As this year comes to
an end and high school senior girls start to prepare for college and going through rush, I
thought I’d share a bit of my experience and wisdom with rush. It’s something I
feel passionate about and have wanted to write about for sometime now.
Rush is a mix of the
most awful and most awesome times. It’s a time when you feel drained and
exhausted at the end of the night, but excited to see what your future holds.
I found the rush
process to be somewhat demeaning – you go to each house trying so hard to be a girl that they want. You
want to be funny but not too funny, pretty but not trying too hard. You want to be that perfect girl that every house wants. I remember going into rush thinking,
“Hey, I come from a great home and have a good resume. I have cool friends and
am a normal girl. Why wouldn’t they want me?” Quickly did I realize that I was
wrong. I was lucky enough to have a somewhat easy rush – at the beginning of
each day, I had all of the houses I wanted. But, the girl next to me didn’t. I
would watch girls leave, crying so hard because the house they wanted didn’t
want them. I couldn’t help but wonder, why? They were sweet and funny and
everything a girl would want in a friend. So why did they get cut? I struggled
with that question for a long time, even after receiving my bid. I feel so
blessed that I got the house that I wanted, while other girls didn’t get a
house at all. All along, KD was on my radar and at the end of it all, I ended
up exactly where I was meant to be. But, other girls were not so lucky.
Watching other girls
get their hearts broken broke mine. It was something I wasn’t prepared for. Maybe
it’s because I go to a university where greek life is extremely competitive or
maybe I’m just too sensitive. Whatever the reason, I struggled with
understanding the rush process for a long time.
Now that I am on the
other side of it, I feel blessed beyond belief that I went Kappa Delta. KD
celebrates girls and their accomplishments. They look at each girl not for
their looks or their superficial resume, but for who they are as women. I have
never felt more accepted or cherished by so many women than I have felt in the
KD house. I remember calling my mom before I preffed KD to tell her that I felt
wanted and loved by KD. At other houses, it was like I was trying to fit this
mold of the girl they wanted. But at KD, I was totally myself and felt truly wanted. My mom and I both cried happy
tears of course, because as women, feeling wanted is one the best feelings in
the world. I knew that I could walk into the KD house and look at everyone as a
sister who would do anything for me. I knew that I didn’t have to change myself
to be a KD. I fit perfectly. You could be the quiet, reserved one or the crazy,
loud one and KD would love you just the same. There was no mold I had to
squeeze into – being myself was enough for them. Never had I had such a great
feeling.
KD has taught me that
being in a sorority is way more than
getting cool t-shirts and going to date events. It’s about sisterhood,
philanthropy, support and so much more. I could go on and on and on and on.
Looking back on rush
and the craziness that ensued, God made it so
clear that KD was the place for me. Yeah, I got distracted by some houses
and the bitterness of other girls and their cuts, but at the end of it all, God
placed me where I was meant to be. I couldn’t be more grateful.
As next years group
of girls head off to college and go through rush, prepare for the most
insane week of your life. Prepare to be in houses that you don’t feel welcomed,
but prepare to be in a house that will someday be your home. You’ll find that
some girls don’t care about the sisterhood and friendship that sorority life
brings, but instead care about reputations and superficiality. I encourage you
to not get wrapped up into that. Rid yourself of the bitterness and negativity
that rush can provide. Remember that if you get cut, God has a plan. Don’t let
yourself question, “Am I pretty enough? Smart enough? Cool enough?” Because,
trust me, you are. And the house that you are meant to be at will see that. It
might not be the house you thought of all along, but that’s okay. Hold on to the
fact that pretty soon, you will be gaining hundreds of new sisters who will
love you and accept you. They will celebrate your quirks and who you are to the
core. Get ready for some the best times of your life. Get ready to find your
home away from home.
As an active member, I’m excited to change the narrative and make rush a positive experience for everyone. An experience that you can look back on and smile. I’m so lucky that KD will do just that – make girls smile, feel loved, and special. Because isn’t that what being in a sorority is all about?
^ This girl has been a "second" big sister of mine for years... and now we're officially sisters. How cool is that?
^ Just a few of the sisters who have changed my life. Thanks guys for being awesome.
