Retro 90210 Thread
 

My 1990’s Story …

I’ve been a member of this board for sometime and have adopted a temporary screen name for a little anonymity. I attended a small Midwestern university in the 1990s. I’ll be honest with the descriptions but if you somehow figure out where I went, who I am or what groups I am describing, please keep it to yourself. I’m going to use initials of the girls I met during rush and old school 90210 character names for the sororities since the ages of the original 90210 characters closely mimics my own.

In high school, I had a part-time job and was active in speech and debate. I hung out with the academic set and looking back, wasn’t nearly as involved in high school as I should have been. Although I took placement tests as a junior, I didn’t really begin to think about college until my senior year in high school so going through rush didn’t even enter my mind until about two weeks before the start of classes. Luckily for me, recruitment at my university was not at all competitive so being naive and not knowing anything about Greek life was not a disadvantage.

I choose my university the fall of my senior year primarily because I didn’t really know anyone else who was going there. I had a sister and brother that attended a different state university 10-15 years earlier and being the youngest by 12 years, I wanted to do something different and new. I saw this as an opportunity to start from scratch. I choose to rush so that I could meet new people, get involved on campus, and have a family away from home.

Freshmen moved into the dorms a few days before the upperclassmen so that they could attend orientation meetings and learn a bit about the university and surrounding community. I remember later thinking how as freshmen we created these temporary friendships for the first few weeks of college and how they just kind of faded away once we found our niche at the university. I guess it was just a survival type of technique for those of us living away from home for the first time. Anyway … during orientation, I met up with a girl that I was acquainted with in high school along with a few other freshmen on my floor that were going through rush.

I knew JT in high school, she was also very tall and did some speech and debate but hung out with a different crowd. We shared some mutual friends and went to a few of the same parties but were never really close. JT was a bit more outgoing and could probably fit well into Greek life but she also had a tendency to be a bit dramatic which could rub people the wrong way. JT lived in the all girls dorm next door. I lived in the co-ed dorm where the top two floors were women only with the bottom floors being all-guys. On my floor there were two very BLONDE girls rooming together who were also going through rush. For the longest time, I couldn’t tell if they were related or just really good friends. I later found out that the BLONDEs were just assigned to each other and really hit it off. They were pretty, very talkative and seemed like they would fit in as a typical sorority girl. I wasn’t so lucky with my assigned roommate. She was even quieter than me, had a really weird and kind of gross boyfriend and was definitely more of the anti-Greek variety. I purposely didn’t spend much time in my room for the first semester and because my roommate’s grades left a lot to be desired, the university suggested that she not return in the spring.

Next up … Recruitment Begins!

Yeah for a Midwestern Story!!!

Gotta love the midwest ... can't wait!

Recruitment Begins …

The first recruitment event was a “sorority song” where all of the PNMs gathered in the auditorium, met their assigned Rho Chi groups and got a first glimpse of the four NPC sororities on campus. Panhel first started the program with a welcome and review of the recruitment rules followed by each sorority:




The first group to be introduced was Kelly Taylor. I remember thinking how thin, pretty, blonde and athletic these girls were. As they approached the stage and got into formation I recognized JN, a girl that was a year ahead of me in school and shared my first name. In high school, JN was also involved in speech and debate but was even more involved in choir, student government, leadership and a few other groups. Although JN and I didn’t really hang out too much in high school, I was certain that she knew of me and hoped that this might help my chances with her sorority. This sorority was totally put together wearing all red dresses with matching pumps. They were all so tall, really thin, very beautiful and according the rush booklet, had the highest GPA. Their song was much more of a melodic chant with a “daa ... daa… daa…” beat that repeated over and over again as they hit their hands against their thighs. It got progressively louder until they shouted out their letters at the end. I was so incredibly blown away! I couldn’t wait to hear from the other groups but was sure that I wanted to be an Kelly Taylor.

Next up was Andrea Zuckerman. This group was very diverse and didn’t fit the traditional sorority girl stereotype. They were larger “corn fed” girls but they really seemed to enjoy their sisterhood even though their GPA was on the lower end. This group wore all black dresses and sang a song about rainbows or something with accompanying sign language movements. It was beautiful but the whole thing just seemed a little too fake to me. I wasn’t sure if I would be comfortable with Andrea Zuckerman but was definitely interested in giving them a chance.

