My "Retro" Recruitment Story!
 

Hey everyone! I've been lurking this site for a few months now and I thought it was time for me to stop being a creeper and start posting! :p I absolutely LOVE reading Recruitment Stories (especially Retro ones from the 70's/80's!) so I'd like to share my own with you all! Like so many before me, mine was an experience I'm not likely to ever forget.

I rushed last fall at the start of my freshman year. For the sake of secrecy, I will do my very best not to give away too many details about my location! And no, my username is not a clue - I just happen to love The Office. :cool: Anyways, in the spirit of the holiday season I've named my campus' NPC sororities after Santa's reindeer, plus one special guest because there were apparently only nine:

Dasher
Dancer
Prancer
Vixen
Comet
Cupid
Donder
Blitzen
Rudolph
Jack Frost

Some background info on me: I was completely and utterly CLUELESS about Greek Life before I went through Formal Recruitment. No one in my family has ever been Greek. My mom, in fact, is from an entirely different country (let's say Australia) where sororities are pretty much nonexistent. She was very wary of my decision to rush, but supportive because she's a great mom. My decision was mostly based on the fact that none of my close girlfriends were attending the same university, and I wanted to meet people. What I thought I knew about Greek Life came from pop culture; a very warped impression, unfortunately. I fully expected all the houses to be full of Barbie Girls, and had a feeling I would simply not fit in. Still, I wanted to make lifelong friendships and was determined to give it a shot.

I grew up in a small, very suburban town; pretty much everyone in my class had known each other since elementary school. I was a dancer for eleven years before I started high school, and then I was a cheerleader for two. I was very involved - I was a member of the National Honor Society, Class Council all four years, secretary of the French Club, and Editor-in-Chief of the Yearbook. I would consider myself a "floater" in high school; I had my tight-knit group of a few close girlfriends, but I got along with pretty much everyone. I graduated with Honors and a solid unweighted GPA.

I guess I sound pretty good on paper, now that I'm writing all this. My biggest issue going into Recruitment, however, was that I was very shy and somewhat awkward when I first met people. I was very prone to spastic bouts of clumsiness (especially when nervous... and still kind of am, haha) and being young/fresh out of high school, I was quite insecure about my own appearance. Overall, I'd say I had the same insecurities and preconceived notions as a lot of PNMs, though I didn't know it at the time.

Well, I shall keep writing because I'm wide awake, and I certainly hope a few of you will be interested enough to read! I'm so excited to finally be posting, haha.

(Side Note: I think I have a good grasp on GC etiquette, but please please correct me if I make a mistake! I don't mean to offend or come across as ignorant! Thank you!)

Sounds good so far! My bets are on Blitzen!

Vixen's always been my #1. ;) :cool:

I'm going for Rudolph.

Slight hijack--Sen were you alright today? I was worried about you and the flooding I saw on TV in DC

/end hijack

(Thanks for asking! The flooding happened in Bethesda, MD -- right outside DC. It was severe enough that NIH had to close down. Not from the flooding itself but the lack of running water on the campus. I don't work there, but family members do. Meanwhile, where I work in DC, we wouldn't have known anything was wrong if not for emails and such. ETA: It amazes me that this made national news.)

I'm a fan of Jack Frost.

And icelandelf...I had no idea the flooding was on the news! I was about to drive into DC using River Road (where it flooded), this morning...luckily I decided to metro in instead. Wow.

First of all, LOVE your user name!

Secondly...
I am the exact same way! I feel your pain! :o

And finally, I'm gonna root for Cupid! Can't wait to read your thread!

Prior to Recruitment Week....
 

First of all, I'm glad to hear you and your family members are alright Senusret! I feel so out of the loop, I missed the 6 o'clock news tonight... Anyways, thank you all for your interest! I think I'm having a little too much fun writing this, but ever since I found my notebook from Recruitment I've been dying to decipher my notes and see what I remember. Turns out, I have a pretty detailed, somewhat wordy memory haha.


I spent the summer after graduation working as a receptionist, and I won't lie, I logged a good number of company hours studying the websites of each sorority at my university. :rolleyes: All of them looked absolutely amazing! All of the girls were beautiful and extremely involved; each chapter had it's share of campus leaders and members who were part of prestigious honor societies. All of them had tons of pictures from socials with fraternities and each one looked like a blast! I learned that every chapter also had their own philanthropy and logged many community service hours... this was a major brownie point for my mom, who was still uneasy about the whole Recruitment thing.

The one chapter that really stood out for me at the time was Donder - their philanthropy benefitted research to cure a disease that my best friend's father had recently been diagnosed with. This really struck a chord with me and I decided that I would really like to be a Donder.

Seeing as the summer before I left for college was quite possibly the most boring and restless three months of my young life, receiving my room assignment was just about the most interesting thing to happen to me since graduation! I was disappointed, however, when I saw I had been assigned to a fairly old, undesirable building. I took a chance and got myself waitlisted for the newer, nicer dorms. Lo and behold, a few weeks later I received word that I had been switched! I know this seems kind of insignificant, but this was actually very important to my Recruitment experience. My original roommate had no intention of rushing, but my new roommate would be going through with me!

