[MayBeth]

I woke up before my alarm this morning and got ready as quickly as I could. I was the second name called out during schedule pass out. My eyes quickly scanned the list.
Snickerdoodle Sundae
Blueberry Cobbler
Lemon Pound Cake
Strawberry Shortcake
Mango Peach Lemonade
Cinnamon Sugar Donut
6 out of 10. Not perfect, but it was a whole lot better than having none! There were multiple houses that I was incredibly happy to see on my list, but I had a little trouble completely masking my disappointment over the fact that the other 7 houses had already decided that I hadn’t been a good fit for them. I understood that there was no reason to mope around though if there were still so many other amazing houses that were willing to meet with me for a second time today! I left for my first party feeling a lot better and very excited to learn about all of the wonderful causes these women support.

Snickerdoodle Sundae: I felt a little more like a number to this chapter during this round. We watched a video on their philanthropy and were given a drink to sip on. I talked to two different girls, and while both were really sweet, I didn’t feel any real connection to either of them. The second girl that I spoke with had a very personal relationship with her chapter’s philanthropy, and I loved hearing her share her story. This is a house that is heavily sought after by most PNMs, so I felt as though it would be in my best interest to not become too attached to them.
Blueberry Cobbler: The girl that I was picked up by first in this house was incredibly blunt, and that shocked me a little once we started talking. She turned out to be funny, and I had a nice time talking to her, but I absolutely loved the second girl that I was paired with. Something about her seemed to radiate joy. This house’s philanthropy video felt very personal to the chapter, and I appreciated how hands-on this sorority got to be with their cause. Overall I had a decent time here, but I was still excited to visit the other houses that I had left on my list.
Lemon Pound Cake: The room that we were brought into was absolutely gorgeous, I was a little shocked with how decorated it seemed compared to the other chapters. Again, I loved this house’s philanthropy and the video that they presented, and I connected incredibly well with the girl that I talked to for most of the round. I was loving this house more and more as time went on.
Strawberry Shortcake: The treat that this house gave us was adorable, and it correlated cleverly with their philanthropy. One of the sisters in this chapter gave a heart touching speech about how her sorority affects the lives of others, and I loved that. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the best conversations here. For whatever reason, I felt like I couldn’t talk as easily with the active I was paired with as I had been able to in some of the other houses. She kept a relatively blank stare on her face for the majority of the time I talked to her, and I think that made me nervous.

After what I had heard the night before, I was still shocked when I had a few girls tell me directly after our parties that night that if I wasn’t invited back to a few specific houses, I should drop recruitment altogether. I don’t agree with that type of mindset; in fact, these types of comments make me question the reasons for other people’s choice to go through recruitment at all. Shouldn’t a sisterhood be seen for what it is: a sisterhood? C’mon, it’s 2018 people! I hurt for the girls who potentially missed out on their perfect house because of what their sister’s mother’s best friend believed to be the only sororities worth becoming a part of at a single university in a single state in a single country on a single continent in the entire world. The things that separated one house from another were so minuscule, yet they were blown out of proportion to the point where they were regarded as law by so many women during recruitment. I know I already spoke about this in an earlier post, so I’ll step off my soapbox now, but I knew in my heart at that moment that I would be proud to join any sisterhood that saw something in me that the others might not have seen. The week was already flying by, and I was beyond ready to hit the hay!