Thread to Draft NutBrnHair Into the Retro Recruitment Thread Movement!
 

:D:D:D

must we do this all summer long?

HAHAHAHA!!!! ROFLMAO!!!!!!

I actually.........like recruitment threads. My summer job is rather dull and boring, so it gives me something to do.

:p :p

I would love to read it!

Tell on!

We've got to make it to, when is it... first week in August when Auburn starts recruitment? That's still a loooong way away!

I'm enjoying reading BTW, so if you are new to GC (or a more seasoned member) feel free to get one going. Sorry to those who object.

I'll sign off on that petition.

And I also support the "lurkers coming out of the woodwork to tell their stories" movement, so long as they keep their affiliations a surprise until the reveal! Then it's almost like a real-time thread! :D

yes, please nutbrnhair. please.

You don't have to read them, simple as that.

Doesn't mean we have to draft every single sorority member that ever lived into writing a retro recruitment thread.

Eh, I figure it's a one time thing. Once everyone's done it, it'll be over ;)

plus, it gives some folks something to gripe about.

I really am enjoying the retro-threads. So many of the writers have done an excellent job building the stories with well selected details. And we often know that they work out well in the end, so you don't end up feeling bad for folks the way you do in real time recruitment threads when they don't get their favs.

I'm also amazed at so many people either having their rush notes or such great memories that they can reconstruct the experience. For those of you haters, at least you can take comfort in knowing that you are safe from an Alphagamuga retro thread because there's no way I could remember enough of the experience. Honestly, I'm impressed by those of who have been out of school for more than 10 years who can do this! I can't remember the first thing about who rushed me or the conversations that we might have had. Yay for recruitment notes!

Yea, I love reading them

I'm just so taken with how different recruitment is throughout the country - and the long and winding roads so many of us have taken to sisterhood!

I won't argue with that.;)

lol
I'm an inbetweener. I've read a few, but it went from one at a time to a dozen. It's not special or important when everyone's doing it all at once.

retro threads
 

I'm really loving these threads. My daughters just went through rush, I have a hard time calling it recruitment, and I just found my ZTA scrapbook which had been packed in my parents attic. I was looking my party schedule. They did have computers back then, just not PCs. My kids have a hard time believing that I wrote papers with a typewriter and didn't have a microwave ( were not invented) in my dorm room!
I don't remember all of those really interesting party details though...like some of you have. Keep bringing them on!

I do agree that it was better when they went one at a time.
I have a hard time following them without a score card sometimes for the code names anyway.

That would be my only complaint. I think the trend will probably fizzle before recruitment season begins, which is unfortunate, because that's kind of the reason this started in the first place, to give us something to "hold us over".

NutBrnHair! NutBrnHair! NutBrnHair!

It would be one thing if the retro recruitment threads were the same old "I went to 15 parties, the girls were sooooooo pretty and they sang a cute song and the next day I got cut by my favorite ice cream flavor but I did get asked back to Cookie Dough, then I went to prefs were there were lots of candles and crying and on bid day I was so nervous when I opened my envelope but I got a bid from Cookie Dough which is (scroll way down to bottom of page) ALPHA BETA GAMMA!" but most of these retro recruitment threads are really different. Most of them are more entertaining than the current recruitment threads. And like a previous poster said, if you don't like them, don't read them.

I agree, sister!

NutBrnHair!NutBrnHair!:D

Nutbrwnhair! Nutbrwnhair! Nutbrwnhair! Nutbrwnhair! Nutbrwnhair! Nutbrwnhair! Nutbrwnhair! Nutbrwnhair!

Nutbrwnhair

<starting a slow clap to accompany the chant>

Nutbrwnhair

I'm with you on this. I'd say that almost with exception the retro-recruitment threads have been outstanding and very well written, and they've all been as good or better than the real time threads.

ETA: Oh, yeah, Nutbrwnhair <clap>

Y'all are cracking me up!

I have always felt that I have a good memory; however, there are many things about fall rush in 1979 I have forgotten! I'll do my best to scratch up some details and post my first installment later today!

:D

hooray!!

Here we go!
 

The year was 1979. A sweet young Southern girl named Nut, from a small Tennessee city, arrived at the middle Georgia campus of Topia University (Utopia, for short). She was an only child, but her best friend since the age of four was her roommate. Two other girls from Nut’s high school class also were members of the freshman class. Topia was a 4,000 student school affiliated with the Baptist church, but the Greek system seemed to be an integral part of the campus scene.

