Day Five, Part two-Pref Night
The lunch parties ended around 1:30, and then we had just an hour to decide where we wanted to go for Pref. I really had had a great rush experience, and I felt good knowing that I could end up in one of three great places. Without a hesitation, I marked January. But it was hard deciding between October and June. I decided October was the fantasy, and June was really where I would fit in better. But in my silly 18-year-old mind, I decided to pref October. My rationale was that I wouldn’t have to make such a hard decision later in the evening because I saw June and January to be more similar than October and January. I wasn’t even considering the fact that you don’t always get your first (or second) choice.
October: I walked with Joanie to the October party. I was so happy to know at least one person who could be a potential sister. Our names were called out one by one. I was at the end of the alphabet, so I got a chance to see everyone as they went in. We sat in a horseshoe around their living room. The actives were in beautiful white dresses, holding candles, which just added to their beauty. Joanie, preffed by her sister, was directly across from me. Several actives spoke about what October meant to them. I was preffed by Tracy, a girl who I had been with at house tours and for lunch earlier in the day. She gave me note that said her wish had been to be an October and she hoped my wish was the same, then I was lead to a wishing well, where I was supposed to make a wish. I felt like the Octobers must have seen something special in me.
January: Once again we were called in alphabetical order. Annie, my skit day and lunch January, called my name last. The actives were dressed in black, and candles lit the room. While they were singing songs, Annie gave me note letting me know how much she had enjoyed getting to know me that week. I held tightly to my note as three actives told stories of their January experience. We were then given a candle ourselves, and were asked to light the candle of the rushee next to us. Then we were told to look around the room to see that while the Januaries had on the same color, all the dresses were different. They were all family, but still individuals. I cried. At the end, we were supposed to extinguish our candles in a fountain and add “our light” to January. Annie walked me out and said good luck tonight. I was a total dork, and hugged her and said see you soon!! (BTW, she did not initiate the hug, no infraction!)
Now I had to make my choice. What if January doesn’t want me? Should I have gone to pref at June instead of October?? Was I even pretty enough to be an October? What if I didn’t get any bid? I called my parents, who knew nothing about Greek life, and they told me to pick what made me happy. So I put in order:
1. January
2. October
3. June
And then I waited until the next morning. It's crazy to think that which bubble you color in as an 18-year-old sitting in a dorm room has the potential to affect the total course of your life.