My Rush From The Other Side
 

Well, I know a lot of girls going through rush post their stories, but I thought I would write about my experiences as a rusher. It's my first time, and I'm sure I'll have a lot to say.

So far a lot has happened. Rush starts on Thursday, but my house is really busy with practices and preparations. I'm in our rush skit so that is taking up a lot of my time. I'm really excited about it because we've changed it this year, and it's much more energetic and appealing.

Right now I'm kind of down because I feel that I'm going to be a horrible rusher. I'm really trying hard to cover all of the basics, but it seems like I keep doing things wrong. But, I think things will perk up later on. Well, the bell has been rung for practice. I'll keep you all updated as rush progresses.

Good luck, erniegurl!!! You'll blow 'em away!!!

I know you are really nervous, I can remember feeling that way also. Take a deep breath, remember your breath mints (gotta have those!) and do your best, that is all you can do. Don't stress-you will do fine!

Oh sweetie--I am sure you will be a great rusher. Just remember how nervous you were in the rushee's(yes, I am OLD SCHOOL and cannot do this new lingo!) shoes and do anything you can to make them more comfortable. Try to find anything you two have in common and just run with it. I have had some of the best party conversations with girls about the most random things--a LOVE for the bagel toasting machine in the dining hall(it did PERFECT bagels--god, I miss that thing), family trips to crazy places, favorite nail polish colors, etc, etc. If you seem genuinely glad to see this girl, she will be genuinely glad to be there with you. GOOD LUCK!! I will be thinking about you!!

Thanks for all of the support girls!

This morning's practice wasn't too bad. We had to practice our songs over and over again, and I've almost lost my voice! LOL It is hard for us because we are a smaller chapter, and for rushees to hear us at the rock (meeting place where Rho Chi's and rushees wait before entering) we have to scream. My good news for the day is that our skit is finally coming along! Yeah! I'm so proud of our skit because we've had to put soo much work into it. I'm also excited because I was chosen to read during our Pref Party.

Oh, on a side note. One reason why I hated rushing yesterday was because one of my sisters purposefully was mean (to help us not hurt us) and put me on the spot. I sure hope a rushee doesn't suggest our house go on Weight Watchers! Holy cow I don't know how I'd respond. (and yes, she really did say that to me and the girl I was bumping during practice)

What? Are you saying that your sister was trying to prepare you in case a rushee says something outrageous, like that your chapter should go to Weight Watchers? I would think that such a comment would need no response other than -- Wow, that's an inappropriate thing to say (and then of course cut her).

I don't see how saying something like that would help; it just seems like it would increase your anxiety level needlessly. I am sure you will do wonderfully, and have a great time!!

I see your point, valkyrie. However, I think that most chapters practice rushing each other, saying both positive and negative things, so that the girls will all learn how to be tactful and polite even in the worst case scenarios. The theory behind that is that you may not like a particular rushee and she may not like you, but she may have a good friend also going through Rush who is wonderful.

You don't want to say something in the heat of the moment that you regret later, and you never know how someone overhearing your comment may take it.

The trick is to learn how to respond to catty remarks with grace and dignity so that you represent your house well. You can always cut that nasty girl after the round, and that will make your point just as well as a scathing remark.

Ah, that makes sense. I think I just got the wrong idea that the sister was trying to freak her out, which she wasn't. Thanks for the explanation!

Yeah, that happens in most chapters as a practice. You have to practice not only what to say, but so that you won't make a face when someone says something...that's hard. For instance:

Rusher: So which dorm do you live in?

Rushee: Oh, I don't live in the dorms. I live in an apartment with my baby's daddy and his new girlfriend...

And the appropriate response: Wow, it must be difficult raising a child and going to school. So how long is your commute? (and then you tell the chapter about what she said and they handle the cutting appropriately!)


See what I mean? And yes, things like this get said in rush!

We have a lot of scenarios ready to practice, and some of them aren't fun. I mean, for instance, one is where a rushee says "you're the smallest sorority on campus. why would i want to join this group over a large, more popular one?" Or another "why is your chapter so small compared to the others on campus?". Or another "I heard you will give a bid to anyone. Is that true?"

