Monday, August 22nd: Day One, Go Greek!
Today was the official start of the recruitment process at Texas A&M! They had 12 chapters and over 900 girls rushing this fall. The process began way back in April with the Fort Bend Panellentic Recruitment Meeting. My Mom and I arrived not knowing what to expect or anything about Greek Life. We left totally overwhelmed and still completely clueless. Not one person in my family has ever been in a sorority, but for some reason I was very interested. And so the journey began… twelve packets complete with an unofficial transcript, three pictures, a social resume, three stamps, a thank-you card, and much more. I started the search for twelve different references each belonging to the individual chapters. Whether it was a causal meeting at Starbucks, a lunch date at Black Walnut Café, or sitting in a stranger’s living room… I met with all twelve women. I could not be more thankful for all of the people that shared their experiences with me and prepared me for my week of Recruitment. I had invested so much of my time and energy into this process before it even began. Not to mention the endless hours of shopping spent trying to find the perfect outfit for each day! Today was finally the day we had all been waiting, preparing, and praying for. I woke up at 6:15 AM to get ready for “Day One: Go Greek.” We all wore the standard t-shirt that was provided at Convocation, casual shorts, and stylish sandals. We attended twelve parties- 25 minutes each, with 15 minute breaks in between each house. I was placed in Group 4 and we walked around with our Rho Gamma group all day long. It was long, hot, exhausting, yet surprisingly more fun than I had imagined. We stood in alphabetical order, they counted down from ten seconds, and the chapters started clapping and singing obnoxiously. An active member would greet you at the door and welcome you to their home. I loved talking and making good conversation with each of the girls that I met. By the end of the day, my voice was gone and my throat was throbbing. I felt like I had the same conversation twelve times in a row, but it was easy to see the houses that you instantly felt connected with. That night I was on the last bus ride back to Rudder, so I waited in line behind 900 women for 24 computers. Patience and no complaining was my strategy. I eliminated three houses that night, and arrived to my dorm around 11 pm. It was such a long day and I was desperate for some sleep! Day One was unlike anything I had ever imagined, but definitely successful.
Tuesday, August 23rd: Day Two, Philanthropy Round!
I woke up Tuesday morning well rested and ready for Philanthropy Day! We arrived to Sorority Row and were handed our name tag with our new individual schedules. I was lucky enough to return to all nine of the houses that I had selected the day before. There were nine parties; each 35 minutes with 15 minute breaks in between. Each chapter told us about their philanthropic efforts and we watched a video to give us slightly better insight about their volunteer work. I am passionate about service projects and reaching out to others, so this day was very important to me. Not to mention, I loved being able to sit down in the air conditioning and relax a little bit in each of the houses. It was very exciting to learn about the heart of each chapter and get to know them on a much deeper level. I felt an instant connection with two of the chapters and began to fall in love with both of them. It was very clear to see through the sororities that lacked passion for their philanthropy, to pinpoint the stereotypical peppy movie “sorority girls,” and relate to the down to earth overall best chapters. We continued to make conversation with several active members and get to know them as actual people. Day Two was one hundred times more enjoyable than Day One; however, I was still beyond exhausted. I returned to the SCC and eliminated three more chapters. I began to realize this week is way more fun than nerve-racking and I loved every second of Recruitment!
Wednesday, August 24th: Day Three, Sisterhood/Skit Round
I can’t believe Day Three is already over… this week is flying by! Today was Sisterhood/Skit Day, and by far my favorite day thus far. It seems like each day is getting better as the week goes on. Today was supposed to be my “Green Dress Day,” a.k.a. my favorite outfit of the week. However, I went to lunch before boarding the buses and three stains suddenly appeared. I tried everything in my power to remove them, but I only made it worse. Where was my Mom when I needed her?! I reluctantly had a quick change in my dorm room, and decided that I wasn’t going to let it ruin my day. We loaded up on the buses and drove to the row. In my opinion, that was the most stressful part: waiting with eager anticipation to discover the houses that chose for you to return to their house. I was lucky enough to have my six favorite chapters on my schedule for the day. I can’t describe how humbling it feels to be asked back by the well-respected sororities. I knew it was going to be a good day! I went to six parties; 45 minutes each with 20 minute breaks in between. The parties flew by and I was highly entertained with their skits, songs, and performances. I LOVED Sisterhood Day because you were able to let loose and see the girls’ true personalities shine on stage. They invested hours of preparation and practice into the recruitment activities, and I loved watching the different ways they tried to reel us in. It was like a huge Broadway show and I was very entertained. After the fifth party, there were severe weather warnings. It hasn’t rained in Texas for months, but of course during recruitment week the storms arrived. My group bundled up in the Delta Gamma house, and waited for two long hours. It was not ideal, but I was able to bond with a bunch of great girls. When the lighting finally passed, I arrived to my final house for the day: Tri-Delta. I am completely in love with both Tri-Delta and Theta. They are by far my top two choices… with Kappa coming in third. With that said, it was easy for me to cut more houses and preference my top three choices. Tomorrow is going to be a different story. I am praying for some clarity because I am beyond torn between the two houses. I know whatever choice I make will be what is best for me, and I am going into Preference Night with an open heart and mind. The week is nearing an end and I couldn’t be more thankful for my current circumstances.
