My Unique Recruitment Story
 

Long time lurker, first time poster. We just finished off recruitment, so I thought I might relive my own recruitment with you all! This isn't in real time, and I'm going to update as often as I can. I fully expect life to get in the way, so I may not go as quickly as you would all like! I'm sorry!

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IIn my first semester I met a lot of very nice girls who were involved in Greek Life. Early in my second semester, I still flip flopped between wanting to go through formal rush or not. I’m not a partyer, and I was afraid I would not have fit in with any of the groups. (Remember: I was a clueless freshman. I didn’t really know what Greek Life was all about.)

I finally decided to attend rush with my roommate (we’ll call her Rachel). We were going to use it as a bonding activity and actually wound up in the same recruitment group. Our Rho Chi was very nice (and I have to confess that I knew which sorority she was in already), and very helpful in explaining the process to us and answering any questions we might have. Once we had rush orientation, we all went home to regroup and get ready for the introduction parties the next night.

Sunday was the first official day of rush. My roomie and the rest of my group gathered in a corner of the school cafeteria to get started. I wasn’t able to touch base with Rachel to see what she was wearing. As I looked around the cafeteria, I felt extremely underdressed, and self-conscious. Many of the girls were wearing cute little sundresses (in the middle of February!) with ridiculously high spiked heels. I wasn’t dressed like a bum, but I only had on a wool skirt and a sweater. I already felt like I had made a bad decision and didn’t belong in my stereotyped vision of this world.

Nevertheless, I was already there and I had already paid my rush fee, so I didn’t think it would be a bad idea to go through at least Day 1 of rush. Our Rho Chi handed out our schedule for the evening. We would be visiting:

Gryffindor

Hufflepuff

Slytherin

As we walk through the student center to get to the room where we will be meeting Gryffindor, my heart starts pounding because I can already hear chanting and clapping. I am definitely out of my comfort zone. The doors open and all I see is a row of girls clapping and chanting. We are placed in a single file line, and as we enter the room, a girl takes us on each arm and leads us into the room. My head is just in a whirl. The girl on my left introduces herself, and I barely register her name. The girl to my right smacks me upside the head and tells me to snap out of it. I look over and it’s my cousin! I had no idea she was in a sorority! And she's the Treasurer!

I immediately feel more at ease and allow my escorts to help me work the room. All of the girls seem really nice, but I can’t help but feel that despite my connection to Gryffindor through my cousin, that I just don’t belong here. It feels like a meat market – “what’s your name?” “What’s your major?” “Where are you from?” “What year are you?” “What dorm are you in?” There has to be something more about me that these girls want to know. All in all, I feel like by the end of the party, I’ve met the entire sorority, but I don’t really KNOW them. Time is called, and I don’t think that Gryffindor is the group is for me.

Hahah that must've been a huge shock to see your cousin!

I'm picturing Cher. Yes? No?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY

Omg...is it bad that when I read "Cher," I though Clueless? Hahaha wow...

Don't feel bad, I did too!

No Ravenclaw? :(

Unfortunately not yet. We've only got three sororities and Ravenclaw was the house I thought of last! (Although they will make an appearance!)

As for the Cher business, it wasn't so much as a slap in the face as it was a slap upside the head. It was actually a borderline noogie.

update? :)

More Please???

Usually I get all antsy when people don't come back... but at least she warned us that she "fully expected life to get in the way"! lol So I can't be too mad :)

I'm sorry it took so long! I haven't written this ahead of time, and I didn't have much time this week to actually sit down and write. Hopefully, things won't go as slowly. My job is completely unpredictable though, so if I'm slow, please don't hate me!!! (Besides, isn't a little suspense a good thing? Yeah, I don't think so either...)

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Without further ado....

The next party we go to is for Hufflepuff. At Hufflepuff, the walk is quiet. No clapping, no singing, no chanting. After the excitement and energy of Gryffindor, I think to myself that there must be something wrong with Hufflepuff.

The door to the party opens, and I see the same thing – a line of girls. One girl grabs me as I walk in. I have absolutely no idea who she is, and I realize almost immediately that I don’t even remotely recognize anyone in this room. My mind by this point has already scratched Hufflepuff off the list.

I plaster on a smile and start talking to my escort. She turns out to be a really nice girl, and as I am introduced to other girls in Hufflepuff, my feeling start to completely change. This group has everything I’m looking for – girls who aren’t dressed to the nines, fat girls, skinny girls, NORMAL girls! I’m a little on the geeky student side, and I’m excited to learn that not only are these girls personable, but they also have the highest GPA of the greeks in the school!

The President talks a little bit about what sisterhood has meant to her. I literally start crying during her story. She also talks a lot about Hufflepuff’s philanthropy and how much it is an integral part of their activities. I realize at this point that I want this. I want to be in a sorority. I want to be part of something that can make a difference in my life and in others’, and I want to have these women in my life. I want Hufflepuff.

The party comes to an end, I get hugs from a number of the girls, and despite my epiphany, I still have to go meet Slytherin.

Accio Update! :p

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE :)

So sorry for the delay! Good things come to those who wait, right?

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Truth be told, I actually don’t remember much about Slytherin. My sports friends were mostly in Slytherin, so it was more of reunion type of thing. And thus concludes the night.

The second night of rush comes two days later – skit night. We don’t get much time to actually talk to the girls. We watch the skits and the Treasurers talk a little bit about the finances of the chapter and what is expected of new members. I still know that Hufflepuff is for me. When we get back to our room, Rachel wants to dissect every aspect of rush so far and analyze which groups we like best. She really wants to be in Gryffindor. I tell her that I could be happy in any group, but I keep quiet about the fact that I am completely dedicated to Hufflepuff.

The next day we receive our pref invites. We have appointments to meet the Rush Counselors where they give us our pref invites. Rachel had her appointment first thing in the morning and told me during a class we shared that she received prefs to Gryffindor and Slytherin. She is thrilled.

But what about me?