Trust me, rushees say the silliest things sometimes when they are nervous and want to make sure of what they're doing. You'll be fine ernie :)

Oh no! My sister didn't intentionally mean to be hurtful, and she made it clear by coming up to me, hugging me, and saying again that she was only trying to be helpful. It just really caught me off guard, especially since in practice no one has ever done anything like that! However, today during afternoon practice we took turns playing different "roles" and trying to be a more difficult rushee (ie. a person who doesn't talk). I think it has really been helpful, and I feel more confident being a rusher. I think I was just having a bad day yesterday. These days are long leading up to rush, but I think as long as I go into it with a smile I'll be ok. :) I'm super excited about rush, although a tad nervous. Anyway, thanks again to all who have been supportive. Only two more days until rush!

I don't know about anyone else, but I have never had trouble making conversation with a rushee. Usually they are so excited to be there and they sort of look up to you and want to talk to you beause you are already in a sorority. Just try to make a friend. It's really easy. Actually, I think rush has made me into more of a people person. I can talk to anyone: The checker at Target, the guy servicing my car, people waiting for their loved ones at the airport, etc. I swear, I will talk to anyone if given the opportunity!

I am just curious as to how many practiced what you were going to say to the rushees? My chapter did not do this, instead we spent hrs (many hrs) going through the slides of each girl, memorizing her hometown, what she looked like etc... This helped us get to know the rushees but it sometime made for a long day b/c we would have 600 girls go through

We don't make slides of rushees. We make cards from their pic and resume...the giant sized notecards...I don't know what size they are...big.

There is a process by which rushers are assigned and when they are, those girls look over their assigned rushees, but we do not memorize. I would call it familiarization. We try not to talk about something until the girl says something about it. For instance you would not say, "You went to St. Agnes and you sang in the choir and you also volunteered at the AIDS walk and you were homecoming queen..." That freaks people out. We mostly use the cards just to see who in the chapter would be the best fit for pairing up.

And yes, we practice rushing constantly. Rush skills and skits. Our rush advisors are pretty hard-core, especially by UH standards! But we have made quota for 38 consecutive years or something, so I guess it pays off!

I still say the most important thing to do is just make a friend :) And that's something we practice in our daily lives!

I hope that you have a successful rush! I know that it can be an anxiety inspiring experience. I suggest that you and your sisters unwind before rush by having a nice leisurely dinner and enjoying their company. If you are nervous or stressed, you won't be your best so take a few deep breaths and RELAX! Good luck!

Today has been a lot of fun. We did a rush workshop with Delta Gamma, and it really made a difference. I think I'm finally rested assured that I won't be a horrible rusher. Yeah! :)

Right now we're working on decorations for our 4-Party (which is skit night). Luckily my group has an easy project to work on because I have skit practice tonight, and I have to clean my room. There is soo much to get done, and it doesn't feel like there is enough time. I never realized when I went through rush how much work the sorority girls put into it! But it'll be worth it. Tomorrow is our last day to prepare before we start rushing girls. I'm so excited! Sorry I don't have much to report on, but this past few days have just been the same practices over and over again. I'll keep you updated! :)

Oh, it all sounds so hectic but really fun! You will do wonderfully, and I can't wait to hear your stories! Good luck!! :D

hang in
 

we love it!!!
:) :D :p
mmcat

This is such a good idea! So many girls will read this and understand that they are't the only ones under pressure. I really think it will help them feel a little more at ease.

I think you will be wonderful! Anyone who cares and puts forth as much effort as this will make a difference!

Thanks justamom! That was one of my intentions when I started this thread. When I went through formal rush I had no idea whatsoever on how much effort it takes to put on a good rush.

LOL Ok my tip for today. Girls, if you're a rusher (well it goes for if you're rushing as well!) make sure you get enough sleep! :) Anyway, things are really getting hectic over here because rush starts tomorrow. However, things are starting to pull together. We finally got our stage for the skit. One small problem: there is something wrong with the connections so not only does the stage rock back and forth but it's loud. I'm really worried that the stage is going to break during the skit, but I'm sure we're going to take care of it tonight during practice. Well, tonight is the last run through of everything, and then rush starts! I am feeling totally confident and ready to go! (But I will say that I'm scared of our stairs. LOL It sounds stupid, but we all have to line up on our staircase and sing as the girls come into our house. The scary thing is the steps are VERY narrow and in heels it's very easy to slip.) I will try to log on after rush tomorrow tomorrow and report back any good stories if they happen.

