DoodleK's Recruitment Tale

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by alum

"The Daffy-dils who entertain at Angelo's and Maxie's..."

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Why do I feel the urge to tap dance??!!

You and me both.

[beccaminister]

ooooh! Now i'm rooting for Daffodil! Keep the story coming!

[qbt1990]

Hahaha it is so funny how those two girls are named Frick and Frack! love your story

[CougarGrad]

Good for you for being open-minded enough to let Sunflower surprise you, despite your past experience. It sounds like you had a really supportive Pi Chi to walk through some things with you. I'm excited to hear more, and curious about the annoying Frick and Frack... *laugh*

[DoodleK'Noodle]

I adored my Pi Chi. She was the best!!

After we ranked, I returned to my hall and sat around with friends eating pizza and watching tv. We discussed the sororities, our favorites and some funny things that had happened during the day. I realized that I wasn’t the only one who was feeling anxious about the process, we all were. We all seemed really confused too. Our favorites seemed to change constantly. The next round we would only be able to go to 4 houses.

That night I talked to my mom, who wasn’t greek and really didn’t understand it, but with her “mom wisdom” told me to stop worrying about it so much and to just go with it. Eventually I would find my place, whether it was in a sorority or not. She made me take a couple deep breaths and told me not to take myself quite so seriously – which made me smile. She also told me that while she knew it was a stereo-type sorority girls are supposed to have fun, and that I needed to have some myself.

The next morning, I went to meet with my Pi Chi to get my schedule. She commented on how glad she was to see that I had a smile on my face and handed me my schedule for the day: Sunflower, Cherry Blossom, Orchid, and Lilac…Hyacinth and Daffodil had not invited me back. I was mad about Hyacinth – I had felt like I really had made a connection the day before! I was not surprised by Daffodil. Even though I had a great time during Philanthropy, I knew I wasn’t a Daffodil.

I took a few deep breaths, my Pi Chi asked me how I felt and before I knew it the whole story about the Sunflower “incident” started coming out of my mouth. I told her how confused I was because I really liked the Sunflowers I had met, but this one issue hung over my head and I was worried that if I became a Sunflower, this girl would make my life miserable. My Pi Chi told me that with 100+ girls, you won’t get along with all of them all of the time. People clash and since I keep getting invited back, some Sunflowers must want me there. I felt better talking to my Pi Chi and felt more comfortable with my invites when I left.

I returned to my dorm to find a few of my friends upset or angry. Apparently the cuts had been harsh. A few girls who had “known that they were going to be an X” no longer had that as a possibility. Some girls withdrew from recruitment, some were inconsolable, some tried to shake it off and go on, and some were keeping quiet because they felt lucky and didn’t want to brag.

[mittens]

more pleeeeease

[DoodleK'Noodle]

That night I actually slept really well. I had been exhausted from the week and thought that as long as I had Orchid as one of my pref parties, I would be happy. I got dressed in a colored dress (because I had been told it was better to wear a color than black or white), helped friends with hair and make-up and headed down to meet my Pi Chi.

When I got to the student center again, some girls were jumping up and down they were so excited, some girls were crying, and some were just quiet. The criers seem to out number the happy PNMs. Again, it seemed like the cuts had been hard. Upon seeing this, I got very very anxious – to the point that I thought I was going to make myself sick (my only thought to keep myself from getting sick was that if I did, I would get something on my dress and be more upset!)

I finally got to my Pi Chi. She handed me my sheet...

oooo... its lunch time....

[DoodleK'Noodle]

Orchid & Lilac.

I re-read the sheet about 6 times and jumped up and down and gave my Pi Chi a huge hug! I walked out of the room ecstactic!!!

When I left the student center I saw Frick standing with Frack and a bunch of their friends. One of the girls was visibly upset. Frick called me over and asked me where I was going back to; I told proudly and happily that I was returning to Orchid & Lilac. Frick told me she was returning to Daffodil and Lilac. Frack told me she was going to Daffodil and Hyacinth (not that I had asked her or anything).

I got in line at Orchid and reminded myself to breathe….

