1992 RUSH
 

I have enjoyed all the twists and turns in other's stories so much that I figured I would tell you my story.

Let me start by providing background info because this is WEIRD.

Where: GMI (Kettering) has a different schedule students attend classes for 11 weeks then coop for eleven weeks, classes 11, coop 11 etc.

When: July 1992 due to the weird schedule one group starts classes in July.

Who: A good student who was totally clueless about sororities and rush.

What Sororities: Alpha Sigma Alpha, Beta Sigma Phi, Theta Phi Alpha

How: Rush was very different, but very fun at GMI. Certain days during the week were set aside for each sorority. On that given night only that group could host an activity. The rest of the week was a free for all. Sororities and Fraternities would have activites and you could go to whichever activities you wanted to.

I hope I have not confused you too much!:rolleyes:

It's still cool to me just how different rush can be from school to school. Please go on!

I rushed in 1992 at Michigan State!

I'm quite familiar w/GMI (even though its officially Kettering now, I always think of it as GMI :o)...even had a few friends who went there.

What about the Alpha Gamma Delta chapter at GMI/Kettering? :confused: I remember meeting up with them at statewide IRDs (International Reunion Day) while in undergrad...I'm pretty sure the chapter was around in 1992.

(Or is each sorority only active at certain times of the year due to the staggered groups? I can't remember anymore. :confused::o)

How does it work with the different terms? Do chapters have two "groups" within them? I find it all really interesting and can't wait to hear more!

I am not positive, but I think AGD may be only B session. There were definitely only the 3 groups during A session in 92'.

I'll admit I am getting old, and I did not keep notes at the time so this is not going to be very detailed.

I remember there was a sorority information session where each of the previously mentioned chapters had a table as well as Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta. I think almost every freshman girl was at this session. I remember one of my friends telling me that she was not sure how to take the two NPHC groups because they did not seem very welcoming. I understand looking back now that we were probably dumb rushees assuming they worked the same way as the other groups.

I also remember a casino night where each fraternity and sorority manned a different activity. This was a fun way to see all of the groups. (There were a lot more fraternities. GMI was like 5:1 guys:girls)

I went to both of these sessions because everyone on my floor was going. I had no idea what I would be getting myself into, but I decided that I had been having fun so I would give rush a try.

Finally, the real events started and I went to the activity for each chapter. I do not remember at all what we did, but I know they were silly fun things like Tie-Dye, Jewelry making etc.

After the first week I began to hear rumors. Beta Sigs were the partiers, Alpha Sigs the normal group, and I had been told the Theta Phis had low numbers.

I was really bummed because I had liked the Theta Phis the best. I also liked the Alpha Sigs, but I did not feel comfortable with the Beta Sigs. They were nice and pretty, but I just did not feel as comfortable with them.

Yes, Alpha Gam is only on B Session.

Kettering is definitely a very unique school.

As Momof5 alluded to, there is an "A" session and a "B" session, which basically take turns being on campus. So, even though you technically attend the same university during the same time frame, you won't be on campus at the same time and will likely never cross paths.

(Sounds confusing, I know, and Momof5 if I did a bad job of explaining please let me know!)

So, for 11 weeks, the "A" session students would be on campus while the "B" students were off campus for engineering co-ops.

Next 11 weeks, the "B" session students would be on campus while the "A" session students would be off campus for engineering co-ops.

Then the cycle repeats every 11 weeks...with the student body essentially divided in half the whole time. :eek:

AGDee might be better able to confirm whether the Alpha Gam chapter at Kettering is for one session only...she has worked in an advisory type capacity with them. I'm only familiar with that chapter to the extent of seeing them at statewide events, etc.

The male to female ratio was crazy at GMI/Kettering...I recall a lot of their male students visiting MSU to meet ladies, since there weren't a whole lot on their campus.

ETA: Apparently AGDee beat me to the answer while I was typing my response. lol

Were there a couple more sororities on B session other than Alpha Gam, just out of curiousity?

Hmmn...according to the awesome recruitment thread by irishpipes (which lists the years of each NPC at each school), GMI/Kettering should have had 4 NPCs in 1992. (Theta Phi Alpha, ASA, Alpha Gam, and Alpha Phi)

I'm guessing then that Alpha Phi (which according to that thread opened in 1990) would have been in session B with Alpha Gam.

Beta Sigma Phi isn't listed in the irishpipes thread, which only includes NPC groups. So, there may have been another non-NPC group in the B session w/Alpha Gam and Alpha Phi.

(On one hand it seems odd that an sorority would only have half the female students available to them...whichever ones happened to be part of the respective session. On the other hand, I guess I understand why its done...otherwise you'd have sisters from your same chapter during the same year who you'd never have the opportunity to interact with. :eek:)

That seems like such a strange way to do things and yet it's a fantastic use of resources: double the students in one set of facilities.

