Fall of 1986 was my junior year, although considering the semester that got retro-actively withdrawn plus a change of major, I was definitely on the five-year plan at the very least. At Maryland, juniors could get a bid but only at certain chapters.
I had friends in several chapters by then and many of them gently suggested that I might think about another sorority. But, of course, I was still set on re-pledging
Water Skiing even though it was obvious to everyone but me and my big sis “Angela” that I was beating a dead horse.
So, I started going through the process of Rush for the third time.
During the first round and Set of 10, “Angela”
literally dragged me through the chapter house, interrupting conversations left and right to introduce me to as many girls I didn’t know as possible. She wanted to make absolutely sure that I met and had the support of the sisters that had pledged the year before. I didn’t get into any conversations with them. It was just “Hi,” “Hi,” “Hello,” “Nice to meet you,” “Hello,” “Hi.” Angela’s dedication to me was extraordinary. Things were going well and I thought I would finally find myself back home in
Water Skiing and the whole nightmare would be over.
The time came to pick up my invitations to Set of 4. I was just inside the Student Union when someone grabbed my arm. It was “Angela.” She pulled me aside and said, “I think something bad might have happened.” No, no no no no. Not again! I had done everything they asked me to do! She told me to go in and get my invitations and meet her back in the hall.
I got my invitations and
Water Skiing was
not listed. I handed the card to “Angela” and when she saw it she blurted out, “That B#%$!” I didn’t know what she was talking about. I was numb. I couldn’t even look at my card. I asked her to choose which chapters to return to for me, which she did. She then said that she had to get out of there before someone on Panhellenic saw her (major Rush infraction) and that she would visit me later.
Later that afternoon, she came by to see me. I was busy cutting my
Water Skiing t-shirts to shreds and sobbing. I had
really gone off the deep end and I think I freaked her out. She told me what happened and I learned much more than I should have about
Water Skiing’s MS. I also learned that I had made one enemy in the house and by then she was chapter president. Apparently there was quite a scene made back at the house. I felt bad for “Angela.”
I told my friends what had happened and they were horrified.
“Maureen” pulled me aside and told me that, despite the fact that up until that point I was still set on
Water Skiing, she had been fighting for me tooth and nail at
Tennis. She said, “The seniors do
not want to take a junior. You
have to impress them!”
Well, I wouldn’t have known how to try to impress someone if I tried.
Tennis had been one of my favorites my freshman year but if they didn’t want to take a junior, I figured it was out of my hands. There were three other sororities that I would be returning to for Set of 4. My schedule was:
Diving
Skiing
Fishing
and
Tennis
Skiing was fairly new to me. I had been cut from them after the first round my freshman year so I hadn’t really gotten to know them. What I did know about them I liked. They were a great group of girls. The chapter was pretty diverse, which I liked, and they were both easy-going and friendly.
Once I had calmed down from my melt-down I realized that I had to move on and that there was still an opportunity to pledge a really great sorority. I could start fresh somewhere else. I felt hopeful again.
My only memories of Set of 4 are from
Skiing and
Tennis.
At
Skiing I had gotten to know a wonderful girl named Nina. She was a sweetheart and I really liked the girls that she introduced me to. I felt like this chapter could definitely be a possibility.
As soon as I walked into
Tennis, “Maureen” grabbed me and told me she was taking me to meet one of the seniors. She sat me down next to a girl named Carol who looked like Grace Kelly. I wasn’t nervous though. I had no intention of trying to impress her. I was just myself and we ended up having a really good conversation about “if you could do anything in the world, what would it be?” I left feeling good about how I had handled myself. I had come a long way from my first disastrous Rush encounter with
Football two years earlier.
Pref, Bid Day and wrap-up are up next. I promise:
“Jeannine” came to me to talk about something. She really loved Water Skiing but she said she wouldn’t pledge them if it was going to hurt me. She was such a sweetheart. I told her that I wanted her to be happy and if Water Skiing was where she wanted to be she should go ahead and try to get a bid there.
“Gail” pledged Ice Skating.
“Jill” and 
“Viola” pledged Sunbathing.
“Tabitha” got her ‘better’ sorority in 
Polo. 
Iris pledged her legacy house at UCLA, Aerobics.
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