November is a pretty tough month. For some, it begins with a massive hangover from the Halloween festivities the night before, and for everyone, it ends with an extra five pounds from Grandma’s feast for Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately for the many women who are Greek or are planning on going Greek, the worst part lurks around mid-month: Fall Rounds.
Freshmen on Vanderbilt’s campus are lucky enough to experience fall rounds for the first time tomorrow. Whether they are girls attempting to immerse themselves into the sorority world or they are taunting guys watching from a distance (forgetting that their hell is only a few months away), all will feel the pressure and tension in the air.
The freshmen girls, who are new to the process, will be nervous, but sophomores new to their sororities will probably be even jumpier. It will be their first “rounds” experience on the other side, and trust me — there is a lot to learn. The upperclassmen will be a bit more relaxed, but we all know they will be a little anxious about the next class coming in. And of course, there will be those juniors gloating about their decision to avoid formal rush next semester by making plans to study abroad.
This is my first year on the other side, so I have nothing to offer for upperclassmen, but there are a few things that I wish my Greek Ambassador had shared with me last year I had to learn for myself. So here are a few pointers for those freshmen girls out there who are a little lost with the whole process:
First of all, despite what Greek Life is telling you, it does matter what you wear. Yeah, yeah, you are all wearing the same shirt and no jewelry that makes you stand out, but what you choose to do with your bottom half does really matter. You better pick out the most expensive pair of jeans that you own, or at least the most recognizable brand. If you are lacking in this department, get to Green Hills Mall pronto. You should probably use the same strategy with your shoes as well.
Second, if you are a girl that likes your personal space, you better just open up the bubble for a day, because you are going to have more loving from other girls than you have ever had in your life. When you get picked up at the doors you will either be grabbed by the arm, guided by a hand on the back or even better, linked elbow-to-elbow with one of the sisters. During conversations, you might get frequent taps on the shoulder or brushes on the arm. Just get used to it. Ironically, it is the sorority’s awkward way of making you feel more welcome.
Most importantly, do not worry about the whole holding a conversation thing. Fall Rounds is just one absurd practice session for the bigger event to come in January. Just let the girls in the sorority T-shirts take control. They are supposed to be spitting mad game at you anyway. You should try to avoid topics such as politics, religion, what boys you have hooked up with, how much you drank last weekend or how much you did not drink last weekend. Weather is fair game, because Nashville weather is wild. Other than that, sit back, relax and enjoy meeting the older girls that you have been scared to meet all semester.
Frannie Boyle is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at mary.f.boyle@vanderbilt.edu.