Fast-forward to move-in day, I met my new roommate, "Kate." It was a little awkward at first, but I was determined to get along with her - after all, we would be sharing a room for quite a while. I was further encouraged by the fact that we had unknowingly chosen matching decor for our respective sides of the room; at least we both had good taste! Our suitemates were not rushing, so we would not meet them until the rest of the freshmen moved in later that week. The next night, Kate and I went to the informational meeting together, but we ended up in different Rho Gamma groups (or perhaps my school calls them Pi Chis, gosh, I just can't remember....:p). My Rho Gamma was absolutely adorable, and so enthusiastic! I couldn't help liking her, but I wish I could say the same for my group... we were a motley crew, really. There were just a few of us at my meeting (there were separate meetings, organized by last name). There was me, a very quiet, very freckly redhead ("Jamie"), FIVE chirpy blonde girls who looked exactly the same to me, and a very loud, obnoxious girl who had white-blonde hair streaked with black. I will call her "Skunk-Hair" because, 1. I can't remember her name and, 2. I honestly always think of her as Skunk-Hair. :rolleyes:

After the informational meeting, I ran into a girl who had gone to my high school, "Mary." Mary was even more involved than I was, a varsity athlete, editor of the school paper, and fourth in the class GPA-wise. She was also a legacy at Cupid - her mother had been a Cupid at our university, actually. The two of us met up with Kate, who had also run into someone she knew: a friend of her family's named "Claire." The four of us went to dinner and of course, talked about Recruitment the whole time. Apparently Kate knew someone in Cupid as well. I was starting to think I was the only one without any connections! Anyways, I would come to find later that night that Kate actually couldn't stand Claire at all, and was only being nice to her because she'd known her for so long. Go figure.

I was very anxious that night when we finally went to bed. A mixture of nerves, excitement, and anticipation kept me up for quite awhile. I had no idea what to expect. Would I even make it through the week? Stay tuned for Day 1...

I had my bets on Donder before you posted again! But ill keep Jack Frost as my backup.

I think Jack Frost is the outcast group that is socially awkward.

Day One - Part One
 

Finally, the first day of Recruitment had arrived! Kate and I picked up Claire and we all rode over to Greek Row together. The two of them were in the same Rho Gam group (Kate was just thrilled about that) and would start the day at Cupid. My group was starting at Dasher, all the way at the end of the Row. When I arrived, I checked in with my Rho Gamma - they all use nicknames to hide their identity/affiliation at my school, and her's was a small town she had grown up in. For the sake of the story, I will call her "Boston" instead. After checking in, I sat down next to Jamie and we chatted for a little while. She was a bit shy too, and very nervous, but I liked her a lot. The Rho Gammas called us all to attention and started going over a few rules/tips. Things like "Keep an open mind," "Don't take your ice water out of the house," "Don't listen to tent talk," and "Be on your best behavior this week - going out tonight and getting drunk at (Local Bar) will not help you tomorrow!" All of this made perfect sense to me, but apparently Skunk-Hair had reservations. She raised her hand and asked, "Are we seriously not allowed to party at all this week? I was going to go out tonight!" The RGs were visibly suprised by her forwardness, but Boston simply told her, "You are free to do as you please, but being hungover at a party is not a good reflection on you." I found the whole thing pretty funny, but it definitely made me dislike Skunk-Hair even more. I silently hoped I would not end up in the same house as her. At last, it was time to line up!

Dasher - My first house on my first day! I was so nervous, I had no idea what to expect. What if I couldn't find a girl to talk to? Would there be snacks? Should I accept any, or is that some kind of a test? I was so absorbed in my thoughts at this point, I barely attempted the Dasher door chant. And then the doors swung open and.... ohh myy goshh THE NOISE! I was NOT expecting that. The other PNMs were a little hesitant about going in, but finally we made our way into the house. I was picked up by one of the girls, given a cup of ice water, and led into a room just off the foyer. There were SO MANY PEOPLE! After a quick introduction, the chapter president welcomed us, and immediately my rusher jumped into asking me questions. My first party is honestly a blur to me. I couldn't tell you what we talked about, but we chatted the entire time. I even spotted an old friend from middle school, "Sasha", who I didn't even know was a Dasher! I left this party feeling very good, and a bit more comfortable with the whole Recruitment thing.

Dancer - I was expecting more singing, and I was not disappointed here! There were about half as many girls in this chapter but boy were they still loud! I was double-rushed with Jamie at this party, but it went well. The Dancer ("Emma") was very nice and friendly, and neither Jamie nor I dominated the conversation. Another pleasant experience!

Prancer - I couldn't even believe it was already time for my third house. To be honest, I didn't make very many notes after visiting Prancer other than "Cute song" and a :-/ face. I suppose they didn't impress me, but I didn't have anything bad to say either.

Vixen - My next house I remember a bit better. The girl who picked me up was cute as a button with curly blonde hair and a huge smile. Let's call her "Ava." I had a nice time at this party too, and I found that I wasn't as bad a conversationalist as I'd expected. Or maybe she was just a very strong rusher? I don't know, but regardless, I adored Ava and the other girls I was introduced to. Everyone seemed so nice and enthusiastic at this house!

Next up was Comet - I knew a girl who was a Comet at another school, but obviously I hadn't thought to ask her for a rec. The house was not much to look at on the outside, but the inside was beautiful! I couldn't help wanting to look around at all of the decorations - their sorority symbols seemed to be everywhere! The girl who had picked me up started rattling off the same typical questions I had received at the other houses, which disappointed me at first. It didn't take long, however, to get to a more interesting topic. We spent the rest of the party talking about all the places we'd like to visit, and the cities we'd already been to. She thought it was incredibly cool that my mom was from Australia and that I'd been to Sydney. Of course she asked me if she had a cute accent, and yes, she does! It was a great conversation, and definitely the first one that day that had truly felt natural. I did not want to leave this house, and took that as a very good sign. :)

Part Two coming soon!

