There were a lot of words being bounced around when I went through formal sorority recruitment at the University of Colorado Boulder. At the time, I interpreted all this lingo as propaganda. I knew that Greek life held valuable opportunities, but I wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about. To this day, it still baffles me how worked-up my fellow PMNs (potential new members) got over the entire process.
From just listening to stories from my Rho Gamma group, I heard it all. Just between you and me, this could have been an episode of toddlers and tiaras. When people say that rush week is an extreme process, they mean it. During that fateful week in September, I was still unsure about the whole idea of Greek life. Because of this I just stood back, watched and tried to have a genuinely good time at each individual party. I didn’t feel any need to try and impress anyone. Of course, I cared about rushing, but I wasn’t about to act differently then I normally do to try and impress strangers. Looking back, I realized how much unnecessary stress this saved me.
When bid day finally arrived, I received a bid to Alpha Chi Omega. Honestly, I was a little surprised. My older cousin, who is practically my older sister, also happened to be in AXO. She was my support system through the rush process and she helped to keep me sane throughout rush week. I felt proud when I opened up the little envelope that held my bid to see an invite from AXO.
Everyone always says, “trust the process,” when you go through recruitment. After months of reflection, I understand what they mean by this. There isn’t a magical sorority sorting hat that will organize everyone into a house. Although, that would definitely expedite the process and should be looked into pronto. My theory has to do with stress. It is undeniable, rush week is a ridiculously stressful process, but college, in general, is also stressful.
Over the course of your college career, friends may come and go, but your sisters will always be there. You and your sisters will support each other through good times and bad. It took me until I took on the role of a recruiter to realize that when you talk to a potential new member, you look for a piece of yourself. Through the stress of rush week, you can see how a girl handles stress and how she might handle bad situations in the future. You also can see how she will uplift her new sisters in the same situation. In this way, rush week is representative of the rest of your college career.
When bid day finally rolls around, it might seem like pure chaos to new members. I promise that it is organized chaos. Bid day is representative of all the good times you and your sisters have left to share. Bid day is when, as older members, we help the new recruits start seeking the heights.