Oh, and one more thing. Girls, if you're rushing, realize that until Bid Day we are ALL under silent period. (Well my school at least. I assume most places forbid communication between rusher/rushee outside of rush). A bunch of my sisters and I went to buy books today, and a friend of my roomie came up to us and asked about rush. We kept trying to tell her we couldn't talk to her, but I honestly think she was slightly offended that she couldn't talk to us!

ugh, I remember what a pain Strict Silence (btwn end of pref and bid night) was. For those 24 hours, we pretty much just tried to hide in the house - it was easier.

Oh yes... I remember strict silence :( We had strict silence throughout all of rush. I'm convinced we lost a couple of potential members because of it one year - a bunch of us ran into them at dinner one night and we couldn't talk to them at all :eek: and I think they were offended... I think those rules have been relaxed at my school, though - you're allowed to talk to rushees just long enough to explain that you aren't allowed to talk to them (as strange as that sounds).

Sorry guys for not being able to post earlier. I've been sooo busy with rush! I'm really surprised by how fast rush seemed to go. 8 Party flew by so fast for me. I met a lot of great girls, and only met one girl who I couldn't stand. I don't really remember a lot about that party because it was a few days ago. However, I have to say that yesterday was the best day of rush. It was our skit night. We totally rewrote it and worked for almost a week, and from what I heard it was one of the best skits on campus. The skit was called Pi Phi Through the Ages. I played the rushee going through rush, and my best friend played the grandma who was a Pi Phi in the '50s. It was a rush for me because I'm not usually the type of person to act, but I did it! LOL It was an exhilerationg experience, especially when my sisters stood up and gave us a standing ovation! The best news for my house came this morning. Out of the 90 some girls who we invited back for pref 58 accepted. I was sooo proud of my sisters! Like I've mentioned before, my house is smaller than the rest on campus so we have to work hard. I mean we were literally not prepared for so many girls to come back. We had to make some last minute calls to our alums so they could help with decorations. For pref night we decorated with the theme "Pi Phi Heaven". We blew up around 600+ white balloons and had them on our formal ceiling. White lights and white tule surrounded the room and our staircase. I remember what it looked like as a rushee last year, and I assure you it was beautiful! I only rushed one girl tonight out of the two parties we had. It is a long, long story, but I was paired with someone who I soon discovered was not right for my house. One side note. I had a speaking part during our Pref Night ceremony. Oh man. During the second party I really screwed it up. Afterwards I turned to one of my sisters. She gave me a hug saying it's ok and that I'm a really sweet person. The next thing I know she's crying so of course I start crying. Thank goodness I didn't have a girl or else I may have looked silly crying over a hug! It was really emotional for me because over this past week of rush preparation I have really, really bonded with my fellow sisters. Although rush can be stressful I'm glad I had the opportunity to participate in it. We get the list of who comes back tomorrow morning, and I can't wait to see who comes running to us! When we get back from Bid Day I'll be sure to come on and update you all. Again, I'm sorry about the lack of posting. I'm sure you all understand how busy rush can be! :)

Don't worry...rushees don't care if you cry or mess up a speech...they are scared as it is! FYI: My sorority had a candalabra catch on fire during the first pref party this fall...I mean, towering flames, it was scary. Girls in the chapter were so upset. I told them, that it would help the rushees to see how we work as a team, we are "real" etc. We got our whole first list...so yes, everything does not have to go perfectly for them to love you, sometimes it's the things that are imperfect that they love you for!

About 5 years ago, the Pi Phi house caught fire during prefs at UGa. It had to be evacuated and somehow they moved prefs to the fraternity house across the street. The rushees were so impressed by the girls' sisterhood and Pi Phi took an incredible pledge class!

Well we now have 18 wonderful girls in my house! I absolutely love them all, and I met a lot of them during rush. We had soo much fun tonight! I'm very proud that I get to be their pledge educator, and I know we're going to have a blast over these next 7 weeks! :)

YEA FOR INDIANA GAMMA!!!!!

Congratulations on all your hard work and bringing those fabulous new sisters into our bond!!!!

Congrats!!!

congrats!!! Your girls will have a ball!!!

you did well
 

have a blast the next seven weeks.
mmcat:) :cool:

Ernie--

I loved your story, and it is so wacky that Jess ended up at your school and going to your sorority!! Good luck with your new girls and know you did a fantastic job :)

:D GOOD JOB!!!! I wish you all the best. It was really weird how the main RUSH stories just came together. :D :) :p

Congrats and sounds like you did fantastic during rush!! And good luck for your upcoming task of bringing the love of Pi Phi into the hearts of your new members.