300 women assemble for sorority rush

Some were tall, and some were short. Some were blond, and some were not. And whether they donned blazers or shirts, slacks or skirts, they all had one thing in common: they were beginning sorority rush. At about 7 p.m. last night, 347 women waited to enter Bodek Lounge in a phrenetic line of nerves and well-dressed personalities. The freshmen and sophomore women, waiting to enter the PanHellenic Council's 1992 rush orientation, wore bright colors, presenting a stark contrast to the darkly paneled lobby of Houston Hall. The crowd of women expressed their anxiety with murmurs of "this is so intense" and "do you already know which house you want?," intermingling with assurances of "I'm just psyched." And rush hadn't even started. As the line moved, it became jumbled and loud, with people mostly talking to the same people they came to the event with. One woman just stood there with her hands in her pockets, staring at the ceiling as if seeking divine intervention. And, like her, many women's faces showed the strain of anxiety and confusion. Some rushes, however, displayed no signs of pressure or apprehension. "I'm really excited for rush," College freshman Jessica Kosow said excitedly as she readied to enter the session. "I'm looking forward to meeting a lot of new people." As each women slowly but surely filed into the auditorium, many commented on the rush books each woman received as she entered Bodek Lounge. The rushes described them as "helpful" and "interesting." "I'm more than happy with the way we got [the rushes] organized and settled," PanHel President and Chi Omega sister Maureen Hernandez said during a break in the program. "But it's been hectic, to say the least," added the College and Wharton senior. With all the seats filled and some women sitting on the floor, the meeting began. It opened with a few welcoming and instructional speeches, including one by Rush vice-president and Delta Delta Delta sister Jennifer Pollock. When the College senior finished, she asked the women to break up into their rho chi groups. With around 15 women each, these groups are headed by a rush counselor, appropriately dubbed a "rho chi," who will lead the small group through the entire rush process. According to the PanHel rush handbook, these rho chis are "temporarily disaffiliated with their respective houses so that they can be impartial guides and friends" to the rushes. The counselors are not even allowed to tell the rushes their last names or their houses. "Everybody's given a fair shot," Hernandez said. The women made a chaotic transition to the roving rho chi groups, and as the filled beyond capacity room became increasingly hot, some groups opted to meet in different locations at later times. Once the groups were settled, however, the tense looks melted away, and smiles abounded as the women began to mingle with the people they had just met. College freshman Heather Walleck said after the meeting that the orientation was "basically an overview of what to expect [from rush]." A smaller crowd is anticipated tonight, as the second and last of the orientations is held "to accomodate people," according to Hernandez. When the hour-plus event was completed, 347 of the 622 registered PanHel rushes walked away ready to rush into rush.

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