ASA has always been in both A session & B session. They're 2 separate chapters - Delta Nu-A & Delta Nu-B.

I thought that the BSP chapter in A section has since turned into the Alpha Phi chapter.

Here's a link that shows who's presently in A section and B section. http://www.kettering.edu/~asaa/links.html

I don't understand this part of the post - so you're saying that although you liked them the best, you dismissed Theta Phi because they had low numbers? Why?

I would respond to the GMI questions, but you seem to be sorting them out yourselves.

At GMI we did not cut chapters and they did not cut us. As I saw it most of the decision was based on what you did on the "free for all days".
Initially, I was going to activities with my hallmates which meant a lot of ASA activities, but I convinced them to go to some Theta Phi activities.

By week 2 or 3 I stopped going to Beta Sig activities all together. As I said I cannot remember every detail, but I know we went to activities at the actual houses, and I never went to the Beta Sig house.

By the end of week two I had the courage to venture out on my own and was going pretty exclusively to Theta Phi activities on "free for all" days.

If I remember correctly, there was an invite party at the end. I received invites to ASA and Theta Phi Alpha. Almost all of my hallmates were going to ASA. Did I mention that our RA was an ASA?

I'm confused as to how this affects rush. So, if I'm a "B" student going through rush, do I only get to meet the "B" groups?

It doesn't really make sense to me that a woman would only get to meet half the orgs on campus. I know they occupy the campus at different times, but are coops like summer? My understanding was that during coops students were still on campus, just not in classes per se.

I just think a woman should have the opportunity to meet all the groups on campus.

Someone help clarify?

It's almost like 2 seperate colleges. You can only join a group that's on campus during your "school" session. There would be no reason for a "B" student to meet the "A" groups, because they won't be on campus at the same time. You wouldn't join a sorority that only met during summer break at your university, would you? ASA is the only group that has both A and B sessions, but there are several fraternities that have both.

It is basically like there are two different Greek systems altogether. Momof5 was in A section - she would have never, ever, ever been on campus during B section. Therefore it would have made no sense for her to meet any of the B section groups, any more than it would make sense for a student at UNC to go through rush at Duke.

Kettering is above and beyond your normal co-op school. The students are completely immersed in their co-op jobs and aren't on campus at all during those quarters. A students are on campus in the spring and fall and work in the winter and summer. B students are on campus in the summer and winter and work in the spring and fall. (I might have that backwards, but that's the gist of it.)

What an interesting system. I'm curious, did the two different sections of ASA ever have any contact? Since it's so foreign to me, I can't help but wondering what it would be like for there to essentially be another chapter of my org at my school that I had no contact with.

Glad to hear you were giving Theta Phi a chance! ;)

I'm sure they know each other to some point, but as far as rushing and pledging and chapter operations, they are completely separate.

Do you know if they share the same house?

According to the linky links, I would say yes. The same house is in both chapters' sites.

So there's got to be some crossover that way. I know Room 13 in the ASA house at WIU was used by a lot of girls before me (and lots of Asian people after me), but it would still be weird to be sharing the same room with a woman at the same time.

In response to the school questions. In the fall and spring the two groups might have a chance of crossing paths because one group is leaving while the other is coming. In the winter and summer, however, there is a 2 week break in between.

Back to the story: At some point we had to list the chapters we would be willing to accept a bid from. I listed Theta Phi Alpha first and Alpha Sigma Alpha second.

After this I think there was a day or two of silence. Then the silence was broken by a ton of pounding and singing at my door. Now mind you there was not a lot of singing during rush so this was a total shock.

When I opened the door I was whisked away by a huge group of Theta Phi Alphas!!!:D

I was the only girl in my hall to pledge Theta Phi, but I am happy to say we had the largest pledge class that summer. I had so much fun getting to know my new sisters and participating in more activities with fraternities. Let me tell you college in the summer is so much fun. Sand volleyball, Hog roasts, Canoe Trips, Drive-In Movies.
MUCH FUN!!!

Stay Tuned there is more...

There's always a twist in these retro threads. . .

That would definitely NOT make sense at all. :p

YAY FOR THETA PHI ALPHA!! :D :D

Obviously I was enjoying my pledge experience very much. In a way I miss some of the minor "hazing". We had to meet with each of the sisters one on one to get to know them and keep it in our pledge book, but it was so much fun. I remember going for ice cream a couple times, meeting for lunch on campus, going to the mall and having gyros. If that's hazing, haze me all you want.

First term ended and we all went our separate ways for our coop session. We were not to be initiated until spring term. I spent the next 11 weeks working at UPS. Great people, great money, boring work. By the end of the 11 weeks I decided that working a desk job was not for me. However, since GMI only has Engineering and Management I had to transfer schools. I was able to go back to campus at the beginning of spring semester to tell my sisters and say goodbye. I was heart broken to be leaving Theta Phi Alpha.:(

I transferred to Purdue. I know from one engineering school to another, but Purdue offers a lot more options. I was able to major in Math Education. I really wanted to continue my greek experience since I had been having so much fun. However, Purdue does not have a Theta Phi Alpha Chapter so I would have to join a different group. At Purdue you are not allowed to participate in COB as a freshman unless you participated in formal rush so I had to wait until the next fall.

