Shelby came to me one day earlier this summer and said she needed to discuss something important."Sure, we can talk! What's up?"
"Mom, I have decided to rush."
"Um... OK. What's the hurry?"
"No, Momma! I mean I want to rush! I want to attend rush week at the university!"
Still not quite understanding I replied, "Well, sure, I guess. But, what exactly is rush week?"
"It's what you go to if you are thinking of joining a sorority."
Aha! The light bulb went on! Although I have a bachelors degree from a four year university, I was a non-traditional student. I have never lived on campus, and I know absolutely nothing about sorority life.
"Well, I guess that will be fine. I don't know much about them."
That was an understatement. The whole issue made me feel a little intimidated, and even a bit sad. For the first time ever I would have no input into an important part of my daughter's life. I have been Shelby's "go to" person for advice since she was old enough to ask questions!
When I dropped her off for rush week this past Monday all I could say was, "Have fun, be yourself, and you will do fine."
I won't see her until this Saturday, which is the day she decides whether she wants to pledge, and which sorority she will be joining if she does. She has very limited phone time this week. In fact, the directors of this shindig actually take the girls phones from them except for a couple hours at the end of the day. (Can you imagine if we parents ever tried to do that???)
She received her phone long enough tonight for an excited phone call to me saying that she had been rushed by several chapters that she really liked. She gets to drop those that she doesn't feel is a good fit, and vice versa each day until she receives her bid.
Shelby's call sort of made my head swim, though.
It went something like this: "The first house I visited was Tri-Delt, or Delta Delta Delta. then I went to Chi-Omega and I like all the girls at both of them so far. Pi Beta Phi, and Zeta Tau Alpha, and Phelta Melta Welta, and Gamma Whamma, and Mu Shu Tae, and...."
Hey! It's all Greek to Me!
(groan!)
3 comments:
Ah, yes. The siren song of the secret societies. Hopefully, since she's so excited about this, that she has a good experience and does not come away hurt or disappointed.
In my opinion, these societies sometimes do little more than highlight class differences.
Hopefully, Shelby will be accepted into one with quality people. Though my post secondary years were as a married father of two little ones and, as such, I didn't have the "usual" college experiences, I understand, from friends, that one can make life long friends in fraternities/sororities.
All the best to Shelby.
I am a Pi Phi (Pi Beta Phi) and although the entire sorority experience wasn't all peaches and cream, it was a wonderful one. I learned much about life and living with others, having to concede to popular opinion and standing up for my beliefs.
There is nothing that can quite compare to rush week (for me it was 2 weeks) and your daughter is having a remarkably exciting time. I wish her well. College is such an amazing period of growth and self-discovery!
I pledged a sorority but dropped it after a few months because there were too many nonsensical rules, but I worked with a woman who was a Tri-Delt who made many good friends who she has kept in touch with her whole adult life.
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