A 10 year anniversary retro thread - Page 3

chesney214 · #31 07-23-2008, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kreich

Wow, I can't believe you remember so much from each individual party during rush!!

I think it helps that I'm still connected to the collegiate chapter - every time Recruitment comes around it brings back memories.

On with the story...

Day 6 - Skit Day
Bengals - I was more and more in love with this chapter and thought their skit was so cute. It was Grease themed and I thought it very funny. I saw the A-Rod girl from the day before who seemed really happy to see me. I spoke with a senior at this chapter who was the first person I didn't click with as much, but I didn't dislike her. I remember being so tired when I came to the Bengal house, but I relaxed a bit because this place just felt like home. I had such a fun time and couldn't wait to come back for Preference.

Patriots – Most other chapters did skits this round, but this chapter did a slideshow set to music. I really liked it because you could see all the activities this chapter had done the previous year, and how bonded the girls were. Again I clicked with the girl I talked to and thought "hey, I could really fit in here".

Packers - this chapter's skit was cute. It was also sort of Grease themed and was funny, but I didn't feel a connection as much here as at the other chapters. They sang this Coke song that got stuck in my head though.

Bears - This chapter was okay, but I still really wasn't clicking with the girls. Thought I don't remember what their skit was, I do remember not being that impressed with it. The girls seemed nice, but awkward. (I have to confess that some of my impressions from this chapter were a result of the tent talk that was going on, which looking back I’m disappointed that I listened to it as the girls were friendly and welcoming.)

Eagles - I really liked this house, but I was picked up by the girl who I didn't click with from the prior round. I was surprised and hoped that things would go better today. The skit the girls presented was really funny and cute, but I wasn't sure if I had clicked enough with that girl and felt it would hurt my chances of becoming an Eagle.

At this point I was really close with one of my Rho Chi's and would hang out with her when I had breaks. She asked me what my top three houses were, and I said Bengals, Eagles, and Patriots. She said she thought those were all good houses, which I was glad about. I secretly hoped I would end up in the same house as her because she was so fun and cool.

Next up...invites for Preference.

baci · #32 07-24-2008, 06:53 AM

continue real soon please!

chesney214 · #33 07-25-2008, 11:56 AM

Invites for Day 7 -
I came to meet up with my Rho Chi group and the lists were passed out. I was so excited to see where I would be going back for Preference. The Rho Chi’s starting passing out the lists and when the Rho Chi I had befriended got to my desk, she couldn't look at me. I soon found out why. My heart dropped when I saw the names of the houses on my schedule. The houses I would go to for Preference were...

Packers
Bears

I was heartbroken – how could the Bengals drop me? I didn’t understand how I could have been so wrong about the connections I made there. Despite the way I was feeling, I still really wanted to be in a sorority and decided that I should suck it up and give the Packers and Bears another look. They saw something in me, so maybe I should take a closer look at them.

Day 7 - Preference
The Bears was the first chapter I visited. I was picked up by a girl I didn't know who told me there were quite a few girls in the house who were excited to have me back. I was still in such shock from earlier in the day I didn't really respond (how rude of me). We ate a little bit, then they did the preference ceremony. I could tell the members were really into it (some people were tearing up), but I did not feel like this chapter was my home. I left the party feeling uncomfortable and unsure if I would find the place for me.

At the Packers party the really chatty girl that gave me a house tour picked me up. We grabbed some food and then sat down on a loveseat to chat. Luckily she was just as talkative as before, because I was still in shock and pretty quiet (which is unusual for me). We gathered in a circle for the ceremony and a couple members sang a really beautiful song where they harmonized with each other. It made me get a little teary, though I think some of that was due to the all the emotions from the week. I felt better about this chapter, but I still wasn't sure I wanted to be a Packer.

After the party I went back to my Rho Chi group and had to rank the two sororities in order of which I wanted to be in. I knew I didn't feel comfortable at the Bears house, but I wasn't sure how I felt about the Packers. I was still thinking about being dropped from my favorite houses, and I found it tough to fill out my card. The thought never occurred to me to drop out of rush as I really wanted to be in a sorority. Eventually I filled out my preferences and ranked the houses like this:

1. Packers
2. Bears

On the way home I had a knot in my stomach because I still wasn't sure I wanted to be a Packer, and I was pretty sure I didn’t want to be a Bear. I would just have to wait and see what bid day held.

Kansas City · #34 07-25-2008, 03:19 PM

Please tell us before the weekend ... I can't wait!

Benzgirl · #35 07-25-2008, 05:53 PM

I think we have all had a Bengal in our recruitment.

