Short and sweet story.. - Page 3

UGAalum94 · #31 08-10-2008, 03:51 PM

People from New Mexico get a bunch of those questions and comments, so much so that New Mexico magazine has a running feature about it: http://www.nmmagazine.com/50missing.php

My favorite was that during the lead up to the 1996 Olympics, the folks handling ticket sales told people from New Mexico to call their embassy.

VandalSquirrel · #32 08-10-2008, 04:14 PM

A woman I know from Alaska went through Rush and cut the top house because when she mentioned where she was from the two girls thought Alaska was an island between California and Hawaii. It offended her that they consistently had top grades and not one, but two of them had no idea where the 49th state was.

I guess that falls under "Funny reasons why you cut a chapter" though we probably all have at least one sister who says something that makes us stop and think "WTF?"

epchick · #33 08-10-2008, 04:24 PM

On "are you smarter than a 5th grader," the guy chose U.S. geography for like $200,000 and the question was What is the northern most state?

Both my mom, dad & the guy playing the game said "Maine." I was like WTF? Uhhhhh...its Alaska!

AOEforme · #34 08-10-2008, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awkward1

How can so many people not know where Alaska is? I came to understand that because Alaska is always shown on maps as being an island floating in the Pacific somewhere that people really believe this to be true. Some maps show Alaska to be situated north of Washington, neglecting to show Canada so it looks like it is very close to Washington. I don't get these types of questions much anymore. I think it is the popularity of things like The Discovery Channel etc. give people glimpses into what life in Alaska is really like. But back in the day there just wasn't a lot of exposure to Alaska and what life is like there.

We always have girls on our campus who can't believe that Chicago isn't a state.

awkward1 · #35 08-10-2008, 04:36 PM

I last left you on pref day. My pref party was really enjoyable, it was sincere and even emotional. I really felt like this sorority wanted me to join them and were not just flattering me. I tried to stay relaxed and not look desperate, hoping that they didn't know I only had one party and it was either them or nothing.

I remember not sleeping well that night. In a matter of days I had gone from not knowing anything about sororities to desperately wanting to be a part of one. The morning of bid day is not a vivid memory, I think I was too tense to register much. I remember holding my envelope and praying that it wasn't blank. I held my breath and opened my envelope and could not believe that I had actually received a bid from Chi Omega!! I can't begin to describe the feeling that came over me at that moment. The next thing I remember is being at the house and getting hugs from sisters who had rushed me and actually crying because I could not believe that I had done it! The following moments were a blur as we received out t-shirts and had lots of pictures taken. I couldn't wait to share the news with my family back home in Alaska, but not having a cell phone meant that would have to wait. During a quiet moment I had to ask one of my new sisters why they picked me because I didn't exactly fit the mold. She said they liked that I was brave enough to travel so far on my own, I was funny and outgoing. In other words, I wasn't exactly like everyone else but I was exactly what they were looking for. Who knew?

The phone call home was a little anti-climatic. My mom tried to be enthusiastic because she knew this was important to me, but she really had no idea what being in a sorority meant. I told her about the real live House Mother, the Parlor in the house, the Dining Room, How boys were not allowed anywhere but the parlor, about the t-shirts and on and on.

Classes started soon afterwards and so did my new member education. I went to my first SEC football game and still remember it like it was yesterday. I could not believe that I was sitting in a stadium filled with so many people who all knew cheers, chants and songs by heart. And the cheerleaders were amazing, I watched them more than I watched the game. I didn't have a sundress to wear so for the first game I wore shorts and no one really seemed to care. Afterwards I ended up borrowing clothes from friends for games and socials and everyone was happy to oblige me. While my friends back in Alaska were staring winter in the face, I was laying in the sun between classes. And yes, I wore shorts to class. That was so cool!

The moral of my story is this...Be yourself during rush and keep an open mind. The day I tried to pretend I was a graceful southern girl was the day I was cut. Also, don't dwell on who cut you but rather on who wants you. You may not be exactly like the rest of the girls but you may be exactly what they are looking for, so just be yourself. I can't say it enough!

HOW MY ADVENTURE ENDED.....
Unfortunately my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer not long after I started college. I had to make a decision, stay at a school I had completely fallen in love with or go home and be with my mom. I chose to go home, it was an easy decision. I never ended up getting initiated because I knew that I would be leaving in December. I'm not a member of Chi-O but Chi-O will always be a part of me. I enrolled at the University of Alaska - Fairbanks (go Nanooks!) where I ended up graduating. While I ached to be back at my southern school, life didn't cooperate with me and my mom passed away the summer before my junior year.

I'm back in the south now with two children who are greek at SEC schools. It didn't work out for me but I do get to experience a little bit of it through my children. We are not an old south family with deep connections but my two kids did well with their rush and are very happy. I'm not revealing where I went to school because I don't want to give the impression that the students there are idiots at geography because of the not well thought out remarks of a few. Sorry, but I can't do that to a school that I am so fond of! I hope this thread is read by some of the girls currently, or soon to be rushing. Maybe it will encourage them to sit back and enjoy the ride and maybe find themselves on a path they never imagine taking!

Just interested · #36 08-10-2008, 04:44 PM

Wow, that was a great story and a major lesson for all.

tinydancer16 · #37 08-10-2008, 04:47 PM

Wow. What a wonderful story, thank you so much for sharing it with us. I'm glad that you got to experience being a part of greek life and my heart breaks for you that it did not have an even happier ending and that you had to make such a tough decision at such a young age. I'm pretty sure that the Chi O's that I know would be proud to call you their sister -I know I would!

icelandelf · #38 08-10-2008, 04:55 PM

Wow. Thank you for sharing your story with us. And I completely cosign with the moral of your story

tld221 · #39 08-10-2008, 05:08 PM

wow. thanks for sharing. im sure you would make Chi-O proud!

Just interested · #40 08-10-2008, 05:26 PM

This is sort of off the subject but I think ok to share. I love this story. I have a KD alumna friend who pledge KD at Vanderbilt in the late 60's. For whatever reason she came home to Texas to finish up her degree at UT where we did not have a chapter at the time and was never initiated (this was when initiation occured in the the 2nd semester of the pledge period) Fast forward 20+ years. KD was colonizing at W&L and this woman's daughter was going to school there and became a member of the colonizing chapter. Well, a happy ending. To make a long story short, they were initiated together in that colonization.

Does Chi O allow alumna initiates? I know we, do but in limited circumstances. It is certainly not the norm but....

gee_ess · #41 08-10-2008, 05:43 PM

I wish I could give you a hug! Great story and a great lesson in life! Thank you.

Benzgirl · #42 08-10-2008, 06:04 PM

We should put a sticky on this story and have every PNM and PNM-mom ready your Moral. Thank you for sharing your recruitment story with us.

lovespink88 · #43 08-10-2008, 06:53 PM

This was the best recruitment story I've read! So touching, thank you for sharing!

Blue Skies · #44 08-10-2008, 09:48 PM

Awkward1, your story touched my heart. Your Chi-O chapter was blessed by your presence, even if only for a short amount of time. You are very typical of the women who built our country. In every family tree there is more than a few women just like you.

LucyKKG · #45 08-10-2008, 10:00 PM

Awww what a great story! You have such wonderful advice and a great outlook on your whole situation even though it ended sadly. Thanks for sharing!