Greek Life in College, better than we thought

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

pledging is fine we're almost done i got my big sister yesterday!!! :D
nd thats good i hope grandpa gets to go home soon

She told me before she returned to campus on Sunday that she signed up for helping at her school’s Open House next Saturday, which means she will stay on campus for the weekend. So far I haven’t heard from her, but assume she’s not coming home. My father is doing better and is being released from the hospital today. I might fly home this May instead of for my parents’ 50^th wedding anniversary next year in July. He might not be around then. I am trying to stay here long enough so I can finish my semester, because if I just miss one class, I am lost. Missing two classes would be the end for my course (English Composition 121).

Alexandra worked at her school’s Open House on Saturday, so I picked her up afterwards. Her first words were: Mom, by the way, I changed my major. To Communications. I said, “Praise the Lord.” Really, I am glad, because Marine Biology includes so much math, chemistry and physics, she would have been overwhelmed and frustrated. Now she has much easier math ahead of her and courses she can do, like public speaking, which is no problem for her. She spoke to rooms full of people during her years as a Girl Scout and since she was seven years old, she danced in front of hundreds of people, in shows and competitions. I am really relieved, because Communications is a broader and more versatile field, and easier for her. She is not all that into studying, thankfully she has great memory and social skills which hopefully will bring her far in life.

She got her big sister in her sorority and is so excited about belonging to that sisterhood. Whether sororities and fraternities are negative or positive, this is how I look at it: Before she even started college she researched the Greek organizations on her future campus and talked to people in different sororities. During “Meet the Greeks” she already knew exactly which group she wanted to apply to. She went to every one of their meetings, made friends during her first weeks on campus, and when the night of the bidding came, she received her bid. It was a huge deal. Out of 15 applicants, she was one of 4 freshmen who received a bid, a guaranteed spot for the next semester. She called us at 1 in the morning, exhilarated that she just got the call and was accepted. So, she decided what she wanted, showed her face at all the meetings, made friends, succeeded in being accepted, went through the pledging process, and reached her goal. Her sorority is involved in community service, they tutor each other because you need to have a good GPA to stay in it, and during the six weeks of pledging, there was no partying and alcohol allowed what so ever. Doesn’t this sound great to us parents? And for the fact that sororities and fraternities do nothing but party… if kids in college want to party, they will, whether it’s with a Greek organization or on their own. I trust that she made a good choice and picked a good sorority, not the ones you hear bad news about. She did all the research herself and reached her goal, and I am proud of her.

This empty nest is starting to grow on us!

Notice the time span between emails. I am not contacting her every day anymore.

Tue 2/1/2011: hey so nothing is really going on this weekend so i think i might come home either friday or sat... ill let you know though

Thursday 2/3/2011: sooo i think im gonna come home on saturday at like noonish cuz on friday i wanna like do homework and go to the gym and stuff
but on the way home do u think we can stop at like the mall? i just need some things for mixers and stuff nd i think the bigger malls have a better selection so i can get stuff for cheaper than at our mall

Friday 2/4/2011: Yes, I can pick you up tomorrow around noonish, and stop at the mall.

What did you do last night? Be careful tonight, love mom

okay cool
im just planning on doing productive stuff today...gym hw im not going out tonight cuz i just dont feel like it

(Do I notice a little maturing/growing up here?…it does a mother good.) Side note from me, the mother: If you compare the first semester to the second, there is a lot less correspondence going on. I am more at ease. I don’t wake up in the middle of the night worrying anymore, at least on days I know she’s not at a frat party. The students seem to have calmed down, settled, figured out some things. My husband and I are a little lost being home without her, but that too is getting better. We are enjoying each other’s company more. I keep busy with a college course, only one at a time, and writing novels. Of course I also work full time during the day, but the evenings would be long without these activities. She still comes home every weekend, but it sounds as if that will be changing, too.