There were four NPC groups on campus:

Ruby
Sapphire
Pearl
Emerald

Nut and her best friend Carol began to move into their first floor un-air-conditioned dorm room with the assistance of their parents. A friendly upperclassman named Susan wearing her sorority jersey (Ruby) helped carry the suitcases to the room.

The freshman class gathered in the Chapel for a general meeting before being divided into Orientation Groups. The Panhellenic President spoke about signing up for sorority Rush. Nut, Carol and their other 2 high school friends Kay & Holly were all looking forward to Rush. Holly’s mother had been a member of the Ruby sorority when she was in school, but none of the other 3 was a legacy.

All of the freshmen were divided into 30 person groups led by an OA (Orientation Assistant). Nut’s OA was a Junior and was a member of the Sapphire sorority. She seemed very mature and worldly to Nut.

All four registered for Rush at the Student Center. The Rush Counselors, Panhellenic Officers and RAs (Resident Advisors) were the only women who had to disaffiliate with their sororities during Rush. Silence was not enacted until Pref Round. There was, of course, a rule prohibiting sorority women from spending any money or giving gifts to the rushees.

Nut was already familiar with the names of three of the groups (Ruby, Sapphire & Pearl). Most of the girls from Nut’s high school joined sororities and she remembered seeing the young alumnae return to campus with pledge pins and sorority badges. Nut’s mother had friends who secured recommendations for at least one of the groups.

Rush was held in a Panhellenic building – an old Victorian home that had been converted to four suites for the NPC groups. During the first round of Rush, the two NPHC groups on campus, Delta Sigma Theta and Alpha Kappa Alpha made a presentation to all of the rushees explaining their structure and their intake process.

The first round of parties seemed to fly by – seems like we all wore sundresses and espadrilles and were greeted in each suite by singing and clapping! I do recall that the Emerald group all dressed in gauchos and had one member dressed up as their mascot! The suites were crowded and the small window air conditioners couldn’t keep up. All of the suites were nicely decorated. Nut noticed that each group’s décor matched the colors of their organization. All of the songs were catchy and we returned to the dorm very excited, because Rush was finally underway.

That made me groan. Loudly. :p Although I have to say Mr. sherbertlemons would definitely approve of that joke!

Proof positive that my mother should have saved all her clothing for me! I love espadrilles! :)

Would you consider listing the groups that existed at Utopia?

THanks for posting your story!

Garnet?? where'd Garnet come from ... ???

Ooops...I meant Emerald! Thanks.

Gosh, don't you know that there always has to be a twist in a retro-thread?

Sure, but since there are just four -- why don't I name them at the end, ok?

Chapter 2
 

The 1st Round (Open House) and the 2nd Round (Ice Water Teas) the rushees attended parties at all 4 groups. The only thing served as refreshments at second round was, you guessed it – ice water. No fancy glasses or lemon wedges – just ice & water in a plastic cup! The conversations at this round were more in depth, since the parties lasted longer. Each group performed a short skit at the end of their party.

At the Emerald suite, Nut found herself surrounded by 4 or 5 members and it seemed like she was responsible for carrying the conversation. The girls there seemed nice and polite and genuinely interested in Nut.

The Sapphire sorority seemed a bit smaller in size, but Nut saw her OA and that made her very comfortable at this party. Some of Nut’s high school classmates had already pledged this sorority at the hometown university.

The Ruby group was Nut’s favorite group. She was introduced to many different sisters. They seemed to really like each other and were having a lot of fun. Their short skit at the end of the party was a take-off on Saturday Night Live. Nut enjoyed Weekend Update with Dan Akroyd and Jane Curtain – and the member who played the role of Roseanne Rosanna Danna!

The Pearl sorority was considered one of the best groups at Topia based on the things Nut and her friends had heard on campus. The girls were attractive and confident. Lots of blondes! A friend of Nut and Carol’s had pledged this group at Auburn a few weeks earlier.

Rush at UTopia was held during the first week of school. The campus cafeteria was the place to see and be seen. All of the sororities and fraternities had areas of the dining room where they congregated. As Nut and Carol were getting in line for lunch one day, a couple of the Rubies asked them to sit at their table! How exciting. As Nut and Carol exited the serving area, a member of the Pearl group waved and asked them to join their table. Ut oh. “Thank you,” Nut said, “but we’ve already been asked to sit over here.”