Orchid – The doors opened and I was met immediately by the Orchid who I had spoke with the day before from my winter term class, we’ll call her Jen. We were sat in a beautifully decorate room surrounded by candle light. A few of the sisters spoke and then Jen came and got me. Jen and I spoke and she showed me a few of her favorite Orchid things and told me stories and memories she had as an Orchid. I don’t know why, but as she teared-up, so did I. She comforted me, and told me how she understood that this was a really hard week – that last year she had had a really hard her recruitment, but when she opened her bid card and it said Orchid, that she felt happy and relieved. She then said that if either one of us were going to make it through the day, we should stop crying because it was ruining our makeup so she told me a funny story about one of her experiences with Orchid to lighten our moods. After our one-on-one time, Jen led me back to my seat and the ceremony continued. Members gave testimonials. I think I cried during all of them. I did take some Greek Chat advice and took a minute too look at the girls sitting down with me, a few of them I recognized from my dorm or my classes, some I had had some interaction others that I didn’t know at all. One of the girls who lived in my hall was also in this party, but she looked miserable. Finally when the ceremony ended, Jen escorted me to the door and gave me a big smile.

I walked to Lilac with a few people who had been with me at Orchid. I was surprised at how many girls were preffing these two groups. Maybe the Orchids and the Lilacs were more similar than I had thought.

Lilac – Similar to Orchid, the door opened and I was met again by the Lilac from my winter term class, we’ll call her Emily. Emily introduced me to the room fill of her Lilac sisters. The room was decorated absolutely beautifully. I couldn't believe that this was the same room that I had been in the day before. It was amazing! Again, there was a formal ceremony and several Lilac’s spoke. Emily then took me to a private area and we chatted about how much Lilac ment to her and how much she loved her sisters and that they were her best friends. Emily showed me some Lilac items that were important to her and told me a sad story and how her sisters supported her through a bad time. I was touched by Emily’s story and saw that she was getting emotional about it. I thought that maybe the Lilac’s do have a closer bond than I first thought. After our one-on-one the ceremony continued. Lilac’s gave testimonies, similar to those at Orchids. I think I cried during all of these testimonies too! I looked around the room, at the sisters and the PNMs, and I did feel a spark of something inside. The ceremony ended and Emily lead me to the door and whispered that she hoped my wish was the same as hers.

We walked outside and the temperature was quickly dropping. Our Pi Chis had us walk in absolute silence back to the student center. I kept running the whole week through my head although I was pretty certain that I knew which chapter I was going to put down first.

[lovespink88]

more more more!!!

[AlphaXi_Husky]

I can't decide if you and Frick are going to end up in Lilac together, or if I think you're going to Orchid. Can't wait to find out!

[gphibbaby]

ahh i can't wait to here what happens next! more more moer!

[myopicsunflower]

I really, really like this story.

[gphibbaby]

more more more! i love this!

[twinkle555]

Yeayeayeaaaa!! Go Orchid, go orchid, go orchid!

[DoodleK'Noodle]

Our Pi Chis became drill sergeants. “No talking” “Stop talking” or “Women, be quiet!” (apparently, we weren’t allowed to be called anything but “women”, ladies was even taboo! Which many of us found funny.) We were lined up alphabetically directed to sit in chairs. People from Panhellenic and Greek Life explained to us how to fill out our final selections, explained “intentional single preferencing” and the ramificiations. They also explained if you put down to houses, and you get a bid from your second house and you decline it – you would be unable to go through any recruitment for one year, and that this included COB in the fall. There was a collective gasp. This was it.

I sat down, I thought for a minute, took a deep breath and made my selections:
1. Orchid
2. Lilac.

I knew I could be potentially happy in either house, they were different but they
both fit me in some respects. I turned in my sheet. Before I left, I looked around the room, I saw the faces of some of my friends and you could see the painful confusion on their faces. I then saw Frick. She was sitting with her sheet in front of her with tears running down her face. My heart went out to her. I knew she was torn in half.

After we made our selections, the PNMs essentially went into “lock-down”. We were gathered in one giant room in our pjs and activities and watched a movie and ate food while we believed the sororities were making up their bid lists.