Very Vera Recruitment!

[showmethevera]

I went through a slight internal debate about whether or not to post what school I was at and decided to just go for it!

I was so excited that the day was FINALLY here! I had waited for the better part of my summer to go through Recruitment and find my sisters. I stalked the Pan website as well as all of the sororities websites and drove by Greek Park (I live 15 minutes away from UCF) more times than I am willing to admit. The day was hot like only Florida can get. They said to dress casual, but everyone was saying that sorority casual isn't shorts and a shirt. So I decided to don a skirt, some pearls, and my biggest smile. I checked in with my Rho Gamma and sat in the tent for what felt like FOREVER! Especially since it was 9:00 in the morning and it was so humid that even my always straight hair looked like it was about to curl! Finally they told us we could go to the door of Very Berry Paisley. This was the only sorority that didn't line us up in alpha order.

Before we entered each house, the Rho Gammas stationed at that house would teach us the chant for the particular sorority. This being the first house, I had no idea what was going to happen. A Rho Gamma knocked on the door to give the sorority their time warning. After that we learned the chant and the Rho Gammas had us chant it and all of a sudden - trough the closed doors- comes Very Berry Paisley's chant at full volume. I'm sure my eyes were as wide as saucers and my smile looked like the Cheshire cat's. I'm the kind of girl who likes loud, exciting things and this was exactly that. We do this exchange a few more times and then the doors open to a ton of screaming girls jumping up and down and clapping. We all filed in through the door and soon enough one of the jumping girls is motioning for me to follow her to the great room. The music, jumping and clapping continues for a few more minutes until everyone is inside. Once they closed the doors, there was screaming and jumping until the President and VP of Recruitment introduced themselves. After that everyone turned to each other and started talking. Very Berry Paisley was one of the sororities that I really liked going in to Recruitment and they did not disappoint. The first girl I talked to was really sweet and chill. I mentioned that I loved Vera Bradley and she then introduced me to her sister that worked in the Vera outlet! I just could not get the perma smile off of my face and I walked out very happy with this sorority.

We gathered our stuff and made our way over to Peacock. They walked us around to their backyard area where they put us in alpha order and led us around front because we were apparently running late. (My rho gamma group was in the back for the rest of the parties because of the way it was grouped so I really couldn't hear/learn any of the other chants or door songs for the rest of the sororities except three.) A Rho Gamma gave a warning knock and we waited to get inside. This was, again, one of the sororities that I really liked going in. I don't really remember anything spectacular about walking in. They were obviously smiling, but compared to Very Berry Paisley, this house was quiet. A girl led me to a front room area and when the music stopped we started talking. It turned out she was from the area as well and actually knew one of my cousins! Looking back, I probably should have tried to talk more about myself and less about the people I knew. Overall, I liked the chill atmosphere of the girls and their house was GORGEOUS to top it off. I left really liking these girls as well.

We grabbed our stuff from under the tent and made our way over to Paprika. They lined us up in order, taught the front of the line the chant and gave the warning knock. All of a sudden I see people pointing up at the second floor windows. Low and behold there were fraternity guys checking out all of us PNMs (Paprika doesn't have a house so they rent one out from a fraternity). It wasn't that big of a deal, it was actually kind of funny. Then the Panhellenic President comes up on a golf cart and tells us to ignore them. So fine, whatever, interesting start to a party. Paprika was probably my number 2 sorority going in, so I had VERY high expectations and they fell short. They were fun and energetic, but the conversation was so awkward (partially my fault because in retrospect I was definitely trying to be someone I thought they would want me to be and not myself at all.) So I left a little disheartened that I didn't like them as much as I thought I would.

Ok, I've written SO MUCH for just three houses, I'm going to take a little break and come back

[showmethevera]

Lemon Parfait was a house that I didn't really think I would like too much going in, but as soon as they played "Perfect Day" my smile definitely got wider (I lovelovelove Legally Blonde!!!). We walked in and my rusher directed me to a small room with a couch and a couple of chairs. She said I should sit down in one of the chairs, so I did and then she knelt on the floor. This was somewhat awkward and I always felt like I was talking down to her. I soon discovered that the vibe of the girls overall was pretty chill and I had a great conversation with the person rushing me. I left this house happy and glad that I didn't let my preconceived notions get in the way of having a good time.

Let me just say before I start on my Baroque party that their house is stunning. It looks like something straight out of "perfect sorority houses magazine" (I'm aware this isn't real, but if it was, this house would be in it). Also, I went into Recruitment with no knowledge of any of the "tiers" or rumors or trash talk. I didn't actively look for it because I really didn't care. First of all, Baroque was the only sorority to get buses instead of tents for the PNMs to use before their party at Baroque and let me tell you, the air conditioning felt like HEAVEN! I really, really wanted to like this sorority, but when we were learning the chant and the girl who came out to check and make sure we were all in the right order came out and was a real life Barbie, I knew that there was no way I would ever fit in with them. They opened the doors to the UCF theme and led us in to what looked like a hollowed out dining hall which echoed like crazy! The first girl that I talked to was actually really, really sweet and I thought I really connected with her. I then got bumped to someone with fake eyelashes galore, super tan skin, and hair blonder than blonde. Don't get me wrong, she was very pretty and held an intelligent conversation with me, but I knew I was going to put them in my bottom two at the end of the day.