On Tuesday night, members of Pearl walked with Nut and her friends to fraternity row for parties. You see, Topia didn’t have school on Wednesdays (“Wonderful Wednesday”), so Tuesday night was a big party night. Once the girls began talking to the Pearls, the sorority members realized Nut and her friends were from the same city in Tennessee and had gone to the same high school as four current sophomore members of Ruby. Once they arrived at the Sigma Nu lodge, the Pearls drifted away and members of Ruby greeted the girls. Kay introduced Nut and Carol to Leslie, her RA. Leslie was great fun – we knew she was in a sorority, but not sure which one. Kegs of beer and PGA punch were served at each fraternity lodge. Members of Pearl and Ruby cautioned us about the punch – especially the “Yellow Fever” punch at the Kappa Sig lodge. It tasted like lemonade and many freshman girls didn’t realize it contained alcohol.

Aww, espadrilles and Saturday Night Live with the original cast. Oh how I miss the 70s!

I'm loving your story, Nut. :) Apparently there wasn't any 'silence' rule at the time, huh?

Loving the story, and I was about to ask about the silence period too!

Off topic - NutBrnhair, are you the "Star of the County Down"?:) Cause I always sang that to my daughter, who also has nut brown hair . . .

No silence until pref round. I know that it was crazy, but honestly -- we did get to know the sorority women a lot more than just a 15 minute conversation at the rush party.

Hmmm...not familiar with that song. My screen name comes from the little bunny named Lil Nut Brown Hare in the children's book "Guess How Much I Love You?" Plus, I have brown hair!

Star of the County Down
 

...she looked so sweet, from her two bare feet
to the crown of her nut brown hair,
such a winsome elf, that I pinched myself,
for to see if I was really there.

. . .no maid I've seen like the brown colleen that I met at the County Down!

Chapter 3
 

For the next round of Rush (Invitationals), the rushees could attend up to 3 parties. Nut received invitations to all four and decided to regret the invite from the Emeralds. In her mind, it was between the Emeralds and the Sapphires, but her OA was a Sapphire – plus, she had friends at home who were Sapphires, so she kept this group for another round.

Again during this round Nut recalls most everyone wore sundresses or skirts and blouses. Very few wore slacks – remember…it was Middle Georgia in late August! The parties were longer this round – maybe 45 minutes each. The decorations and themes were more elaborate in most of the suites.

The Pearl group had created a Cabaret in their suite. The rushees were seated at card tables for four. If room permitted, a member of Pearls also sat in a chair or knelt beside the rushee to which she was talking. At one point during this party, Nut and Carol were seated next to the noisy window air-conditioner with 2 other rushees and no member of the organization was talking to them. The skit began and it was a collection of songs performed by talented members of the group.

Nut then attended the party hosted by the Sapphires. There seemed to be a lot of local (hometown Middle GA) girls in this group. Again, Nut spoke to her OA and was introduced to many sweet and pleasant members. Their skit was similar to the Pearls with singing and dancing.

When Nut entered the Ruby suite, she noticed that there were no elaborate decorations or special seating. After several great conversations with Susan (remember her – the junior who had helped Nut & Carol move into the dorm?) and others, the members asked the rushees to gather in the middle of the room for a “ceremony.” The rushees sat on the floor and were surrounded by the Sisters of Ruby. The lights were dimmed and there were 5 Sisters kneeling in the front of the room. The first one lit a candle and began to tell the rushees that while others try to entertain you tonight – we want to share a part of our Sisterhood with you. Each speaker spoke about a different aspect of the group. The final speaker was Traci, a drama major who held the title of Miss Topia. After her speech – the candle was passed from rushee to rushee before the party ended.

The next day, Kay, Nut’s friend from home said she and her R.A. were going to walk off campus to a local drug store where they made fresh squeezed lemonade and asked if Nut and Carol wanted to go. Oh yes, Kay’s R.A. was Leslie, the one they’d met at the Sigma Nu party! Leslie led the pack of four freshmen down the street for lemonade! They all paid for their own and had great fun laughing at Leslie – she had a terrific sense of humor. There was no discussion of Rush at all, so this little foray kept the rushees minds off of Rush for a bit.

Later in the day, they would find out where they would be attending prefs!