APhi4Ever · #36 07-27-2008, 02:42 PM

I am excited to hear the ending!

chesney214 · #37 07-28-2008, 10:54 AM

Day 8 - Bid Day
In the late morning I met up with my Rho Chi group for bids to be passed out. Each Rho Chi group met in a classroom in a hall on campus, as we had been doing all week to receive our schedules. First our Rho Chi's revealed what chapters they were in. I was surprised and a little sad to find out the Rho Chi I had bonded with was a Bengal (later she told me she felt really bad that her chapter dropped me - which eased a bit of the rejected feeling). After the reveal, they passed out the bid cards. At this point the thought crept into my head "please let it be the Packers". I guess I knew where I wanted to be more than I thought!

We had to wait until exactly the right time to open the bids, and eventually we were given the green light. Everyone ripped into their envelopes. I pulled mine out to find a bid to...

*

**

***

****

*****

the Packers!

otherwise known as...

*

**

***

Alpha Xi Delta!

I was relieved to have gotten my first choice, though I was still in shock from all the rejection of the week. I hung around to give my Rho Chi a card I had bought for her, thanking her for being so great that week. She told me to hurry up and meet up with my sorority otherwise they might think I had dropped out. So out the door I went to where my group was meeting up. The girls were so excited and they had rented limos to drive us around and take us to the chapter house! It was a bit crazy, and very overwhelming, but great at the same time. Things were starting to look better.

It took me a while to warm up, but by the end of the next week I did and now of course I love my organization. Looking back I definitely think I ended up in the best place for me as it was truly the chapter I felt the most like myself at, even though I didn't recognize it at the time. I feel lucky that the chapter members who were rushing me saw something they liked, despite that the feeling wasn't mutual during most of Rush week.

When I went through Recruitment we were (obviously) using the old methodology, and my alma mater has since switched to the new Release Figures methodology. I think had the new method been used when I went through I probably would have been cut from houses a lot earlier and been more comfortable with the Packers and Bears earlier on. I’m so glad the new method is being used now as I really believe it gives PNMs a more realistic idea of where they will end up.

Thanks for reading!

khlkcca · #38 07-28-2008, 11:03 AM

Take it from someone who lives near Cincinnati, the Bengals always miss the good ones.

Thanks for sharing your story.

WinniBug · #39 07-28-2008, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chesney214

Panthers - I had heard this house was kind of a party house (stupid, stupid tent talk).I was a little worried about this as I was not a partier at all, but when I met the girls I really clicked with them. They were very friendly and seemed down to earth. I was surprised that I liked this house as much as I did.

When I saw what you put in parentheses, I sort of assumed that this is where you ended up going.
:-)

weathergirl · #40 07-28-2008, 12:24 PM

Woo hoo! Go Packers!!

Texas<>Diamonds · #41 07-28-2008, 04:30 PM

Can you post the code or would you rather keep that secret?

#42 07-28-2008, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texas<>Diamonds

Can you post the code or would you rather keep that secret?

This isn't directed to you, T<>D, but to GC in general.

I just don't get why you all feel the need to ask the retro/rush thread writer what the friggin' code is. After reading 20something's thread, this really begins to irk me.

It defeats the purpose of using code names. If they really wanted you to know how they felt about XYZ, ABC, DEF, etc. they wouldn't use code names in the first place.

carnation · #43 07-28-2008, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

I think we have all had a Bengal in our recruitment.

I love this. It should be stickied in bright red somewhere.

ASUADPi · #44 07-28-2008, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTW

This isn't directed to you, T<>D, but to GC in general.

I just don't get why you all feel the need to ask the retro/rush thread writer what the friggin' code is. After reading 20something's thread, this really begins to irk me.

It defeats the purpose of using code names. If they really wanted you to know how they felt about XYZ, ABC, DEF, etc. they wouldn't use code names in the first place.

No need to attack her.

I know that I like to know the codes so that I know how my chapter did. I think getting PNM feedback, even if it is ten years later, is invaluable. If only we could get feedback right then and there of what the chapters are doing successfully and not successfully.

And it doesn't defeat the purpose of code names. Some people just don't feel comfortable posting the actual names online but have no problem PMing the list to people who ask.

Instead of attacking T<>D, why don't you just let the OP make the call of whether she wants to give the codes out in the thread of via PM. That is hers and only hers call to make!

chesney214 · #45 07-28-2008, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASUADPi

No need to attack her.

I know that I like to know the codes so that I know how my chapter did. I think getting PNM feedback, even if it is ten years later, is invaluable. If only we could get feedback right then and there of what the chapters are doing successfully and not successfully.

And it doesn't defeat the purpose of code names. Some people just don't feel comfortable posting the actual names online but have no problem PMing the list to people who ask.

Instead of attacking T<>D, why don't you just let the OP make the call of whether she wants to give the codes out in the thread of via PM. That is hers and only hers call to make!

I don't think she was attacking T<>D - OTW specifically said it wasn't directed at her, but to the general public.

As for the code, I'm not going to post it, but people can PM me if they would like to see it.