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Back then, I think computers were the size of a compact car – so there were no PC’s set up in the student center or people toting laptops. They did have tables, though – as well as poster board and magic markers, which were used to designate each table by the first letters of last names: A-F, G-L and so on. We “Rushees”, as we were called, waited our turn in the appropriate line.
Most of us had pre-registered through the mail or at freshman orientation that had been held back in early summer. Our rush forms were in alphabetical order, and the girls working behind the tables were real pros at licking their index fingers and rapidly flipping through the forms – who needed computers!! When they found our form, we were sent to another station where our picture was taken with a Polaroid Instant camera. It was stapled to our rush form and we were then directed to our rush group for the week.
My Rho Chi wasn’t called a Rho Chi. She was simply referred to as a Rush Advisor and I knew from the get-go which sorority she belonged to. That’s because we were all given a booklet that outlined Rush Week, told us a little about Panhellenic and introduced each sorority. There was also a group picture of all the Rush Advisors – and someone had goofed. Next to each Rush Advisor’s name was her sorority! Oops.
My advisor was a Donna Summer – and a SENIOR. A senior in COLLEGE! I remember being both impressed and intimidated. Why, she had to be about 21-years-old! She was mature and professional looking in her polyester peach colored pantsuit, accented with a floral scarf tied around her neck. (She also wore this in the rush book picture) I also remember her hair. While many college women were going with shags, layers, feathers and lion manes, my rush advisor's hair was a bit of a leftover from the Flower Child era. Dark blonde, it fell to the middle of her back, was stick straight and perfectly parted dead center.
Before going on, please let me introduce you to some of the girls in my rush group. I love, love, love cheese and will name them after some of my favorites.
Bleu -- I loved this fellow rushee! She had a jet black Dorothy Hamil haircut, and though a little on the quiet side, was just so incredibly nice. She was a sophomore and had a boyfriend who was…in a FRATERNITY!! Wow! I’d never met anyone who was dating a FRATERNITY guy! How cool was college???
Swiss -- Another fellow rushee I absolutely adored. Her hometown was about six hours north and she really didn’t know many people. We connected right away and only grew closer as the week went on. We made a pact that, no matter which sorority we each joined, we would remain friends!
Extra Sharp -- This girl was stunning. She had a brunette head of Farrah hair and carried a pump bottle of Final Net hairspray in her purse. (Yes, we carried purses back then.) Her hair was so starched, it moved with her head whenever she turned it – but she was an extremely sweet girl who was interested in everyone and did not badmouth any sororities. She was heavily pursued by the sororities.
Gouda – Poor Gouda! She was from a tiny town. The fact that she had gone “away” to school was a huge deal in itself. She had a second cousin who was Donna Summer at another school. Unfortunately, Gouda thought this made her a legacy. She also incorrectly thought that Donna Summer HAD to bid a legacy. She was eager – boy, was she eager – but only for Donna Summer.
Limburger – I’ll name this girl after one of the smelliest cheeses. She often wore the facial expression of someone who had just gotten a whiff of something foul. Seriously, ask her the most simple question and she’d give you a sneering look as if to say, “why should I tell YOU if I think it’s going to rain or not?” She was pretty, but what a snoot.
Brie -- I had gone to high school with Brie. She was really nice and seemed tomboyish. Brie insisted she wasn’t going to pledge a sorority. She was only going through Rush “to meet people.”
Okay, I know this entry is long, but before going to Round 1, I have to tell you what happened the morning of the parties. Extra Sharp lived in my dorm, and she stopped by my room, looking a bit pale and a lot worried (though her hair was perfect). “Did you hear?” She asked
Alarmed, I gasped, “No! What?”
“Each sorority can only take 17 girls!”
Seventeen girls times seven sororities… that’s 119 girls! Whoa, hold on there Nellie! There sure seemed to be a lot more than 119 girls going through Rush. This news could only mean one thing: a lot of girls would not be getting bids.
Now, I don’t think the majority of us rushees even knew what quota was, but somehow, word spread like wildfire that sororities were limited to a max of 17 pledges. As it turned out, quota was higher and this evil #17 was nothing more than a rumor. Unfortunately, a lot of us arrived for Round 1 parties more nervous than we already were. I was also worried because Extra Sharp was worried. I mean, she was sweet, charming, beautiful, cutely dressed and HAD PERFECT HAIR!!! And me? Well, I couldn’t make mine do the Farrah Flip no matter how long I left those electric curlers in! If Extra Sharp thought she was in trouble, what did that mean for me?
My rush advisor did address the rumor, but honestly, I can’t remember what she said specifically about this thing called quota – or if she even said anything about it. She just kept stressing that most girls were fine as long as they didn’t suicide.
With that bit of advice seared into my brain, I was off for Round 1 Parties!!!
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