Bali Blue was our last house before lunch. I went into this party thinking these girls were going to be stuck up and that I would have nothing to talk about with them except the generic what year/what major stuff. The first thing that was different about this party is that they had two PNMs for one active and they had us all at tables. It was kind of awkward in the beginning, but I got over it. The girl who was rushing me was actually really cool, chill and hilarious! I don't know whether the girl they paired me with was just shy or didn't want to be there because she didn't talk at all throughout the whole party except to give the usual answers. Looking back, I feel a little bad because I have a very strong personality and I probably should have tried to include her. Anyways, I left feeling like Bali Blue was for sure the house for me!

We had lunch and then Delta Zeta where they had girls from Florida DZ chapters come and talk to us while their national people put on a presentation. It was cute, but I didn't know if I would be willing to drop out of Recruitment to rush DZ.

We then made our way over to Cupcakes Pink, which going in was my number 1. I loved their mascot, colors, philanthropy, and what the sorority stood for. We got in and I started talking to the girl about the usual stuff and she asked me what activities I did in high school and when I mentioned that I did colorguard she said that one of the sisters was the captain of one of the independent winterguards. It turns out that I actually knew this sister through one of my friends on my high school guard! I then proceeded to mention how I didn't think I knew anyone in a sorority, but it seemed I actually knew a couple. When she asked who else I knew, I told her that I knew someone in Baroque. She of course asked how I knew her and I had no choice but to say from church, which then brought up religion and I know it is one of the forbidden topics of rush and I was mentally kicking myself for bringing up the other girl. She found out I was Methodist and she was Catholic and it all went down from there. I got bumped to a girl where we had an awkward conversation about her losing her voice and how honey would help her. The party was soon over and even though I really liked this house, I knew I probably wouldn't be asked back because of my slip up.

I didn't know what to think of Indigo Pop going into the party because I didn't really know all too much about them! This was one of the other houses that we actually got to see the door song because they lined us up in arcs. And I'm glad because it was ADORABLE!!! The first girl who rushed me gave of this vibe of being very stuck up and she eventually bumped me to another girl who was pretty nice and then I eventually got bumped to yet another girl who was seriously one of the sweetest (or is really good at acting nice) girls I have met! We talked about my major and movies that we wanted to see (The Vow) and then it was time to got. So even though the party started on a sour note, it ended on a good one and I liked them enough to want to come back.

It was off to Viva La Vera, the second to last party of the day and I was starting to fell really tired. We got in a line and were led into this beautiful house. The exterior is not as gorgeous as Baroque's, but the inside is stunning. This was another house where it was one rusher to two PNMs. The rusher took me and another girl to their chapter room where we sat down and talked. The person who rushed me was actually a sophomore that ended up being in my government class in the fall. We talked and the PNM that I was paired with was someone who I knew I would never get along with outside of this situation, but I smiled and took part in the conversation. I asked the girl who was rushing me what her favorite part of being in Viva La Vera was and - I kid you not because there is no way I could or would ever make this up - she said, "I like when the fraternity boys come in and make us breakfast. It is so sweet and they just do it for free!" My subconscious' jaw was to the floor. I could not believe she had just said that. All of the other girls I had talked to in the houses that I had asked that question had said either sisterhood or their philanthropy events which were the answers I was looking for because I wanted that to be my favorite part of a sorority. Anyways, the conversation just went downhill from there and somehow turned into talking about how the other PNMs dog had just recently died. I was grateful to be out of that house. They were a house that I definitely didn't want to go back to.

Finally! The last party of the day was at Suzani and just in time too because it started to rain a right before we started to line up. So they told us to just get in line and they quickly ushered us into the house to clapping, singing, and cheering. I was so exhausted by this point. My feet hurt, I was wet and I really just wanted to take a shower and go to bed after the long hot day. But I knew I had one more party to go to and I wasn't going to let anything get in my way from being my best self. So I threw on a smile and started the conversation. The girl who was rushing me was obviously nervous and really didn't know what to say. So after we got past the usual questions for me, I pretty much had a one-sided conversation with the girl nodding and smiling away. It wasn't a bad connection like at Viva La Vera, but I didn't really like the fact that I talked so much about myself and I knew nothing about the personality of the sister. The party ended and I walked out to, thankfully, no rain, but a few ominous clouds.

We had to make our way all the way back to Very Berry Paisley to do our voting. At the end of the day I put Baroque and Viva La Vera as the houses I really didn't want to go back to.