A New Bedlam Recruitment - 2015
 

Yippie! Pistols Firing!!!

Open House: Day 1
 

Open House: Day 1 (houses are not in any particular order):

Grayton Beach: Libby “LOVED” this house!!!!! She felt like she could be herself in this chapter. The girls were super real and hilarious! The President of the Chapter came over to personally shake her hand (which was kind of cool) while she was talking to one of the girls. Grayton is AMAZING and was one of her absolute favorites!

Navarre Beach: Libby was really looking forward to meeting the ladies in this house. She knows lots of people in this sorority (not the chapter, but alums and girls from different schools). She talked to two girls. She really, really liked one of them. She and Girl 1 are both in the same major and Girl 1 was really nice! But the second girl was not as friendly and did not seem interested in anything Libby said. Libby thinks that overall, this house was okay but they did not impress her the way she expected they would.

Ft. Walton Beach: Libby had attended an event in the spring at OSU and after having a not so great experience at this house, she was surprised at how much she liked these ladies! She loved BOTH of the girls that she talked to. The conversation flowed really easily and she liked them. She wants to go back to see them during round 2.

Miramar Beach: Libby also talked to two girls in this house and “SHE LOVED THEM”. She felt very comfortable in this house -- it was very authentic and real. Libby loved this house and hopes to go back for round 2! Yay Miramar!

Perdido Key: Libby also knows lots of wonderful women, both alumnae and actives from this Panhellenic group. She really liked these ladies today and talked to 3 girls in this chapter. She thought that they seemed to be a very sweet and driven group of girls. They were very genuine and nice to her, but she wasn’t sure if she necessarily fit with this group. She definitely wants to see them again for Round 2!

Rosemary Beach: Libby liked them but is not sure if she quite fits with them. The girls she talked to were nice and very pretty, but the conversation was not as "fluid" as it was in Grayton and Miramar. She wants to go back to Rosemary for round 2, because she wants to meet some different people in the chapter. Overall a really great group, though!

Love 30A ( my old stomping grounds!) and love that is your theme.

Will be watching this!

Love the Google doc idea...great way to organize her impressions and share with mom!

Open House Round: Day 2

Blue Mountain Beach: Libby was looking forward to meeting this group because my childhood/high school best friend is a member of this Panhellenic group. Libby really liked this house a lot. She was paired with two girls who had been in the same activity she was in during high school and had fabulous conversations here! The recruitment chair came over personally to welcome her to the house, which was very exciting. They seemed like a very “girly”, energetic, and fun chapter. She hoped to come back to this house for Round 2!

Dune Allen Beach: Libby’s first rusher reminded her a lot of her best friend from high school, so Dune Allen started strong for her. These ladies seemed to be a very sweet group of girls, however she felt like she “kind of didn’t fit in with their sense of humor or style”. She really liked Rusher 1, and although Rusher 2 was nice and funny, she felt like this was not the perfect place for her. She was not sure that she wanted to go back to Dune Allen.

Alys Beach: Wow! Alys Beach! If you have ever been to Alys Beach, Florida, you know that it’s a beautiful, classy, and serene place to visit. Libby really liked this house. She felt like she fit in with these girls and that she “looked” like them (“plus their house mom is adorable”)! Although she really felt comfortable at Alys Beach, Libby noted that the conversations were not as “real” as they were at Grayton Beach and Miramar Beach. Libby loved it here, but would she have to change who she really was to be an Alys Beach? Possibly. It is hard to explain, but Libby has a very quirky sense of humor and is very theatrical. She also ran around with girls who were very much like the Alys Beach ladies all through high school. This house represents the quieter, and more “put together” side of her personality. As of that moment, Libby ranked Alys Beach #3 in her mind and wants to meet more girls in the chapter. She hopes to come back to Alys Beach tomorrow.

Santa Rosa Beach: Santa Rosa beach is not only beautiful, but fun! Libby had stressed over finding a rec to Santa Rosa because we did not know any Santa Rosas! Fortunately, Libby and I became friends with a Santa Rosa and her daughter by coincidence earlier in the summer. Libby really, really liked this house and it was easily one of her favorites. She had really great conversations here and cannot wait to come back! She wished she had as much time with the second and third girl she talked to as she did with the first girl. It seemed like time just flew by in this house, and the party was over before she wanted it to be. Overall, this was a fabulous house! She cannot wait to come back!