The third group was somewhat disappointing. Like the last group, Donna Martin was also very diverse and didn’t fit the traditional sorority girl stereotype. They had all different shapes, sizes and colors of girls and seemed to get along and respect each other very well. They tired to match their dresses but there are a bazillion different shades of pink on the market. Some girls wore peachy-pink, some wore baby pink and some wore a strange bubblegum color. I certainly was not very impressed with their attire as they approached the stage. They sung some sort of candle song about a flame or something as they passed the candle around to each member on stage. It was okay but not my style and although I wanted to give them a chance, I just couldn’t imagine myself as a Donna Martin.

Finally the last group got on stage. Brenda Walsh had the most awesome coordinated outfits with matching sleeveless button down shirts, navy blue skorts, gold name tags and hats! They made quite an impression on me. Like the first group, Brenda Walsh fit into my idea of a traditional sorority girl stereotype. They had a very respectable GPA, were beautiful, brunette and slender. Once on stage they sang a remake of a popular Styx song with coordinating dance moves. Even though it reminded me a lot of “Love Boat” I still thought they were so cool! I couldn’t wait to go to their party.

After the morning program, we had lunch in our Rho Chi groups and reviewed some of the rules before the first afternoon of parties. I remember being scared because my campus had (and still has) very strict silence rules. Even though I didn’t really know anyone on campus, I was afraid to talk to anyone outside of freshman seminar or my Rho Chi group for fear of a rush infraction.

My rush group consisted of about 20 girls including at least two sophomores. SF lived on my dorm floor and was a legacy. She seemed to be a bit moody and certainly didn’t fit my preconceived image of a sorority girl. She didn’t think that sorority life was for her but decided to give it a chance at the persistent nagging by her older sister (who I later found out was the epitome sorority chick). Being a sophomore, SF had the opportunity to observe all four chapters over the past year and really liked Kelly Taylor or Andrea Zuckerman. She didn’t think that Brenda Walsh was for her and even though she loved her sister, like me, she wanted to do her own thing and not follow in an older siblings foot steps so Donna Martin was out of the question. The other sophomore that sticks out in my mind was DW. She was super involved on campus and participated in student government, several honor societies and did volunteer work in her major. DW’s appearance would have placed her in Andrea Zuckerman but she was most interested in Brenda Walsh and Donna Martin because of their involvement on campus. She was not interested in Kelly Taylor because she had heard rumors of hazing.

I received most of my tent talk from these sophomores but maybe because I was so clueless, I didn’t really pay attention to any of it. Going into the afternoon of parties, my interest in the groups from first to last went something like this: Kelly Taylor, Brenda Walsh, Andrea Zuckerman, and Donna Martin.

Next Up … Party Days 1&2!

Seriously I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your code names!!!!!

Party Days 1&2 …

Sororities at my university didn’t have houses and instead shared a dormitory. As a result, all of the recruitment parties would be held in large meeting rooms in the union building or conference center. PNMs were required to visit all four sororities for the first two days with cuts on days three and four. Unfortunately over the years, I have forgotten many details of the first two or three days of parties but will do my best to give you my overall impressions of each sorority.

The Rho Chi’s tried to prepare us for our parties and told us about all of the chanting and bumping that would be taking place. This after all was the 1990s and full frills rush was the norm! They didn’t us to freak out by the loud exuberance of the chapters or feel weird sitting in a chair while the actives knelt on the floor. They also explained how chapters on campus did bump lines and that we might speak with anywhere from 3 to 10 girls during a 30 minute party. Yikes … I wasn’t sure how I was going to remember the names of 12-40 people per day. I just hoped that they wouldn’t be offended if I didn’t recognize them from day to day.

After sorority song that morning I couldn’t wait to visit Kelly Taylor. I remember on of their first parties had a 1950’s leader of the pack type skit and theme … tough and cool. I waived to JN and she seemed happy to see me there. Conversations were great but pretty generic. I got the feeling that although I really loved this group and desperately wanted to be a part of Kelly Taylor that my nerdy personality, lack of high school involvement and so-so GPA could hold me back. I hoped that JN would put in a good word for me but leaving their parties, I vowed to be more like them (active, involved, studious, etc.) while in college. I even remember trying to show my interest and impress them on day two by wearing a polka-dot column dress in their colors … how dumb!

I was still very interested in Andrea Zuckerman and thought that they might be a good fit for me since they didn’t fit that typical sorority girl image. Their party had a carnival type of theme and a set-up that made their bumping a little more awkward and confusing. Their skits were okay and but the conversation was nothing special and became very strained at times. I began to feel that I lacked a connection with this group and was perfectly fine with this feeling. After the first day or so of parties, I really just didn’t care for Andrea Zuckerman anymore and didn’t really want to return.

