Just What I Needed - A Retro Recruitment Story

[FastCarLady]

Hi, All –
Good morning and welcome to my retro recruitment story! I’ve been posting for months under another name, but for this thread, I am calling myself FastCarLady.

When I went through rush (yes, rush!) there were six sororities on my campus. Since my favorite band in college was, and still is, The Cars, I’ll identify them by the names of The Cars’ six studio albums:

The Cars (Debut)
Candy-O
Panorama
Shake It Up (SIU)
HeartBeat City (HBC)
Door to Door (D2D)

I should also point out that recruitment activities on our campus included something I’ve never seen mentioned anywhere else on this site: Coke dates. These were casual one-on-one meetings between sorority members and PNMs and consisted of a brief activity such as lunch or a cup of coffee in the student center. They could only last one hour and the PNM had to pay for any food or beverages herself. They are considered dirty rushing now, but back then they were perfectly legit. I'll be providing details of those, too.

So spray down your feathered Farrah hair, put on your Gunne Sax dresses or your Izod shirts and Calvins, and come along!

[33girl]

Freakin AWESOME code names!!! Why is it that the Cars are so overlooked today??? They kick as much ass as any other band (if not more) that came out of the New Wave.

Younguns: go listen to the Cars on YouTube. You will not regret it.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Freakin AWESOME code names!!! Why is it that the Cars are so overlooked today??? They kick as much ass as any other band (if not more) that came out of the New Wave.

Younguns: go listen to the Cars on YouTube. You will not regret it.

Co-sign...I think The Cars and Blondie make up about 1/4 of the main Pandora station I listen to.

[violetpretty]

Honeychile had Coke dates during her retro rush story.

Can't wait to read this one!

[thetygerlily]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

Honeychile had Coke dates during her retro rush story.

Can't wait to read this one!

I was going to say the same thing! Here's Honey's, it was a fun read. I can't wait to hear about your Coke dates and other fun then-normal-now-infraction details!
http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ad.php?t=88050

[Leslie Anne]

Another fan of The Cars here. Can't wait to read your story!

[myopicsunflower]

I love The Cars, and I love your theme! Looking forward to reading this one...

[FastCarLady]

Rush began at noon on a Sunday, with orientation at the student center and open houses at each chapter.

The Panhellenic rush chairman went over all the rules –
1. After 5 p.m., chapter members could begin calling us to schedule coke dates. These were informal meetings with sorority members, usually one-on-one, but sometimes small groups of actives and rushees got together as long as there were an equal number of actives and rushees. They could last no more than an hour, and sorority members could not pay for a rushee’s food, beverages or other expenses. Coke dates could take place throughout the week and each chapter was allowed a maximum of three coke dates with each rushee.
2. Rush counselors were not allowed to reveal the GLOs to which they belonged.
3. Sorority members could greet each other in passing on campus, but could not engage in prolonged conversations outside of parties or coke dates. After preference parties Sunday night, Silence began. This meant that sororities could have no communication with rushees whatsoever until bids were distributed. To do so would be a major rush infraction.
We then met with our rush counselors. Beth was very nice, and we all vowed to search composites in each house to find out where she was a member. (They didn’t think to tape over composite photos then.) That accomplished, we departed for open houses.

Debut – The tent talk about this house was intense. This was the “beauty queen” chapter; in fact, the reigning Miss America contestant from our state was a sister. The house itself was lovely and the sisters were welcoming, but I didn’t see myself as the Debut type.

Candy-O – There were several girls from my high school in this house, as well as a couple of sisters whose parents were friends with mine. I remember coming in and signing their guest book with a huge purple ostrich feather pen, which I thought was really cool. I loved their chants and the sisters were friendly and fun. But I hadn’t really been happy in high school and the fact that so many girls in this house were from my school gave me pause.

Panorama – I had mixed feelings about this house. The members were OK, but not very easy to talk to. They had all us rushees get in a circle and taught us a song where we acted out their letters a la “YMCA.” It really made me feel strange and some of the other girls said the same thing as we were walking to our next house.

Shake It Up – loved this chapter. I felt relaxed and at home here. I recognized one girl from my high school – she was a year ahead of me and had had a rep as a partyhead, but we’d always gotten along and I was glad to see her.

Heartbeat City – I was very interested in this group going in. An older girl in our neighborhood was a member (but had long since gone alum) and another neighbor was an active member. But high school reared its head again. During the house tour, my guide, after learning my high school, asked if I knew So-and-So. I started to say “Oh, yeah, So-and-so who had to get married a few months ago?” I stopped myself but she knew what I’d been about to say and I knew she knew. I also knew then and there that I would probably not find my home in HBC.

Door to Door –I just didn’t get a good vibe from them, for whatever reason. It seemed like there were more alums than actives, nobody seemed to be having much fun and I just didn’t know what to talk about. To be fair, this chapter had lost their house in a fire the previous January and were using a fraternity house for rush, so I’m sure they didn’t feel completely comfortable.

After the open houses, our RC walked us back to the student center and told us she’d see us tomorrow for first parties, which would take place over the next two days. I got in my car and drove home to await coke date invitation calls!

[TexasSK]

Hooray Retro Rush! Can't wait to hear more!

[BraveMaroon]

Originally Posted by FastCarLady

[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]
Heartbeat City
During the house tour, my guide, after learning my high school, asked if I knew So-and-So. I started to say “Oh, yeah, So-and-so who had to get married a few months ago?” I stopped myself but she knew what I’d been about to say and I knew she knew. I also knew then and there that I would probably not find my home in HBC.
]

Ooooh - I've been there...


But you know what - shame on her for playing, "Do you know?"...

Love this thread.

[honeychile]

Love the Cars! I can't wait to hear about someone else's "coke dates"!

[jordang312]

I love the Cars too! A-mazing!

[Benzgirl]

Sorry, I just needed a logo.

[FastCarLady]

Coke Dates –
OK, so I got home from Open Houses a little before five. I was scheduled to be at my fast-food job at six, but there was no way I was going to be away from the phone in case any of those all-important calls came in. And I was tired after the Open Houses, so I picked up the phone and called in sick.

No cell phones in those days, but we did have call waiting, so I begged my parents and brother to call me to the phone immediately if they answered a sorority call for me, and they said they would.

I didn’t have to wait long – about an hour later, I got a call from Shake It Up! I was to meet a member for breakfast at McDonalds the next morning, and I carefully wrote down the information. Shortly after that, I heard from Panorama. They wanted me to come to the house for lunch Wednesday and I was to bring $1 to cover the cost of the meal. Two coke dates! It was worth it not to go to work!

My breakfast with the SIU member went OK. She was nice, but the conversation was kind of forced and I didn’t really click with her. I was still impressed with SIU, though, and hoped she gave me a good report. I went on to class, then home to prepare for the first night of first round parties.

[FSUZeta]

i couldn't help but hope that your fast food job was not at the mcdonalds that you met the siu at for breakfast.