Day One - Part Two
 

After leaving what had so far been my best party of the day, I had high hopes for Cupid next. I thought I was used to all the singing/clapping by now, but these girls were louder, peppier, and more in sync than anyone else. To be honest, they were a little intense! And I couldn't help but notice as I was picked up and led into another room, that all the girls in Cupid were tall, tan, slender, blonde, and very pretty. I was a little intimidated. I was being double-rushed, this time with a fellow PNM who looked like she could blend right in here. The three of us chatted fairly nicely for a while; then the Cupid asked us if we liked the show, The Hills. I admitted that I liked watching it occasionally, but my over-eager rushmate instantly jumped on this commonality and went with it. She sounded something like this: "OHMYGOD I LOVE THE HILLS! LC IS LIKE, MY IDOL! I'M TOTALLY OBSESSED!!" And, well, yeah, I was pretty much out of the conversation from there on out. Funny thing is, I didn't really mind. Cupid had, unfortunately, rubbed me the wrong way from the get-go. I just couldn't see myself fitting in here.

I was a little disappointed after leaving Cupid, because I had had such a great day before then. I tried to stay positive, though, because my top choice, Donder, was up next! I was very excited, and I could tell a lot of the other PNMs were too. The very first "tent talk" I overheard was that Donder was considered one of (if not the) top houses at our school. This should have made me nervous, but it didn't. I truly felt that my time spent perusing the chapter's website and reading about their national organization had prepared me and given the right idea about who these girls were. I had a good feeling about this party.

Unlike the previous house, the Donder girls did not all look like carbon copies of each other. I felt a bit more comfortable here, but in the back of my mind it definitely occurred to me that I might not fit in with their elite reputation. Still, I was determined to find common ground with my rusher, "Jenna", and make a great impression. I was a little annoyed about being double-rushed yet again, but what could I do? Jenna did a great job of engaging both of us, and took us on a house tour. This was the first actual tour I had been on all day. I was not very impressed by the bedrooms, though - there were three to a room and each girl had only a small space to use. Not exactly ideal, but I still loved looking at all of their adorable sorority things around the rooms. Letters, symbols, colors, bigs, littles; Donder was everywhere I looked! At the end of the tour, Jenna led us back downstairs to the living room and she pointed out an award the chapter had received for an Outstanding Philanthopy Event. The other PNM was not particularly interested in this, but I saw my chance to really carry the conversation, and mentioned to Jenna how much I would love to work with their philanthropy. I also told her about my best friend's dad, and that it would mean a lot to me to help contribute to finding a cure. I was not expecting her response at all. Rather than go off of my interest in their philanthropy, she just sort of smiled, nodded, and started talking about all the fun SOCIALS they had last semester. Of all things to segue into, she chooses SOCIALS. I was stunned. I mean, I guess I hadn't known what sort of reaction to expect from her, but this? I was very offended. I had just shared something pretty personal with this girl and she had completely disregarded it. This did not sit well with me at all, and I felt quite miserable for the remainder of the party (which, thankfully, was not too long).

I feel that I should point out here that, in hindsight, I realize it was not a good idea for me to bring up something so personal on Day One. Having gone through Recruitment on the other side now, I know that conversation on the first day should be kept LIGHT and friendly. I definitely should have waited another day or two before mentioning the reason behind my interest in Donder's philanthropy. I know now that I probably caught poor Jenna off-guard. She probably, like me, was instructed to "keep it light" on Day One and didn't know how to handle the situation. If only I'd had GC back then I might have known not to bring it up, but oh well. :rolleyes: Moving on!

I was not in the best of spirits when I crossed the street to my next house, Blitzen. Yet as soon as those doors were flung open and the girls started to sing and clap, I couldn't help but smile. They had so much energy and excitement, it was absolutely infectious! I ended up having a wonderful time at this house, despite my sour mood going into it. These girls were very involved on campus and very competitive when it came to intramurals and philanthropy events. I admitted that I was not the sportiest of girls, but my rusher assured me that plenty of sisters came out just to cheer each other on. I felt pretty good about this chapter, but I wasn't wholly convinced it was the right fit.

Next up was Rudolph. This was another chapter I didn't write too many notes on. My conversations here were very awkward and forced - I was definitely bumped from girl to girl a little too frequently, and wasn't really given enough time to have a decent chat with anyone.

FINALLY, my LAST house of the day was Jack Frost. I was very tired at this point, and getting hungry - we had started the day at about 1:00 and it was now dinner time. This chapter had a very cute, infectious door chant (one that, to this day, often gets stuck in my head!), and again, I was double-rushed. This time I was with a girl who I'd seen in my group but not really spoken to - "Rachel." Rachel really irritated me. She made it a point to monopolize the conversation from the start, bragging about all of her accomplishments and her summer internship at a magazine in NYC. The girl rushing us was very sweet and did not interrupt Rachel, but as soon as she paused to take a breath, she turned to me and brought me back into the conversation. I was very grateful, and impressed by her graciousness. After a few minutes talking in the living room, the Jack Frost led us upstairs on a quick house tour. Her room especially was just beautiful! The rooms at Jack Frost were laid out just like my dorm - two to a room, spacious, and with a bathroom shared by four girls. Walking around upstairs, I could totally picture myself living here next year. For only the second time that day, I did NOT want to leave when the party was over.

I was absolutely exhausted when I made it back to the tent, but I had a pretty good idea of how I wanted to rank the chapters. We could be invited back to a maximum of 7 on Day Two. Picking my top and bottom two was the easiest part, but ranking the six other chapters (all of which I was very so-so about) was a little more difficult than I'd expected. I ended up with this list:

1. Jack Frost
2. Comet
3. Vixen
4. Blitzen
5. Rudolph
6. Dasher
7. Prancer
8. Dancer
9. Cupid
10. Donder

I was very sad about ranking Donder dead last, but I was still kind of upset about how that party had gone. I was convinced I had no chance getting an invite back anyways, which was how I also felt about Cupid. I chose to rank Dancer low, despite having a nice time at their house, simply because, unfortunately, it was evident to me by that time that they were considered the "worst" house. Rudolph, on the other hand, was considered one of the "top" and so I ranked them high despite not making any connections there that day. Yes, yes, I know, I was shallow and stupid, but that's how I ranked them.

