot of good things to say about the Jackies, telling me they are great girls and very popular with the fraternities. Tina says it’s because they are drunken sluts. This totally confuses me! I know Liz and the other girls I know in Jackie are beautiful and lots of fun, but from my experience, none of them was ever out of control that way. They just like to go out and party but were not remotely what you’d consider loose. I hope no one would think I’m like that since I really like the Jackies a lot! And of course everyone raves about how wonderful Fez is. Everyone loves the Fezs! The thing that I remember the most is a comment Lisa makes: “You’re a Prissy Prep girl. You will end up at Donna or Kelso where all the Prissy Prep good girls are.” This comment leaves me confused, like my fate has been pre-ordained simply by virtue of where I went to high school. Didn’t Lisa think I would be a good sister to her and Tina in Fez? I really really really want to be a Fez too! Later that night we go to a huge rush party at the Milwaukee house, which is supposed to be the “best” fraternity on campus. I find out that I know about half the guys there because they are also Prissy Prep grads. The girls I’m with from my floor are agog, which I find totally hilarious since these are just a bunch of goony boys that I have mostly known since elementary school. I remember them with zits and braces and it cracks me up that the girls think they’re so cool. But I am also starting to understand exactly how ingrained this sorority/fraternity thing had been in the people who I grew up with AND how oblivious I had been about it. A couple of my guy friends urge me to “Go Jackie because they’re fun and foxy.” My guy friends also warn us not to drink the punch. This is where I learn about this devil’s brew called Everclear. Tina doesn’t listen and proceeds to get completely pasted and pretty much makes a fool of herself by hanging all over any guy that looks at her. I appreciate the irony of the fact that she’d referred to the Jackies as “drunken sluts” just hours earlier. So that’s where the first two days end. My head is spinning. My feet ache in spite of the fact that I wore my most comfy pair of platform sandals. I am dead tired but can’t sleep. At this point, rush is still an experiment in curiosity for me and a social outlet until classes start. But eventually that will change. |
I am so hooked!! I can't wait for more!
|
this is such an interesting 'rush' story! :D
|
Wow! This is great!! Can't wait to hear more!! :D
|
I love the "seasoned" rush stories! They have so much character and I enjoy seeing the differences between today's recruitment and yesterday's rush.
|
Set Two: House Tours
Another day, another sundress! At this point, we don’t rank our chapters. We simply receive a list of all the chapters that have invited us back and pick up to eight out of that list. I am invited back to all of the houses except Bob. Remember, these are the days without lots of early release restrictions, so it’s not too unusual to have an overabundance of invites in the second round. Although some cuts are definitely made after the first round, many girls are in the position where they are the ones regretting parties. I remember being a little horrified that Randy and Kitty invited me back. Did they think I am a dog too? Lisa later explains that they invite everyone back since almost everyone will decline unless they “belong” there or didn’t get enough other invites. Since we can only return to eight houses, I cross the following four off my invite list: Kitty Randy Leo Hyde The first two I cross off the list because I am a shallow teenager and would be mortified to be associated with a “dog house,” in spite of the fact that I liked the Kitty ladies. The last two I crossed off my list only because their names were similar and I couldn’t figure out for sure which was which! One of them I didn’t like at all and the other I felt pretty neutral about, so I figured I would eliminate both of them to avoid going back to the one I didn’t like at all. Sheesh. So that left me with: Red Eric Laurie Jackie Kelso Midge Fez Donna And here we go . . . Fez---- A nice Junior who I hadn’t met before took me on the house tour. From the street, this house looks rather small, but it spreads out onto a very deep lot. The dining room was large and elegant and she explained the way the meals worked. Prior to this, I had no idea that it was normal for someone who didn’t live in a sorority house to actually eat there. The food sounded much better than the cafeteria food and that made me extra happy. They had several bedroom styles that slept between two and four. They were all decorated really cute and seemed much larger than my dorm room. More bonus points! We went out a side door and crossed through a large private courtyard. This was the place the sisters used for tanning. I thought that was a great idea! Of course these were the days when we basted ourselves in