I wasn't going to do this, but ...

[DSTRen13]

Okay, I’m going to do this retro recruitment story thing … please don’t hate me. I was bored and just felt like sharing, I guess. I’ve decided to name the sororities after desserts, because I am also hungry right now.

When I was in HS, all I knew about sororities were the really negative stereotypes of blond girls with big boobs, lots of alcohol, and not a lot of keeping your clothes on. Um, not my thing. All my friends and I were agreed – it was buying your friends, and we were having none of it. My senior year, I visited North Avenue Trade School and the “host student” I was assigned to stay with was a member of an NPC sorority “Cheesecake”. Definitely dispelled the stereotypes, and they were all very nice, but … I had no prior experience with Greek life, and I am not extremely girly. Staying that night in the sorority house, where everything was COVERED in floral print, during the week before IFC/NPC Greek Week, where everyone was talking NONSTOP about strange activities that sounded, well, really stupid, was kinda scary. I didn’t have any hard feelings toward the girls, but it was completely over my 18 y/o head. After my visit, I had decided I wanted to attend North Avenue Trade School, but I was not going to spend the money, or the time (cut my vacation a week short? What was that about?) to participate in Panhellenic Rush. Cheesecake is a whole lot of trouble to make if you aren’t that into it and don’t understand the process.

Once I got to school, I pretty much ignored Greek life. Not many of my friends were involved with it, so it didn’t really have any impact on me at all. I was very involved in AIESEC, an international business org, and it took up most of my time.

My next introduction to Greek life came in the mailbox fall of my sophomore year. I received an invitation to Rush for a local sorority on campus, which I’ll call “Fried Cheesecake”. I debated for a while about going – after all, it was a sorority. But a friend from high school was an officer, and I knew a couple of other girls going. I was intrigued by the fact that they seemed more laid-back and diverse than the NPC groups on campus, and so I decided I would check it out. I missed the first night of their three-night event (AIESEC meeting, as usual), but made it to the other two nights. It was fun, and the girls were nice, but nothing really grabbed me and I was disappointed to learn that their goal was to eventually affiliate with an NPC group (since I had been drawn to them for their uniqueness from the other groups). Fried Cheesecake, while fun and different at first, was more like Cheesecake than I had thought.

To be continued ...

[tinydancer16]

Sweet mary mother of god I love fried cheesecake!!! Sorry...please continue.

[Senusret I]

I've never had fried cheesecake.....anyway, goooooo Ren!

[Ocalagirl]

Longhorn Steakhouse makes the best fried cheesecake I have ever had!!

Is that the name real name of your school or a pseudonym?

[DSTRen13]

Originally Posted by Ocalagirl

Longhorn Steakhouse makes the best fried cheesecake I have ever had!!

Is that the name real name of your school or a pseudonym?

It's a real nickname of my alma mater. But not the real name of the school.

[gtdxeric]

Originally Posted by Ocalagirl

Is that the name real name of your school or a pseudonym?

You might try googling it.

[Ocalagirl]

I did after I posted and figured it out, but thanks!

[neosoul]

as I am currently stuffing my face with cheesecake, I am obligated to read this thread...

yay!!! looking forward to reading more

[AGDLynn]

North Avenue Trade School is a pretty good school!

[BBelleADPi]

My nephew was just initiated last semester into the Kappa Sigma chapter at North Avenue Trade School. (My Kappa Sigma husband was thrilled!) And I wrote a rec for a girl who is now in one of the chapters there, so I am very interested in this North Avenue Trade School thread. More, please!

[tld221]

ummmmm. i want more. right now. yoo tink dis is a joke? nuh uh.

updates. now.


(and why did i google the NATS when i already know what school you attend(ed?))

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by gtdxeric

You might try googling it.

North Avenue Trade School always makes me laugh.

[violetpretty]

Wait, is fried cheesecake an actual food?

[DSTRen13]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

Wait, is fried cheesecake an actual food?

Voila. Fried cheesecake. (It's definitely the best dessert to get at Longhorn's.)

[DSTRen13]

The next semester, while I was president of the school’s AIESEC chapter, one of the AIESEC members was president of the school’s Omega Phi Alpha chapter, and encouraged me to attend Rush after I commented on needing more female company (I lived on a predominantly male hall at a predominately male school). Rush was a one-night event, and I couldn’t make it (AIESEC again). She arranged for me to meet with a group of sisters for dinner instead, and, since she was cool (and she was the president, so that was a good sign, right?), I went. The girls at dinner were great and encouraging, but not pushy. After talking with them and learning some more about the org, I decided to pledge – I liked the idea of a service sorority (a clear-cut purpose that I could understand no problem) and I liked the sisters (a really laid-back, diverse group of women that were easy to talk to) – and no house, so no scary floral print! Being a part of OPhiA opened my eyes a bit to exactly what some of that “weird, Greek stuff” I hadn’t understood before was all about.

Fast forward to the next year. Walking through the Student Center of North Avenue Trade School, I happened to glance at a display case (like a store window display) featuring a sorority I had never heard of before, “Cookie”. The motto and other aims of the sorority really stood out to me, and I stopped and looked at the display for a minute. Realizing I was blocking traffic, I wrote down the letters and went about my way. Later, I looked up the organization online. I began to get excited about Cookie – I didn’t know that there were social sororities like this! I realized once I began looking at websites that Cookie was a black sorority. I had heard of black sororities, sort of – I knew that one of my favorite professors was a member of one – but I had never known any details about them before. I also had no idea if, being white, it would be acceptable for me to even to seek membership. Looking up information on the chapter of Cookie at my school, I discovered that the campus advisor was none other than my boss at one of my on-campus jobs, whom I adored. I hoped that she wouldn’t mind if I asked her about her sorority …