Anyone interested in a retro rush story from 1989?
 

1989, my god, that was a million years ago! I would love to tell you my story, see if anyone can guess where I went to school (the greek system has changed A LOT since I left) and to see if the reputations of the houses have changed/stayed the same.

Anyone interested??!!!

YES!!

Actually, I'm categorically interested in all recruitment threads as long as they are halfway coherent. But the older and frillier (and more brutally honest) they are, the better.
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VAPORIZERS

Ok. I went to a pretty large school. I don't really want to say where yet or even a geographical area but I will, knowing I will give it away. I went to a mid-atlantic school with a pretty substantial competitive rush. I rushed a sophmore and to say I was clueless is an understatement. I really found a lot of myself in college (good and bad), am still finding myself so I will sprinkle some of what I learned once I get into my sorority.

So, in 1989 my school had the following chapters which I have coded with NFL teams. (MANY MANY sororities have come and gone so it's not the same anymore -- lots of fraternities have come and gone too. The school is/has gone through some changes!)

Detroit Lions
San Diego Chargers
New York Giants
Green Bay Packers
St. Louis Rams
Baltimore Ravens
Chicago Bears
Pittsburg Steelers
New York Jets
Buffalo Bills
Washington Redskins
Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings
Denver Broncos
Cincinnati Bengals
Philadelphia Eagles
Indianapolis Colts
New Orleans Saints
Atlanta Falcons (sorry this is a last minute edit. I think I may need to do some additional editing in my later posts.)

I don't know if it's "proper" to list the houses. Should I now or should I wait until the end to tell you the codes?

This will be cool. I normally don't read rush stories.

I would also love to read a rush story from the 1970s, if that's possible. :)

I am definitely interested! And as for listing the houses, you can if you feel comfortable. Personally I don't see a problem with posting a list of the chapters on campus at the time, even if you do decide to be "brutally honest". If you do end up going that route though, then I would say probably best not to post the codes at the end.

I am very intrested in reading about your 80's rush story!

GO CHICAGO BEARS!!!!!

Ok, I don't remember what I wore to every party or in what order I visited the parties. So my memories may be pretty disjointed.

We had set of 18 or "Tours" split into two days.

Then set of 10

Then set of 6

Then Preference (3 houses.)

This was before release numbers, computerized returns, you're guaranteed to have a bid if you go to maximum parties, etc.

Ok. I really really wanted to join a sorority and don't really have an excuse as to why I didn't rush as a freshman. But I didn't. I remember one night when I was walking back from a guys dorm who I met and we started seeing each other and I was walking up by where many of the sorority houses are I kept hearing cheering and yelling and seriously thought the cheerleaders were practicing. This is how crazyily ignorant I was.

Side bar about the guy: he was NEVER going to rush a fraternity and we broke up when I got back together with my loser boyfriend. The guy ended not only rushing and pledging the quintessical fraternity on campus but became president. Crazy!

So I finally rushed as a sophmore. I had so so grades. I was pretty cute. I wouldn't say I was socially awkward I really wouldn't. But I was pretty quiet and sweet and smart I just was clueless. I have always been preppy , from a very affluent county but not rich myself. I really discovered my taste in clothing/music etc in college and had a social life. I had a social life in high school but not the type of social life that I wanted until college and being in a sorority had a huge impact.

I won't lie. I wanted to be in a sorority to be popular and pretty. I wanted to be in a top house but had no clue who the top houses were. I grew up watching Revenge of the Nerds and wanted to be a Pi and not an Omega Mu!

So tours was CRAZY. Back then it was in the fall semester. I remember I wore a green skirt my second day of tours but don't remember anything else.

This was before no frills rush.

The sororities were full on -- banging on the doors and then rushing onto the lawns and doing a choreographed dance and then bringing you in. It was wild.

My opinions of the houses were as follows:

Detroit Lions -- they were one of my favorites. The girls were super pretty. Funny how without knowing which houses were "top" I knew right away which ones were because the prettiest girls were where I wanted to be with. I remember I had (or thought I had) an exra ticket to the football game and thought I had the ticket on me. I was going to give it to the girl but didn't have it on me. I also realized that my nails weren't done and I think she noticed that too. Crazy how maybe I'm not an ignorant as I thought.