Day Two and a little bit of drama coming soon! :)

I love how you're not keeping us hanging! And go Jack Frost and Comet!

^^^ Me too! And the Christmas themed names are keeping me entertained.

Youve got me hooked!!!

Actually, this was a good time for a recruitment story. We are in a GC lull over the holidays, and I'm looking for some good readings.

Can't wait to hear the twists.

Side note.... I always thought it was "Donner" -- I'm Jewish but love my Christmas carols and have apparently been singing the song wrong for 22 years!! :(

Can't believe how many people on this short thread are in the DC area too. Glad nobody was involved with the flooding incident (and I also can't believe it made the national news).

You're not alone. I thought it was Donner all this time too! :o

I also agree with the Donner statement.... and I'm glad no one was caught in the flooding either. I live pretty close to there in Bethesda and travel on that road anytime I head back to PA for break.

.... and this thread is really good so far :)

Day Two! Part Uno!
 

Before I knew it, Day Two had finally arrived. I met up with Boston and our Rho Gam group outside of Dasher, and nervously lined up to get my invite list. As I waited, I noticed that a number of girls in my tent already had their lists and were quite upset. Apparently, not everyone had gotten 7 invites - the Rho Gams were trying to calm these girls down, assuring them that this was very common and not to worry about it too much. Finally, it was my turn. I approached Boston and tried not to look as nervous as I felt. I took my list and had it unfolded before I even made it back to my seat. My schedule read.....








Party 1 - Vixen
Party 2 - Prancer
Party 3 - Comet
Party 4 - Dancer
Party 5 - Jack Frost
Party 6 - Dasher
Party 7 - Blitzen

I was absolutely ECSTATIC! I had gotten invited back to my two favorites, and almost my entire top seven! I was so thrilled and so relieved, I didn't even care that I'd been cut from Rudolph. Jamie was very happy with her invites as well, although she only had six. I texted Kate and Mary as well, to see if they got their top choices. Kate didn't respond, but Mary wrote back immediately. She'd been cut from Cupid, the house where she was a chapter legacy! I was very surprised (as was she!) - I thought for sure that legacies were automatically in. Or at the very least, I figured she would've made it to their Preference ceremony. We both had Prancer for our second party so we agreed to talk later. I couldn't help but feel a touch guilty about my full invite list. So many girls had been let down, I thought there may have been some kind of mistake. Or maybe I had just gotten lucky?

I was quite happy to be returning to Vixen, and I was even happier when Ava spotted me and waved - she remembered me! I thought that was the coolest thing. Day Two is known as Philanthropy Day - each chapter has the girls do a craft and talk about their philanthropies. I can't say what the craft was at Vixen because it would be a major clue to this sorority's identity. It was easy and quick, though, which I liked: it left more time to chat with my rusher! I remember that when I'd finished decorating my craft, I signed it "♥ XYZ" (the sorority's letters) and my rusher got all excited and told me how sweet that was. I had a nice conversation with her, and was a little sad when another sister took over. This second girl was not quite as sociable as the first. She was a little awkward, and kept reverting back to those same typical Day One type questions: "What's your major?" "Where are you from?" "What'd you do in high school?" I was pretty sick of answering these questions. I left Vixen feeling a little on-the-fence, but I was fairly sure I wanted to give them another shot.

I met up with Mary in the tent outside Prancer. She was very frazzled, and said she'd had a hard time staying positive at her first party. She'd immediately called her mom after getting her schedule, and she was NOT happy with Cupid at all! Apparently she'd already called the chapter and local alumni association, and was on the phone with Nationals that very moment. I asked Mary how SHE felt about this, and she responded, "Honestly, I didn't like them all that much. I don't think I would've fit in there... I actually really really liked Comet!" Sure enough, Comet was on her schedule as her fourth party - but Mary only had six invites as well! I somehow managed not to show her my own schedule, again feeling guilty for having seven invites. How on earth was this possible?? The whole selection process seemed kind of iffy to me if a girl as smart, outgoing, and well-rounded as Mary could get cut from four sororities. I didn't have too much time to ponder this, as it was already time to line up!

I didn't expect too much from Prancer today, having not been too impressed by them the day before. I was picked up by a different girl, and we only had time to introduce ourselves before the lights flickered, and she explained that we would be watching a short film about the sorority's philanthropy. I wish I could describe the video better but, again, I don't want to give too much away - all I can say is that I was tearing up at the end! Their philanthropy was an AMAZING organization that did such wonderful things. I was a little embarassed that I had gotten so emotional, but when my rusher returned to pick me up I noticed that her eyes were a little watery too. This was really touching to me, and I could tell that their philanthropy really meant a lot to these girls. I really enjoyed talking to this first sister, as well as the two other sisters I met. I left Prancer with a MUCH better feeling about them, but I was still more excited about going back to Comet next!