I did not even think about getting to know the different chapters during the term. I went to parties, but I never really interacted with sorority women individually.

This is the biggest twist yet!

Does anyone know if it's still like that? I guess I see what they were trying to do, but I don't know if it's really kosher.

Sorry to keep the crash going, but this fascinates me. So do they have two Executive Boards? Two Presidents? Which one submits the chapter's "vote" or "voice" at the National Convention?

And to crash further, it blows my mind that the OP is my age and has 5 kids. Unless Momof5 refers to her dogs.... :D

They are two separate chapters - Delta Nu-A and Delta Nu-B. Each has an exec board and president. Each has a vote at convention.

I sure do hope this turns into a Purdue rush retro thread!!! My son will be a freshman at Purdue this fall and we just got the "go Greek" pamphlet in the mail today! I'm pretty sure, however, that he will not be joining a fraternity - just not the type. I know several sorority girls at Purdue and I'll be curious to hear how it worked for you!

Yes! I thought that instantly also. (I was also a freshman in 1992.)

I bumped into a girl I graduated from high school with recently, and she was weeks away from delivering her fourth.

(Don't get me wrong...I adore my kids. But the two of them are all I am personally capable of handling. :o Though my "baby" is only 2, so I guess that leaves me time to change my mind. ;) )

Though I'm sure there would be a lot of fun things about having a big family...my mom is the middle child out of 9, and when I was a kid I always envied that she grew up with so many siblings.

Another Big 10 rush story! I always love hearing how the similarities/differences between the other Big 10 schools and MSU's greek systems. :)

(And this time there will be an Alpha Gam chapter involved too. Yippee!)

Interesting story! It's sad that Purdue didn't have a chapter of Theta Phi Alpha though. I'm anxious to read more.

How very interesting! Ok - Back to Mom's thread, I'll zip it now.

and, yet another hijack.. one of our alumnae's daughters is at Kettering B session now and ended up going ASA.

Go Purdue!

Purdue Chapters in Fall 1993
Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Omicron Pi
Alpha Phi
Tri Delta
Delta Zeta
Gamma Phi Beta
Kappa Alpha Theta
Sigma Kappa
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Phi Mu
Pi Beta Phi
Zeta Tau Alpha
Alpha Chi Omega
Chi Omega
Delta Gamma
Alpha Xi Delta

I hope I did not miss anyone I tried to list them by going around campus.

First I went to the information session and registration. I was floored when I had to fill out an information sheet and provide a picture to each chapter. What the heck was this for?

The names of the four rounds at the time were Casuals, Open Houses, Cokes, and Formals. Casuals and Open Houses as I remember it were in October and November. Cokes and Formals were right before classes started in January. Talk about cruelty to rushees!:confused:

Very sad...oh well, can't wait to hear more!

So the time comes for the first round of Rush. I met my Rho Chi and she handed out nametags. Each Rho Chi made the nametags for their group for round 1. There was even a competition to determine which were the best. Ours were so cute. They were little dolls and they held hearts with our names on them. I think the first thing I heard at every house was, "your nametag is so cute."

We started off on our journey all over creation. We walked most of the time, but there was a bus up to the top. I really felt like I had decent conversations, but I was really clueless and overwhelmed by the whole process. One thing that was really odd about rush at Purdue is it seemed like everyone had their own plan. First round some people did skits, some gave house tours, and some just sat and talked. I remember really loving one house, and really being turned off by one house. The rest all seemed about the same. That does not mean I could not see differences, but I did not really love or dislike any of the others yet. Funny thing from round one: I still find myself humming "Everyone wants to be a red hot Chi O to this day"

We did not rank our choices, and I do not think we saw our lists until right before the next round. I wish someone had encouraged me to keep a journal. As it turned out it really did not matter though. After round one I was only invited back to 5 houses. I was really upset because I did not know what went wrong. My favorite house was not on the list (DZ:(), and the house that had not impressed me was. I only accepted invitations to four houses. My Rho Chi tried to convince me to give the other chapter another chance, but I refused. I thought (from my previous experience) that rush was about connecting with members of the chapter. I did not know that being a sophomore would hurt me, and grades did not even cross my mind. I knew there was a minimum GPA, but I guess I thought if you met that all was good.

At least she didn't initiate into Theta Phi Alpha and then try to join another group like some of the posters lately...

Seriously... :rolleyes:

I am not even in a GLO yet and I knew about that.

I guess God blessed me with a touch of common sense! haha!


Momof5- I can't wait to read more! Please hurry back and feed our (my) addiction!!

Alright, I guess we know one place you don't end up.