Let me back up a second: I was a legacy to New York Giants through my aunt. My grandmother by marriage was a Denver Bronco, my great grandmother by marriage was a Minnesota Vikings and my bf's two sister in laws were a Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions. I put all that down on my sheet and didn't ask anyone for a single rec. I had no clue I needed any. Ignorant yet again. I do wonder if getting a rec would have helped me as I loved Detroit Lions, Broncos and Vikings very very much.

Chargers -- small house. That was the kiss of death on my campus. You needed to see numbers!!

Giants -- legacy there. Liked the house but there was an older girl from my high school who was in the house and for some reason I wanted to go to another house because of that. I liked her but wanted to be "better" than her.

Packers -- one of the "Jewish" houses and lower tiered at that. Didn't know anyone in that house nor any other sorority for that matter.

Rams -- yikes. So sad. Very very small house. They came out in black shorts, white oxfords, cummberbune, bow tie and they had to restart their dance. It was very sad to see them struggling so much.

Ravens -- another "Jewish" house and probably the "lowest" of the Jewish houses

Bears -- decent house. Down to earth middle of the road house. If I had been honest with myself, I would think I would fit in great with them.

Steelers -- another struggling house. They were way too enthuisastic and though they had some higher numbers than the rest of the struggling houses (there were several then) I remember knowing I would cut them.

Jets -- another Jewish house of average reputation.

Bills -- top tier. They were directly across from another top tier house and between the two of them screaming from inside their houses to rushing out doing their lawn dance it was a sight. A girl I went to junior high school who was so rich she NEVER bought anything on sale ended up being their president. It was a bit Jewish (the school has a large jewish population) and it was a good house full of pretty girls.

Redskins -- my favorite going in. Though I wasn't so jazzed about their house. It was the girls I liked. Their lawn dance as we were exiting I can still sing today. Top tier all the way.

Dolphins -- lower tier. Struggling. Two girls my freshman year ended up pledging there and they were so cute but I was surprised they went there. It was kinda weird seeing them at parties after living in the same hall but not really talking. They probably didn't know what to do with me. Invite me back? Cut me before I cut them? Weird.

Vikings --Top tier. Preppy pretty girls. Lots of cheerleaders were from this house. They all wore pearls. And those sweaters with the rounded design on the neck that Mallory Keaton wore. LOVED these girls.

Broncos -- their house was the castle. They were beautiful sophisticated girls. So out of my league I can't even tell you.

Bengals -- another middle tiered down to earth house full of cool girls. Thinking back could see myself in that house. Ended up working with a girl and she was so beyond cool.

Eagles -- probably the bottom of the top tiered house. Smart. Pretty.

Colts -- another struggling chapter. In fact, I think they were recolonizing so they had what -- 25 girls when the good houses had 120.

Falcons -- the top Jewish house.

Saints -- they were colonizing. All the party consisted of was alumnae singing and then a presentation. They would rush after all the bids were handed out.

After the 18 houses you automatically dropped Saints. So that left you 5 houses that you had to cut (providing you were asked back by all houses.)

I truly thought that the rushee decided where they wanted to go. I knew it was mutually decided but I didn't really believe that.

I was invited back to all houses except Lions which was heartbreaking! I thought it was because I either didn't have the ticket on me like I thought and/or my nails weren't done. Looking back, it was probably that but also my grades. I think they cut if you had less than a 3.2 GPA which I didn't have.

I cut: chargers, giants, rams, steelers, colts

*Sorry that I forgot to add the Falcons until just now. It doesn't affect the houses who cut me, who I cut. I just may have gotten my numbers confused. I think having the Saints colonizing and dropping out made me forget to not keep them in my total number of houses I could go to/went to. I'm so sorry for the confusion!

