[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Miriverite

Day 3: Sisterhood Day
In my opinion, the longest day of the recruitment process. By Day 3, I was already getting a bit tired - I can't imagine what it's like at universities with over 15 sororities and a weeklong recruitment!

I looked my schedule for the day and was happy to see that I was invited back by all the sororities I had ranked in my top four. My first party was with Libra, so I walked upstairs to their designated room. They had a super-cute theme that involved fireworks on Independence Day. Each of the tables was set up with summery items, and the skits mentioned the variety of majors and extracurricular activities that each of the sisters were involved in. There were some long speeches by some of the members talking about their bigs and littles. It was extremely diverse, and I found myself relaxing and speaking more freely about my opinions, getting into conversations that were deeper than the usual ("tell me about your childhood", "what's your favourite thing about this university?") I still hadn't quite made up my mind about Libra, though, and to tell the truth I had my heart set on Leo, so I walked out fairly convinced I would not be ranking it first that day.

Lo and behold, my second party was actually with Leo! Before I walked in the room, I ran to the restroom to check my hair and clothes. I didn't do this for Libra, but I knew I wanted to make a good impression on Leo. In fact, I had discovered in the past few days that a lot of my dormmates and extracurricular friends were in Leo. If I already knew a good quarter of the sorority, I foolishly reasoned, surely the rest of them would be a good fit for me, right? I talked to a gorgeous junior girl about our future careers (we were both in the same major!) The theme for the party was "picnic in the park", so there were cheery flowers and little snacks at each table. There was a slideshow presentation and several short speeches, which I found rather refreshing compared to Libra's. I left the room feeling confident that I would receive a bid from them for pref, since I had such good conversations and I knew so many of the sisters anyways.

Next up was Aquarius. They had dimmed the lights and put out little candles on each of the lace-tableclothed round tables, which I found really pretty and adorable. I chatted with an awkward girl who didn't seem to know quite what to say. I asked her a lot of questions about her sorority, but she answered in one-word replies or seemed to avoid the question. There was a slideshow presentation, and then I was hastily handed off to another girl, who happened to live in my dorm! Although I knew her as a friend, I still felt slightly awkward talking to her as a sister in Aquarius, especially when I had made up my mind to rank Aquarius as my lowest for the day.

Finally, I visited Aries and chatted with a girl that shared my same major and my love of dance! I had a huge blast at this party and it was the perfect ending to my day. The theme was "camping", but it wasn't utilized much, besides the cute little campfires on each table. The sisters who spoke to me seemed genuinely interested in my activities, and I found myself loosening up and willing to be myself. We chatted in a table about silly things, quirky things, dreams, nightmares, favourite TV shows, and everything in-between. The conversations shifted away from sororities and recruitment and ended up being just a group of new friends having a convo. I wasn't sure if this was the environment I wanted in a sorority though - I wanted to be with a group of girls that would push my limits and make me be better than I could ever be. However, I couldn't just ignore the fact that these girls were super sweet and interesting...

At the end of the day, we were required to rank our top four again. At this point in time, I could already feel that I was fitting in better at Libra and Aries, but my misconceptions led me to rank as such:
1. Leo
2. Libra
3. Aries
4. Aquarius

Originally Posted by Miriverite

Day 4: Preference
I was hit by a nasty shock that morning when, after I had woken up and taken pains to make sure my hair was perfect and my outfit matched perfectly, that I had been dropped from both Leo and Aquarius. I was nearly in tears because I had sincerely thought I would fit in best at Leo, and it had been my dream sorority ever since I had decided to participate in recruitment. I had a few hours before my first pref. party, so I sat on the couches in the student center and contemplated what to do. I almost considered dropping out and then trying again for Leo next year. In fact, I was about to go to the Panhel president and say this when I stopped myself. I had to admit that I had barely given any of the other sororities a chance; even though I had tried to enjoy their recruitment parties, my mind had always been set on Leo. I considered that maybe there was actually a reason for being dropped; perhaps I wouldn't have fit in as well as I did. And after all, there were very nice girls in both of the ones by whom I had been invited back (Libra and Aries). I decided to go to the restroom, splash water on my face, and continue on with recruitment with a smile and an open mind.

My first pref. party was with Aries. The sister I sat with was the one I had met the day before who shared my major and love of dance. We ended up chatting for a good hour about all kinds of dance. We discovered that we would be one of the same classes that semester, and she graciously offered to collaborate with me on homework and study together for tests. The entire pref. party seemed very intimate; my sister went and got me a plate of food filled with chocolates, which are one of my favourite kinds of candy. When it came time for the pref. ceremony, I was amused by how comfortable the sisters seemed. No one felt stiff or awkward; each of the girls who spoke did so at her own pace, and no one laughed when one of them accidentally said the wrong line. At the end, my pref. sister gave me a hug as we exited the room. I left with a smile on my face; man, was I glad that I had decided to continue with recruitment!

After lunch, I went back for Libra's pref. party. My pref. sister was one of my former dormmates, and she walked with me to get some snacks from the table. We ended up talking about more serious issues, such as academics and careers. I confessed to her that I was torn between the two sororities that had chosen me, and she told me that she had been in my same position during her recruitment. "But I trust," she said, "That in the end, if you look deep into your heart, you'll find the place that is right for you." She mentioned that even if I chose Aquarius over her sorority, we would still always be sisters through Greek unity. I was very touched by her words. When it came time for the pref. ceremony, and each of the girls read out her lines, I started feeling goosebumps along my spine. For some reason, the words struck a chord within me, and I felt almost like I could reach out and touch the tingly feeling in the air. Everyone listened quietly, and as the ceremony continued (sorry, it's hard to describe without giving away too many details), I could definitely feel the sisterhood in the room. I fell in love with the symbolism, the meaning behind the symphony, and the principles that the sorority stood for. Looking back at what I had wanted in a sorority, this one provided all of it and more.

At the end of the day, my ranking was clear. Just like my pref. sister had said, I had found exactly where I belonged.

1. Libra
2. Aries

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Day 5: Bid Day!!
This was also the first day of school, so after classes were over, I sprinted home, changed, and sprinted back to the student center where all the PNM's huddled in their rush groups, anxious to see which sorority would eventually offer them a bid. One by one, our Rho Chi's took us outside the main room and gave us our envelopes. My hands were seriously shaking as I opened mine, even though I tried to stay as calm as possible. When I read the words and saw the crest on the invitation, I SCREAMED. I ran with her to Libra's bid room, where I was greeted by a group of chanting girls - my new sisters - singing

A-L-P-H-A, C-H-I OMEGA!
A-L-P-H-A, C-H-I OMEGA!

I was swept up into a hug and since then, have never regretted my choice. I love Alpha Chi with all my heart, and can only hope that each girl who goes through recruitment can find, just like I did, the place where she truly belongs.

Reveals (highlight to read):
As a disclaimer, I still admire all of the girls that I met during recruitment from every one of the sororities. I personally believe that the diversity of GLO's on campus means that everyone can find a place where he or she belongs. Just because I didn't fit in at one doesn't mean others didn't either, and I am very proud of our entire Panhel as a whole!
[Gemini - Alpha Phi
Leo - Kappa Alpha Theta
Aries - Pi Beta Phi
Aquarius - Sigma Kappa]

Where is everybody?