At the beginning of the party, Comet also showed us a video about their philanthropy. It was nice, but it didn't tug at my heartstrings like Prancer's did. Next up was the craft - apparently Comet and Vixen had similar philanthropies because they did the exact same craft! I found this kind of strange, did they know they were doing the same thing? Nonetheless, my rusher was not very chatty - I assumed she was giving me a chance to finish my craft before we got to talking. I decided to sign it the same way I'd signed it at Vixen's, because that had gone over so well with my rusher - "♥ ABC" this time. She didn't say anything when I held it up, but instead took me away from the table and led me into a nice sitting room just off the entryway. There were already quite a few pairs in here, but there was room for just me on the end of one of the couches. My rusher sat in front of me on the coffee table. And then.... nothing. I sat up a little straighter, wondering why she wasn't asking me anything. She was blankly staring at a painting on the wall. I cleared my throat. Nothing. "Sooo, um, what's your favorite thing about Comet?" I asked. "I really like my sisters," she said. And then, nothing. Wait, what was going on here? I looked around the room - all of the other rushers were fully engaged with their PNMs. I started to get extremely nervous - had I done something wrong? Did she not like me? What should I do? I asked another question, and she gave me an even shorter response. The party had to be ending soon, what could I do? I thought about trying to talk to the Comet next to mine, but she was double-rushing two PNMs and they were all laughing, really enjoying their conversation. I felt so completely helpless. My mind went completely blank and I couldn't think of another question, so we wound up sitting there in painfully awkward silence for ten whole minutes. No one bumped her. No one seemed to notice that she was not talking to me. Everyone in the room was having a great time, except for me. When it was time to leave, I was one of the first ones shooed out the door. I desperately looked for the nice girl I'd talked to the day before - maybe if I said hello to her, she would vouch for me? I couldn't find her. I was so upset! Did this mean I wouldn't be asked back to Comet? What had I done wrong? Why didn't that girl even attempt to talk to me?

Feeling absolutely awful, I trudged over to the tent outside Dancer. Could this day get any worse? Stay tuned for Part Dos!


EDIT: Don't worry, I too was convinced that reindeer was Donner... imagine my surprise when I googled the reindeer yesterday and found out it was actually Donder. I'm pretty sure we're not alone though, everyone ends up singing "Donner" anyways! ;)

I can't believe how invested I am in this story lol

To throw in some reindeer history as a side note...

It is Donner. The original name was Dunder, which was changed to Donder, and later to Donner.

Also, Blitzen was originally Blixem.

Beat me to it! Plus, there is a tenth reindeer.

Keep it coming, Scrantonicity! You tell your story quite well!

Who was the tenth? I would've loved to have matching names and not had to throw in random Jack Frost, haha.

Donder/Donner... darn. I'd go back and fix it but Donder is pretty much out of my story by now and it'd probably be pointless. :rolleyes:

Thank you all for the lovely comments, I'm glad you're enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it! Part Dos is alllllllmost done! :D

Olive!

"Olive, the other reindeer, used to laugh and call him names..."

Feel free to moan! It's courtesy of my pseudo-niece

Day Two, Part Dos!
 

I was completely miserable when I got to the tent outside Dancer, and those feelings didn't go away once I was inside. As I was being triple-rushed this time, I didn't feel too bad not joining in the conversation. I answered whatever questions were directed to me specifically, but for the most part I stayed quiet and only pretended to be listening to the other PNMs. Looking back, I know how difficult it can be to rush three PNMs at a time, and I'm disappointed in myself for not giving this house my full attention. I don't even remember what craft we made, I was so preoccupied with the events at Comet.

I was still a little upset as I made my way over to the next party, but this was Jack Frost. I did not want to have another horrible experience at one of my top choices, so I made up my mind to CHEER UP and have a good time! Again, their door chant was so incredibly catchy! I was picked up by a blonde girl who was a full head shorter than me, but who was clearly very bubbly and full of energy. She was clapping and singing louder than any girl around us! I was so tempted to start clapping too, but I thought that might make me look a little stupid, so I just smiled and hoped I looked as excited to be there as I was. After the song, my rusher and I - let's call her "Christina" - sat down at one of the tables. I thoroughly enjoyed the craftmaking this time. I was supposed to decorate the frame around a small mirror, but instead of just watching me do it and distracting me with occasional questions, Christina helped me! I thought this was really great. Working together with her to decorate the mirror made me feel like we were sisters already. Not to mention, it turned out insanely cute! After we were done, we kept talking for a while; I absolutely loved this girl! She was so sweet, and so funny! We goofed around a bit and I really felt like she was doing a great job breaking me out of my shyness. Whenever one of her sisters would walk by with drinks or something, she would make sure to grab her and introduce us, which made me genuinely feel like she wanted me to meet as many girls as possible. Then, toward the end of the party, all of the sisters were asked by the president to form a circle about the room. Christina excused herself and joined them - Looking around, I remember thinking that I felt very much at home with the Jack Frosts. The sisters sang a very sweet song to the PNMs, and then it was time to go. Again, I did not want to leave! I said a sad goodbye to Christina, and hoped with all my heart that I would get to see her again tomorrow.

In the span of under two hours I had gone from feeling hopeless and pathetic to on top of the world! Recruitment sure was a rollercoaster ride... I was curious to see how my friends were doing, but I still had two parties to attend.

Next up was Dasher. I'd had a good time there my first day, so I was happy to be returning. I hoped that Sasha (my friend from middle school) would be the one to pick me up, but no such luck. The girl who did was very nice though. Their craft involved coloring little papers that fit inside coffee mugs as decoration. I honestly thought this was a little... dumb. I felt like I was back in Kindergarten, coloring in my coloring book. Still, I wanted to impress my rusher, so I was sure to make it neat and pretty. By this time I had realized that the whole idea of making crafts during Recruitment was not too bright. Every time (except in Jack Frost) we wound up sitting in virtual silence while I made my craft. It was very awkward. I either had to rush through it and do a sloppy job (and look like I didn't care about their philanthropy), or take my time to make it nice and lose out on conversation. I tried to find a happy medium and my rusher and I wound up having a pretty good talk. As it turns out, we had gone to rival high schools! For the second time, I had fun at Dasher, but I still didn't quite feel that same spark as I'd felt at Comet or Jack Frost.