Watercolor Beach: Libby and I have a long- time family friend whose daughter is in this house. Libby had hoped that the friend would pick her up, because she really would like to give this group a chance, but the friend just waved at her from across the room! They seem like a very nice group of girls, but she did not click with either of her rushers. Libby felt like they didn’t quite know what to say to her and the conversations were awkward. Libby wrote, “They are so nice and so spirited. I can tell they love their chapter. One of my rushers only talked about weight lifting and working out, so I did get some body building tips. That’s a plus!” Libby wished this group well, but doesn’t want to go back to them.

Seagrove Beach: Libby liked this house a lot and had a very good conversation. She was paired with a girl who was in the same OSU activity as her. Libby thought that Seagrove was a very, very nice house - plus they were kind of “edgy” and different! She wants to go back to Seagrove.

Seaside: To directly quote Libby from her Google Doc: “OMG!!! I LOVE THEM! OMG! THEY ARE MY PEOPLE! WHOOOOO-HOOOOO!” She talked to two girls at Seaside (who she named, but I obviously am not going to include this info!) Again, a direct quote: “Seaside is an incredibly awesome house! I cannot wait to go back!!! I WANT TO BE A SEASIDE! (I think!)".

At the end of Round 1, the PNMs ranked. There was talk of heavy cuts and the Rho Gammas told them not to be disappointed if they did not get a full schedule. According to Libby, PNMs were crying and nervous. She texted me after ranking and was very nervous herself. She thought the all houses were great, but had found several favorites. She really wanted to go back to many of the houses, but was feeling the same as the rest of the girls in her group. She simply had no idea what would happen tomorrow, and was worried that she would “look like a hag” because she didn’t think she would be able to sleep. They could go back to 10 parties tomorrow. The Rho Gammas said that it would be very rare for anyone to have 10 parties.

She ranked (in no particular order except for the last 3 houses)
1. Seaside
1. Grayton Beach
1. Miramar Beach
1. Perdido Key
1. Ft. Walton Beach
1. Blue Mountain Beach
1. Rosemary Beach
1. Santa Rosa Beach
1. Seagrove Beach
1. Alys Beach

2. Navarre Beach
2. Dune Allen Beach
2. WaterColor

Coming up: Round 2 - House Tours

I follow 30A on Facebook...and want to retire there someday! It is one of my favorite places on Earth! :)

I really want to visit the beaches of South Walton but it would be so hard to choose one!

I read Howdy 96's thread and thought that her description of how she got her recs was great! No matter what the university says (especially in the South), recs are important. Libby obtained her recs through different sources. Libby started searching for recs before Christmas of her senior year. (I know that sounds early, but she was looking at several colleges and wanted all bases covered!)

First, she registered with our local Panhellenic and submitted everything they asked for before the deadline. Through our local Panhellenic she met with two wonderful ladies, a Watercolor and a Dune Allen beach. She met them at Starbucks (individually) and they wrote her recs for those chapters. Not only did she register with Panhellenic, she sought out "personal" recs as well to make sure each chapter was covered.

I think it is imperative for future PNMs to note that if your local Panhellenic asks you to organize things in a certain way, and to meet deadlines, please do so. I wrote recs for my sorority and greatly appreciated the info that was given to me. Although I knew many of the ladies I wrote recs for personally, it was still very helpful to have a detailed resume.

Also, I want to point out that Libby responded to every single rec writer (that she knew of) with a handwritten thank you note, and a Starbucks gift card ($5) for their time. She sent the thank you note within several days of giving these ladies her information. She did not have "fun" writing these notes, but it is a simple way to be gracious and appreciative. Maybe it's a Southern thing, but anyone who has written recs knows that it takes some time to write them. Thank you notes are such a small gesture, and they are greatly appreciated!

