[MayBeth]

I knew that today was going to be significantly shorter than the day before, so I had a little extra pep in my step while getting ready. I was really looking forward to meeting the four houses that were left on my group’s list!

Strawberry Shortcake: The first active that I was paired with had a personal connection to their philanthropy, so it was really interesting to hear about what her experience had been like in her chapter so far. An older, quieter girl came up to us after that, and we talked about my dorm for a little while since she had lived there the year before. I didn’t feel at all uncomfortable in this house, but I wouldn’t say I was blown away.
Caramel Fudge Brownie: I have very little to say about this house. I had heard that they didn’t treat the PNMs that they didn’t want in the most polite way, and I ended up having a first hand experience with one of the most popular rumors. I could tell that the active I talked to wasn’t listening to anything that I said, but I didn’t mind. If this house already knew who they wanted, then I hoped that the girls who ended up would be very happy.
Vanilla Cream Puff: I talked to two girls for most of my time in this house, and I could tell that they were genuinely good friends with one another. One of the girls was really interested in my major, so it was interesting to hear her thoughts on the career field that I was hoping to enter into. I didn’t think that I fit the look of this house either, but I was hoping that I might still be given a second invitation.
Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake: The two sisters that I talked to in this house truthfully seemed done with recruitment. I’m not sure if it was me specifically, but neither of them seemed interested in the conversation whatsoever. I kept a happy face and continued to ask them questions about themselves before it was time to leave. I couldn’t believe it, but just like that, open house was over with!

Ranking wasn’t difficult for me this night, partly because I was sure I wouldn’t be getting a full schedule regardless. The order of our top 10 houses didn’t matter, but I ranked them in order anyway to help keep things straight in my head.
I casted my vote as:
1. Mango Peach Lemonade
1. Blueberry Cobbler
1. Lemon Pound Cake
1. Vanilla Cream Puff
1. Raspberry Rose Macaron
1. Strawberry Shortcake
1. Snickerdoodle Sundae
1. Key Lime Pie
1. Watermelon Popsicle
1. Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake
2. Mint Chocolate Chip
3. Cinnamon Sugar Donut
4. Caramel Fudge Brownie

My dorm that night was full of girls anxious over how their schedules would look the next day, myself included. Many of my hall mates vocalized their fears of not being asked to join a “top tier” house, and I couldn’t help but wonder what truly separated the “top tier” from the “bottom tier.” For the most part, every single sorority at Texas seemed to be truly incredible. If someone had asked me to tell them what specifically distinguished the “bottom” houses from the “top” ones, I wouldn’t have had a clue as to what to say. I’ve always thought that the people who feel the need to explain how or why they believe themselves to be better than others aren’t people who are worth worrying much about at all. I had witnessed multiple girls entering houses over the last two days engulfed in a cloud of superiority. I couldn’t imagine how that must feel to a chapter, working so incredibly hard to put together an organized and enjoyable recruitment, just for certain girls to write them off from the get-go because they believed they were too good to be there. Everyone wants to feel liked and accepted, and I honestly feel like sorority recruitment is one of the most vulnerable situations you can voluntarily put yourself into. I was already experiencing my own self doubts in regards to how I had looked and whether or not I had been outgoing enough. There was no reason for girls to put other people’s personal opinions and experiences down by telling them that certain houses weren’t worth joining. I chatted a little longer with my roommate and a couple of other girls before I laid down and stared at my ceiling for what felt like hours. I hadn’t realized how truly nervous I was until that moment, and a thousand thoughts swam (probably completed an entire synchronized swimming routine, actually) through my head before I actually drifted off.