University of Mississippi - Ole Miss Yearbook (Oxford, MS)

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BID DAY 2004 After receiving their bid, freshman girls run to their new sorority houses to be showered in gifts and excitement as they are welcomed by their new friends. 284 I The Oi.i; Miss 2005

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GREEK RUSH 2004 THE RUSH EXPERIENCE Behind the scenes of one of the biggest event held ON the Ole Miss campus wrillen hr VIRGINIA SHIELDS )lii,liio„i ,lii; hr DARRELL BLAKELY sh is one of the most stressful y V rewarding processes of tiie Ok- Miss college experience. It is a time of anxiety for both Rushees and members, but when all is said and done, most people are glad to have gone through the process. During the five days in which Rush takes place, hours of sleep are lost, tears are shed, tempers are lost and things often do not go quite as you planned. By the end of those long days, sorority and fraternity actives have met several new people, some of whom will cvcntualK become their best friends. And isn ' t that why most college students are here in the first place? Sure, getting an education is the main reason they are in college, but most of the memories they will make here and the most important lessons they will learn will come from time spent with friends, not time spent in lecture halls or studying in the library. As a freshman, the idea of Rush can be both exciting and extremely daunting. Rushees spend a great deal of time and energy preparing themselves to go through Rush, but the smart ones realize the best way to approach the whole process is to just relax and be yourself The Rushees who understand that Rush is not going MUCH LIKE THE LADIES, Greek Rush for men consists of three rounds as well. Fraternities, such as Sigma Alpha Epsilon, begin with round one by initially introducing rushees to actives. to be the pivotal moment in their college career are the ones who usually end up the happiest, regardless of whether they got in the sorority of their choice or did not get a bid at all. One of the biggest downfalls of Rush is not all 800 or so girls who go through will get a bid. Rush is not a perfect process, and unfortunately, feelings get hurt along the way. Despite this fact, Rushees who do not get a bid should be comforted by knowing that it is not the end of the world. Ole Miss is full of opportunities to get involved and make i I new friends, and becoming active on I ( ampus is guaranteed to bring students unlimited amounts of satisfaction. The other side of the Rush process provides plenty of stressful moments as well. Over the course of just a few days, sororities and fraternities imitc hundreds of Rushees into their home. Actives worry over whether or not the Rushees enjoy their house and if they will want to join their sorority or fraternity. The pressure to stay energized is extremely high, but when bid clay finally rolls around, they do not need any motivation to get excited. The joy of seeing 80 new friends running down the hill to their house is a feeling that they will never forget. After going through both sides of the Rush process, one realizes they are equally stressful. But more importantly, they learn the anxiety and pressure are quickly forgotten and replaced with feelings of happiness and joy. Being Greek can be one of the most rewarding experiences of one ' s college career. Sororities and fraternities provide the opportunity to help others and to get in ' olved in social and academic activities on campus, and at the same time, they are forming friendships that will last a lifetime. Greeks j 283

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SHOUTING FOR JOY, these ecstatic rushees run barefoot to their new home to become pledges. CONGRATULATIONS! Kappa j Delta Carleen King shares the joy of Bid Day with a hug to a Tri ' Dolt friend RUNNING ALONG, new pledges dash to see their new sorority sisters. Greeks 1 285