Perdido Key: Libby obtained several recs to this chapter through her friends' moms, and one of her favorite teachers in high school. Also, Libby's second grade teacher (who I am still friends with) wrote a BEAUTIFUL letter of support for her. She was right out of college when she taught Libby, and was thrilled to write the LOS for her.

Navarre Beach: Again, Libby contacted several of her friends' moms to write recs. Her godmother is also a Navarre Beach and wrote a rec for her.

Ft. Walton: One of my sorority sister's mom is an absolutely precious Ft. Walton Beach alumna. My sorority sister and I have remained close since college, and Libby spent an afternoon just visiting with Ms. Fort Walton Beach while my friend and I had snacks, beverages, and caught up. :) Also, a friend that I work with wrote a Ft. Walton rec.

Miramar Beach: One of Libby's BFF's mom is a Miramar Beach...in fact, she and I went through rush together in the stone ages. I wrote BFF's rec for my sorority and BFF's mom wrote for Libby.

Grayton Beach: We have a close relative whom Libby adores who wrote her rec for Grayton Beach. Also, an acquaintance of mine wrote a rec for Libby. Libby is the one who approached these ladies for recs, however!

Rosemary Beach: We have a close relative who wrote one of her recs for Rosemary Beach. I also have a lifelong friend who is a Rosemary who wrote a rec for her.

Seaside: My husband grew up with a lovely lady who is a Seaside. She wrote a rec for Libby. Libby also knows several Seasides through our church and several actives (at another school) from camp. The Seaside ladies at our church wrote her recs as well.

Blue Mountain Beach: My lifelong best friend is a Blue Mountain. She wrote Libby's rec for her. I believe an acquaintance of mine who is on our area Panhellenic also wrote a rec for her.

Alys Beach: One of Libby's favorite teachers from high school wrote her Alys Beach rec. **She let her teachers know that she was going through recruitment, and many of them offered to write recs for her.

Santa Rosa Beach: Prior to June of this year we only knew one Santa Rosa and she is a collegiate active. Libby was very stressed about finding a "personal" rec to this house. As luck would have it, we became friends with a mom and daughter at an event we attended in June...and mom was a very active Santa Rosa alumna in her area. She wrote Libby's rec for her.

Seagrove Beach: One of my childhood friends is a Seagrove Beach. She wrote Libby's rec for her and gave her fabulous advice about recruitment. It's interesting how our kids will listen to other people make the same points we have tried to make over and over.

They are all beautiful! :D But, I think Seagrove and Seaside are my personal favorites!

Rosemary Beach is my favorite, followed by Seaside(beaches, that is...no idea which beach reps which house).

Round 2?

I have to say, the super high stress, severe cuts and no one getting back full rounds doesn't really sound like OSU recruitment. It is competitive, but not SEC-esque. And not Norman-esque, either.

It's my understanding via my daughter that many chapters cut heavily for grades this year. Apparently, the Rho Gammas for my daughter's group felt obligated to tell the girls that cuts could potentially be heavy and that most girls would not have a full schedule for round 2. While it may not be SEC level, this rush seemed somewhat competitive to some of the girls going through it. Libby and her friends worried about cuts after the Rho Gamma meeting after the open house rounds. Libby had the grades, but was still worried about getting her favorite chapters back. According to her (remember that this story is being told through the eyes of an 18 year old college freshman), the girls in her group were upset and stressed after their meeting.

But as a sneak preview, Libby got her top 10 back for second round, and was ecstatic. Because the PNM's phones were exchanged for their schedules, I was on pins and needles all day and learned that no news is good news! 😊

One of my rec girls said that her rho gammas told their group that all houses were using a 3.5 minimum GPA. This couldn't possibly be true, but it struck fear in her group and fueled a lot of rumors during recruitment.

I know that many of the groups at OSU use far above their nationals minimum gpa for pledging, but I agree, a 3.5 seems high. Even in this era of incredible grade inflation that would eliminate many good girls. I just never have heard of the kind of mass hysteria typical of Texas, Bama, LSU et al in Stillwater.

Eta..sounds like some Rho Chis were a bit much.

