Ladies, it’s that time of year again! A sorority girl’s Christmas and Hanukkah all wrapped into two blissful weeks! Just kidding, it’s like Friday the 13th and Columbus Day had a two-week hell child. Both unnerving and unnecessary.
What exactly am I talking about?
Fall recruitment.
Whether you’re on the giving or receiving end of the much anticipated beginning of Fall semester, we’ve put together a painfully honest guide of what we’ve experienced on both ends of recrunkment, and some hopeful advice.
If You Are the Rushee
By rushee, I mean the college-age gal going through a week of mind games and heel blisters to hopefully be invited to your dream sorority house come bid day. Whether you’re a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed freshmen or a seasoned senior, all are welcome to participate in a carefully planned and perfectly executed show of sisterhood. Whether you heard about Greek life from your older Kappa Nu sister, from a random dorm roommate or from simply staring at the beautiful mansions on Sorority Row, you’ve decided it’s time to check out what all of the hype is about and rush.
If this is your first time rushing, be prepared for lots of emotions. I’m talking giddiness, sadness, confusion, exhaustion…the whole sha-bang. (You might also be experiencing a ton of pent-up sexual frustration after only being surrounded by pure estrogen for a full week.)
Next, you are not going to look the way your Pinterest board is decorated when the time comes. Florida is hot. Like sweltering hot. Then the monsoon hits with rapid 10 mph winds. This is all in the course of one afternoon. Your makeup will never be matte yet dewy. Your hair will not be frizz-free and sleek. Your outfit will not be wrinkle and sweat-free.
But don’t fret!
I freaked out when my hair poofed like a ’70s ‘fro and my dress showed boob sweat. And I only made things worse by thinking that all sorority girls were judging me for it.
Only you are worried about every inch of your skin, and only you can control how positive you make the process. Take a deep breath and understand you cannot control everything, certainly not Florida’s weather. (So please, God, do not bring to each house an oversized tote filled with enough toiletries to satisfy a summer abroad.) Wear clothes that represent who you are, not that look like every other girl walking by. If you don’t like Jack Rogers or Lilly Pulitzer – news flash – don’t buy them! Same goes for boho dresses and chokers. Wear what makes you want to feel “I Woke Up Like This.”
You are unapologetically you throughout your life, so especially embrace this during rush.
You will face rejection. So what? You’ll need tough skin down the road when it really matters for a big job interview. Don’t stress when a house drops you that you thought was totally you because your rusher commented that she *also* loves Netflix (shocking!). If it wasn’t meant to be, it wasn’t meant to be.
Our best advice? Bring extra-strength deodorant, coffee filters for excess oil and that beautiful personality of yours. Come bid day, you will find the house you’re meant to spend your next best years in, not a house that will make you second-guess your appearance, both inward and outward. And if you find out during this process that sorority life isn’t really your thing, then great! You do you girl, because in the wise words of Rihanna, “if you don’t live your life, who the phuck will?”
If You Are the Recruiter
Welcome to two back-to-back weeks of hell. Sold to you in a pretty package entitled ~spirit~ week to prepare for the all enticing recruitment, believe it or not this side of fall recrunkment is far longer and more stressful than being the rushee.
First off, the 12+ hour days. Thankfully classes have not started yet, or else everyone and their mother would be immediately failing. Most sororities don’t allow their members to leave during spirit week, so it’s well over a day’s worth of pure, unadulterated bitchy estrogen. You will find yourself becoming closer to your sorority sisters over a shared hatred of rush week, contouring and nude heels.
Be prepared to participate in morale-boosting activities and day outings (like Disney World), which is easily the only highlight of the week. You will begin dreaming of the best small-talk, feet and leg formation, and appropriate distance between yourself and the rushee while balancing an oversized purse and overfilled glass of water. Once you’ve finally gotten the hang out looking and talking as perfect as possible (a.k.a living, breathing and looking like your sorority), the real rush begins.
To survive this week, we suggest packing tons of energy-filled snacks like almonds and dried fruit, bringing sweaters, sweatpants and socks (the house is pretty much an ice box) and your laptop and headphones for when you need to zone everyone out. If you don’t live in-house, you will yearn for being in a bed while waiting around, so pack a pillow and some blankets to get cozy in.
Once rush week begins, plan for random crying/venting sessions and complete and utter exhaustion. Weirdly enough, you will also face heartbreak by finding out your “rush crush” (girl you are rushing who you absolutely fall in love with/want to be your best friend/little) has either been dropped or dropped your chapter. Tension between friends will run high depending on their point of view of the process. Not everyone is going to get the same time rushing girls, face it. You might be underused or overused. In whatever case, prepare to be stressed out.
The behind-the-scenes action is chaotic no matter what kind of process your sorority uses. You will feel like taking every free moment to bitch about the people around you, the process and the girls you rush, so just pause right here and realize you need to stop. No one cares about your complaints or your heightened feelings.
And please God, while recruiting girls, do not pick a wedgie, brag about fraternities or complain about a hangover. You can still be yourself without being socially gross or vulgar in your words. Not everyone feels the same way about the social aspect of sorority life as you do, so don’t shove it down their young, naive throats. (As for complaining, you will sound immature and fake.)
By the end of the day and week, you won’t even consider wanting to go out and seeing your boyfriend once you hit your bed at night (unless you are in desperate need for some testosterone).
Once bid day rolls, you will simultaneously be a walking-zombie and fairy godmother. Embrace the process and realize that you are done after this celebration. Enjoy a much deserved bubble bath, massage and glass of wine before sleeping for 14 straight hours. You deserve it.
Okay ladies, now let’s get in formation.
