[jenidallas]

The first round started with an orientation – we went over rules for the weekend - our guides (six of them, two from each chapter) did a skit about the rules. They explained to us how invitations would work each day, what to wear for the rest of the week etc. The first round was casual dress – my roommate wore a t-shirt and shorts with cute sandals. I wore a t-shirt with a denim wrap skirt and cute sandals. I saw jeans, shorts, skirts, and even a couple of girls in work dresses (I later found out they were commuters who had “real” jobs and attended night classes.) As the university was small, the guides chapters were “known” and they would be allowed to join their chapters for the parties each round so their identities were not a secret. They divided us into three groups (based on alphabetical order) so I was split from all but one of my friends. Each group rotated to the parties (which were in classrooms on three separate floors of a building).

My first party was Lions. They greeted us with a loud chant and I remember being overwhelmed by the clapping and chanting as I did not expect it. Their room was decorated and they were all wearing matching t-shirts and athletic shorts - they seemed very sporty. I realized that several women I had already met on campus were Lions but didn’t realize it. They had lemonade and I was impressed that the cups and napkins were their colors. I talked to a few different girls and heard a lot about their social calendar. They kept telling me about how they were the favorite sorority of the fraternity where I’d been hanging out and that those guys preferred them to all others. I remember this bothering me. The party was over quickly and we left to them doing the same chant.

My second party was Bears. Their room was a lot calmer and there was no singing or chanting here. I was shocked because so many of the Bears were drop dead gorgeous. They did not have matching outfits but they were all wearing letters of different types. I swear I had never seen most of these women but they were all polished and mature. I recall having soda here in generic plastic cups. The only thing I remember about the conversation I had was that it three of us rushees talking to two women and they mostly only talked to us about national things (their colors, their symbol, their conventions). I also remember one of the other girls who was a rushee was VERY rude to them and kept making inappropriate comments. She was a junior who was going through rush for the first time. My mother was in the corner during the party and I was trying hard not to make eye contact with her.

My last party was Tigers. Oh my gosh… they greeted us with a fun song and their room was just amazing. They all had fancy matching shirt and hairbows with denim skirts and looked perfect. Their room reminded me of that dorm room I saw during my campus visit – paraphernalia everywhere! They also did this fun clapping paddy-cake kind of song in a big circle where they went around and said all of their names. I met a lot of their officers including their rush chair who was the university president’s daughter (and a girl I knew of growing up locally and always admired as she had done similar things in high school to me and was on the same professional career path as the one I wanted to pursue). This party went by so fast that I can’t remember who else I talked to and I’m pretty sure I had to be forced to leave the room.

We were told to not talk until we got back to the library where we were told we’d receive our schedules in our mailboxes by 10 am the next day. Our rush guides reminded us to not talk to sorority women or we could be released from recruitment.