I'm not sure I would call it "mass hysteria". It was stressful for many of the girls though, according to Libby and other moms who had daughters going through this year. The Round 1 cuts seemed to be what everyone was making a big deal about. And exactly as Irishpipes said, it seems that there were lots of rumors circulating. Perhaps the Rho Gammas were trying to prepare girls for the worst. Who knows? I do know that there were girls who were stressed (my daughter included), several girls in her group had a rough time, and several (in her group) were released or dropped. A personal friend of mine who's daughter also rushed this fall at OSU experienced heavy cuts and was very upset. She made it through the process, and landed in a great house, but it wasn't an easy or non competitive rush for her either.

I guess the point is that 18 year olds experience things very differently and have a different perspective than we do as adults. I wasn't there, and I'm not an alum of OSU. But, I don't necessarily think that this process was easy for a majority of the girls who rushed. If I want to tell an honest story, from my daughter's point of view, and what she conveyed to me, I'm not going to minimize her observations of the process whether it sounds like OSU or not. I mean no disrespect in any way, but these feelings were very real to her and to many of the girls who participated in recruitment this fall.

Every year when rush would roll around when I was an active, my unspoken thought was "There HAS to be a better way!" Now, many years later, it is much, much harder on these young girls.

I am not criticizing you...sorry if it sounds like I am. Just trying to understand what was going on. Sounds like grades and Rho Chis.

No offense taken! I was very surprised that she was as nervous as she was. I was even more surprised when I heard about the cuts from friends! I think they were very strict on grades this year.

I apologize if my post was snippy! I reread it and did not mean to come off that way! :)

A New Bedlam Recruitment
 

1964Alum, I agree with you. I went through rush in the mid-to-late 70's, a time that I think was an order of magnitude easier than it is for the young woman today...and the women that preceded me (as was evidenced by your wonderful story). After watching my 2 DD's and PN (precious niece), hearing the stories of the girls for which I have written recs/rifs, as well as the stories that I would hear as the pres of an alumnae chapter that I was involved in for many years, I KNOW that what rush much easier "back in the day".

But I wonder if it really was easier or if our memories become clouded with nostalgia for the good old days. Back in the day Chapters had the ability to string girls along right up to the pref party round, and string them they did. Girls would continue to accept those top invitations and drop viable options, only to find they had been dropped at pref round. I feel that with RFM PNMs stand a much better chance of receiving a bid because chapters must release X number of PNMs per round based on stastical data.

RFM has been one of the best things to happen with sorority recruitment! So many more women are placed in chapters!

I really think it's the entitlement problem. For good or bad these girls have had incredibly easy lives. They got great grades due to grade inflation, made the teams they wanted to be on, and they're parents could afford to buy them whatever they wanted through their whole childhood. So rush is really the first time they're on their own. And it is STRESSFUL. Yes, placement rates are higher than they've ever been. But the snowflake has to deal with rejection for the first time in her life and may have to accept normal, ordinary, good enough. And that's a pretty tough pill to swallow.

I can't blame her for her feelings. My biggest advice to parents with a high schooler is to start managing expectations now. And maybe have her work on something she sucks at to give her experience in failure and recovery. Not just failure. That would be mean. Learning to get over it and succeed anyway is the goal. Then maybe getting a less than full invitation list wouldn't be so devastating.

That and it was also a lot harder on the chapters because quota was set so earlier. This caused huge chapters to stay huge and smaller ones to die. Tons less chapters are dying now!

I think that one thing that's hard on the PNMs is that so many go in and make earnest attempts to have good conversations with the members and dutifully write out their feelings about each chapter when they get back. Then they take a very long time to rank the chapters. And then they get heavily cut anyway (at really huge schools, it may have been done before they set foot on campus).

Seaside! Yay!

Thank you for posting about your rec gathering as well as the recruitment. As a mom who is starting to make our contact lists and coordinate them with the different Greek systems of the schools dd is narrowing it down to, it is helpful to see how others went about it. I also like the idea of the Starbucks card as a part of thanking them for their time.

Can't wait to read the rest of your daughter's adventure!

