Dearest freshmen girls who plan on joining a Patterson Court Eating House,
Being ripped out of my room before the sun has risen by a pack of crazy screaming girls usually is not something that I would sign up for. But self-selection morning, when my door was finally bashed and banged on, I could not have been happier.
Anticipation and nerves are honestly what sum up the self-selection process the best. The entire first month of the second semester seems to build up to the moment when you finally find out which house of girls you will call sisters for the next three years. The morning finally comes after you and your friends have carefully selected your list of choices and you can hear the roar of the oncoming girls marching from Patterson Court to welcome the new freshmen into their eating house. There will be screaming and yelling but most importantly there will be a feeling of belonging. No matter what house you end up in, it will be an amazing opportunity to meet new people, form new friendships, and create amazing memories that will be a large part of your college experience.
The excitement does not end there. After you and your new eating house members rush around the freshmen dorms claiming other new members and pulling on your matching shirts that mark what house you now belong to, you will stampede to your brand new house. This early morning sisterhood will be the first of many you enjoy. So dance on the tables, scream out song lyrics, and take lots of pictures. After the music fades, everyone becomes ravenous, so there is a surge from Patterson Court to beloved Vail Commons. This, for me, is the best part. Something about all the houses under one roof screaming their house chants and eating scrambled eggs and bacon just overwhelms me with the feeling of sheer and fearless girl power. Being at Davidson is intense, serious, and most of all difficult, so carefree moments like these are beautiful and truly deserve to be cherished.
As the self-selection day continues, each house has their own traditions that unfold into that evening, with the fraternities running through the epic house dance parties that will go on in celebration of yet another new generation continuing on the life of each house. It is hard to believe, but the coming weeks will be just as action-packed as this day. The welcome dinners, big/little week and big/little reveal, and then formal season; it is all amazing.
So embrace wherever you end up, ladies, and have a wild, crazy, and safe time in these coming weeks!!!!
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