So as I was sitting with Tam at dinner last week and I started explaining everything to her about life down at the big UT Austin, I realized that there’s a lot to say on here about well… everything! It’s not a common world for everyone and I shouldn’t just assume you know what I’m talking about.
I’ll start with a more in depth explanation of the rush process. That’s what started it all for me anyway.
Rush: Rush is a nickname for the selection process of which girls go to which sororities. It is a combined selection process of both the current girls and the potentials choosing where they think they fit best and who will fit in with them. You start visiting all 13 sororities on the first day. Then at the end of the day, you rank your bottom three. The sororities do a similar process ranking the potentials. Days two and three you visit a total of up to 10 sororities depending on who wants you back (you could’ve eliminated one who wants you or they can eliminate one you want). At the end of the day you pick your top 6 sororities. They rank you. Day four you can visit up to 6 sororities again depending on who you eliminated and who eliminated you. Then you pick your top 3. Day five you can visit up to 3 sororities and this is the biggest night! Day five is called pref night. After this night you rank IN ORDER your top 3 sororities and they pick their top 50 girls, followed by ranking the rest of the girls they saw on pref night. The next day you go to an auditiorium and sit on your envelope with your name on it. When the Recruitment Counselors say you can open them, you pull it out and see which sorority you got! Some people scream, some cry, some quit.
*The thing is, a computer matches everyone up. So there’s no bias. It matches you up based on who’s ranked you at what spot and where you’ve ranked them. If a girl ranks sorority A as number 1 and they put her as number 1, then she goes there. If the girl ranks A as 1, B as 2 and A puts her as 2 but B puts her as 1, then she goes to B. Etc. So you could end up with your third choice if C put you as 1 and A and B put you as 2 or 3.*
I’m VERY happy with Alpha Phi, I was lucky and got my first choice. As did both of my suitemates.
ALSO- just defining suitemates: my roommate and I share a bathroom with two roommates in the other room, they’re our suitemates.
Once you get your bid, you’re paraded around and shown to the frats. Then you start new member meetings. You have at least a 6 week training/new member education period before you can be initiated into the sorority. This is when you learn about your colors, your symbols, your founders, your traditions, etc. We learn songs and go on retreats, we get our big sisters in the sorority and start bonding with our “pledge class”.
Pledge Class: the other girls accepted into the sorority at the same rush period as you. They could be sophomores or juniors and still be in a freshman’s pledge class if they rushed and got a bid at the same time as you.
Once you’re initiated(which is a very secret ritual that is different for each sorority), you’re a “Just Initiated” or JI. Even though you’re initiated, everyone still maintains their pledge class, though they’re no longer pledges. It’s a matter of seniority within seniority. It’s not fair if a junior who’s a JI gets more seniority than a sophomore who has already been in the sorority for a year-an “Active.”
Your pledge class will have mixers with frats’ pledge classes and other spirit groups on campus, as a way to get to know the other greeks and students involved on campus. Sometimes there are full chapter mixers, sometimes it’s 2 pledge classes mixing with 2 pledge classes, and sometimes it’s one pledge class with one pledge class.
There are various socials, semi formals, formals and all sorts of other events that go on each semester. There’s never a weekend where you’ll have to sit at home with nothing to do. Officers are installed in the Spring and continue through the Fall, then new officers are chosen for the following Spring. Some of the officers plan ALL the social events and make sure that you’re aware of all of the parties and community service opportunities going on around campus week-by-week.
Next semester I’ll shed my JI title and just become an Active. I’m hoping for an officer position, but we’ll see. I hope this explains things a little better and a little more efficiently being in just one post.
p.s. frats rush again in the spring for new guys who just transfered in or who just decided to do it late, sororities more or less do not.
