Monday, September 1, 2014

Memory Monday # 71

      It is 9:30 PM on Monday...and I forgot to write my memory for the week!!  So here goes!
      I last  wrote about the summer after high school graduation/before college!  Getting ready for college; last time with friends (for awhile); having to say "good bye" to the current boyfriend....on the eve of departing for school, I spent the night bawling my eyes out...my mom and my cousin (one of the three closer to my mom in age) packed my last minute stuff and packed the car! I had previously stated that my mom felt very strongly that I experienced the total college scene so that meant sorority rush.  Back in  the '50's at Mizzou, sorority rush was the week before school started.  So the "young ladies" experiencing this event would show up earlier than the other students.
    Ah, Rush Week!  So many of the girls going through rush were in high anticipation of being selected by the sorority of their choice...to the point of being hyper anxious!  Ignorance can be bliss...I had no expectations as I had no idea what any of them were about...I did not know there were some sororities that were considered to be of higher esteem than others.  All I knew was my gut feelings...the first day, we were ushered around to all the sororities for a brief introduction.  And from that I did get a sense of a couple whom I thought were not for me...a couple (which I later found out were "the top") seemed way too artificial and snobbish to me!  So that evening, when we got invitations to the second day, we had to make decisions based on that one introduction on which to accept.  Little did I know that I had declined invitations to those two premium houses!
     Day Two: We are once again herded to the houses that we have been invited back and accepted invitations from.  At this point, we are getting to be in groups with girls who we will roam with more frequently. And of course, we are all in great discussion about the sororities from whom we have been invited. That evening we once again get invitations to those who want us to come back for day three. Now it begins to get a bit cruel...there are the girls who are cut from the sorority of their hearts' desire and girls who do not get as many invites back as others. But again, I as well as many, have to make some decisions.
    Day Three: Only five parties to attend...at the end of this day, I think we are down to three for day four....again that evening same routine..some broken hearts...some decisions to make.
     Day Four: A big day! More lengthy parties!  The active members are really knocking themselves out to try to appeal to the girls they really want!  How to choose??  Well, I am very influenced by those who seem to be having genuine fun; I am impressed by the interior design of the houses; and I meet a Senior who is also from Illinois...a very fun redhead!
     Day five: We receive bids (invitations from the sororities who would like us to pledge with them...again some have decisions to make and some girls only get one bid so...no decisions! We send our one acceptance back...and that afternoon, we are picked up by the sorority of our/their choice!
The Zeta Tau Alpha Crest

     And my choice was Zeta Tau Alpha!
They impressed me as a fun bunch; very down to earth; not pretentious...at least the majority; and I 
liked their colors!  Turquoise and white...the living room where we were rushed was a lovely white with turquoise accessories...and there was that red head who became my pledge mom!
     And one more word on Zetas....today, my granddaughter just completed her last day of Rush...and she received and accepted an invitation from the Zetas on her campus!!! A continuation of the experience!

   

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