baby oil boosted with iodine and covered double record albums with foil to catch the maximum rays. Eeeeek! There was another small wing on the other side of the courtyard and each room had its own door. These were the “senior apartments” where seniors could live. Each had a private bathroom, living room, separate bedroom and a small kitchenette. I loved this! I had a great time talking to my tour guide and the girl she bumped me to afterwards. They had such great senses of humor and it was obvious how much they loved living in this house. I left feeling even more positive about this group. I’m definitely wanting Fez the most. Kelso – This house is just gorgeous, a stately old mansion and the exterior is painted my favorite color. That definitely appeals to me. Yes, I am shallow! An older girl from my high school gives me the tour. I’m pretty excited when she tells me she was so happy I was rushing. I didn’t know her well at all, so it made me feel pretty special. We talked a lot about old times as we walked through the house. When we get to the first bedroom, I’m a bit confused. There are no beds in these small double rooms, just closets, chairs and desks. Duh dah dun! This house must have one of the dreaded sleeping porches! And indeed it did. At least I knew what a sleeping porch was this time, but was still completely unimpressed by the whole system, even after seeing it and hearing what it was like to sleep there. Since I am a super light sleeper, all I could think about was girls who snore and talk in their sleep and how that would ruin my life! And of course I was much too overwhelmed and intimidated to ask questions about it. I was far too concerned about this girl from my high school maintaining a positive opinion of me. (What can I say, I was a pleaser. Age and experience have really helped with that!) Jackie – This house is a little newer than most and has very modern architecture, so it’s not traditional looking. But it’s got lots of windows, making it feel sunny and light. There has been an addition to it recently because of the chapter’s continued growth. And it doesn’t have sleeping porches. Yay! The chapter president gives me my house tour and tells me what great things she has heard about me from Liz. She is also a Central Suburbia grad and has been Liz’s best friend since they were in third grade. I think being in a sorority with your childhood friend is the coolest thing ever. The President is as cool as Liz is, and I do feel a little intimidated that I might not be cool enough to fit in here. It does however make me really happy to hear she already knows who I am, but I fail to grasp if there’s any significance to being toured by the president. Eric – This is the house that I think looks like I imagine a sorority house should look like. I am in love with the staircase in this house! It feels like I am Scarlett O’Hara. There are lots of fun framed photos of the girls posing together on the stairs. Unfortunately, I am not as enthusiastic about the girls as I am the house. My conversations seem stilted, and although they are nice enough, I am realizing this is the slightly nerdy smart girl house and I’m not really going to fit in. Red – Vicki picks me up right away. Oh God. She will not stop talking! I can’t get a word in at all as she gives me the house tour. AND SHE DOESN”T BUMP ME! I am stuck with her the entire time. Did I mention she won’t stop talking? I don’t care how nice the house is or how wonderful the sisters are (not that she will ever let me meet any more of them to even find out!) I can’t stand being in the same room with her much less living with her. I vow to never come back to this house ever again! Midge – The house was beautiful and the girls who rushed me were pretty and nice. That’s about all I remember about this one. I left with a favorable impression, but I’m still not quite feeling it here. A lot of the other girls really love this chapter though! Laurie – I honestly don’t remember much of anything about this group or their house. They were that bland for me. The only things I do remember is that the house was pretty dated and run down, and the girl that gave me the house tour told me a few pledges with high GPAs could move in right away. After my experience in the first set with Randy, as promising as it sounds on the surface, I am sure that is NOT a good sign. Donna – The house is another traditionally styled mansion, although I think the exterior color is sort of icky. (There I go again!) A girl I have never met before gives me my tour and I learn she is an East Suburbia grad. In addition to discovering we have a lot of people in common, I also learn that she went to the same summer camp I did, only different sessions each year so we never met. We even lived in the same cabin and belonged to the same “tribe,” which I thought was a pretty funny coincidence. In spite of the icky color, the interior of the house was beautiful and elegant. It was clear that