[SC2013]

I'm SO SORRY! I've been bogged down with homework the first week back from break. Without further ado (again, sorry):

I got all dolled up for Pref and headed out. I was probably on the dressier end of what the other girls were wearing, which was surprising, but again I had absolutely no idea what to expect for Pref.

-Peggy Olson-My first house. I didn't recognize anyone outside. To be honest, tons of girls just looked pissed to be there. I, personally, was just a little surprised and apprehensive. I also hoped my friend would Pref me or something.
The girls filed out onto the lawn and lined the walkway up the house. Each girl was holding a flower. One by one, a girl say, "I would like to invite _________ to join us for brunch," (or something along those lines) hand her a flower and walk into the house.
A girl I'd never seen before called my name. We went into the house and I think she stood up to go somewhere for a second because I remember around this time my friend came up and whispered to me, "Yeah...I guess it didn't work out" in reference to trying to get me dropped. I had no idea what that meant--did everybody just really like me or something?--but now I'm thinking maybe they had to invite a certain number of girls back, and most girls had already dropped them?
The girls in the house all stood up behind the chairs and sang a song. I remember looking around the room and wondering if I was supposed to cry at this point. Some girls went up to the podium and shared how they felt about the sisterhood. I think they said things about how they felt comfortable and could share their experiences with the other girls and things like that.
Then we went into the next room to have brunch. I couldn't think of things to say, so I told her I was really tired, because at that point of rush week I think I was.
Then the bell rang and we were all ushered out. I remembered wondering if this is what Pref was supposed to be like.

-Joan Holloway- I remember the girl I'd met at Slideshow Day--who I adored and could imagine being my big--announce a girl in front of me. The next girl to step forward to announce a girl was the girl I'd met at House Tours and almost overran the party time with. She smiled and called my name.
It felt so surreal as we entered the house. She asked me what other house I'd been to. I told her Peggy but didn't want to say anything like "but I only want your house" because I figured that would be rude. We chatted for a bit about the Joan senior house she lives at not far from my housing apartment, and then some girls went up to talk about the house. I found both of the stories really heartfelt and hilarious. I hadn't been entirely sure if most sororities were right for me, but I knew despite the fact that my guy friends discouraged me, said "you can party without being in a sorority, why would you rush?" I'd wanted to rush because I wanted a group of girls I could bond with, spend time with, and another home.
Then the ceremony happened. I forgot who or what happened exactly, but I remember a girl tripping up over her words and laughing and the other girls in the house laughing along with her. I was laughing too...and I realized that Pref didn't have to be about being sappy and crying, but that it was about supporting your sisters...even with laughter. I guess that fits with my style, because I'm pretty goofy and not very solemn about tradition, and that was the vibe they gave off...that they were serious about their house, and about their sisterhood, but not necessarily about themselves. The ceremony ended, I was really drained by this point, and I did start to run out of things to say with my girl, but she hugged me at the door and that was that.

I was overwhelmed. I loved the ceremony. But I was also scared. It was down to the house I'd had a good hunch about even before rush, and then discovered I really liked during each round.

The girls at the party and I walked back to the library, where we would be ordering our Preferences. There was a bunch of girls I was walking back with who had also gone to the much sought after Midge Daniels. Another girl asked one, "what did you think?" And she had a look on her face..."Well, I'll take what I can get." It seemed like most girls wanted Midge, but they would list Joan second on their list because it was "still a respectable choice," plus as the Panhellenic girls had made sure we understood, listing two houses gave you a better chance at your first one.

This left me at a quandary. I wasn't down with Peggy. If I had been "able" to get dropped, I would've been a shoe-in for Joan. We're guaranteed bids if we go to Pref, and if you only go to one house...well then, you're set. BUT, most girls get their first house anyways, so I decided to follow Panhellenic directions and not drop Peggy. Besides, it seemed like most girls didn't want Joan anyways. Their loss!

I went in and signed my preferences:
1. Joan
2. Peggy
and left with a huge raincloud over my head.

One of my roommates, the one that went to Pref for Trudy Campbell, found out halfway through rush that since she had received a bid from Peggy Olson last year and didn't go to bid night, didn't have to attend Peggy parties during rush. So she was basically good to go with Trudy.

My best friend had been invited back to Trudy and Jane Sterling. She wasn't sure which one to pick. She didn't care for either at the beginning of rush (she wanted Midge Daniels, and like it seems with everyone, if she didn't "get" Midge she would settle for Joan, but that didn't work out either). She could see herself showing up to Trudy with sweats and hanging out, but she could see herself going out with Jane. Her family and relatives were really enthusiastic about her rushing, so she called a family friend who had Greek alumni at our school. They enthusiastically told her to pick Jane because she is "higher ranked." She was very unexcited for both but ranked Jane first, along with our friend in my rush group who had helped me get excited to visit our friends in Bobbie Barrett.

My roommate went to Trudy and Dr. Faye Miller. She was very open minded and sweet about the entire rush process but had like Dr. Faye from the start, and chose that as her first pick. (Angelic RA is also a Dr. Faye, for the record!)

Looks like if we all got our first choices...we'd be happy (or "higher ranked"?). But would we?