Sorority rush not hampered by the cold

In case you haven't noticed the long lines of well-dressed women with nametags parading through campus the past two nights, the formal sorority recruitment process has begun. Rush began for women Tuesday night, as they braved gusting winds and temperatures well below freezing in their travels to each of the seven sororities on campus. Indeed, it was the frigid temperatures that defined rush for most women. "The worst part about it was standing in the cold," College freshmen Jaimie Glick and Sarah Shankman agreed. "Other than that, it really wasn't bad." The rushees congregated outside sorority houses in groups, assembled themselves in alphabetical order and entered the houses to meet the girls. This process, far more organized than fraternity rush, drew intrigue from male onlookers. "Bloody hell! I have never seen more pairs of black trousers in my life!" Wharton freshman Lloyd Thomas mused in his strong British accent. Indeed, it seemed that all the rushees, asked to dress as though they were having dinner with their parents, would wear black pants to such an occasion. But despite the homogeneity in attire, the women going through the rush process gave it somewhat mixed reviews. "My face and my smile were numb, but [the whole process] wasn't as painful as everyone built it up to be," College freshman Michelle Goldwin said. "We didn't get free food like the guys, but it was still fun." Other women complained that the sorority girls seemed fake at times, and said that they felt like cattle being herded from house to house. Anticipating a bad experience, some women opted to avoid rush altogether. "I don't feel like wearing a pea coat and heels and standing outside in the freezing cold and paying 20 bucks to do it," College freshman Emilie Mengwall said. For the most part, however, women who did rush had some very positive things to say about the experience. "I'm definitely not the sorority-type girl, so I came in with some preconceived notions," College freshman Beth Rosen said. "I didn't really start out taking it very seriously, but I ended up meeting some very cool people and, much to my surprise, I am considering pledging." Anu Singla, vice president of recruitment for the Panhellenic Council, was pleased with the start of rush. "Everything looked fabulous, and people seemed to be having a really good time," she said. "Freezing [temperatures] last night probably contributed to people's misery.... It's always freezing for rush, and we told them to dress warmly." Some rushees did not seem to understand the hype about the weather. "I'm from Michigan, so I handled the cold fine," College freshman Laura Cappelli said. "I really don't know what the big deal is.... I'm definitely going to pledge." According to Singla, 491 women registered for rush, consistent with statistics from previous years. Reflecting on the rigidity of the sorority rush system, she added, "This is a process that works for us. It's good for the potential new members to see every chapter, and in the end, everyone usually gets matched up in a place that's a good fit for them." College freshman Rosalind Ting was excited about her introduction to the sororities. "All the [sorority] girls were really great, very nice, and I think they really did try to get to know the" rushees, she said. "I liked it, although it was very cold. It's going to be hard for me to narrow down my choices." After the rushees had visited all seven sororities over the course of the past two nights, they selected five chapters that they wanted to continue rushing. The process will continue over the next two weeks, culminating on Jan. 26, when women receive bids inviting them to begin the pledge process.