Greek Life

Friday 9/17/2010

morning!!!!
i love greek life, i went to a party last night with the sisters from XYZ and they are sooo nice! they have designated drivers and girls that are called sober sisters, everyone gets a sober sister to make sure the other isnt doin anything stupid and this way they always have a buddy so no one is alone and bad things wont happen to them. we went to the baseball house, it was really fun and the guys are really nice...and hot! the theme was gangsta music vs country music so you had to dress in whatever you like better. i chose gangster because i hate country music, i wore sweatpants with boxers underneath so i could pull my pants down low lol! and a red cami with a black cami over it...with two shelf bras built in and my padded bra...my boobs looked fabulous!! and get this my RA is in XYZ so i went over and knocked on her door to see what she's wearing because i didnt wanna dress all themed and then get there and everyone else is normal clothes and then look like the idiot who went to a party in pajamas lol but she was wearing sweats too and said that most of the sisters are wearing this too. and she said that she was one of the drivers and had to go to the meeting spot a lil early and said she would knock on my door when she was leaving and we could go together, so i went to a party with my RA... but yea everyone is really nice and friendly and they really do look out for each other so i really think its a good fit for me. i can't pledge till next semester though cuz im a freshman and u need a certain GPA to get in and in your first semester you dont really have a GPA till the end of it anyways soo. thats that but im still allowed to hang out with them and see what they are all about
anyways i just got done with class so im gonna nap, shower and do homework =]
xo Alexandra
i hope everything is okay with Beth and Maggie i mean yea there are ups and downs like right now im really happy being here and sometimes i really wanna go home so hopefully its not a downer for them all the time

Glad to hear you’re having fun, just one word of advice: Don’t drink in front of your RA (or otherwise), she might seem cool, but you don’t know if she keeps a record of her underage drinkers which would work against you. Remember, in this world you can trust nobody, only dogs and your mother.

You are not a party pooper if you don’t drink, that is so yesterday. To be cool nowadays is to cover your butt and protect yourself, everybody just cares about themselves. Just tell them you’re German/Irish and did all your drinking in your youth in Europe where it’s legal, it sounds cooler anyway. You are now free to move on to soda.

But you sound like you’re making smart decisions and I am proud of you. One drink is enough, and always guard that drink, you know what could happen.

Stay gold, love, Mom

thanks
and please tell daddy that to wait with the batman movie cuz i wanna see it really bad

Parties and stuff

Mother's email to a friend:

So far Alexandra spent her weekends mostly with us, all her friends are away in college, and when they do come home, they have to study. But she parties during the week and just wants to sleep on the weekends, really. Heather

 I’m sure it will sort itself out over time and she will visit friends at other colleges, right now she wants to connect with home, funny, isn’t it? Maureen

Thu 9/16/2010 Good morning,

Another day gone and down the drain. That’s why we have to make the best of every day we have, otherwise you’re just wasting your life away. By being on your own away in school, studying, using your mind, meeting new people, trying different things (not drugs and alcohol, that just deceives you) you are living every day to the fullest. I try to do the same: at least one hour of math, an hour of writing, and an hour of reading every day, to keep the brain exercised. That’s the only way I can think of not wasting my life. I still do fun stuff, like, uh, write and read, haha, and walk your dog and staying in touch with friends, and eat and coffee and chocolate, and best of all, hearing from you.

You have to tell me more about Greek life when you come home. Dad rented “The Prince of Persia”, it was actually pretty good. He also got the Batman cartoon, maybe he’ll wait for you to come home to watch it with. Tiger is just his cute meowing self and Max is Max. Yesterday we covered the pool with the new cover and he ran all over it. Then we had wind gusts and it turned comical, something to send to “America’s Funniest Videos.” We were actually covered under the pool cover for a moment. When we finally had it on top of the pool, the wind picked up again and blew it up so it looked like a dome. We were so frustrated, but now it looks okay.

Anyway, no other news since yesterday,

See you tomorrow around five o’clock, Love always, Mom