My memory of rush (back in the days of dinosaurs) may be clouded now, or may be that I was in the situation that I only went through rush to move away from my mother a week early and did not care about the results. I had no plans to join ANY sorority, I had not one rec (only to find that in those days rec requests were sent to local Alumnae Chapters by the houses during work week), there were far less woman going through rush as it was during the civil rights movement and the Viet Nam war, I had not the slightest idea about tiers and of course, I did not attend a Southern campus unless you consider Southern California to be "south". There were only between 200-250 women who went through rush and there were 10 houses (one was on the verge of closing and did close and the end of the school year). Cap was in the 50's thus no more than 500 women were Greek on a campus of 35,000. "Helicopter moms" were unheard of, not everyone won a trophy in those days, and calling home was a major expense so you HAD to figure things out on your own. I often cringe as I read the recruitment stories today and can't imagine having that much stress JUST to be a member of the Greek system.

DaffyKD

More please!
No need to wait -- the dates of Oklahoma State's Recruitment are the 1st big university for the year. Can they call it Fall Recruitment when it starts the 1st week of August?

Dubai Sis - I agree with you 100%. Libby had really never faced any kind of rejection at all, and I had VERY serious discussions with her about the fact that she would possibly be cut by sororities, and that even if she didn't really "like" the chapters that cut her, the rejection would still sting. The point of recruitment was to find a home away from home, if that is what was meant to be for her.

I like to think that she was prepared for the reality of recruitment, which is why I shared her feelings about the stress involved. It really didn't go away until Bid Day for her. She took the process seriously and ignored the "tiers" that are so openly discussed on Greekrank and among the PNMs. She was invited back to "top" houses and "middle to bottom tier" houses. She could have cared less about any of that, while several girls in her Rho Gamma group were focused only on the "Big 5" (whatever that is). :confused: None of that clouded Libby's judgement, and she was able to choose a place for herself. She found herself defending houses a couple of times when girls were saying really mean and ugly things. The tent talk made her uncomfortable, and she realized that lots of the girls who were complaining had been released from chapters that they wanted. They weren't willing to look any closer at some of the houses, so they either made the best of the situation or trash talked.

Not that it matters, but Libby told me that at every single house she visited, she asked her rushers how they were doing. She said that she could not imagine how exhausted they must have been, because she was exhausted herself. She tried to imagine staying up until 3 am blowing up balloons or choosing who to invite back, and then having to be totally "on" at 8 am for a group of PNMs who may or may not want to be at your house.

For some reason, she felt that showing interest in the girls as people really helped break the ice in a lot of houses. And for Libby, it isn't fake. It is just how she is. She is very outgoing, social, and makes friends easily. Recruitment for my oldest daughter probably would not have been as energizing for her (she is not Greek and doesn't want to be) as it was for Libby. The process would have completely overwhelmed her, which I think is the case for many girls who are outside the bubble of their hometowns for the first time.

Round 2: House Tours/Philanthropy Day

Libby was very lucky and got her top 10 houses back for Round 2. This was the round that the Google Doc stopped after she added her first 3 Round 2 houses. She just called or texted every night after she got her phone back. She was too tired to write her thoughts, so everything from this point forward will be what I was able to piece together from our conversations.

Miramar Beach: Libby was very excited to go back to Miramar. They had been a favorite after the event she attended in the spring, and she started recruitment with the idea that Miramar just might be her home. However, this round was just “weird”. She felt very uncomfortable with both of her rushers. She felt like they were not interested in her, and she realized she was not interested in the girls who rushed her. She didn’t think that these rushers were very interested in their philanthropy at all, which Libby found disturbing. Plus, one of the rushers had on a dress that Libby felt was “horrifyingly short” – and Libby and I had several disagreements over dress lengths while shopping. She worried about fitting in here, and does not want to come back. Funny how preconceived notions about where a PNM thinks they will end up can change.

Grayton Beach: Libby LOVED THIS HOUSE. Seeing them again just solidified her feelings about them. She loved their philanthropy and it was something that she would love to get involved with. She cannot wait to go back and believed that the Graytons could possibly be “her people”. Great connections, great conversations. Amazing house! Praying for an invite to Round 3.

