[That80sRush]

By the time I loaded up my things in the car with the UHaul carrier on top, drove 500 plus miles to Small Private School with my mom, and moved into my dorm, Best Friend had already finished rush at Big State U. She was a Fast Times pledge, along with a group of our good friends from high school. Another cluster of friends had pledged St. Elmo’s fire. I was so, so ready for rush, and it was deferred for three excruciating weeks into the first semester.

I loved my roommate, I loved my classes, and loved everything about Small Private School, though I’d left a high school boyfriend back at home and I missed my friends. A lot of my thinking focused on what I should do “if” I decided to go back home to Big State U for my sophomore year.

As I got to know the girls on my hall, we talked about rush. Most of them were thinking of going through just to see if they’d like to be in a sorority. This seemed crazy to me, since I’d been planning to be in a sorority since I was in junior high. I told them about my recs, and many of them said “What’s a rec?” I was privately horrified for them, since I knew that they’d never get in a sorority without one.

We had early meetings with our Rho Chi’s, and received a Go Greek booklet. If I’d spent as much time studying for my SAT’s as I did pouring over that booklet, I wouldn’t have had to take them a second time. There were two pages for each sorority, one with the composite, and one with candids. Though I knew that sororities had colors, I was intrigued to learn that they had jewels, animals, flowers, and philanthropies too. My roommate and I squinted at the tiny composite photos to find the RAs from our dorm.

This was the first year that rush was deferred at SPS, as it had always been held before classes started. As a result, the sorority members really didn’t know how to act when they were told “no contact, no letters.” They were allowed to wear jewelry with their sorority letters, but no sportswear, once classes started. Unfortunately, this was not explained to the freshmen. The upperclass girls seemed either standoffish or snotty. At one fraternity party, my roommate and I were introduced to two Pretty in Pinks who seemed really nice, even though they were only able to make eye contact and smile at us. They guys said “They can’t talk to you, sorry.” Finally, an explanation!

The first official event was a meet and greet on a Sunday afternoon. I put on one of my bright floral wrap sundresses, espadrilles, and my add-a-bead necklace, and headed over with my roommate.

This event was not particularly well organized, since there were no name tags. As my roommate and I arrived, a pretty girl with curly red hair came over to us and introduced herself. She asked if we were excited about going through rush, and I told her that my best friend had already gone through at Big State U, and I was looking forward to it. She asked where if my friend had decided to join, and when I told her she was a Fast Times pledge she said excitely “I’m a Fast Times too!” I noticed her pin, and had a pang of longing to wear a pin too. I then met another Fast Times from my state, the President of Fast Times, a cool elegant blonde, and they introduced me to some of their friends in Pretty in Pink and Valley Girl, and a St. Elmo’s Fire from my state. I was still squinting to see what letters were on the pins.