Thursday, August 25th: Day Four, Preference Round
Tonight was the night we had all been waiting for… Preference Night!! I went to sleep leaning heavily towards Theta and woke up completely on board with Tri-Delta. My thoughts were all over the place and I was very conflicted. Thursday morning, I was able to talk to the majority of my family and share my detailed stories from the week with each of them! My days have been very demanding and my hours were completely shifted, so it was hard to get ahold of the Engle’s. Jason called at 7:30 am, which woke me up. I didn’t mind too much because the Fightin’ Texas Aggie band practices right outside my window each morning (so I would’ve woken up to the War Hymn anyways). While I was pacing up and down the dorm hallways, I looked outside at the band on the open field and there were three metal triangles laying in the grass. I figured it was a coincidence and carried on with my day. I went to lunch at Rosa’s Café with my best friend, Katy Lowery! It was the first time we talked all week, and I missed that girl tremendously. On the way to pick her up, a truck was driving beside me with three metal triangles on the side of his vehicle. I shook my head and tried to ignore the signs. I began getting ready for the evening and my roommate, Megan, helped fix my make-up and tease my hair. She even let me borrow her black earrings! She has been such a big help this week with all of my rush activities and I can’t thank her enough for listening to all my stories. And so the evening began… three parties, each 60 minutes long. My first party was at the Kappa Alpha Theta house, and I loved their Faith, Hope, and Love theme. We were handed a rose, and escorted to a plate with our name on it, a non-alcoholic cocktail, and multiple letters written to me by women in the chapter. We talked with a girl that we met previously in the week and listened to several sentimental and meaningful stories. I loved everything about it, but something didn’t feel quite right. I knew there was a different plan for my life at Texas A&M. My next house was Delta Delta Delta (or Tri-Delt). I stood in line with butterflies fluttering in my stomach as they counted down from ten. I was also scoping out the girls standing alongside me in line. Could I possibly be best friends with these girls one day? Is this my future home? Do I feel comfortable here? And the answer was YES to all three of them. I entered the house escorted by Sarah Hosea and instantly knew I was at home. They sang Never Alone, which was already my theme song entering into college. And they recited Jeremiah 29:11—“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” That is one of my favorite bible verses and it is written on a cross that sits on my desktop in my dorm. I kicked off my high heel shoes, had an authentic conversation, and knew I was meant to be a Tri-Delta all along. Michelle Roche, one of Jason’s best friends, was a Tri-Delt and she wrote my reference letter. Instead of writing a letter, she wrote a two page poem describing everything she knew about me. I felt so comfortable in their house and knew I could one day make it my own. I hopped on the first bus to the SCC and preferenced Delta Delta Delta as my first choice, Kappa Alpha Theta as my second, and Kappa Kappa Gamma as my third. As soon as I left, I called Michelle and told her my choice. We were both screaming and jumping around in excitement. She is by far one of the sweetest and most well-rounded people that I know, and I would be honored to follow in her remarkable legacy and call her my sister. Now that Preference Night came to an end, we are now moving on to BID DAY… The most exciting day to date!!!
Friday, August 26th: Day Five, BID DAY!
Today was the best day ever… it was finally BID DAY!!!! I arrived to Ring Plaza around 4:45pm and the ceremony started at 5! The Rho Gamma’s lined up, sang every chapter’s song, and revealed which sorority they belonged to. It was very exciting considering they were unbiased and very helpful all week long! All of the girls were handed their bid envelopes and instructed to hold them behind their backs. It was brutally hot outside, so we insisted on using them as fans. When the time finally arrived, we counted down from twelve and discovered which chapter we now belonged to! Everyone was cheering, screaming, crying, jumping for joy, and taking pictures. I got a sudden rush of chills throughout my body and knew I was always meant to be a Tri-Delt! This was one of the most memorable moments of my entire life. We then dispersed into our different chapters, hugged a lot, and gathered on the buses to sorority row! All 57 of the new baby Tri-Delts were introducing themselves and getting to know our new sisters. Upon arriving to the row, you saw all of the actives outside the houses with welcome home signs decorated for each new member. Sarah Hosea greeted me as I came off of the bus with a huge sign, a loaded bag, and an enormous hug! I was her “Star-Baby” for this recruitment process and I couldn’t feel more honored. They create chants or songs for the girl's they really want in their chapter and advertise throughout the house during work week. Sarah put a huge my face on Beyonce's body and my song was... All the Engle Ladies' All the Engle Ladies' If you like it then you should've put a Delta on it! Uh-oh-oh-uh-oh-oh... I thought it was pretty catchy! Each sorority chose a different theme for Bid Day and Tri-Delta’s theme was similar to Dylan’s Candy Shop and they used the saying “Oh how SWEET it is to have a sister like you!” They had lollipops, cake balls, cupcakes, brownies, twizzlers, and anything you could imagine. They kept saying that this is the SWEETEST pledge class ever!!! I have never been surrounded by so many cute girls in my entire life. The pledge class of 2011, or PC ’11, is definitely the best group of girls I could have ever imagined. It was sort of awkward because you know you are going to be best friends with most of these girls and our journey as Tri-Delts just began. The Delta Delta Delta Bid Day Celebrations were outstanding!! We ate Potbelly for dinner, listened to live music, played games, and bonded with our new Tri-Delt sisters. Afterwards, we hung out with our temporary “Bigs” and got to know many more girls outside of the house. My Bid-Day night out with my new Tri-Delt sisters was memorable and so much fun! I couldn’t be happier with my new sisters and my new sorority life. I feel extremely blessed to have had an unforgettable “Rush” experience and it is incredible to feel wanted and loved so many different places. After a week of heat, girls, dresses, heals, make-up, singing, name-tags, talking, sweating, and crying… I am now the newest pledge of Delta Delta Delta and it can't get any sweeter than this!