Rosemary Beach: Libby changed her opinion of Rosemary Beach today. She really enjoyed visiting them this round and completely clicked with the girl who rushed her. Again the girls are beautiful, kind, and genuine. She felt very welcome, but she can’t tell if she really likes them, or if she wants to like them due to family connections here. She is conflicted, but it is not due to the way she was treated at Rosemary Beach. The girls were wonderful. This is a personal issue for her.

Perdido Key: Libby thought these ladies were “very, very organized”. She felt like she could be very successful here. The Perdido Keys were very sweet and genuine toward her and she appreciated their emphasis on academics. Libby’s major is unique and difficult, and she would be very supported in Perdido Key. However, something is off and she is unsure if she really fits in at Perdido Key. She really liked them, though, and hopes to see them on her Round 3 schedule.

Blue Mountain Beach: Blue Mountain Beach is so “cute and energetic”. Libby feels welcome here and met another officer today. Again, she clicked with the girls who rushed her. She could be very happy in this house and thought that she would fit in well.

Ft. Walton Beach: After a great experience with Ft. Walton yesterday, Libby was excited to go back. This round, Ft. Walton was “nice”, but just not a perfect fit for Libby. She has several friends who love this house, but she does not get the “warm, fuzzy” feelings that some of her friends do. She likes them, but is on the fence about whether or not she wants to return.

Santa Rosa Beach: WOW! Again, Santa Rosa is fun, friendly, beautiful, energetic, and amazing. She “totally loved” the girls she met today, and feels very comfortable in this house. Libby can see herself in this house too! Santa Rosa is creeping its way to the top of her list, and she really hoped to be invited back to Round 3. Decisions tonight will be difficult for her.

Alys Beach: Libby loved Alys Beach yesterday, and they continued to impress her today. She was not as comfortable with her rushers, however, and felt slightly out of place. But, she likes their house and philanthropy. She thinks that maybe she needs to meet more of the sisters here to get a true feel for Alys Beach. She wants to come back for Round 3.

Seagrove Beach: Libby felt really comfortable at Seagrove Beach and really liked the girls she talked to today. They are a “really kind and genuine” group of girls. She met an officer at this house today too, and can possibly see herself being really happy here. Seagrove is great, and she would like to return for Round 3.

Seaside: “OMG. I TOTALLY LOVE SEASIDE!” Seaside is everything Libby wants in a house. She loves the girls, loves the house, and thinks their philanthropy is kind of cool. Seaside is where it is at, and like Grayton Beach, these ladies could “be her people”! They are tied with Grayton Beach for first place. Libby noted that Seaside and Grayton are different from each other personality wise, which confuses her some, but she doesn’t care. She loves Seaside and wants everyone to know it. Libby is praying to the Gods above that she sees Seaside on her schedule tomorrow.

When she ranked for Round 3, she struggled to decide which house to rank in her bottom 3. There are two houses, Rosemary Beach, and Alys Beach, that she was just not sure about. She thought for a while, and ranked (again, in no particular order):

1. Grayton Beach
1. Seaside
1. Perdido Key
1. Seagrove Beach
1. Blue Mountain Beach
1. Santa Rosa
1. Alys Beach

2. Rosemary Beach
2. Ft. Walton Beach
2. Miramar Beach

Libby walked back to her dorm and after her Rho Gamma meeting, she called me in tears. This time, it had nothing to do with the Rho Gamma meeting, although she felt very bad for some of her friends (not all...because some were just mean!) who were cut heavily. Libby felt strongly that she had made a mistake in her rankings and wished that she had put Rosemary Beach in her top 7 instead of Alys Beach. She was sure about everyone else, except for those two houses. I tried to tell her to relax and that things would work out the way they were supposed to. She told me at that point that she hoped Alys Beach released her so that Rosemary would move back into her schedule for Skit Day.

Stay tuned for Round 3…

Can't wait to hear more of Libby's story!

This is a good story. I'm enjoying it.

Round 3: Skit Day

Today, PNMs may attend up to 7 parties. Libby was concerned after ranking last night that she had made a mistake, and was really hoping that Rosemary Beach would be back on her schedule. She was thrilled to find that Rosemary Beach was back and Alys Beach had released her, just as she had hoped! Sometimes, things just happen for reasons, and all was well in Libby’s World. She got her top 7 houses back. Libby’s sweet roommate was moving in today, and managed to text me about the 7 party schedule after Libby’s phone was confiscated. Yay Roomie!

