KiwiJuice08's Fall '05 Rush Thread!! - Page 6

DeltaBetaBaby · #1 09-17-2005, 02:11 PM

Okay, I have held my tongue for a long time on this thread, because it is obviously at my alma mater, but I am posting now, and if I am out of line, PT and Carnation, feel free to delete.

U of I is a huge, wonderful greek system. Even the smallest chapters are 80 women strong. And let me tell you, the difference between 80 women in your chapter and 150 women is not much. You are going to make friends and find opportunities in both, and they all have gorgeous chapter houses.

In addition, the strong chapters CHANGE every few years, on both the sorority and the fraternity sides. I have seen a half a dozen dedicated men or women turn a chapter around more than once. I have also seen large chapters get lazy in their rushing or risk management or scholarship or sisterhood/brotherhood and fall in the ranks.

The big awards -- chapter of the year, greek woman of the year, chapter president of the year, etc. rotate pretty evenly among the chapters as well.

Women in my chapter had friends and dated men in every chapter on campus, as well as many independents. In fact, many of my friends would come by my chapter house and comment on how sweet all my sisters were and how much fun they had at my house, and there is no greater compliment.

With so many chapters, not every one is going to shine during FR. In recent years, my own chapter has become COB pros, and we love the idea of getting a more diverse group of women by looking outside the group that knows the second week of school that they want to be in a sorority. Of course, in prepping and budgeting for COB alongside FR, we have fewer resources for FR.

So all that said, I would never encourage you to accept a bid from a chapter at which you are not comfortable. I will, however, encourage you to:

1. Go to prefs tonight no matter who is on your list. You don't get that list until you are all dressed up anyway, so at that point you have little to lose. If you don't walk out of one of those chapters wanting to be a sister, don't sign a bid card.

2. If FR does not work out, attend COB at some of the chapters that didn't impress you during FR. Some of them are just simply much better in the informal setting, and you will get to meet far more women.

3. Stop and think about what your sorority experience means. I admit, I was not in the most popular chapter on campus, but I love my sisters and there is something special between us that goes beyond friendship.

Two weeks ago I watched a pledge sister give a toast through tears and a goofy smile at the wedding of another pledge sister who was the most beautiful bride I've ever seen. With the perspective of age and maturity, I would never trade that or those women for a better social calendar second semester of sophomore year.

I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you find what I did.

carnation · #2 09-17-2005, 03:00 PM

Well said, DeltaBetaBaby!

UofISigKap · #3 09-17-2005, 03:08 PM

I second that!

irishpipes · #4 09-17-2005, 03:18 PM

Exactly. This may be un-NPC to say, but the very, very top 3-4 chapters and the bottom one or two don't really change in reputation from year to year, but that leaves about 14 chapters that do. In my experience at U of I, those 14 chapters have up years and down years. There are a riduculous number of fraternities at U of I - they outnumber the sororities by FAR, so pretty much every chapter has exchanges with "good" fraternities. Also, with chapter sizes pretty large, most people will be able to find great friendships within a chapter if they really try. I can't speak to the COB thing, because when I was there it didn't exist, but I am glad it is there if it is giving more chapters and more women a good Greek experience. I am not going to suggest that anyone accept a bid from a chapter she hates, but I will say that at U of I, being a non-Greek can be pretty difficult. It is a huge, huge part of campus life there.

Tom Earp · #5 09-17-2005, 05:49 PM

As has been stated many times with The Above Posts, today is now, Tomarrow may be different as so go Chapters.

So (?) Everyone wants The Biggies?

The Neat Fraternities want them. BS. The lowest Chapter of a Sorority was the only one to lback us as a Local and We were very greatful to them. Many of us married some of those Ladys. I didnt, along with many others and they finally left campus sorry to say!

copacabana · #6 09-17-2005, 06:43 PM

Hey Kiwijuice, if you stick it out, I'll stick it out.

KiwiJuice08 · #7 09-17-2005, 07:10 PM

Well I appreciate all the comments, but I don't want you to think that I was unhappy with some of the houses I was invited back to because they weren't the top houses. I don't care about that, I just care about finding a house that I feel comfortable in. I did attend all 3 parties for pref, and I had an amazing time at one of them. One of them was awkward beyond belief and we kind of stared at each other in silence a number of times. The other house, like I said before, I really liked the girls...but I honestly cannot see myself as a sister.

I only listed 2 of the 3 houses I went back to when I preffed them tonight - Judgement and Stardust.

I felt like Judgement went amazingly well. I had the same girl that I had last night, and we hit it off so well last night - today we couldn't stop talking. I felt like I had found a long lost friend!! The food was impressive as well :-) but no...I love this house now...my feelings have definitely grown for it over the last week, and I think I will be heartbroken tomorrow if they are not on my bid card.

