I am a potential new member — a PNM. That is right, I am officially rushing a sorority. I can say without a doubt that this experience is nothing like what I could have imagined. Walking into the WPU on Friday, I was an anxious mess — still am. I had no idea what my evening would look like and especially could not believe I would feel so safe and loved within just 24 hours.
Going into orientation, I was totally wracked with nerves. All the girls seemed so put-together, and there were just so many of them. It felt like there were 1,000 fish all trying to swim in the tank at PetSmart. But looking back, a week later, I am so grateful I stuck with it.
My recruitment counselor is such a breath of fresh air, and I feel more supported than ever by girls I met only a few hours ago. Going through this shared experience is truly a bonding process and something you have to live through to understand. I did not even realize until leaving on Sunday that I had made a few real meaningful friendships.
Having grown up as an only child, with an extraordinarily small family, I never had that close bond you see in TV or movies between girls, but the shared experience of rushing truly brings girls together. All the many highs and lows highlight just how easy it is for a girl to put a fake smile on her face. So many of the girls, PNMs and the sorority girls alike, are shaking in their heels. But through each round, they swallowed their nerves and greeted everyone with a smile.
This is a special process, and going into it, my mind was plastered with ideas from Bama Rush and overwhelmed by stories off TikTok — maybe it would have been a good thing to stay banned. But for any girl who reads this, I can promise you that Pitt panhellenic rush is a safe space for you to find your home. Go into each house with an open mind and know just how perfect you are. You are looking just as much for a perfect home in the sorority as they are looking for a sister in you.
All the stress of finding the perfect outfit, right shoes, ensuring my lip gloss was still on and my hair was curled perfectly was all just a way for me to project my fears of rejection and insecurities. But this process brought out the true me. I knew going into it I had to be open and honest, as I wanted to ensure I chose a sorority that was a fit for the true me.
So while I have yet to know which sorority hill I will die on, I can say for certain I am so proud of myself for going through the process. As an only child and a sophomore, this process was extremely daunting. I felt every emotion in the book.
In my very strong opinion, rushing at Pitt is a fantastic chance to truly find women who have shared goals, aspirations and will be in your life forever. I can promise you your makeup is perfect, and your outfit looks great — you do not need to try on 30 different options.
From my point of view, all I needed to do was relax. The nerves are good. They’re what made me excited, and if I had been completely calm, that may have concerned everyone in the room, myself included, since nerves add to the desire of being there. Whenever or wherever you choose to rush, ensure you do it for yourself, as this is a group of sisters you will have for life.