GO!!!!
http://onthebuzzer.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/ap.jpg

Ok, my rush counselor (there is a story about her at the end) calls me and tells that I was cut by the Eagles and that she substituted the Giants. Funny how she knew the other houses I had cut should remain cut. Though she didn't ask me, she just did it. It didn't bother me that she put back the Giants but it did bother me that I would have to go into that house and see my hs friend and feel awkward.

I am excited about this story! I wonder what school this is for. I don't know which school has had a lot of chapters come and go like this...

So it was set of 10 and was going back to:

Giants, Packers, Ravens, Bears, Jets, Bills, Redskins, Vikings, Broncos, Bengals

Not so bad if you ask me.

Looking back considering I was a sophmore with decent grades but not sorority grades I did very very well. I thought this was how it was going to go. I get cut a bit but the majority of the cutting was to be done by me.

I remember some of the girls who were in my rush group and seeing their expressions after walking out of a certain house to be very surprising. I remember seeing this completely stuck up snot waiting outside another house that she was going in and learning she had depledged during iniation week the year before (story about her at the very very end.)

Notice I was invited to all of the jewish houses and I was and am still not jewish. I thought that was strange but not really. I don't think. I figured it would all remedy itself eventually.

Set of 10 was well, I don't really remember. Except I remember asking my favorite house the Redskins if they had to "approve" the guys I date or something to that affect. I was figuring out what a loser my boyfriend was and knew we were going to break up. And I wonder if dating him got out because he was a really effing loser. The Redskins girl who was so cute said of course they don't tell you who you can date. She was actually very cool about that.

The girl I talked to at the Bills gave me a nametag. Even though I had one. And then took it off of me when I left. Looking back I knew it was a code. The name tag on her left hand -- cut me, on her right hand -- keep me in.

The girls I talked to at Vikings -- where all the cheerleaders were from piqued my interest. I was a cheerleader in high school and mentioned that. I also mentioned I woul dlove to try out but I wasn't 120 pounds. I was by no means fat. Simply imploding right infront of one of my favorite houses.

I don't remember any other conversations I had but do not remember getting a sense of me "figuring out" how to play the game. I was still walking through rush aimlessly.

Nametag signals?

I think I would have probably screwed that one up as the day progressed and mental exhaustion set in...

I also love all recruitment stories. Keep it coming!

LOVE this one!!! update soon please :)

Ok, it's now set of 6 and I was invited to five houses.

Giants, Packers, Ravens, Jets, Falcons.

All the Jewish houses plus one and I'm not jewish!

I was very disapointed but resigned that I was going to go Giants.

In fact, at their party a girl said to me, "oh you're the legacy!" I thought that was great. And I loved their skit. It was from the 50s era and the "bad girls" were dressed like bad Sandy in grease, and the "good girls" were Giants. It was darling.

I thought ok this could be fun. And my aunt and I would have something in common.

The other parties I just remember being completely out of place. My last name is pretty ethnic and it's not too hard to realize I'm not jewish.

So I went to the parties and laughing how in the very beginning I cut the Giants and now I was going to be one!

Wondering if there will be some twist in the story. Otherwise, GO GIANTS! :D

There is indeed a twist -- good guess.

I walk up to pick up my bids, there are tons of girls laughing/crying, rho chis behind the desk etc.

It turns out I received NO invites.

My rho chi didn't have the decency to call me so I wouldn't have to be humiliated infront of people I don't know.

She never called me.

In fact, thinking back, I think that is completey unforgiveable.

I was so embarrassed! I was pissed that the embarrassement could have been avoided.

It's not like she didn't have my correct phone number. She called me when she needed to swap out the two houses for me early in the process.

Stupid bitch. She had a name that was two names and it was ridiculous. It wasn't a name like AnneMarie. It was a name like JulieMable. Like, not just Julie, not just Mable. Effing pick one!

So, I brushed it off and never really thought what went wrong.

Looking back, what I heard was that the rush process (remember this was before it was all computerized) went haywire.

I'm by no means saying I wasn't deservingly cut across the board. If I'm a loser I'm a loser. But I didn't think I was. If I was cut for grades, I think I was cut early in the process.