Libby was tired, and the process was getting to her. She knew that she was lucky, and she truly liked everyone she had left on her schedule. These descriptions may sound flowery, but Libby was truly impressed with every single house she had on her schedule. Decisions were very difficult for her after skit round.

Santa Rosa Beach: Santa Rosa continues to impress and make her feel very welcome. She could see herself here and would be happy to be invited to Pref. They are a great house! Cute skit, high energy, and sweet girls. Santa Rosa is going to cause her to agonize over her Pref rankings.

Perdido Key: All week, Libby felt that something was slightly off about her feelings for Perdido Key. She liked them a lot. She appreciated their values, and knew lots of her friends really, really wanted to be a Perdido Key. It is an amazing house at OSU, and is stellar nationally. But, after skit round, she felt like she would not be as happy at Perdido Key as she would be in a couple of other houses. She just couldn’t “see herself being herself” at Perdido Key, but was very open to attending Pref there if it was meant to be. The girls in this house are wonderful and PK is a sought after house.

Rosemary Beach: Libby fell in love with Rosemary Beach today. She loved their skit, the girls, and how comfortable she felt in the house. She did not want to leave at the end of skit round, and felt the connection that she had wanted to feel all week long. Libby knew at this point that she genuinely liked them, and not just because of the family connection. The family connection just made it slightly more special for her! She felt like one of the girls who she talked to today could possibly be her big. It would be a wonderful place for her, and she definitely wanted to return to Pref at Rosemary. What a difference a day makes!

Blue Mountain Beach: Libby loves this house too, and can see herself being happy here if this is where she is meant to be. The girls are genuine and fun, and she always enjoys herself when she is at Blue Mountain!

Seaside: Oh, Seaside. Seaside continued to draw Libby in, and she loved them even more after skit round. Their skit and the girl she talked to reminded her of her biological big sister back home. The skit was amazing, the girls were funny and fabulous, and she can be herself at Seaside. She can totally see herself in this house. She is praying for a pref invite to Seaside!

Seagrove Beach: The Seagrove ladies are just so nice. They are a very sweet chapter with lots to offer. She feels comfortable here and has enjoyed visiting with every single girl she has met. However, they are not Seaside or Rosemary Beach in her heart. But, she knows she could be very happy here! She has several friends who adore Seagrove, and she thinks they would have a great time if they all pledged together.

Grayton Beach: YAY GRAYTON BEACH AGAIN! As usual, she had a great time at Grayton Beach. She can be herself at this house, too! The girls are funny and nice and she can easily see herself at Grayton Beach. She is comfortable here and really hopes for an invite to Pref!

Ranking was really difficult for Libby. She took “forever” to make up her mind, because she was very conflicted. Each house had impressed her, and with the exception of Perdido Key, she could see herself being very happy in any of these chapters. There were three houses, though, that really stood out after she thought about it. PNMs could attend 3 houses for Preference Parties. Libby ranked:

1. Rosemary Beach
1. Seaside
1. Grayton Beach

2. Santa Rosa Beach
2. Blue Mountain Beach
2. Seagrove Beach
2. Perdido Key

Coming up…Pref Round :)

ETA: Libby called me after rankings and was very happy and excited about her upcoming Pref Day. She was going to dinner with her Rho Gamma group, and did not want to discuss another thing about recruitment. Then, even after I complied with her request, she sent me the helicopter emoji from her iPhone. :) She no longer needed my advice, or cared what I thought (which I all did was listen to her in the first place!). I am now a relieved and much less stressed out Mama.

LOVING this story (and wishing I was at the beach reading it :D).

ME TOO! :D We didn't get to go to 30A this year, so I just play the video clips that the 30A people put on Facebook and pretend I am there!