I wanted to only list Judgement on my pref sheet, but I talked to my rc about it and she suggested that I list my 2nd, just in case...so I did. We meet tomorrow at 12. I have a feeling tonight is going to be very long.

Again, I hope you don't think I'm choosing houses based on their popularity, because that has been the least of my thoughts. I just want to find a place that I can call home, and sisters that I feel a strong connection with. I feel like I have already found the first sparks of that at one house, and the others...while I could see myself being friends with the girls...I just don't feel as comfortable with them.

Well...until tomorrow!

copacabana · #8 09-17-2005, 07:21 PM

Good luck

I'll try to stick it out...it's just hard...

DeltaBetaBaby · #9 09-17-2005, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KiwiJuice08
Well I appreciate all the comments, but I don't want you to think that I was unhappy with some of the houses I was invited back to because they weren't the top houses. I don't care about that, I just care about finding a house that I feel comfortable in. I did attend all 3 parties for pref, and I had an amazing time at one of them. One of them was awkward beyond belief and we kind of stared at each other in silence a number of times. The other house, like I said before, I really liked the girls...but I honestly cannot see myself as a sister.

I only listed 2 of the 3 houses I went back to when I preffed them tonight - Judgement and Stardust.

I felt like Judgement went amazingly well. I had the same girl that I had last night, and we hit it off so well last night - today we couldn't stop talking. I felt like I had found a long lost friend!! The food was impressive as well :-) but no...I love this house now...my feelings have definitely grown for it over the last week, and I think I will be heartbroken tomorrow if they are not on my bid card.

I wanted to only list Judgement on my pref sheet, but I talked to my rc about it and she suggested that I list my 2nd, just in case...so I did. We meet tomorrow at 12. I have a feeling tonight is going to be very long.

Again, I hope you don't think I'm choosing houses based on their popularity, because that has been the least of my thoughts. I just want to find a place that I can call home, and sisters that I feel a strong connection with. I feel like I have already found the first sparks of that at one house, and the others...while I could see myself being friends with the girls...I just don't feel as comfortable with them.

Well...until tomorrow!

No, I don't think that, and don't feel that you can't be honest here. I just want to encourage every rushee to give every chapter a chance. I had a bad rush experience myself, but in hindsight, I couldn't be happier with how it ended up.

UofISigKap · #10 09-17-2005, 10:27 PM

It sounds like you were true to yourself and were honest through the process. Good luck tomorrow. I wish you nothing but the best!

(Of course you personally know what house went with what nickname...I think that many of us here secretly go "ohhh, I hope those are my sisters that she really liked the best!" when we read through these threads. I mean, of course we like our respective homes and get excited when someone else sees how great they are too!...Or maybe that's just me.

) Anyway, lots of luck and try to get some sleep tonight.

ASUADPi · #11 09-17-2005, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by UofISigKap

(Of course you personally know what house went with what nickname...I think that many of us here secretly go "ohhh, I hope those are my sisters that she really liked the best!" when we read through these threads. I mean, of course we like our respective homes and get excited when someone else sees how great they are too!...Or maybe that's just me. ) Anyway, lots of luck and try to get some sleep tonight.

No I'm the same way

I'm thinking "oh I hope it's ADPi she likes the best" LOL.

But you know what, as long as a PNM finds her home and she is happy, I'm happy.

We have 26 AMAZING sororities in NPC so let's face it girlies, WE ALL ROCK so they lucky to be with any of us!!!!

Good luck tomorrow sweetie!!!! I'm sending good thoughts your way!!!!!!

mmcat · #12 09-18-2005, 01:03 AM

sweetie...
sleep well tonight and know you did the best you could.
tomorrow could be amazing.
but, if not, you still are...amazing.
you have handled all of this beautifully.
we're with you.

KiwiJuice08 · #13 09-18-2005, 01:21 AM

Thank you thank you thank you to everyone!! All of the well wishes mean so much to me! I'm really excited for tomorrow, not as nervous as I was a few hours ago...but all the same I can't help but feel butterflies in my stomach when I think of opening that bid card tomorrow. Aaaah...I just want 12:00 to be here! But until then...I must do some Econ hw. I put it off for a last minute concert tonight...but I will say it was worth it, and it definitely helped calm the nerves. Well...hopefully I won't be posting before 6pm! Until then...

mmcat · #14 09-18-2005, 01:27 AM

no call tonight, or in the morning...
just let it happen and then see what you need to do.
you might land exactly where you need to be.
who knows?

UofISigKap · #15 09-18-2005, 12:37 PM

Okay, it's 12:37 EST....C'mon noon time in Champaign!!!
::fingers crossed & wishful thoughts::

(Sheesh, you would have thought that I was personally going through recruitment again!)