I did think that perhaps my loser boyfriend had something to do with it. He was lurking around during all the rounds in disguise of waiting to give me a ride home but who knows.

Maybe they knew I wasn't affluent?

Maybe I really did lack some serious social skills.

I had a decent reputation in high school. I was a cheerleader afterall. I got into the college I was attending. I don't really know.

What I think the most about though is what would have happened if I had rushed as a freshman. Would I have imploded even more so? Or are freshman who are clueless more acceptable that sophmores who are clueless?

So, I went to the Saints open house and thought about becoming a founding sister of that chapter...

Kansas City, that is a good question. I think the main Jewish houses are still mainly Jewish. Though I think all chapters have Jewish women in them.

Though I'm not really sure. I'm not involved in my alumnae group. Which gives the ending of my story away. I became a founding sister of the New Orleans Saints!

Shall I continue with my experience as a Saints and then reveal the code or do you want to know the school/code first?

I'm curious to know how easy it is for people to crack what school/chapter I'm from.

Uck.

I'd like to hear the code....

If you're familiar with the campus....VERY EASY. ;)

Congratulations on becoming a founding sister!

I know I know I know!:D:D:D

Ok yes, the school in question is the University of Maryland.

Yay Terps!!!! :D

Oh no! I think I figured out who your horrible Rho Chi was. Julie Beth? :o

I was secretly hoping for the Saints...just cause I love the city of New Orleans (not nearly my fave football team though)!

Please reveal the code!!!

MYA, there's another semi-active poster from your chapter on GC.

:confused: I'm sure that you weren't the only PNM to experience this problem. Were there others that season, just in your (horrible) Rho Chi group or were you really the ONLY one?

I guessed Maryland when she said "Mid Atlantic"....this is a cool story. I had a nice hook-up one summer in the Leonardtown Apartments. It was my first time seeing any fraternity row of any kind.

Yeah, Mid-Atlantic made me think Maryland too.

I lived in Leonardtown summer of 1985. Len Bias used to come over and visit one of my roommates all the time. That was just a year before he died. So sad. He was a sweet guy.

That's the thing though, you WEREN'T cut across the board. You cut chapters in the beginning that you never got a second chance to see. Gah, if they would have just used release figures, Pi Phi, Gamma Phi, AXiD and Alpha Gam might have still been at Maryland!

Well If it is truly MD you are talking about, then you would be a founding member of MY chapter! Hope its true :)

That is my guess as well :)

Thanks for sharing your story!

Yes, I was a founding sister of Zeta Tau Alpha at the University of Maryland. Apparently if I recall correctly that year's rush was a huge mess. Many of my sisters, particularly those who preffed DG and one who shared a common name with someone else had their schedules all messed up and either didn't get a bid, dropped out, or similar. I don't remember, it was almost 20 years ago. But yes it was before release figures and guaranteed bidding etc.

The Key is a follows:

Kappa Alpha Theta - Detroit Lions
Gamma Phi Beta - San Diego Chargers
Sigma Kappa - New York Giants
Alpha Epsilon Phi - Green Bay Packers
Pi Beta Phi - St. Louis Rams
Delta Phi Epsilon - Baltimore Ravens
Delta Gamma - Chicago Bears
Alpha Xi Delta - Pittsburgh Steelers
Phi Sigma Sigma - New York Jets
Alpha Phi - Buffalo Bills
Kappa Kappa Gamma - Washington Redskins
Alpha Delta Pi - Miami Dolphins
Delta Delta Delta - Minnesota Vikings
Kappa Delta - Denver Broncos
Alpha Chi Omega - Cincinnati Bengals
Alpha Omicron Pi - Philadelphia Eagles
Alpha Gamma Delta - Indianapolis Colts
Zeta Tau Alpha - New Orleans Saints
Sigma Delta Tau - Atlanta Falcons

Thank you for the updates and sharing your story with us.

Woohoo!
 

I just love stories that end with ZTA!!! Hooray!! :D