At Donna Martin’s party they continued their pink theme but improved it with a Grease skit. The more I spoke with these “Pink Ladies” the more I began to like them. As mentioned, they were a very diverse group that seemed to incorporate all of the stereotypes of the other three sororities. They were quite a mismatched bunch but really seemed to get along with one another very well. I left the Donna Martin party feeling a lot better about them and comfortable that I could fit in and be easily accepted.

Finally it was time for Brenda Walsh’s party. After their cute outfits and performance at sorority song, I was really interested in learning more about this group. They stuck with the nautical theme from song earlier in the morning and followed up with an Under the Sea/Little Mermaid type skit that was pretty entertaining. Overall, conversations went well and I felt that I was making a connection to most of the girls in this chapter. There were however a few airheads in this group that just could not hold a conversation and kept looking around the room for their relief. I hoped that this wouldn’t affect my chances of getting asked back because I really liked Brenda Walsh and wanted to be a part of this stereotypical chapter.

At the end of day two, our Rho Chi’s asked us to rank all four sororities in preference order and take a guess as to their affiliations. Kelly Taylor and Brenda Walsh were still my top choices since they were, in my naive freshman mind, the stereotypical sorority chapters. I had made some good connections with Donna Martin and was definitely interested in returning but as for Andrea Zuckerman, I really just didn’t want to waste any more of my time or theirs. Although my Rho Chi’s did a nice job, I don’t remember what affiliation I guessed.

As for my friends, JT was interested Kelly Taylor and Andrea Zuckerman but loved and really wanted to be a Brenda Walsh. I though that she could probably fit in well anywhere she choose. The BLONDES were like me in their desire to join Kelly Taylor or Brenda Walsh and by the looks of them, they would probably find a home of their choosing. SF was still Kelly Taylor all the way but would consider Andrea Zuckerman too. Of her two favorites, I thought that her best bet would be Andrea Zuckerman since she was such an individual. As for DW, she was still most interested in Brenda Walsh and Donna Martin but was still considering Andrea Zuckerman.

Next Up ... Party Day 3!

You are on a roll...

Thanks ... I'm helping a chapter out with recruitment later this afternoon. The excitement made me want to post my story but I don't want to leave CG hanging for a few days while away I'm helping the ladies out. I plan on having this story wrapped up shortly after noon today! I hope you are enjoying reading it as much as I did remembering it!

Party Day 3 …

I eagerly met my Rho Chi group and learned that I had been invited back to the maximum of three houses! Unfortunately, one of them was Andrea Zuckerman … yuck! I was not looking forward to returning to this chapter but I don’t remember skipping being an option and frankly I would have gone anyway just to be polite. I was rather heartbroken to learn that Kelly Taylor had cut me. I really thought that JN would have pulled for me and maybe she did but in a selection session with 100 girls, I’m not sure how loud the voice of one individual could have been. Kelly Taylor had cut a lot of PNMs this round and looking back on it now, it was probably because my 3.25 high school GPA and lack of any significant participation was just too low for their high standards.

Now off to the Andrea Zuckerman party. Things didn’t get any better and frankly my attitude towards this group was probably getting worse. I just didn’t really want to be there and I’m sure that it showed. The Andrea Zuckermans were all really nice girls and I later made some good friends in this group but I just was not comfortable in the parties and had determined that no matter what, I just could not accept a bid to this group.

I found myself getting excited about the Donna Martin party. They were a diverse group of ladies with similar academic aspirations as me. I was really beginning to like this group and started to remember their names, faces and interests. As the conversations began to get deeper, I met my rush crush - LC! She was smart, beautiful, a leader on campus and as a junior, very involved with her major. I had forgotten all about wanting to be a Kelly Taylor …I now wanted to be just like LC. When it came time to leave, I remember singing along to one of their chants which is still stuck in my head to this day.

Since Kelly Taylor and Brenda Walsh were my top choices and because I got dropped by Kelly Taylor, I went into the Brenda Walsh party with great gusto and enthusiasm. I tried my hardest to impress the Brenda Walsh ladies and have some amazing conversations. Unfortunately, the great conversations never got very deep and again, I seemed to get stuck with a few spacey girls that just weren’t interested in what I had to offer. I still loved Brenda Walsh but felt that the odds of getting asked back were probably against me.

