If I was attending any other university, I wouldn’t have rushed. But here at Pepperdine, my decision to rush Greek life was easy. Why? Because at Pepperdine, the stereotype of Greek Life is thrown out the window.
Replace crazy parties with fundraisers for well-deserving charities, obnoxious and by the book mean girls with kind smiles and women with your best interest at heart, and demeaning hazing with uplifting encouragement. I went through nearly the whole process of Rush Week, deciding to drop after Preference Night, the day before Bid Night. To understand why, you need to understand Pepperdine Recruitment.
It wasn’t long before the first weeks of classes had passed and rush was upon us. Even before rush, Pepperdine Greek Life was making itself known in both informative pre-recruitment events and friendly Rho Chis eager to answer your questions.
At Pepperdine, Panhellenic Recruitment has two parts: pre-recruitment and formal recruitment.
1. Pre-Recruitment
Many events are put on to encourage registration and help the new Pepperdine waves have a better understanding of what it means to be a part of Greek at this university. Greek Life does not make up a large part of Pepperdine’s student’s activities, with only approximately 30% of students being involved in Greek Life. Within that 30% includes RAs who, in the best interest of helping the new students they watch over find where they belong in Greek Life, have disaffiliated themselves from their sororities offering their unbiased encouragement to those interested.
Being the first of your family to rush is not easy. You don’t know the difference between Alpha Kappa Alpha and Alpha Phi, or that Tri-Delta and Delta Delta Delta are the same sorority, and you usually just gaze at the lovingly made and wonderfully decorated Greek letters in utter confusion, not even trying to figure out if Phi is pronounce “fee” or “fi”. Come the first pre-recruitment event, however, you find all your questions can be answered and not with answers that make you warm with embarrassment or want to never show your face again.
The Panhellenic Council has two events for you to get to know the chapters, both free of charge. The first event was a little overwhelming. You walk into the Caf, only to have your own thoughts drowned out by the aggregation of a hundred girls all trying to be heard. The second event is a lot calmer and snacks were provided.
All the chapters are there for you to interact with and ask your questions in order to try and get an idea about the sororities. At first I felt completely out of my comfort zone; none of my suite mates were with me and you had to act if you wanted to talk with one of the chapters, but as the evening progressed I got into my zone and managed to speak with every chapter. On the second night I was much more comfortable and managed to meet some new people.
2. Formal Recruitment
Formal Recruitment is composed of six days in one week: two nights of open houses, Video Night, Philanthropy Night, and Preference Night, before finally, Bid Night.
Open House Nights
Since there are no actual Greek houses on Pepperdine’s campus, your amazing Rho Chis will lead you around campus as you visit the seven chapters. My very first chapter was Kappa Alpa Theta, and I was beyond nervous. I had no idea why, I hadn’t been nervous at all until I found myself standing in line to enter the Theta room.
There was no reason to be nervous though, because the Theta women welcomed us with warm arms and cheery chants and claps. The rest of the chapters did the same, and the best thing is, you can’t help but find yourself smiling widely as you walk through the rows of girls cheering for you as you enter. The next part of the Open House Nights is really tricky. You just have to be yourself. The chapters just want to get to know you, and so you chat with different members of the chapter (sometimes three, sometimes five), and see if you make a connection with these women. It is not easy by far because they’re all so wonderful and kind and interested in getting to know you. Once you’ve meet all the chapters, you have to decide which five out of the seven you want to get to know better—this was way harder than I had imagined. You want to choose the sororities that you connect with, that you can see yourself with. This is important because the next day is Video Night.
Video Night
Video night isn’t the easiest either. That is the day that you find out what sororities mutually selected you and it’s not always the five; for me it was only two, and one wasn’t in my top five, but as your Rho Chis say, “Trust the system.” You’ll spend your time in “parties” with the sororities that called you back, but this time instead of just chatting and getting to know the chapter, you’ll also get to watch videos filled with shots of sisters loving each other and genuinely caring about each other. You’ll get to learn about what’s important to that chapter, their philanthropy, and get a little bit closer to knowing if you belong with them.
Philanthropy Night
Today the parties are longer and the conversations a little bit deeper, but they all have the same end goal: see if you fit within the sorority. While you’re trying to connect, you’re also working on a project or a craft related to the sorority’s philanthropy, the organization they work with to support and fund. This was an interesting night for me. The one sorority I was really considering hadn’t invited me back, but I went into my only party with an open mind and was surprised when I found myself connecting with the sorority girls. I left my party really considering a future in that chapter.
Preference Night
The final night before Bid Night and the most intimate night as a PNM (Potential New Member). While some girls had up to two parties, I only had one, and I went in truly hoping that the connection I had felt on Philanthropy Night would still be there. I got to learn about the traditions of the chapter, was sung to, and was surrounded by love, but unfortunately I didn’t feel that connection I had hoped for and left the room feeling confused and unsure.
I sought the opinion of fellow PNMs and was comforted to know that others were equally confused as to what road to take. I could continue with Rush Week, sign the MRAMBA (a binding agreement that disqualifies you from rushing until the next fall), go to bid night, accept the bid if given one, and think about whether or not I wanted to pledge for the next six weeks, or I could drop and be able to rush in the spring. After talking it over multiple times and switching decisions just as many times, I spoke with my Rho Chi and decided dropping was best for me.
Why? It wasn’t that I was unhappy with what sororities had invited me back; I didn’t feel scorned or abandoned by the system. I simply didn’t feel the connection that I had felt before and didn’t want to spend six weeks trying to convince myself that I belonged with that chapter. I decided that rushing in the spring or maybe event the next year would give me the time I needed to get to know the sororities of Pepperdine better and truly know where I belonged in Greek, if I even did belong in Greek.
The best part of my decision, however, was the support I received from not only my fellow PNMs, or my Rho Chis, but the girls I talked to within the sorority that truly wanted me to feel like I belong before pledging.
Rush week taught me a lot about myself and about Greek life. I’ve also made so many friends and gotten to know tons of people that have a genuine interest in what’s best for me. And I know that while I didn’t find my home in Greek this time around, there’s a chance I’ll find it next time. But for now, I know my home is here at Pepperdine.
Rush week was overwhelming in the best way: learning more and more about each sorority and slowly figuring out where you think you might belong. The enthusiasm of each Rho Chi’s and chapter members’ faces is the best part. Their eagerness for new sisters is easy to see in the effort they have put into their videos showcasing the bond between their sisters. At Pepperdine, Greek Life is more than just girls wearing shirts with the same symbols on it. It is an extension of the school in which the service centered way of life is transferred with each chapter having their own philanthropic work that they do. By the end of the week, Preference Night is easy, having been so well informed of each sorority.
Rush hour has always been chaotic and confusing, but Rush Week at Pepperdine is led by women who give it their all for you to be able to navigate with ease knowing you are supported. Next year, rush week will come again, and hopefully now you know what to expect.