Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

Page 17 text:

A versatile wardrobe, given in the form of a style show by Delta Delta Delta, shows newcomers what activities they may find on the K-State campus. Bold pirates sing their songs and display their treasures at one of the Chi Omega rush parties. Confusion reigns, but it ' s a happy kind as the Alpha Xi Deltas greet their new pledges in front of the house. Kansas winds fail to daunt the Kappa Delta actives, as they brave the elements to greet a group of rushees on the second day of rush week. None disputed the fact that you ' d met many people. But you wondered how long the girl in the green skirt and sweater would wear the green skirt and sweater after rush week. Or, there was the case of the fellow with the blond crew cut. You wondered if it would stay a crew or if it would grow out. Awkward heels and uncomfortable formals were pet peeves with the girls. You felt so good upon wearing your most bouffant formal to have a gal next to you smash it with her equally bouffant formal. Delicate tea cups and dainty sand- wiches. The best way to lose weight, you found, was to go through rush week drinking tea and eating tiny sandwiches. You were either too nervous or too tired to eat anything else and these morsels didn ' t stick too close to the ribs. An acrobat would do better in this business of rushing than you did. As a rushee, you perched yourself on the edge of the nearest chair and teetered back and forth for the ensuing 15 or 20 minutes. Or maybe an ostrich or giraffe would have done as well. By the time you got through craning your neck, you felt like one of their doubles. Fall cleaning leaves its mark on the life of many an active.

Page 16 text:

. . . and sleepless nights for rushees Rush week .... what memories are connected with those two, simple four-letter words .... smiles that brought oaths of never another smile .... steam- ing, warm winter clothes on steaming, warm summer days .... skits that actives had seen and practiced time and time again, that rather bored them, but the hosts managed a feeble smile anyway .... slightly off-key chapter songs that impressed rushees no end .... smoke-filled rooms, both during rush functions and into the wee morning hours .... mispronounced names .... wrong people from the right hometowns .... a thorough knowledge of each and every cur- riculum offered at Kansas State college .... and sleepless nights for both actives and rushees. After the big week was over, you wondered who told you that rush week is such a lark and you meet oodles of interesting people. True, you had met many people, but. Well, yes, they were interesting, and it had truly been an experience you ' d never forget. Oh, were those few days ever an ordeal! Mother and Dad would ' ve been shocked if they ' d seen how bright and chipper you were at early morning functions. Both as a rushee and as an active you spent many nigh-to-sleepless nights, yet somehow you managed a bright smile and voice the next morning. As a rushee you wondered if you smiled the right way at the right active and if you answered the standard questions the same as you did the day before. And as an active you wondered if you called the same girl the same name twice. Typical rush week problems bring smiles and snickers from rushees and actives at Kappa Kappa Gamma ' s Blue Heaven party on the second day of rush week. Casualness is supreme as actives dress in blue nightshirts and serve breakfast to the rushees.

Page 18 text:

An exchange of names and greetings is made as active meets rushee on the Phi Kappa Tau porch. Summer escapades highlight the conversation and bring hearty chuckles in the living room of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house. Pledge pin replaces name tag, and this pledge watches intently as an active adjusts and places the pin at the proper angle. Seven bells and all ' s well after dinner in the Delta Tau Delta house. Tasty meals are always a welcome item to rushers and rushees alike during rush week. The fellows have their own little treasure of fond rush-week memories. Some of those rush functions might have been pretty nice .... had you ever gotten to them. It was fine if the chapter that surely did hope you ' d come back again came after you. But there was a time or two when you spent your time in West Stadium twiddling your thumbs while others rushed, forgetting to pick you up. When they did remember you, how they did shake your hand. Oh, how they did shake your hand! You never knew quite what to expect .... a clammy, clinging one or a brisk bone-crunching one. At this point, you decided to take off your rings for next rush week. Then there was the day that you became Jim John- son when you thought you ' d been Bob Brown all your life. Mother and Dad said you ' d probably change some in college, but you didn ' t think it would go that far. It was truly a joy when rush week was over. At last you used the phone freely. You talked to boys and girls .... as the case might be ... . without fear of someone seeing or hearing you. Mom and Dad called you without going through a Congressional committee. Yes, it was all behind you .... facial muscles re- laxed, and you again smiled when and to whom you wanted to ... . trophies returned to their shelves to collect dust until next rush week .... names finally got the correct owner .... card games resumed the usual nonchalant air ... . and voices regained their normal pitch.