Lianna Holston: Recovering from Rush

Ahoy, kiddos.

Here we are outside the kitchen in the Stanford House at Oxford, where just this morning I learned that I am not as good at making omelettes as I’d previously believed.

Also I have a massive flu situation that is currently #reking me and has been for two days now. It’s this fun thing where I alternate between shivering and sweating p much on the hour. Haha, England.

A few first impressions of Oxford for anyone who cares (if you don’t, just skip this part and go to the affirmation of your self-worth section lol):

1. The weather is as unpredictable as my health rn.
2. This place is old and also expensive.
3. Just because you can go to pubs every night doesn’t necessarily mean you should.
4. Everyone here is a nerd.
5. Like in a cool way.
6. #NerdNation amirite.

OK. Rush happened this past weekend, as I’m sure you are all (painfully) aware. Some of you are probably feeling like Elle Woods rn: excited to be in a new place and p oblivious to the pain of others. Others of you probably didn’t have quite the Rush experience you were hoping to. Still more of you may have had just a terrible time of it all the whole time and left Rush with a bad taste in your mouth and your ears ringing from the incessant shout-singing of others. AND the rest of you didn’t Rush and probably now have feelings about that too.

So now I will attempt to address all of those in a flu-induced stupor from 5,300 miles away.

To those of you whose Rush experience went the way you wanted it to:

NICE. Congrats. I’m so happy for you that this all worked out and that you are happy with wherever you pledged. But keep in mind that a lot of people around you aren’t sharing in those same ecstatic emotions, so maybe shut up about your new frat/sorority sometimes.

To those of you who didn’t have a great time at Rush:

Don’t worry about it. I know that’s easier said than done, but Rush is a weird social environment and many people don’t feel like themselves during it, which is stressful and can be upsetting. My advice to you is: try not to take the decisions that were made this weekend personally. Getting into Greek life can be kind of a crapshoot (like getting into Stanford was, remember?), and it’s very hard to know what each frat/sorority is looking for.

To those of you who had an actively terrible experience during Rush:

Rush is WEIRD. Girl flirting is AWFUL. Guy flirting is WORSE and also maybe not a THING. But keep this in mind: no one, no matter how popular they are or how srat they are or how blonde they are, can tell you how much you are worth as a person. Getting into Greek life is not the be all end all of college, and certainly isn’t the be all end all of your decency as a human being. I know it’s disappointing and a thing that is so hard to not internalize the blame for, but do yourself a favor and try. You are worth so much more than a bid from a frat or a sorority.

To those of you who didn’t Rush:

Don’t be a dick to people. Whether or not you agree with Greek life doesn’t mean you should make assumptions about people who chose to Rush this weekend (or in the past). Give good hugs and be ready to listen to your friends who went through the process, because chances are they all have some impression of it, be it negative or positive. Also if you’re feeling like you should’ve rushed: there’s always next year, but this could be an opportunity to explore other social groups and events on campus!

So what happens now?

1. Go to all campus darties if you so choose.
2. Stay alive.
3. Don’t succumb to peer pressure, even if someone duct tapes a handle of vodka to your hand (I saw that on the internet once and was ~distressed~).
4. Mostly just be nice to people. It’s not that hard but people somehow forget that a lot.

OK I’m gonna stop writing now bc my head feels like it’s gonna explode.

Byeee

Lianna “did any of this make sense truly I do not know” Holston