someone had put a lot of time and effort into decorating and maintaining the place. I particularly loved the TV room and the way she described how they loved to pile in to watch Charlie’s Angels each week. That show was one of my guilty pleasures and I was excited to find that other girls shared my secret. There were a variety of room configurations here: doubles, triples and quads. But most importantly, no sleeping porches! After the parties, we are to list our top five houses and then rank the bottom three. My list looked like this: Midge Jackie Kelso Fez Donna 1. Eric 2. Laurie 3. Red After we turn in our lists, I go out to grab some pizza with some of the girls in my group. We have a great time talking about our different impressions of the houses and our likes and dislikes. When I get back to the dorm, all hell is breaking out in my room. Lisa is lying on her bed, sobbing hysterically. Tina is on the phone yelling at someone. She’s so mad that there’s a vein popping out on her forehead and her face is bright red. Our third suite mate (who arrived the previous day, is not rushing and is very anti-sorority) is sitting cross legged on her bed and smirking. “I suppose those Fez bitches didn’t invite you back too?” Lisa’s mother had already called most of the alumnae association and the house itself to complain. Lisa’s mom was a very well connected and active Fez, and Lisa was a triple legacy. She was told there was nothing that could be done as there were far more legacies than the house could take; in fact there were more legacies from just our hometown than slots available in the pledge class. Although Lisa’s Fez dreams are now over, after talking to her mom, she decides to continue rush and consider the remaining houses she has. She had a full schedule that day, so otherwise rush had been going well for her. Tina immediately starts talking down Fez, insisting she hadn’t been that impressed with them at all, and talking up some of the groups that had been on her “not good enough” list yesterday. What a difference a day makes. All of this stuff about legacies and cuts is really boggling to me. I do have to suck it up and admit that I had been invited back to Fez and had had a good time. But I also began to doubt that they could know what they are doing if they cut such great girls right away and whether I would belong in a house that would cut my friends. I am also feeling very guilty. I can’t help but think that if I hadn’t rushed, maybe my friends would still be in the running there. Since the parties don’t start until the early evening tomorrow, we have a longer time to marinate and worry than before. It feels like Set Three will never come! |
I keep trying to picture all this happening in the 70s but I totally can't. Probably because I wasn't alive then. :)
|
I am loving reading this story! Count me in as another "vintage veteran"...who rushed in the 70's. I only wish I had great notes like yours - but I was waaaayyyy more clueless and uninformed and notes? why would I need notes? didn't I get to just pick which group I wanted to join? I already knew which one was the one for me so why bother with any others? So, so wrong...
I really enjoy hearing the honest thoughts about the sororities. And from the wise perch of our current age, it's fine (and true) to admit that we were shallow teenagers once upon a time! |
I was alive in the 70's, although I was a little girl, and remember looking-up to all the cool teenagers and their hair and clothes. So I can totally see this story happening in my mind! Groovy!
Can't wait for more! |
Hey, "That_70s," I am loving your thread! Very funny! Actually, things are not so different now, are they? :rolleyes:
I am a little older than you, but won't be posting my story because I was so clueless I didn't sign up for formal rush.:p I'd love to hear from some of our even "more seasoned" members on rush in the 1960s - talk about FULL FRILLS! Matching outfits every day (that the sorority ordered en masse, and paid for), elaborate sets and costumes, fantastic flowers, professionally choreographed dance routines and professionally coached singers, lavish "favors" - not to mention the lavish over-the-summer teas and spend-the-nights! Back then, you didn't even start with open houses and visits to every sorority. Say there were 10 sororities - you picked 5 to start with - and hoped you picked the 5 that would give you a chance! :eek: Carry on!:D |
This is awesome!
|
Pleeease continue!!!! :)
|
Did I miss the houses you got invited back to? Did all the ones you listed invite you back?
I may just be tired and unable to read!! |
Quote:
|
Thanks for clearing that up. So the triple legacy roommate was cut after open houses. Yikes!!
|
Quote:
Keep it going! :) |
Frills? You want your frills? Through the house tours round, everyone dressed very matchy matchy and the decorations were beautiful. But theme parties were where the sororities really amped it up .... as you will see!
