A Totally 90's Teen Movie Recruitment Story!

[BlueCarnation]

Originally Posted by APhiLife

The next evening I rushed to the Student Center for Bid Night and opened my envelope and was thrilled to see a Pledge T-Shirt for......

Can't Hardly Wait


Also known as- Alpha Phi at Northern Illinois University!

Just wondering if any of y'all had guessed it would be
Can't Hardly Wait?

I knew it was NIU! 😄


Great story. Thanks for sharing!

[33girl]

Originally Posted by APhiLife

I was purposely skipping writing down Varsity Blues. My 18 year old feelings were fragile.

I don't blame you. They were super rude. I was just afraid not putting them down might interfere with your getting a bid.

[Benzgirl]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I don't blame you. They were super rude. I was just afraid not putting them down might interfere with your getting a bid.

To the OP.

'FWIW... I think sometimes Recs are written in the writer's regional vernacular. When I wrote my first SEC rec, I called the mother of an active at an SEC school to see what I needed. Her response was to make sure in the Rec you talk about "how darling" she is.

Darling? I've never described anyone as darling in my life. Even my use of "adorable" was reserved for a toddler.

I had written many recs for girls that have gone to schools in the Northeast and Midwest and adjectives I have used resembled more like those used in a resume, such as "successful" or "impactful". If I had written, "darling", it probably would have been met with a sarcastic, "bless her heart".

Was it rude? Yes. But I'm sure it had to do with the words that were written than to you directly.

[APhiLife]

Benzgirl-
I think you are right. I now look back and realize I might have been just a bit too coached coming into Rush.
But this was before forums like this existed and the only experiences I had heard of were those of my friends and family who had rushed before me. They had gone to schools like OU, Tulsa, UT, SMU, TCU, and Texas Tech where sending multiple recs per house and overdressing for what the school told you wear for each round are the norm.
I think that girls nowadays have so much more information available.

[APhiLife]

33girl- yes it was a risk and one that my Rho Chi really advised against but I think the emotions of feeling like they were saying I was a hick and not good enough was just too much.
Also, I forgot to mention that my Rho Chi was a Clueless and was actually really nice to me anytime I saw her after rush.

[BlueCarnation]

APhiLife, I have to say, I'm really surprised by how poorly you were treated by Varsity Blues. I'm from the western suburbs of Chicago and knew quite a few girls who were in sororities at NIU, and I can't imagine any of them being like that--and my hometown is known as being rather snooty. I didn't think they took sorority stuff that seriously, frankly. (This was the early 90s, so things may be different)

Also, now that I think about it, I remember a friend wearing her sister's NIU sweatshirt with "APhi" on it during senior year of high school. She would tell us how much fun her sister had and how pretty all her sister's friends were. It seemed so glamorous!

[KDCat]

Originally Posted by APhiLife

I was purposely skipping writing down Varsity Blues. My 18 year old feelings were fragile.

I don't blame you one bit. They were being really, really mean.

[Sister Havana]

Great story!

I also grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago. A lot of people from my high school went to Northern. : )

[BadSquirrelBeta]

Originally Posted by KDCat

I don't blame you one bit. They were being really, really mean.

And to tell a PNM they were discussing her, let alone laughing at her Recommend? Big No-Nos as it was my experience to NEVER NEVER NEVER discuss ANYTHING to do with Membership selection!!