[momofpnm]

Sorry - I wanted to run this by LilPNM before posting...

LilPNM grabbed something to eat and walked back to the dorm, relieved that it seemed to have gone so well and was all over. Little did she know. She went to the room of some friends on her floor, where several of the girls had been gathering each day to compare notes. When she told the girls how she had ranked, one of them upset her pretty badly. This girl, who had also preffed ABC, scolded her for “turning on” her friends in ABC by ranking them second. This stunned LilPNM, because her deepest fear throughout the week was that her new friends in ABC would feel betrayed if she went DEF.

Then another girl said, “I just hope you don’t get cross-cut, LilPNM.” Cross-cut? What was that?! LilPNM had never heard of it. The second girl explained that with LilPNM’s lack of connections in DEF, she was unlikely to be on their top bid list. DEF, while not “top two,” is a popular house and would be the first choice of many popular girls from big high schools, as well as legacies. Therefore, it was likely that LilPNM would not match with them before they made quota. Her name would then be put aside while ABC’s list was matched with all the girls who listed them #1. In the event that ABC failed to reach quota with girls who ranked them #1, then LilPNM could be matched to them. This girl, who incidentally was NOT invited to pref at ABC, obviously thought that was highly unlikely.

As the room erupted with questions and arguments about cross-cutting and how it worked, LilPNM slipped out, ran to her room, and called me. What if she had made a terrible mistake? She had hurt her friends, and now she wouldn’t get a bid at all! I told her that I didn’t think cross-cutting worked that way (though I didn’t know – I really don’t understand it either) and to get off campus for awhile. She took my advice, but she spent a miserable evening, and tossed and turned that night waiting for the phone call from her Rho Chi telling her not to bother to come to bid day.