Set Three: Theme Day This is the first day of seriously hard cuts, although I’m finding it hard to believe the cuts could be any harder than the heartbreak my suite mates had experienced yesterday. Before we are given our party lists, we are warned that there may be some major disappointments and not everyone will see a maximum of five sororities on our invite schedules. Judging from the reactions around me, there are a lot of unhappy girls heading off to their parties. I am fine with mine but am surprised that I am invited back to Fez again particularly after they’d unfairly cut my suite mates. My list reads: Kelso Jackie Donna Fez Eric I am delighted that I got most of my top choices from yesterday, but a little apprehensive about continuing on with Fez. Fez – The theme here is “Fez Night Live” and the house is set up like a TV studio. Outside there is a marquee and also one of those searchlights like they use at movie premiers. We walk up a red carpet to be greeted by sisters dressed up like Saturday Night Live characters. I am picked up by a girl I haven’t met before and we have a chance to talk a bit before the skit. She’s super funny, which is a good thing since it’s hard to keep a straight face when you are talking to a girl dressed up as a killer bee! We end up having a lot in common. The skit is hilarious and based on the Saturday Night Live Coneheads. In spite of its high comedic value, it really communicates what it’s like to be part of their sisterhood. After the skit, another sister joins our conversation. Then IT happened. (yes, there was this thing ….. just kidding!) The question I had been dreading was finally asked. “What does your father do?” asked my new rusher. I’ve had to deal with this one my entire life. I know from experience that many people are uncomfortable with his profession, but I had never been in a situation where I felt like I was going to be judged by what he does for a living. You see, my dad has been very successful in the business world. Our family was very lucky to live a comfortable lifestyle because of this success and I am extremely grateful for that. But, my father owned what was at the time one of the largest privately owned chains of funeral homes in the country. Yes, my dad sees dead people. Lots of them. “My dad owns some funeral homes,” I said. My rusher’s eyes grew huge. I wished I could melt into the floor. “Oh my God!” she exclaimed. “He owns (My last Name) Mortuary in (her home town)?” “Yes, he does,” I croaked. “They were so nice to my family when my grandmother died last year, please tell him how much we appreciated it,” she replied. Bullet dodged. We went on to discuss much more light hearted things. Whew! But another bullet is headed my way. Only I don’t realize it. The next girl who comes over to talk to me is one I spoke to yesterday. I felt we had a great connection and in the course of our conversation I mentioned that there may have been some mistake with their invite list yesterday. They dropped my wonderful suite mates and wasn’t there a way they could reconsider them? Yes, I said it. I told you I was naïve! She was so nice about it, given the spot I’d put her in. I had no clue what a faux pas I had committed. It wasn’t until I was back at the dorm with Lisa and Tina and told them what I’d done that I learned what an egregious error I had made. They both thanked me for my concern while telling me there was no chance in hell I would be asked back to next round. I figured it was just as well since they weren’t going to be in that sorority anyway. Donna – Good God. There is a real hot air balloon parked on the lawn of the Donna house! I’ve never seen one up close and am fascinated! Their theme is “Around the World with Donna.” Every room is decorated in a different country’s theme and the sets are spectacular. In each “country,” you get a little themed snack as you talk to the sisters who are dressed up in local attire. Then you end up traveling to the main living room for the skit. After the skit, which was funny because they sort of poked fun at themselves while bringing home the theme that with Donna you’ll have sisters everywhere, I had a long conversation with another Prissy Prep girl. She was someone who was a year ahead of me and we’d been in several clubs and activities together, so I knew her pretty well. I also knew she wasn’t from one of the big prominent families like several of the other girls I knew here. Because of this, I unloaded what I felt was my greatest reservation about this group, how I knew how extremely wealthy most of the girls I knew there were. She was so nice and completely understood my concerns and even told me it was something that had concerned her during rush. Her biggest worry was that they might have a lot of “rich bitches” when that ended up being the furthest thing from the truth. She pointed out a few of the sisters in the room and told me what their dads did for a living. One was a minister. One was a