[monmouthian]

At lunch the next day, we could pick up our invitations in the student center. I was invited back to Butter Pecan and Rocky Road. I was not surprised that French Vanilla dropped me. I though they were nice and pretty and cool, but I did not connect with them.

My first party was with Butter Pecan. They held it at an alum's house in town. It was a big, beautiful Victorian. A. picked me up and we talked for the whole party. I had an even bigger case of hero worship by the end of the night. She was freakin' awesome. The coolest person I had ever met in my life. Their pref ceremony was pretty. I didn't cry. I just kept smiling because I was so happy to be there. They gave us a flower (the sorority's flower) at the end. All of the sororities gave the rushees a flower during the pref ceremony. It was cool to get, but really awkward to deal with because we had to take it to the second party with us. The sorority at your second party could tell who else preffed you because you were carrying around this flower.

My second party was with Rocky Road at the Monmouth Country Club. I was picked up by a woman that I had never met before. She was nice and had a good story about what Rocky Road meant to her, but I felt sort of like I was on a blind date. The woman from my home town briefly stopped to say "hello." I felt left over because I hadn't connected well enough with anyone previously to have that person be my "date" for the party. The pref ceremony was really beautiful and they gave us another flower.

After that we walked back to campus. We were going to the student center to sign our bid cards. I remember walking through the dark, sleepy streets of Monmouth talking with other rushees about what we were going to do. We had been warned against suiciding, but there were rumors about people who were planning on doing it. I sat in the student center for a few minutes and thought about suiciding for Butter Pecan, but decided against it. I wrote down "Butter Pecan," "Rocky Road," (because at least they invited me) and then "French Vanilla." Then I went home and went to bed. I was really tired.

Next: bid day