MLZ.
Those three letters symbolize some of the highest highs and lowest lows these past four years. I couldn’t tell you how many we started with or how many we are at right now. It doesn’t matter. The faces and numbers didn’t make the past four years; rather it was the kooky personalities, the nutty ideas, the ridiculous events, and the absolutely absurd meetings.
Back track to anyone who isn’t in my sorority…. We have three letters that our house takes very seriously and only those who pledge the sorority know the meaning behind them. Then our chapter does Pledge Class Letters. Each pledge class is supposed to pick three letters for their pledge class only. The letters are supposed to be special and only your PC knows the meaning behind them.
Letter choosing is one of the first things you do as a pledge class without an older member helping. During pledge class meetings, no older members are present. These unsupervised meetings are where your PC sisters true colors and personalities begin to flare up and shine. I am pretty sure that first year, all meetings ended up with someone yelling “SHUT UP!” And then 4-6 girls determining what we were going to do. The rest of us willingly agreed because we were so tired of the bickering and fighting. We just wanted to leave Stout Basement!
Enough background... So after I pledged my new sorority, I didn’t return to the house until it was required of me. I had been sororitied out and besides that, no one told me the door code. After one week of school, the freshmen pledge class went on the annual Pledge Class Retreat. Our New Member Educator and the SET leaders were the only ones allowed to join us.
We were told to bring sleeping bags and that our final location was the Girl Scout camping grounds right outside of Stillwater.
Cool. I wasn’t too keen on this whole camping shindig. And with about 50 girls I didn’t know… Also, I really don’t like sleeping in foreign places. I can’t count the number of times I called my mom at midnight from a friend’s house begging to come home from a sleepover. I even struggled last year sleeping at my fiancé’s grandparent’s house. And by struggled, I mean I cried almost the whole way there.
Not to mention this camping situation seemed shady and had hazing written all over it.
(My sorority has a strict no hazing policy, but isn’t that what every sorority and fraternity says? But, after being in my sorority for 4 years, I can confidently say we don’t haze. We can’t even single out a pledge class (freshmen to senior) to do something like sell t-shirts or shag balls at our philanthropy event. Trust me, my sorority is the “smother you with love” kind of group not beat the love into you.)
The campgrounds ended up being a kind of cabin thing that was definitely old school. The Girl Scouts had left strangely painted banners and creepy mobiles hanging from the ceiling. This turned from possible hazing scenario to a C horror movie scene. The bathroom wasn’t connected to the building and I don’t really remember any A/C besides the fans on the ceiling.
There was plenty of junk food, pop, and pizza which again… You would think sorority girls would frown upon such indulgence behaviors. Nope. My sorority likes to eat… And then go run at the Colvin for 3 hours, but still… we don’t mind the excessive workout as long as we get our pasta bar and some of Janice’s desserts (the cook).
The evening consisted of some bonding activities, and activities that included writing a letter to yourself and goal setting.
One of the most overwhelming things about the PC retreat was literally not knowing anyone’s name. That stressed me out beyond belief. Every one of these girls was a stranger with no name. I am so bad at socializing, and every time I would try to join a little pod group, they would slowly leave one by one and form again somewhere else. I may of have been paranoid, but I felt like everyone was avoiding me. It was such a low place to be.
That night, it began to storm. Thunder and lightening. The real deal, Oklahoma storm. There was a special meeting that required us to be siting in a circle with no lights besides a candle. Now, I am one of those people who can convince myself that Freddie Kruger is standing right outside my window in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Or that there are demons in the room and they are going to possess what’s-her-face sitting next to me (Paranormal Activity 1 or 2. You pick). So I am freaking out. Then, BAM! BAM BAM!!!!!!
We all screamed and possibly peed a little. The seniors had arrived to surprise us. They brought cake too… Of course.
At this point, I had had enough. I was over this whole sorority gig. I was ready to wad up my sleeping bag and hitch hike back to my dorm. This was weird. They couldn’t have planned a worse PC retreat—I mean come on! One room, Girl Scout cabin plus a storm? My anxiety level was through the roof. I started to cry. Luckily, the majority of the girls were lining up for cake or taking a potty break. One senior noticed me, the blubbering, pathetic freshmen. She started at me with concern in her eyes but I was not in the mood to talk.
Apparently she didn’t recognize my, “No thanks, I don’t want to discuss my feelings,” look and asked me if I would go outside with her… Yeah. With Freddie? Sure. Why not?
She asked me what was wrong and I explained what was going on from my struggles to make friends, to my doubts about even joining a sorority. She began trying to assure me that the first semester of pledging was a blur and very overwhelming, but it would work out. She even sympathized with my “I came to college with no friends,” sob story. She was from Texas and had come to OSU alone as a freshman. She urged me to give my pledge class sisters a chance, and try to engage in conversations.
I am not for sure how some upperclassmen, stranger convinced me all was going to be okay, but I calmed down and tried to really engage in the whole pledge class retreat. My second attempt to quit had been cut off at the pass.
The rest of the night was filled with some crazy picture taking with a girl who I thought was going to be my sorority BFF. We bonded over the fact that we didn’t think we liked the whole sorority experience. We also found common ground because neither of us had gelled with anyone in our pledge class… Well except for each other. I was so pumped to have finally found someone who had a name that I could remember and a personality that didn’t ooze sorority… PC Retreat had a little ray of sunshine in it!
I went to bed around 2 am, but a handful of my sisters stayed up all night… Every now and then we reminisce back on PC Retreat 07 and laugh at the very first friendships we formed. In such a small amount of time, we had only gotten to know each other’s post-high school/overly friendly personalities. It would take time to really get to know each other and our closer friendship with the PC would shift. Plus, we were bound to mature and change a little from freshmen year… =)
Example of friendships from PC Retreat not working out? My BFF. She quit a week later. Didn’t tell me. Story of my life… Should of guessed- I mean we bonded over not liking the sorority! Helllloooo!!!!?!
But we still laugh about it now as the veteran group of MLZ. It is always good to be able to look at the “breaking down moments” and realize it was a mere speed bump and things didn’t combust shortly after like expected.
I love, love, love my pledge class and have more stories to come!
MLZ. We rock.
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