My AI path home

[SquirrelyDays]

So off to college.
The scholarship I was offered was merit-based. I test really well, and as we know I like school, so my "numbers" were really good. I signed up to live in the Honors dorms on campus, and I decided I would rush. As high school wound down, a few of the girls in my senior class who planned to attend my mom's school asked her for a recommendation for recruitment. I did not do this. I did not collect any recommendations, at all. My mother did not suggest that I do so - remember she wasn't super involved, and probably didn't know whether they were really necessary.

Recruitment occurred the week before school started. We had to get permission to move into the dorms early. There were a handful of women who were participating in recruitment on my floor - including my next door neighbor. Boy, did I admire her. She was polished and friendly, and always wore an amazing perfume that was just right - not too strong, but not forgettable. Her outfits were lovely. MY outfits were just the best things in my closet. I did not buy anything extra or special for recruitment. I waffled between "oh I really hope people like me" and "this is all so silly." I am absolutely a joiner and an extrovert, and I liked the idea of belonging to a Sisterhood, but I definitely had gotten an earful of "Greeks are just buying their friends" from someone, so I really wasn't sure it was for me.

[SquirrelyDays]

Now, my college had TONS of NPC houses. The first round of recruitment was spread over 2 days so everyone could visit every house right off the bat. The majority of the houses were all in one area of campus. One house was a short walk away, and one organization had just been installed but did not yet have a house. I was excited to visit the houses, but I didn't know a lot about the individual organizations.

This was long long ago, but I have a few clear memories:
Kappa Kappa Gamma had my favorite skit.
Delta Gamma had a wonderful Sisterhood song.

When I was leaving one house I took a paper napkin embossed with the sorority monogram with me - I didn't realize that wasn't allowed.

At one house I ended up alone in a room with my rusher. I didn't realize that wasn't allowed either - but her reaction sure made it obvious. She panicked and started to leave the room to go find other recruitment pairs to join us, but then didn't want me to be left alone. It turned out she was a sophomore and it was her first time recruiting.

At one house I was paired with another PNM to speak with one active Sister. I found out later that this was one of the smallest organizations on campus, which make sense, but at the time I just remember feeling a little ignored. I didn't fit with what the house was looking for, and the other PNM was really obviously a perfect match. Makes sense now.

Of course, in retrospect I know these things about myself:
- I was really unfashionable.
- I was trying too hard.
- I listened too much to the tent talk.

At the beginning I really didn't have any specific opinions about organizations, but the tent talk was very persuasive. The Rho Chi tried to remind us all to keep an open mind, but I was surprised that I didn't have many parties the second round, and disappointed that I didn't get asked back to the "top tier". I think my GPA might have been the only thing that got me invited back anywhere.

In the end, I decided not to attend Prefs.