college professor. One was even a carpenter (who had done all of the sets!) She explained that it was a lot like Prissy Prep because although there were some insanely wealthy people there, there were also many girls with far more humble backgrounds and everyone was loved and accepted for who they are, not what you had. (Remember, this was the kinder and less materialistic 1970s. We didn’t even have designer jeans then! Let’s all sing Kumbaya now. Ha!) I totally understood this since I had experienced how people would automatically assume you were some socialite’s kid when they found out you went to Prissy. It was a very different story when you were on the inside. I left feeling very relieved and even more comfortable. I could really see myself fitting in here but I still worried that was only because it was full of so many girls I already knew and still wondered whether that was a good thing or not. Eric – I have a pretty good time here and since I know that it’s become Lisa’s new favorite, I really want to give them another chance. They have a circus theme here, and while it’s really cute and elaborate, I can’t quite figure out why it’s their theme. It just sort of feels like they are trying to one up other houses by putting together something elaborate without thinking about it having a message behind it. Plus their skit really ends up emphasizing what I have been considering their biggest weakness: that they are so academically oriented that they end up mostly hanging out with each other. I do want to have close bonds with my future sisters, but I also want social outlets as well and I don’t think I will get so much of that here. I don’t want to go out and party every night but I also don’t want to spend every Friday and Saturday night in the library with my sisters! The girls I talk to are very nice and I really could see myself being friends with them, but I now realize for sure this house isn’t for me. Jackie – Their set up is amazing, both on the exterior and interior, but if I told you what they did, it would completely give this group away. Let’s just say the party décor was magnificent and the theme was flawlessly executed. I have a lot of crazy thoughts racing through my mind as I walk through the door. Liz is the girl I always wanted to be. Are her sisters all the same way? Will I be a better person by being a member of her sorority? Am I pretty enough and fun enough? Do I want to join Liz or do I want to join her sisterhood? Will I have to dye my hair blonde? Will it make me instantly cool? I am really excited when a Prissy Prep girl picks me up and later introduces me to her “little” (whatever that is – ha!) who is also a Prissy Prep grad. We had awesome conversations and could barely stop talking so the skit could begin. The skit was hilarious and really showed they don’t take their campus reputation as beauty queens too seriously. It really highlighted the other aspects of their sisterhood and the bond they share. I leave here feeling a lot less anxious and know I could be happy here, even without any beauty queen titles. I just have so much FUN here! Kelso – This is my last stop for the day and I am starting to feel a little tired. But I perk right up when I am paired with another Prissy Prep girl who I know really well. I had no idea she was a member of this group since I hadn’t seen her previously. We have a great conversation catching up on mutual friends. It was so clear how much she loved her sorority, I remember smiling so hard my cheeks hurt! The props and décor here were also very elaborate, but again, if I told you the theme, you’d totally know who the Kelsos are. The skit was really cute and emphasized how down to earth they are and I am really starting to be able to see myself here, in spite of the sleeping porch! After the skit I get to talk to the sister who had given me my house tour earlier in the week. She was just as fun as she’d been that day, and told me she was happy I had come back again. She also told me she hoped she’d see me tomorrow night. I am so feeling it right now. I can even picture myself snoozing on a sleeping porch! This time we were told to list our top three and rank our bottom two. It was a pretty easy decision for me: Jackie Kelso Donna 1. Fez 2. Eric |
I am completely loving this! I Y thrills!!
|
I can't wait for the next update!!!
|
I love this thread! And since we are of the same vintage I really relate. However, want to talk about embaressing occupations? My best friend from high school rushed at ...........She was asked what her father did for a living (she didn't mention her previous 4 fathers)..she said, "He's a producer." (Back east that could mean...producer of lettuce, grapes....but no here it was movies.) When asked what movies he had produced she told them two of the titles....pornos. Yep...imagine that conversation stopper.
|
| All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:04 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.