Finally, my last house of the day was Blitzen - literally on the complete opposite end of Greek Row from Dasher. I had plenty of time to get there, but I still hurried! I was excited to be going back to this house; I had definitely liked them yesterday, but I hoped I would feel a bit more certain about them after today. I was picked up by a girl named "Jessica" and we sat at a table with about four other Blitzens and their PNMs. She was very easy to talk to, and although I don't remember the specifics, I know I was glad that we stayed away from those "typical" Day One questions. The thing that struck me as odd, though, was the way this chapter bumped. Someone flickered the lights, Jessica excused herself, and then all the Blitzens at the table stood up and rotated themselves to the next girl in line. It was a little weird having Jessica now sitting on the opposite side of me, talking to another girl. Still, my next rusher was also very friendly, as were the other two. They kept rotating every ten minutes or so - I thought it was very awkward, and although I had liked all of the girls I'd talked to, I still wasn't entirely sure how I felt about this house!

After my last party, I hurried back across Greek Row to the tent outside of Dasher to meet Boston and my group. I knew the drill this time, and was pretty sure of how I was going to rank. We could visit a maximum of 5 houses tomorrow, and my list looked like this:

1. Jack Frost
2. Comet (there was still hope, right??)
3. Prancer
4. Vixen
5. Blitzen
6. Dasher
7. Dancer

After an emotionally and physically exhausting day, I was pretty much ready to talk about anything but Recruitment. Of course, neither Kate nor Claire felt the same way, and neither would shut up about it. I found out that Kate had been invited back to six, two of which were Cupid and Donder - she was still gunning for Cupid, even after I told her what happened to Mary. I didn't admit this, but I felt like it was pretty shady not to invite a legacy back to the second round, unless she'd been downright nasty to her rusher. Having known Mary for a very long time, I was sure that that was not the case. I really didn't know what to think of Cupid at this point, but I did not want to offend my roommate, who seemed to genuinely like them.

As I went to sleep that night, I couldn't help but wonder what might happen if Kate and I were to end up in extremely different houses. Would she no longer like me? Could we make it through the year as roommates peacefully? Also weighing heavily on my mind was whether or not I would be asked back to Comet after that whole debacle today. Had I really offended that rusher somehow? I imagined her standing up and declaring to her chapter that I was gross, rude, and unworthy of wearing their letters.... I don't know how I managed to fall asleep that night but I did.

To be continued....... dun dun dunnnn

Great story, can't wait for more!

What happened to Skunk-hair girl?

I can't wait to hear more, either! It's good to have a recruitment story to read during the holiday lull!

Day Three!
 

Once again, I was very nervous when I met up with my group outside Dasher on Day Three. I felt fairly certain that I was not going to be asked back to Comet, but I still clung to a little bit of hope - maybe that girl yesterday had been sick? Or maybe she was having personal problems? Maybe she realized after I'd left that she hadn't really given me a fair shot, and I deserved to come back! I anxiously took my schedule from Boston and tore it open.......








Party 1 - Dasher
Party 2 - Vixen
Party 3 - Dancer
Party 4 - Blitzen
Party 5 - Prancer

I was STUNNED. NEVER in a million years had it occurred to me that I would be dropped from Jack Frost as well as Comet!!! I was absolutely heartbroken. Why did Christina have to make me feel so comfortable and at home if she was just going to cut me? Had she really been genuine with me, or was she faking it the whole time? I was incredibly upset, I just didn't understand this process at all. Did I even have a say in where I ended up, or was I just being paraded from house to house for show? In hindsight, this would've been an opportune moment to talk to Boston, and tell her what was going on in my head, but I didn't. I just sat there, wallowing in my own misery, and wondering if I should just drop. I decided to text Mary and see what her schedule looked like. She responded immediately: "I'm dropping." What?? Mary was not the type of girl who just up and quit right in the middle of something - and neither was I, I decided. I asked her why, and she told me she'd also been dropped from Comet and just didn't like any of the houses she was left with. She didn't seem to want to give them a chance, and seeing how stubborn she was being made me more certain that I shouldn't just quit. I felt bad for her, but I also thought she was making a huge mistake. Still, I had to worry about myself. There could still be a place for me among my five choices... right?

My day began, thankfully, at Dasher. I say "thankfully" more because this meant I didn't have to leave the tent where I'd gotten my schedule. I'd been very iffy about this house all week, and hoped I would get a better feeling today. Once more, I wasn't picked up by Sasha, which was a little disappointing. I thought talking to someone I knew and trusted about her sisterhood would be more comforting than talking to a stranger. Still, my rusher was a very nice girl. And that was about it. Nothing really stood out about Dasher today. They had a cute video with tons of pictures, but everything seemed a little... forced. Leaving the house, I just felt sort of... blah.

My next house was Vixen, so I was a little bit more excited. I'd really liked most of the girls I'd met here. I was even more happy when Ava (the girl from Day One) picked me up at the door! Unfortunately we weren't given very much time to talk before it was time to watch their chapter's video. I wasn't too impressed. They put a lot of emphasis on famous Vixens, a lot of whom were merely reality TV "stars" or wives of notable politicians. This really rubbed me the wrong way. Was that all Vixen could turn out? Women just smart enough to marry powerful men? I was sure that couldn't be the case (Ava was pre-Med!) but it seemed like a bad call on their part. I then met two more girls, but I didn't have as much of a connection with either of them as I had with Ava. I left feeling kind of let down.

Next up was Dancer - I have to admit, I was not thrilled about going back here. Neither were a lot of girls, apparently. The tent was just buzzing with talk like, "Just stay in the bathroom the whole time," and "Just don't talk to them, maybe they'll cut you." Wow! I may not have felt like this was my future home, but to be rude to a rusher on purpose? That just seemed ridiculous to me. I made up my mind to give this house a fair shot. I was kind of happy to get picked up by Emma (the girl from Day One) again, but I was also being double-rushed. The other PNM had apparently chosen the "Just don't talk to them" route and it made this party feel like it stretched on for hours. I felt horrible for Emma, who was trying SO hard to engage us both. Finally, it was time for their video. I couldn't help but notice that there seemed to be a lot less PNMs in here then there had been at the beginning - I guess there were a lot of girls that decided to hang out in the bathroom. I remember I felt just awful for the Dancers, and made sure I paid close attention to their video. It was pretty good, but it just didn't make me feel like this could be my home. I felt guilty as I left. I didn't want to lead Emma on or take an invitation from a girl who genuinely wanted to be there.

