RUSH. For some girls, talk of recruitment makes you excited and eager
to start! But for most girls, that’s not the case. I was definitely one of
those girls last year. Do not, and I repeat, do not be alarmed if people start
to talk about rush and you start to feel your face turn red as you realize you
should have put on more deodorant that morning. Let’s just say recruitment at
The University of Texas will probably blow all of your expectations out of the
water. Rush is a breeze if you make it one. So let’s get you prepared!
Convocation
Convocation is the evening before the first day
of recruitment at Hogg Auditorium. This is when everything really starts to
sink in. Cramming 1,000 girls going through rush into one room is a bit of a
stretch, but it’s surprisingly fun and upbeat. Make
a point to make friends with the girls sitting next to you and in your rush
group! You never know who could end up being one of your sisters in as little
as a week. Plus, it’s nice to start the “getting-to-know-you” convo’s now
because you’ll be having quite a few of them in the near future. You also receive your Open House t-shirts and
tote bag to carry your belongings in throughout the week. Tonight, just wear
the normal comfy clothes. Tip: Pack your
tote tonight and get your clothes ready. Don’t forget things like deodorant,
comfy slip-on shoes to wear between houses, toiletries, mints (not gum), and a
fan if possible. Also download the Texas map application on your iPhone!
Open House
The Open House round is split into two days and
you will visit all 14 sorority houses. Don’t try to skip one! Panhellenic
requires that you go to every house you are given an invitation to. You will go
from house to house with your rush group, and stand in alphabetical order waiting
for each party to start. When the recruitment counselor knocks three times, you
have to be completely silent. (Don’t worry, they give you cues) Nothing happens
for about three seconds until the house explodes with cheering and girls
banging on the walls as the door swings open. I’ll be honest when I say that I
jumped, it was so unexpected! The president of the sorority, as well as a few
rush team members will step out on the porch and welcome you to their house,
and the house will again erupt in chanting. As you walk through the door,
you’ll be greeted and picked up by the girl who will be talking to you that
day. Every house does it differently, but at the Zouse, get ready for some hugs.
Tip: There will be water provided outside
each day that you can drink in between houses. Be sure to HYDRATE. FYI, It gets very loud in the houses on these two
days so the probability of losing your voice is significant.
Once you complete the second day of open house,
you’ll go to the UTC (University Teaching Center) and rank the 10 houses you
liked the best! Tip: Make sure to take notes
after each house you visit to remember who you talked to and what about when
you’re ranking. You’ll be surprised how little you might remember!
Philanthropy
Philanthropy is another two-day-long round.
You’ll receive your schedule early in the morning, and can attend a maximum of
10 parties. Your schedule won’t be the same as everyone in your Open House
group, so you’ll be going to each house on your own. If you can, try mapping
out your route from house to house ahead of time! Tip: Try your
hardest not to miss the bus that goes from DG to Kappa/ Alpha Phi. Trust me,
it’s a long run in the summer heat. Also, avoid University Towers on 24th and Rio Grande at all costs.
It’s filled with bored, freshman boys looking for trouble.
You can really start to get an idea of each
sorority on these two days because everyone’s personality really starts to show
through! Each house will have
you complete a small craft or participate in an activity that is centered
around their philanthropy. Many houses also prepare either a short
presentation, skit or dance to illustrate their efforts in raising awareness.
This is also the first round that the houses are
allowed to offer refreshments other than water. You’ll typically receive a
refreshing, fruity drink (lots of fancy lemonades and Shirley temples). Make
sure to keep hydrated at each house you visit! You do not want to be the girl
that passes out from heat exhaustion. These two days are hectic, but don’t
worry because you’re halfway through and the best night is yet to come!
Skit Night
Skit night is an all-around favorite for
everyone, rushees and actives alike! Expect all kinds of transformations of the
houses and elaborate decorations on this night. You’ll be visiting all sorts of
different “movie theaters” or “far away lands”. You usually are sat in front of
a stage with a yummy snack and a fancy drink you can sip on while you watch the
20-minute long skit each sorority has worked super hard to put on for you!
Personalities of the individual sororities really start to shine! Each chapter
is different, of course, but a few jokes remain the same across the board. Many
houses play on the stupidity of fraternity boys, pop culture (lots of Miley and
Bieber impersonations) and a few self- deprecating jokes. Tonight you should
begin to get a feel for where you belong. You may only visit a maximum of
six houses on skit night.
I hope you’ve been drinking all that
water I told you about! By this night, all the yell/talking you have to do to
communicate really wears on those vocal chords. Now I know while you’re talking
to that girl from one of your favorite houses that you’ve been waiting to get
to all day, that you’ll be thinking about how bad your feet hurt, but really
try hard to be yourself! Hint: break in
your shoes beforehand...your feet will thank you! Don’t forget to bring those
flip-flops or flats to quickly and comfortably walk from house to house.
Ultimately, just be sure to soak it
all in! Skit night is a great chance to relax your voice and enjoy the show.
Preference Night
The significance of Preference Night is realized
when you walk into each of the final three houses that extended an invitation.
Each house will be decorated very elegantly, and at Zeta you will receive a
hand-written note from a girl who really enjoyed meeting you on a previous day.
Everyone wears black and it can sometimes be hard to tell everyone apart. Each
house will usually present some form of program with testimonials on how their
sisterhood has transformed their lives. Beware… lots of girls will be crying,
both PNM’s and actives. You may even tear up yourself! Tip: The best advice I ever got for pref night was to
look around at the other PNMs and talk to them while you’re on the porch while
you’re waiting to go inside. Do you get along well with them? Are these the
kind of girls you would want to be your potential sisters the very next day?
A
few more helpful tips:
· Try
to accept, pre-rush, that
your hair won't stay in place and you'll sweat all of your makeup off probably
before the first house. We ALL sweat our little hearts out for rush, but it's
most important to be comfy in your own skin that week because we're looking for
personality! Not perfect hair.
·
You’ll hear
these questions every day, whether it be Open House or Bid Day:
o “Where are you from?”
o “What is your major?”
o “What are your hobbies?”
o “What did you do this summer?”
·
So really
try and have fun with it! If you have something fun or crazy to talk about,
throw it out there! You never know what you might have in common with someone.
· Prepare yourself for long days and nights, lots
of running and lots of small talk. Recruitment is a long week, but the
sisterhood that comes as a result will last forever. We’ve been waiting for you
all summer! Go Zeta!
Zeta
Love,
Hailey
B. Williams
Recruitment
Team
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