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While the town I grew up in was average sized for the state, I was the only person in my graduating class going to SECU that year. I knew several upper classmen and students my age from some clubs I was active in while in HS who were students at SECU. When I attended orientation during the summer I had the coolest counselor who was Greek. I couldn’t wait!


This was a full on frills recruitment – all the GLO members had matching outfits for each party. And even though it was August in the deep south, you dressed for each round. No houses at SECU – each chapter had a dorm suite. Chapter Tour and Coke Parties were held in the Chapter Rooms, Theme was held off campus, Pref mainly in chapter rooms. There were 4 rounds to Rush – Chapter Tour, Coke Party (yes everyone served little bottle cokes – or water), Theme Party, Pref. Everyone went to the 1st two rounds, 4 Theme Parties & 2 Pref Parties. Rush was held the week school started – if I remember correctly, Rush started on Monday, classes on Wednesday, with Bid day on Saturday. There was a rest day in there somewhere I’m sure, maybe on Wednesday the first day of classes.


If you were going thru Rush you moved in a couple of days before all the other students. We had a big meeting the day before everything started where we were broken into groups and had the process explained to us. We didn’t have Rho Chis, just the Junior & Senior Panhellenic members as group leaders – there may have been some advisors too, I really don’t remember. There were probably around 300 girls going thru Rush. It didn’t take long for girls to talk in the dorm at night and the “tent talk” ran rampant.


At my school there were 9 NPC groups (I won’t mention the names, would be pretty easy to guess the school if I did) – 4 groups had been on campus longer than the others; 3 groups had come on during the baby boomer college enrollment (late 60s, early 70s); and 2 chapters had only a few years on campus. I like trees, so I’ll use them as code names.


Oak - One of the older groups on campus and my legacy house. One of my sisters had written a REC for an active member. Reputation – the smart, “best family” girls – top on campus. I had been taught that everyone aspired to be an Oak.

Dogwood - One of the older groups on campus. Reputation – serious girls, but the Chapter was on the decline.

Spruce – another of the old guard. One of my sisters had told me she didn’t care what I went, as long as it wasn’t Spruce. Reputation: beauty queens and “easy” girls.

Cypress – last of the old guard. My Rush Counselor’s chapter. I was a state officer in a youth group and there was a senior in this chapter that had been active in the organization, but we had never met. Reputation: Diverse – some great, smart, involved girls and some that you didn’t “take home to meet Mother”

Red Bud – one of the Baby Boom chapters. One of my best friend’s Mother was a Red Bud and there had been several members of this chapter from my home town. Reputation – fun girls that everyone loved.

Gingko – another of the Baby Boom houses. I knew a Senior in this chapter, but she was a Panhellenic Officer and would not be active during Rush. I knew several girls that were Gingkoes at another college. Reputation – Fighting the Oaks as tops on campus. The girls you took home to meet Mother.

Palm – Baby Boom chapter, didn’t know anyone that was a member of this group. Reputation – party girls and active on campus, but could be snobby.

Pine – one of the newer chapters on campus, and the smallest. Rumor was they never cut anyone.

Sycamore – the newest chapter on campus. New kid on the block with a great national reputation.

Chapter total was around 100. Everyone was at total except the two newer chapters, Pine and Sycamore.

My roommate was rushing – she was a legacy to Oak, but wanted Gingko. There was a girl on my floor whose cousin lived in my home town that was also an Oak legacy – her cousin was a Gingko at another college. Another girl was a legacy to both Oak and Gingko, but she wanted to be an Oak and roomed with a girl whose sister was in the Oak Chapter. I knew another Oak legacy that was dating a friend and a friend from orientation what wanted to be a Spruce. The majority of the girls on my floor were rushing and it seemed that most had their favorite and not everyone wanted Oak, which confused me. You mean everyone doesn’t want to be an Oak?