Oh, this indian summer weather brings back great memories !! An outstanding time of year, when we headed back to Berkeley. Typically after four months of working hard at a summer job and being away from my Theta gals, I would be Beyond psyched to get back across the bay. It always started the same..with Rush Week. Unlike fraternities drunken revelies , the sororities put on these elaborate parties with themes and flower arrangements and lovely food. They were super organized and had been planned out in minute detail for months. It was intense and all-consuming, but it was also a wonderful bonding time and tons of fun. In particular, the Rush of our junior year is one of my All favorite time memories. You know how seniors are all ready to finish and move on..yeah, it was like that x10..our class ruled the house. Not to mention that our class was just the best group of women- I mean seriously outstanding and way cool. The stars alined when this group came to the Theta house..they are probably still talking about us!! I was the Rush Chairman and Murph was, of course, my constant right-hand gal. We would opened the door at 2723 Durrant and charm the throng waiting out front,"Welcome to the Theta house..please come in". Like I said it was very organized from the ( well..what were they called?!)university org. side too. Hundreds of girls who had signed up and then were housed in a nice hotel..put into groups and then went from house to house,meeting girls,trying to be at their best Without being snobby (ok, certain houses liked those who were snobby.) And then at an appointed time I -as well as the Rush chairmen in every other house - would say how lovely it had been having them but our time was up, and they would move onto another house.The first two days were brutally long because you were going to every house, but then the "cuts" came and every ensuing day you only go back to the houses that invited you. It gets down to two houses and then the girl chooses which house she wants to join. It worked both ways however, and the girl rushing can "cut" your house as well. Oh yeah..intense. so why was it SO much fun?!!! After the daily parties, we fortified ourselves and sat down to Hours of discussion and voting..more often than not into the wee hours of the morning. Then we had to get the next days party ready (think- themes) and do it all over again. We just weren't sleeping. Those nightly sessions were accompanied by a slide show with each rushee's picture that would come up and then I would say,"who met her today" and then we would discuss her. This is going to be hard to picture but I would make comments after each picture- mostly humorous ones. Oh yes, I was ON. The whole group was having such fun. No, of course, there were those individual gals who probably thought I was so obnoxious and out-of-control. I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt and acknowledge that...but WOW it sure was Fun!! I love those sisters..and we all knew this was our time because soon all those girls that we were working so hard on getting were going to move into our house and change the dynamics. I least that is how I saw it. I was nostalgic and liked things just they way they were. So I lived each moment to the max that week and perhaps always.Because I am eternally nostalgic. And when indian summer rears it lovely head, my heart goes back to Berkeley and my eyes get misty.
