The next morning: I didn’t get a phone call from my rho gamma, which meant that I had received a bid. We were allowed to collect our bids at 9 in the morning, from the office of fraternity and sorority relations. Though I didn’t have class until 1030 that morning, I headed down there at 9 anyway. I walked down with my heart in my throat. For some reason, I just did not have a good feeling.
I got my envelope, opened it up, and didn’t have to do anything more than that. I hadn’t gotten a bid from Penelope and I knew it by the colors that I saw on the actual card, as they were
Pulp Fiction's colors. I teared up, and handed the envelope, bid inside, to the rho gamma and told her that I declined the bid.
I ended up skipping my class, and going to my room and sitting in my bed watching movies and crying on and off the whole day. My friends were there for me, and they all pretty much thought I should attend bid day (bid day activities wouldn’t start until 5). My best friend in Penelope texted me asking me how my day was going and apologized.
When I left my room get food really quickly at one point, I noticed I had a voicemail from a number I didn’t know. I called back, and it was Pulp Fiction’s recruitment chair. She told me that she understood how I felt, but that she would love to see me at the bid day activities. I told her if I felt up to it, then I’d do my best to make it. But really, I didn’t feel up to it... I didn’t know if I wanted to see everyone and just wanted to say in my room and cry.
Since I come from the area near my college, my parents ended up coming over with a few treats for me. I am the first person in my family to go greek (with the exception of a distant, male, cousin) so my parents didn’t really understand the process and all that; all that they knew was that I was really upset. But my dad told me that since I’d been offered a bid, I may as well give it a try, since it was the courteous thing to do.
I ended up going to bid day, and befriending a couple of the girls. When I got to the house, the recruitment chair sat me down and we had a long talk; she told me about her experience with rush and Pulp Fiction. I figured I may as well give it a go for as long as I can without having to pay.
After all, if the system supposedly works, maybe I did end up where I belong.
I went to the meetings, to the sisterhood events, to a raid, and to a date party. After a few things that made me pause and reconsider, I eventually made up my mind. And here we are today, four weeks later. I recently submitted my first payment and will be filling out my housing contract to live in the house next year. While I still get a bit sad from time to time, I’ve bonded with the older girls in a way that lets me know that they’ll be extremely close friends in due time. I’m still bonding with the girls in my pledge class, and am finding out awesome things about each of them that make me glad to have them as my sisters. Tomorrow is the formal new member pinning too.
Oh, and the girl that preffed me? She sent me a message on facebook apologizing for how awkward it all was, which I thought was really sweet.
While I didn’t end up in my top choice, I’m still really happy with where I ended up. Every day that goes by, and every girl I met in my house, I like it a little bit more. I’m sure next year, when I’m living in the house, I’ll truly be in love with the house.
And that’s why I decided to name this story “ups and downs.” Although I was really upset at first, I'm happy now. Which just goes to show, you have to really trust the system and keep your options open. Had I not gone to the bid day activities, and everything else, I know I'd have been extremely bitter about sorority life -- which would have been a big shame. A
I don’t know if it’d be wise to reveal my chapter/school/the code after this, but if you guys don’t think it’d be too bad, I’ll let you all know