So again at the end of another long recruitment day, our Rho Chi’s asked us to rank our preferences and guess at their affiliations. We could go to two preference parties so I put Brenda Walsh and Donna Martin as my top choices hoping that Andrea Zuckerman, my third choice, would finally cut me loose.

I don’t exactly remember which chapters my friends were invited back to or which chapters they dropped but I believe that JT attended her still favorite Brenda Walsh along with Andrea Zuckerman. The BLONDES probably attended Kelly Taylor, Brenda Walsh and Donna Martin. SF attended Andrea Zuckerman and Donna Martin after being dropped by the other two stereotypical chapters and DW chose to attended parties with Andrea Zuckerman, Donna Martin and Brenda Walsh.

Next Up ... Preference Parties!

I love this story and thanks for posting a lot of installments quickly :)

DITTO!!

Great story... and you underestimate your memory--the details you are giving are great!

Preference Parties …

The morning of preference parties, I walked over to the student union with JT to pick up our invites and grab some lunch. Out of two possible parties we could attend, we both received an invitation to attend only one. JT would be attending Brenda Walsh and I was going to go to Donna Martin. Apparently Andrea Zuckerman had made a lot of cuts the night before and I think that JT might have been a bit disappointed to not have a full schedule. Personally, I was glad that Andrea Zuckerman had cut me since there was no way I would have accepted a bid from them. I was a bit disappointed that Brenda Walsh didn’t invite me back to preference night but after the lacking conversations of day three, I wasn’t too surprised.

We had heard that a fifth sorority was going to be colonizing following rush and installing a new chapter in the spring. I didn’t know anything about this new sorority, Valerie Malone but decided that I really wanted to get involved in Greek life at university and if Donna Martin didn’t work out that I was going to take a good look at Valerie Malone. JT didn’t seem so open to the idea of a new chapter and was convinced that it was going to be Brenda Walsh or nothing.

I was so nervous for preference night. I can’t exactly remember but I probably wore my black and yellow floral print dress that I had worn at high school graduation four months earlier. It was the dressiest thing that I packed when I moved to college. Walking to the party in the conference center, my hands began to sweat. I remember feeling very alone waiting for the other PNMs to arrive so that we could walk into the room together.

I had grown to love Donna Martin over the past few days and realized that I really wanted join this group. I saw LC again and she made it a point to come over and say hello to me! I think that I spoke to two different girls that night in between the beautiful song and alumnae speaker. Looking around the room, I saw the BLONDES, SF and DW. I had really grown to like these PNMs as well and felt very comfortable knowing that they too could be Donna Martins. The only thing that made me uncomfortable was all of the tears being shed. I’m not the crying type and really wondered what was wrong with me to be experiencing such a beautiful event and not shed tears like everyone else in the roomso I did what any unsure 18 year old looking for acceptance would do and faked the emotion. In retrospect, I’m not sure why I thought this would help me.

I walked back to the student union that evening for a last meeting with my Rho Chi’s. Lots of girls took a long time to fill out their cards. There really wasn’t any decision for me to make just the hope that Donna Martin would extend me a bid. I quickly signed my bid card knowing that if all else failed; I could always take a look at Valerie Malone later that fall.

Now I’m sure that my Rho Chi’s discussed the whole phone call thing with the group but honestly I don’t remember that part of the recruitment orientation. I was just completely overwhelmed as a new freshman that I think I missed a lot of the details. Anyway, Bid Day came and I remember worrying about rush all day long, even though I had a back-up plan … I never received a phone call so I became a Donna Martin!

My friend JT who wanted so badly to be a Brenda Walsh ended up in the Valerie Malone colony and was installed the following spring! I remember the recruitment experiences of my other friends (the BLONDES, DW and SF) so well because they ended up in Donna Martin with me! DW became my “roomie” and we lived together in the sorority dorm for two years until her graduation. To this day, SF is a wonderful friend and unique individual whose heart had lead her back to her legacy house.

Now about 15 years later, Donna Martin is a classy and successful chapter that I can be proud of. Andrea Zuckerman has some good girls but has been struggling with numbers ever since I went through rush. Kelly Taylor, Brenda Walsh and Valerie Martin are all going strong and a new sixth NPC chapter, Clare Arnold came to university just a few years back.



Thanks GC for allowing me to share! Good luck to all PNMs going through recruitment and congratulations to the Donna Martins of the world. I love you all!

Great story and THANK YOU for posting it all in one day!

Great story!

Thank you. I loved your story