Blitzen - I have to admit, I was curious to see how this party would go, because I'd been on the fence about them from the start. Jessica picked me up at the door again - what was with all these familiar faces today? Didn't anyone else want to meet me? :confused: We spent a good amount of time taking a house tour, joined by Jessica's roommate "Liz" and her PNM. I had so much fun! Jessica had a great sense of humor, but when her and Liz teamed up, they were absolutely hilarious! They told us stories about all the random, funny things that happen when you live in a house full of sorority sisters. While Liz was showing her PNM a different room, Jessica took me aside and asked me how my day was going. I told her the truth: "Not so great, until I came here!" She seemed to really appreciate that. She pointed out all sorts of fun things in her room, including some gifts that her big sister had given her. She told me how excited she was to be taking a little sis this year and I couldn't help but think that if I ended up in Blitzen, I would definitely want Jessica to be my big. Back downstairs, it was time to watch the video. It was so cute - instead of just having a slideshow of pictures, they had actual videos of their flag football team, a dance competition, and sisters getting funny awards at semi-formal. They also had interviews with sisters interspersed throughout the video, and Jessica was one of them! She looked very embarassed about this, and I thought it was cute how Liz and another sister were poking her in the ribs and jokingly trying to get her to uncover her face. I definitely didn't want to leave when it was time! How could this be, that a house I had been so iffy about yesterday was now my absolute favorite??

I was in a very good mood when I got to my last house of the day, Prancer. I wasn't feeling very nervous or anxious anymore, mainly because of what a great time I'd just had at Blitzen. I really wanted to just breeze through this party, rank my houses, and go. The first girl I spoke to wasn't entirely memorable, but then it was time for their video. Wow! I loved it almost as much as I'd loved Blitzen's! There weren't any videos, interviews, or fancy editing but a lot of their pictures were just hilarious! The sisters would whistle and holler and say things like, "I love my little!" during the funnier parts. They also had more elegant pictures, like from Formal, Convention, or Founders' Day. They seemed to do a LOT every semester - mother/daughter, father/daughter, socials, philanthropies, service, IM sports... these girls were really active! I was so impressed, and actually pretty surprised by how impressed I was. After the video, I was bumped to a second girl. My first impression of her, I'm ashamed to admit now, was that she was quite big. It didn't take long for us to get into a great conversation, and I immediately regretted thinking that of her. She was amazing! She was full of energy and had the most contagious laugh and smile. The rest of the party just flew by, and not once was there a lull in our conversation.

As I made my way back to my group's tent, I was so amazed by how this day had turned out. After feeling completely crushed and let down at first, I now felt that I knew for sure which three houses I wanted to Pref. Ranking was a breeze, for once:

1. Blitzen
2. Prancer
3. Vixen
4. Dasher
5. Dancer

That night I learned that Kate had been asked back to just four houses today: Cupid, Blitzen, Vixen, and Prancer. I was just as curious about where my roommate would end up as I was about me!

Stay tuned for Prefs!

Gooooooo Blitzen!

Can't wait to hear more!!

And is it just me or do I have a feeling your and your roommate end up in the same house?

I have the same feeling!!! I am hooked to this story!!!

Indeed, what happened to her?

Prefs! (sorry its so long!!!)
 

Hahaha don't worry, Skunk-Hair will make a comeback - I'm going to tell you where all of those named PNMs end up, including her! I just didn't really see her around for most of the week, and I'd actually assumed she'd dropped/been dropped.

I was feeling pretty good when I arrived at my tent on Pref Day. I was confident that I would be visiting my top three choices, and I had good reason to be. I felt like I'd made real connections at all three, but that morning, I knew in my heart that I wanted to run home to Blitzen. I was beyond excited as I took my schedule from Boston, but as soon as I opened it, my heart sank:





Party 1 - Prancer
Party 2 - Dasher
Party 3 - Vixen

There were no words. For the second time that week, I felt completely devastated. How was this possible?? First Jack Frost, now my perfect Blitzen too??? I had half a mind to march right up to that house, demand to see Jessica, and find out why on EARTH I had been cut! I sank into my seat, feeling utterly lost and so SO hurt. Again, this was the perfect time to talk to Boston and tell her what was going on, but I was so.... ashamed. I didn't want anyone to know that I'd gotten my hopes up (again) and had them completely crushed (again). So instead, I sat there like a miserable lump until Jamie came and sat down beside me. She could tell I was not thrilled about my final three, but I didn't want to tell her the full story. I told her who I had left - she was only preffing Dancer. I immediately felt even worse. Here I was moping about my full schedule, when she had only one house (the most undesirable, too) left. Despite this, I couldn't help how I felt. I trudged over to Prancer for the first pref party.

