My freshman year, I didn't go through formal sorority recruitment. But since becoming a member the spring of that year, I have participated in one round formal recruitment and it's almost rush season again! There are many things I am looking forward to, but also many things I'm dreading going through again. I'm sure other sorority members can relate to the extreme highs and lows of Work Week and rush week.
Pros
1. Reuniting with Sisters
After a long summer, nothing is much more exciting than finally getting to see your sisters and some of your best friends again. Spending all day together for almost two weeks made me fall in love with my sorority all over again and gave me a new appreciation for the women who I share a home with.
2. Meeting Potential New Members
We can't wait to meet to meet all of the new girls and share all the things we love about our sorority with them! We may seem overenthusiastic to a nervous freshman, but we really do love our sororities that much. One of the girls we meet could even become our little! Since we started focusing on values based recruitment, conversations with rushees have become some of my favorite college memories. The atmosphere allows girls to open up, I've had girls cry as they tell me stories about their family; it's amazing how quickly we can bond during rush.
3. Bonding with Sisters
The first time I hung out with one of my best friends/sisters was while making bid day tutus during Work Week. While practicing conversation skills, I was able to talk to and learn about so many of my sisters that I had previously only known in passing. I got to know the girls who made everyone laugh when we were tired and stressed and the girls who kept us in line when we started to get silly and unfocused.
4. Preference Night
This is this night where we are the most dressed up, where seniors give their speeches, and where sisters cry together (happy and sad tears). This is the night where the new girls start to feel at home in a sorority and everyone is sappy and sentimental. This is definitely the day to wear waterproof makeup!
5. Spontaneous Dance Parties
After hours of work and the anticipation of rush week, some nights of work week end in fun. Even though we were supposed to be cleaning, throwback jams and sisterly love led to a houseful of girls dancing and singing at the top of their lungs.
Cons
1. Singing/Chanting for Hours
Practicing our door chants and songs during Work week is fun at first. But after a few hours, our throats are sore, our hands are tired of clapping, and the entryway starts to feel cramped and sweaty.
2. Heels
Although they're beautiful, wearing heels all day long leaves us with blisters, sore feet, and tired legs. The scariest thing about heels was running up the stairs in a full-length dress, praying that you won't trip and cause a cascade of women in formal attire rolling back down the steps.
3. Exhaustion
Hours of singing, conversation after conversation, and practicing walking through the flow of the party takes a toll on our bodies. After the summer break, most of us aren't used to being on our feet all day and by the time dinner rolls around, we can't think of much else besides flopping into bed.
4. Conversation Anxiety
For those of us who are more introverted or have social anxiety, the idea of talking to 20 or so new girls in one day sounds intimidating. Some days I don't want to leave my house even to talk with my friends, so I have to muster a lot of energy and courage to lead 20 conversations. What if I say something wrong and it changes the girl's opinion of my whole sorority? Luckily this hasn't happened yet, but I still get jitters before every round of recruitment.
