Coming out of high school, I was certain I wasn't going to rush a sorority in college. I mean certain. And while it's obviously possible for people to change their minds, I tend to stay fairly true to my predictions. For instance: When I was four years old, I said I wanted to go to Stanford. When I was eleven, I said I was planning to study both Computer Science and English. And to this day, neither of those things has changed.
But when I was fifteen or so, I said I would never rush. I said I wasn't interested in participating in Greek Life. That it wasn't for me. That I wasn't "about that life" (whatever that means). And as of Monday afternoon when I accepted my bid, I am a proud member of one of Stanford's seven Panhellenic sororities.
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So why exactly did I change my mind?
Stanford has Spring Rush, meaning I had a lot of time to think about it. I was initially set on my original plan of not rushing, but later discovered that many of the girls I enjoy spending time with were, in fact, planning to do so. Of course, this in itself isn't a reason to join a sorority - we're all different people - but it got me thinking about the idea. I began to do some research, browsing sorority websites and reading articles about the Rush process. I talked to upperclassmen who were already in sororities about their experiences, and many of them were positive. I realized that very few of these people were the stereotypical "sorority girl" (an idea I had fabricated from watching movies like Legally Blonde and Sydney White) that I simply couldn't picture myself as. They were normal people - intelligent, passionate Stanford students who were members of a social and philanthropic support group through which they'd made incredible friends. These conversations began to reconstruct my view of sororities, allowing me to see that I might actually be interested in taking part.
Eventually, I realized I had very little to lose by rushing. Girls' Rush at Stanford costs around $45 (which is definitely an investment for some) and takes up most of the weekend, but other than a bit of your money and time, it's not too huge of a sacrifice to get a taste of the sorority scene. So I bought my Rush ticket and decided to give it a shot.
Going into the first night of Rush, I had no idea what to expect. I still wasn't even sure what Rush consisted of. I'd been told that it was a long and arduous process that involved lots of tiresome "girl flirting." If you're still just as confused by that description as I was, I'll give you the run down:
Sorority Rush at Stanford is broken up into four days. Friday evening is the first and the longest, lasting roughly seven hours. Saturday evening is about six hours, Sunday is four, and Monday is only a few minutes involving picking up your bid. Here's a bit about what happens each day:
Friday
Friday is Open House Night. Each sorority their space set up in a room on campus. PNM's (Potential New Members) are broken up into seven groups, which rotate separately from sorority to sorority. When you first walk into a sorority's room, one of the current members links arms with you and takes you to an area where you can talk. She usually asks you about your dorm, what you're studying, which classes you're taking, and which student organizations you're involved with on campus, among other things. After some time, you watch a recruitment video, and once that's over, you return to chatting. Eventually, the girl you're talking to will switch out with a new girl. You'll be introduced and go on to have a similar conversation.
These conversations can be repetitive at times, but a surprising amount of them were actually very enjoyable. Every once in a while you'll be paired with someone who you have something in common with and hit it off really well as a result. Once the evening was over, I had met a significant number of interesting girls I hoped to get to know better. And even when I didn't click with someone as well, I was treated with kindness and respect.
At the end of the night, you select your top four sororities and rank your fifth and sixth preferences.
Saturday
Saturday is Skit Night. At the start of the evenings, all PNM's are given their name tags with a list of sororities in the back. Everyone was invited back to at least one "party," and the maximum was four. The setup is pretty similar to Friday, except instead of watching recruitment videos, you watch skits performed by each sorority. The skits are funny and provide a nice break from the small talk.
At the end of the night, you rank your top two sororities.
Sunday
Sunday is Preference Night - the most formal Rush event. You're expected to wear a nice dress and the sorority members do as well. Sunday involves a lot more sitting - on Friday and Saturday, most conversations take place standing up - since there are decorated tables and chairs available at Pref Night. Each PNM goes to a maximum of two parties in which you continue talking to girls from the sorority and also listen to speeches from current members.
At the end of the night, you sign a preference card, on which you list the sororities (max two) you're committed to accepting a bid from.
Monday
On Monday afternoon, you're free to go pick up you bid!
Overall, I had a positive experience with formal recruitment. Everyone I talked to was friendly and respectful, and going through the process allowed me to realize that I could really enjoy being a sorority, which is why decided to accept my bid. I found a great group of supportive, intelligent, kind, passionate, and philanthropic women with an incredible community, and I am really excited to be a part of it. Moreover, my Spring Quarter is going to be super fun due to awesome sorority events.
Nonetheless, Rush admittedly has a few issues, such that they won't tell you which parties you were invited back to until you arrive. This may be due to some formal policy, but can be a bit of an issue for some PNM's. For instance, I have a friend who left an important event early to make it to recruitment on time, only to find out that her first party didn't start for another two hours.
Still, Rush was far from terrible. Parts of it were a lot of fun. Parts of it were very informative. Sure, it was long and tiring, but for me, it was worth it. And although I ended up changing my mind, I have yet to truly experience Greek Life and acknowledge that it isn't for everyone. At the same time, it doesn't hurt to challenge the stereotype, ignore your biases, and give Rush a shot first-hand to see what it's really like.