There were no peppy door chants today - these were supposed to be solemn ceremonies that gave us insight into the chapter's ritual. I had been SO excited for today and now, I just wanted to go home, crawl into bed, and stay there until classes started. I hardly even said hello to the girl who picked me up ("Tara"). She led me inside and I sat down on a white folding chair while she knealt down in front of me. All of the girls were wearing elegant, black cocktail dresses........... exactly what I was wearing. WHY oh, WHY hadn't anyone told me to avoid the little black dress on Prefs??? I was so embarassed, looking around, until Tara suddenly said, "I love that you wore that today, you look like my sister already." I was a little surprised that she was being so forward, but it was kind of flattering at the same time. We started talking, but my heart was still aching over the cut from Blitzen, and she could tell something was up. Again, she cut to the chase: "You weren't really happy with your schedule today, were you?" Wow, this girl was bold. I chose my words carefully, and essentially told her that I wasn't, but I meant no disrespect to Prancer. "I was just so certain that I had found my home, you know?" What was I doing? Why was I telling her this? "I just don't know if this is for me anymore." Oh. My. Gosh. It was like word vomit, all of the things that had been running through my mind all week just started spilling out, one after the other. When I had finished, I took a deep breath and probably turned five shades of scarlet. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to lay all that on you," I told her. And then she laughed at me, and said, "Girl, I was promised a bid to another house and then didn't get it. When my card said Prancer, I threw a temper tantrum and walked out. Didn't even go to Bid Day!" What? "You didn't?" She nodded, and told me that she later regretted it, went to the first pledge meeting, and fell completely in love with her new sisters. Wow! There had to be something special about Prancer to make Tara do a complete 180 like that. I wanted to ask her more, but it was time for the ceremony to begin.

We formed two giant circles around the room, the PNMs on the inside, and their rusher on the outside. I wish I could say more about it, but I don't want to give away too much. I realized halfway through that I was crying. What?? Tara gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze and I could tell that she was also crying. All I can say was that it was an absolutely beautiful ceremony. When it was time to leave, my mind was racing. Before I walked out the door, Tara (still crying!) gave me a huge hug and wished me lots of luck. She whispered in my ear, "Whatever chapter you run home to tomorrow will be so lucky to have you."

Wow. Just... wow! Stepping back out into the sunlight, I felt like I had just woken up from some wonderful dream. I hadn't met Tara at all this entire week and yet she'd left a bigger impression on me than anyone - Christina from Jack Frost? Jessica from Blitzen? I suddenly felt like neither of them had been real with me. Tara had been the first to cut through the B.S. and actually talk to me like a normal person, not someone she wanted to "recruit." Feeling strangely content and confident all of a sudden, I made my way across the street to Dasher.

After experiencing such a beautiful, emotional Pref party, I was very excited to see what Dasher had in store for us. Once again, I was disappointed. For the umpteenth time, I was not picked up by Sasha (was she avoiding me??), but instead by a girl who had literally NO personality. She was completely monotone and distant the entire time we were talking. She told me, with absolutely no emotion in her voice, how much she loved Dasher and couldn't imagine being anywhere else. She told me she hoped I loved Dasher too. I felt SOOO awkward. It sounded like she didn't even believe the words coming out of her mouth. Yikes. The ceremony couldn't begin soon enough! I was hoping this would be as beautiful as the last one, and it really could have been, had the sisters been able to keep a straight face. It was very undignified to look around and see so many Dashers stifling laughter during their Pref ceremony! I felt bad for the president, who did most of the speaking, and who kept giving her sisters looks that could've killed. I couldn't wait to get out of there. As I joined the throng of PNMs being led out the door, all of a sudden, as if it were an afterthought, Sasha came bounding over to me and gave me a spine-cracking hug. Um, no. Too late, honey. I was glad to get out of there, and definitely disappointed.

My last party of the day was Vixen, and I was honestly happy to be going back. I remembered, reassuringly, that I had liked this house from Day One - even if they hadn't been my top choice. I was expecting to be picked up by Ava again, but instead I was met by a girl I'd never met before, "Lexi." We sat down at a small table together and I noticed that she couldn't stop smiling at me. I found this a little strange, until she spoke up. "You have no idea how many girls wanted to Pref you, Scrantonicity!" This was a little embarassing, and I felt myself shrinking into my seat, just a bit. "I know, you're probably thinking, 'Then why did this weird, random girl get me?' The girl who was supposed to Pref you is actually really sick... I just can't stop smiling because you've got like a whole fan club here!" She started laughing, and I realized that I was too. A fan club?? Wow, that really did sound kind of ridiculous, but I still couldn't help but feel very special. After that little ice-breaker, Lexi and I got to talking. She was from New York City and seemed very cool; we both loved a lot of the same bands too. She showed me her personal scrapbook, full of pictures of her and her sisters. They looked like they had a lot of fun together.

I was really enjoying talking to her, but when the time came for the ceremony, I was very excited. Again, I can't go into too much detail about what they did, but it was very elegant. All of the Vixens were in floor-length white dresses and when they all stood up together, they looked incredible! Near the end of the ceremony, a few sisters came forward and shared a little of their personal experience with Vixen. Some of the stories were funny or sweet, but one in particular, the very last one, was sad and incredibly moving. There wasn't a dry eye in the house at this point, and I too was in tears. Then it was time to leave. Lexi and I said goodbye, and I left the house with the other PNMs.

Back inside my tent, the time had come to rank my last three houses. Filling in my #3 was no trouble at all, but now I was completely torn between Vixen and Prancer. How on earth did this even happen, I thought. How had I ended up loving two houses that were always just sort of in the middle for me this week? I looked around. A lot of my fellow PNMs seemed to have no trouble ranking tonight. Jamie was leaving already - she said goodbye to me and wished me good luck. I sat there for a while, going over everything in my head, as the number of girls in the tent slowly trickled down. Then Boston came over and sat with me. This was the first time she and I had really talked all week, and I realized (a little too late) what a vital resource she could've been. As I told her about the pref parties though, it suddenly hit me. I knew exactly where I wanted to be. When I told Boston who I would rank #1, she smiled and, it may have been a trick of the light, but I could've sworn I saw her eyes well up just a tiny bit. Feeling elated, I filled out my paper and handed it over. It read:










To be continued. :D

This story is wicked cool.

Ah!!

moremoremoremoremomremore!!!!

to be continued? Ahhhh.:D

to quote Grease

"tell me more, tell me more"

I'm addicted to this thread... Can't wait to see what happened!