So since some of y'all have succeeded in making me feel enormously guilty for putting this out so slowly, I'm putting out another installment tonight against my better judgement. Only because y'all are cool and it's Holy Week. Spreadin' the love.
Round 2, Day 2 (Philanthropy)
Today it rained ALL day. I'm talking one of those big summer thunderstorms where it just dumps inches and inches in less time than you thought possible. Lightning, thunder, the whole enchilada. Thankfully it had already started before I got up, so I didn't stress too much about my appearance that day. My hair doesn't behave well in the rain (who am I kidding, it NEVER behaves well), so I tied it up in a knot that I thought looked kinda cool. Kat and I huddled under an umbrella for the long walk to Greek Row. I was slightly envious of the fact that she had only two parties today, both in the morning, and would get to head back to our room and hide from the rain for the rest of the day.
My parties for that day were as follows:
Violin - I'd been hearing a LOT of "tent talk" about this group. They had been struggling to make quota for the past few years, had a not-so-great retention rate for pledges, and were (according to some reports) in danger of being shut down. I was trying my best not to let gossip about the chapters influence my opinions too much, but with this group it was getting to the point that I had a lot of trouble overlooking what I was hearing. I didn't want to pledge a chapter that might not exist much longer, but thinking about this upset me because I had really enjoyed my time there in Round 1. I was feeling really conflicted as I went into the house for a second time. I enjoyed their philanthropy video and learning about their cause, which I was very unfamiliar with. But here I got the same impression as I had at
Voice - namely, that the girls didn't really do that much to support their philanthropy. My rusher was sweet and we had some interests in common, particularly a sport we both followed fanatically, but I was disappointed by her awkward attempts to change the subject when I tried to keep the conversation focused on philanthropy (that's what we were supposed to be talking about....right?)
Trumpet - I was eager to give this house another chance - surely if Mrs. Impressive Alum with whom I had so much in common had loved her time here, then I would too....right? Unfortunately, wrong. I feel bad for not really being able to describe the vibe I got here, but anyone who's been through rush somewhat recently can probably tell you that sometimes there's a house that just doesn't feel right. That was the case here. Their national philanthropy was a fabulous organization, the video really hit home with me - again, I had to hold back tears - and this group had been the top fundraisers on campus for their philanthropy in the year prior (by dollar total). I wanted to like them for many reasons, but I couldn't deny that I just didn't feel at home.
Piano - My first two parties of the day had been semi-flops, and this fact along with the rain was really bringing down my mood. I also wasn't thrilled by the fact that I'd been invited back to this group after ranking it last on my invite list. I stood in line in front of the house next to Amy as we waited to go in. After the first round our Pi Chi group no longer had identical schedules (since we were each no longer going to every house), but she and I had happened to be assigned to the same slot for Piano. I invited her to come hang out with me, Kat, Sara, and the other girls on my hall that night. Then we were led inside for the party. The video was cute and had us laughing at many points. I was becoming tired of getting teary-eyed at the philanthropy videos, so I appreciated that this one was lighthearted while still conveying the importance of the cause. Then my rusher picked me up and we got to talking while I assembled the super easy (whew!) craft. My ears perked up when she mentioned she'd been in [musical ensemble] in high school. I asked what instrument she played, and it was one of mine!!! We proceeded to spend the entire remainder of the party discussing favorite composers, awkward audition/performance bloopers, and jokes only musicians would understand. She'd also previously been in one of the university ensembles I would be trying out for the following week, so she told me all about how great the directors were and that I was going to rock my audition. I couldn't believe this was happening! Finally, a music nerd like me...I could tell she had enjoyed the conversation as much as I had, and when she finally had to walk me out the door, she said excitedly "hope to see you again tomorrow!" I felt a pang of guilt because I knew I'd probably be putting this house on my "cut" list....
Guitar - This group had been one of my favorites in Round 1, especially my "food is awesome" conversation with the three girls who for some reason rushed me all at once. This house didn't have a video, which I found unusual, but it gave me more time to talk I guess. When my rusher greeted me and led me into the room where the craft was taking place, all the seats at the tables were taken, so we stood and chatted while we waited for a chair to become available. She seemed really nice, but neither one of us could hardly get a word in edgewise because we KEPT being interrupted by "floaters" - girls who hadn't been assigned a specific rushee and were walking around talking to multiple PNMs. I have written in my notes "sooo many floaters.....7? 8?" But I absolutely loved every girl I met. They seemed smart, sweet, and down to earth. I left hoping I'd been floated up to so many times because they liked me a lot, but I knew I couldn't be sure. This house was definitely still one of my favorites!
Clarinet - I was excited to be going back to my orientation counselor's house. I don't have any notes on this party unfortunately - I'm pretty sure it's because the rain was coming down hard when I left and I wanted to hurry back inside to submit my rankings as quickly as possible. I do remember that the craft was simple (always a plus for me) and I left feeling generally good about the house, though not one of my favorites.
We could be invited back to a maximum of 7 houses for the next round (skit). This meant I could "keep" 7 houses (in no particular order) and "cut" 5 (in ranked order). Here was my "cut" list:
1.
Voice
2. Violin
3.
Trumpet
4.
Flute
5.
Piano.
That night it was still raining steadily. Me, Kat, Sara, Amy, and a couple of other girls from my hall were in my room goofing around. It was one of the funnest nights I remember from my first few weeks of college - we played board games, told jokes, and talked about life. When the conversation turned to the first round of cuts and how several of the girls had lost chapters they'd really liked, things got pretty hilarious. At the beginning of recruitment we PNMs had each been given a little commemorative item (a "souvenir" if you will) that had every sorority's letters on it. Kat, who had dabbled in theater in high school, launched into a hilarious monologue as she grabbed a sharpie from her desk and proceeded to scribble over the letters of all the chapters who had cut her, muttering things about voodoo and explosive diarrhea. (Wow, that probably sounds really creepy. I promise there was nothing seriously sadistic about it - we were just joking around and letting off steam.) Anyway, I'd never laughed so hard in my life. I went to bed sore all over from laughing and just generally content with life. I was having an awesome rush and already making friends in my faraway new home. What could be better? <3
Hybrid Mode