Preference Round

I was en route to Stillwater for Bid Day, when I got a text from Roomie. Libby wanted her to let me know that she had gotten:

Seaside,
Rosemary Beach,
and Grayton Beach

back for her Preference Parties! Again, Libby had gotten her top three choices. I was thrilled for her. She managed to send me a selfie of her in her pref dress, and I was surprised at the color she chose, but decided not to be a helicopter mom. The color she was wearing was clearly the color of one of the chapters she was preffing. We had discussed remaining neutral! Yikes! Maybe she planned to change dresses between parties?

Her parties were scattered throughout the day, and I arrived and checked into my hotel. I was not allowed to see her or communicate with her, which was fine with me because she was happy and had everything under control. I spent the afternoon shopping around in Stillwater and enjoying a yummy coffee at Aspen Coffee. 

Before I give anything away, here is a brief account of pref day for Libby (the houses are NOT listed in any particular order, and I have deleted many details that would give the chapter and Libby’s identity away…sorry!):

Rosemary Beach: She loved them. She cried at Pref. She felt wanted, and she adored the girls who preffed her. She felt like this was home! She was so torn at this point, because she dearly loves/loved the women in our family (one of whom has passed away) who were Rosemary Beaches. This chapter is amazing, and she simply doesn’t know what to do. She doesn’t want to disappoint ANYONE, especially the precious girls in this chapter.

Grayton Beach: She loved them, but she didn’t cry at Pref. She didn’t really feel anything, which was shocking to her because she had loved them all week long. Suddenly, she knew that Grayton Beach was not home for her, which made her sad because they were a solid favorite all week long. She knew that she would still be friends with the girls in this house, even if they weren’t her sisters.

Seaside: She didn’t cry at Seaside’s pref either. She laughed and had a blast talking to a girl she had talked to earlier in the week. She felt wanted and accepted. Pref was meaningful and fun. She saw and felt the close sisterhood in this house when the seniors spoke. They embraced her quirky sense of humor. She could be herself with no worries here. Seaside was HOME.


Around 8 pm that night, Libby sent everyone in our family (including helicopter emoji mom) a text that said:
Everyone wear _____________________. I am going to be a Seaside!

Honestly, we were all a little shocked. Rosemary had captured her heart, too. But, she told me later knew that she would still be friends with those girls no matter where she ended up and that Rosemary would ALWAYS hold a special place in her heart. They are simply an amazing group of women, just like Grayton Beach.

She was sure of her choice and happy with her decision. She had no problem ranking. She knew where her home was. I was happy that she was happy.

On Bid Day morning, bids were supposed to be distributed at 10 am. The girls were told to stay in their rooms and the Rho Gammas would come around, bang on their door, and hand them their bid and bid day t-shirt.

Sidenote: GOOD for you OSU Panhellenic for handling bids this way! This gave the young ladies who may have not gotten their first choice a chance to absorb things privately! If there were any issues, girls could deal with it one on one with their Rho Gamma and in the privacy of their room. Other Panhellenics should take a look at this method of bid distribution, even if it means breaking tradition!

The girls were to wear their Panhellenic shirts over their Bid Day Shirts, so reveal would still be exciting and fun!

Around 9:30 am, Libby texted all of us a selfie, ecstatically wearing a Bid Day shirt from…….







SEASIDE







Also known as KAPPA DELTA.

Libby is a very, very happy Nu member of the Nu chapter of Kappa Delta. And we share a letter in common! ;)

Congratulations to Libby! My daughter's campus also handles bid day this way...the new members report to their group's meeting location in the evening, after having their bids delivered in the late afternoon.

Libby and I are now chapter sisters, so congratulations to her and to Kappa Delta! (and you and me, too!) The girls of Nu have always been real, funny and active on campus, and the house is really a beautiful, comfortable and wonderful place to call home. I fell in love with them a long time ago, and it is great to see the tradition continue. I am so glad she found her home in Kappa Delta.

I recognized Perdito for sure, but times have changed, and didn't recognize any of the others, from her descriptions, lol! I suspected KD was either Graydon or Seaside, simply because they both had great skits, and I know from friends who attended dress rehearsal that we had a good skit, but wasn't even sure about that.

Welcome to the world of green and white!

jgsmc3.....You are an EXCEPTIONAL mom!!!! What a wonderful daughter you raised!