Cheers filled the Newcomb Hall Ballroom Sunday as hundreds of students tore open envelopes to reveal which sororities they would get to call their new homes. The bid day celebration — held inside this year due to frigid temperatures — was the culmination of a recruitment process marked by long hours and icy conditions. Now, students recount a mix of emotions from rush, with some disappointed after dropping from the recruitment process and others ecstatic to join Greek life.
The Inter-Sorority Council kicked off rush Jan. 9 with a potential new member orientation, followed by several rounds of events where PNMs talked to current members and familiarized themselves with the sororities’ charities and houses. PNMs were ultimately matched with sororities based on mutual selection — PNMs ranked their preferred sororities, and sororities chose which PNMs to invite back for each round. Sunday’s bid day festivities capped the process, as PNMs received their bids and returned to the sorority houses to bond with their new sisters.
Liz Chew, ISC president and fourth-year College student, told The Cavalier Daily in an email statement that the ISC worked with over 3,000 participants this year, including PNMs and sisters, across 14 sororities. Chew said that, this year, the ISC worked extensively to motivate students to participate in rush.
“One of the ISC’s goals this recruitment cycle was to encourage more women to register for recruitment. We accomplished this by holding information sessions via Zoom or near first year dorms to make the information readily available,” Chew said.
Chew also noted that the ISC expanded its resources to accommodate an increase in PNMs this year. One notable change was including additional physical spaces and refreshments — an effort to make rush an enjoyable experience for PNMs despite the frigid temperatures.
While PNMs faced less than ideal weather while traveling between houses, the toughest parts of recruitment were emotional rather than physical, according to Erin Sinclair, a new member of Sigma Kappa and first-year College student. She described how PNMs must simultaneously feel out sororities they would like to join and try to leave a good impression on dozens of sisters at each house — a daunting task, day after day.
“I didn't realize it would be so emotionally [intense]. I've heard people say that it is, but I didn't really believe it until [I was] kind of in that spot.” Sinclair said.
Despite the intensity, the process is well worth it for many PNMs, allowing them to gain a new sense of belonging. As she proceeds to pledge Sigma Kappa, Sinclair described the shared identity she now enjoys with her pledge class and upperclassmen sorority members.
“It's like having a little home with people who you know are unconditionally there for you,” Sinclair said. “If I see anyone walking around with [my sorority’s] letters on, then I'll be like, ‘Oh, hey — we’re sisters.’”
Still, Sinclair said it is difficult to tell during the rush process which sororities will ultimately bond with a PNM. She described how many PNMs, while excited by the prospect of meeting potential sorority sisters, remained tentative, not wanting to get too attached to a sorority in case they eventually got dropped.
“It's pretty intense to be given a list of places that you really liked and [felt] a connection with, and then to see they dropped you,” Sinclair said. “You attach a lot of worth to what different houses think of you, and then you get kind of absorbed in that.”
The ISC provides resources to help mitigate any of these stressors PNMs face. Third-year Education student Natalie Burke served as a Pi Chi, or a disaffiliated sorority member offering guidance and support for PNMs during rush. She said Pi Chis aim to make rush a fun experience, and they remind PNMs to maintain a positive attitude and not take rejections from sororities personally.
“[We] emphasize that while rejection is super hurtful, this isn't the be-all, end-all,” Burke said. “They'll be able to find friends and other groups of people that they mesh with and love at U.Va., and the rush process is not going to determine any major life outcomes.”
Besides lifting PNMs’ spirits, Pi Chis also counsel PNMs who realize they want to drop rush. Burke cited a range of reasons students make this decision — they worry about the time commitment, feel disappointed after being dropped from a preferred sorority, want to rush next year or simply realize Greek life is not for them.
First-year College student Lily Ohlschlager dropped out of the rush process when she could not picture herself in the sororities she was asked back to. She said she wants to make the right decision when choosing a group of people to call her college — and even lifetime — friends.
“I eventually dropped because I was like, there's no point continuing the process when I know that this isn't where I'd want to be,” Ohlschlager said. “Especially because once you initiate, you're with those people for the rest of your life.”
The idea of choosing friendships that may last a lifetime can weigh on PNMs during an already intimidating process, but not all PNMs place a heavy emphasis on finding an ideal circle of friends. Second-year College student Saniyah Manaal decided to rush this spring for the first time, signing up without any expectations to pledge.
“I was like … ‘Whether I drop or not, I'll be okay,’” Manaal said. “But if I do end up in [a sorority], that would be wonderful as well.”
Manaal said she entered rush feeling little emotional stress because she already had a supportive group of friends at the University. In this way, the rush process took her by surprise — she found a house she wanted to pledge. Now a new member of Alpha Delta Pi, Manaal said she looks forward to expanding her circle to include new friends in Greek life.
“This is just an extra thing I get to do, which is super fun and exciting,” Manaal said. “But I can also stick to doing my other things too.”
Whatever the outcome of their rush process, students can now take a breather after a whirlwind 10 days. As students return to their normal schedule of classes this week, Sinclair said she looks forward to growing close to her new sorority sisters.
“One of the main reasons I rushed was to meet new people [and] expand my circle of close friends,” Sinclair said. “So I'm really just excited to get closer with everyone.”
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