Sorority Formal Rush- “Preference Night/ceremony”

Preference night is the final day of rush where the girl who is rushing chooses her final sorority. She will attend two houses and choose her top choice after the ceremonies. Preference ceremonies are vital and very important to the culture of sororities. It represents the sisterhood of the chapter. Meant to be very emotional, the ceremony is symbolic of the love of the chapter and how much the chapter wants the girl rushing to choose the sorority. Personally, my preference ceremony was highly emotional and beautiful. The girl who “pref-ed” me was my good high school friend. Surrounded by the ambiance of candles and dimmed lights, there was singing and touching stories girls were sharing about their experiences with the chapter. Each girl rushing was told how much they mean to the chapter. This ceremony symbolizes the values of the chapter and extends them to the new pledge class, essentially an invitation to the chapter. This is a special night where girls are meant to find their “home”. The basis of the ceremony has been passed down from generation to generation and the value sand ideals that were founded at the beginning of the creation of the chapter remain the same. My thought on this day of rush is that it was very lovely and meaningful to experience and feel the love from the girls who want you in their sorority house. It did feel a bit cultish but it was very special and personal. The songs and hymns sang were very private of the house– only the girls who were at the ceremony will ever hear them.