Okay, Okay, carnation's retro rush thread (ie, how not to do recruitment)

[carnation]

It was the rush counselor. She had said she would be calling the floor phone if any one of us upperclassmen didn't get a bid.

[AlwaysSAI]

All of these cliff hangers just are not fair!

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by carnation

It was the rush counselor. She had said she would be calling the floor phone if any one of us upperclassmen didn't get a bid.

That's kind of embarrassing. I mean, not that word wouldn't get out, but imagine someone answering the floor phone and yelling "Hey Patty PNM, the rush counselor is on the phone for you..." and then Patty yelling "Debbie Downer, it's your turn...".

[violetpretty]

Did you not have individual room phones?

[carnation]

The individual room phones were turned off during rush in the PNMs' dorms. Back then, with no cell phones or computers, silence meant silence unless maybe you sneaked out somewhere to use a phone in, I don't know, a fraternity house (then you would have been in double trouble if caught).

[AnchorAlumna]

Carnation, you are such a TEASE!
"The phone rang."
Was it a dark and stormy night?!?

[carnation]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

Carnation, you are such a TEASE!
"The phone rang."
Was it a dark and stormy night?!?

No, I'm sure it was a hot and sunny Alabama morning!

We all clustered around the phone. The RC trilled, "Just wanted you guys to know that you all got bids!" Split feelings here: we were glad to know that but she had also told us the phone would ring only if someone had been dropped. Our hearts were still pounding.

A few hours later, we were on our way to the Social Center. Some of you have described the beautiful bids you received; well, all the rushees got the same type of bid. It was (wait for it): A COMPUTER CARD!

And God had smiled on me. My card invited me to become a member of

PI BETA PHI!!

[Low C Sharp]

I knew the ending was happy for carnation, but it's a nice surprise to hear that the other upperclassmen got bids, too. Did they accept them?

I love these little reminders of how much authority institutions used to have.

I know! Some of the old women's dorms at my college still have these special hooks on them. If you had a male guest (which was permitted only during certain daylight hours), the door had to remain open by 12 inches, and the hook held the door open by exactly that distance.
________

[Hopeful_Bubbles]

Originally Posted by carnation

No, I'm sure it was a hot and sunny Alabama morning!

Aww- you went and ruined the great, grainy, black&white scene I had going in my mind! I love stories with happy endings, even if I know they're coming. Great story!

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by carnation

The individual room phones were turned off during rush in the PNMs' dorms. Back then, with no cell phones or computers, silence meant silence unless maybe you sneaked out somewhere to use a phone in, I don't know, a fraternity house (then you would have been in double trouble if caught).

I love these little reminders of how much authority institutions used to have. Assuming we could rule out computers and cell phones some way, imagine the complaints the university would get from momma and daddy today if they did something similar.

[Sister Havana]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

I love these little reminders of how much authority institutions used to have. Assuming we could rule out computers and cell phones some way, imagine the complaints the university would get from momma and daddy today if they did something similar.

Seriously. IU, like several other schools, had "women's hours" up until the late 60s. In my guidebook, I read that Read Center, which used to be a women's dorm (it's coed now), still has doorbells at the entrances to the wings - the doors were locked at curfew, and if a woman came back after curfew, she had to ring the doorbell to get in!

[AnchorAlumna]

When I was a freshman at the U of Alabama, I went to visit my boyfriend at a small college, Florence State, and stayed in the dorm room of some of his female friends (platonic!!) who went home for the weekend. We went out for a bite to eat and were headed to a movie when he asked, "You did check out, didn't you?" Well no, I never heard of having to check out of the dorm! We had to race back to the dorm and I had to pull a card and check out...and then check back in at curfew. Talk about dark ages!
Very few rooms in our sorority houses had individual phones...if the girls were rich enough, they could have one put in (expensive! Probably $25 a month...equivalent of about $150 2007 dollars). Most everybody took calls in the "Anchor Room," a 2nd floor room at the top of the stairs that had 2 phones and three couches. That was command central! Lonely? You could go hang out in the Anchor Room and talk to the pledge on phone duty. Need advice on an outfit? Go to the Anchor Room where there were bound to be a few sisters hanging out, ready and willing to voice their opinions in front of the full length mirror in the hallway just outside. There was usually a card game going on...and of course a few sisters taking a cigarette break...one year during exams, somebody left a stack of tacky romance comics there, which we devoured...those WERE the days, LOL!