The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Dirty Rush: Rush in the 90’s Pledge Sneaks, Puffy Paint, and Party Fouls

Episode Date: September 6, 2025

Kidnappings, weigh-ins, hazing… truth or fiction? Jenn Fessler is joined by a Sorority contemporary to reveal Rush secrets and pledging traditions good and bad from back in the day. We take you back to the 90’s to reveal intimate details of Rush meetings lasting all night, intense traditions and rituals, parties and proper etiquette. Call us at 844-278-RUSH (844-278-7874) or email us at [e-mail]. Follow Dirty Rush on Instagram and TikTok.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? Answer, a new podcast called Wisecrack, where a comedian finds himself at the center of a chilling true crime story. Does anyone know what show they've come to see? It's a story. It's about the scariest night of my life. This is Wisecrack, available now.

Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal. Just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged. terrorism. Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System on the IHeart

Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, luckily, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend's been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate.

Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast and the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Umanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not a problem. podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. Welcome to Dirty Rush, the truth about

sorority life with your host, me, Gia Judice, Daisy Kent, and Jennifer Fessler. Hi, you guys. Welcome back to another week of Dirty Rush. I am Jen Fessler. And today, we want to get into the minds of what Rush sorority was really like back in the day and how it has changed. So I am the ripe old age of 57 years old. I graduated from the University of Texas in 1990. So picture rush, although I actually rushed as a junior in 1988. And I can tell you right.

here right now, just to spoil the ending, it was a lot different. And I'm also going to bring in our guest today. Her name is Katie. And she is here because she is from sort of my generation. Hi, Katie. Hi. Wait, I'm sorry. I don't even know. How, wait, where are you from 57? Yeah, I'm, I'm 50. I rushed in the 90s. I was in a house in the 90s. And yeah, I mean, so much has changed, I think. Right. So it really has. Thank you so much for joining me. Because we really do want to talk about this. I think it's, it's interesting. Our perspective, not only of the way that we, you know, we rushed and we pledged, but also how different it is from what our daughters are doing now. Do you have kids going through it? Because my daughter went through

it in Delaware. Yeah, I don't have kids, but I have a lot that are going through it. But I have a number of friends whose kids are or have gone through it. And so I've been asked to write recommendations. And wow, okay, that was like the first signal this is really different. Because back in the day, like we really thought through who's going to write a recommendation and, you know, because it mattered more than that. Like if your mom or grandma or aunt or somebody, if you were a legacy, if they were like in your house, that also really mattered. And it's super interesting because when I went to the website a couple of years ago, I wrote the first recommendation for a friend's daughter.

and I went to the website and it actually explicitly said that they've changed the whole process. They have clearly stated there is no preference given to legacy to any of that and that they really want to be more inclusive. And so it also told us we can write a recommendation if we want, but they don't even really allow you to write a recommendation. All you do is fill out standard information about the person. No, my daughter, I wanted her to, I was a FI at UT. I was an A-E-FI, and I wanted her to go FI at Delaware. Turns out she wanted Alpha Fee, but I remember thinking like, oh, great, she's going to have, you know, such a great shop just because her mom was a FI,

her aunt was a FI, and yeah, it definitely was like that for us. Although I did not have anybody who had, I didn't have any legacy when I was going through it. So, yeah, things have changed. I mean, that's just, right? That's just like the tip of the iceberg in terms of what's different now. I mean, I get the idea that you want to be more inclusive, but there's also something about the tradition of the whole thing and it's really special to a lot of people. Yeah, yeah.

But yeah. And then, like, you know, being a reshie is also so different from being in the house. It's like such a different experience. I think that's probably still true. Well, first, let's, how about you tell me a little bit about your experience. Like, did you go in? Where did you go to school? What was your house?

What was it like going through? Did you know you wanted to be in a particular sorority? Yeah. So I, it's interesting. So like the experience was so different. I mean, I have stories from being a reshi. And I have some funny stories about being a member on the other side. So I went to, so I mean, as a reshi, you're nervous.

You hope they like you. And not all goes according to plan. I mean, like, I remember there was a girl when I went through Rush who didn't realize that the back of her skirt was all bunched up in her panty hose elastic. Her underwear was showing. She'd been walking around to parties at different houses and nobody told her. Like, so embarrassing. I mean, had I didn't see it, had I seen it, I would have told her, but like, were people not noticing? Were people nervous?

Like, why does that happen? But you're so nervous. Yeah. You know, another thing I remember going through Rush is I went to UC Berkeley. There was a famous guy at the time who'd walk around naked. He was called the naked guy. And like you'd hear about this guy. Well, on the first day of Rush, which was before school even started, we were brand new freshmen.

This guy was deliberately circulating the sorority area as we were running between houses. And it was like, again, like, do you acknowledge it? pretend you don't see it because you're so nervous and you're so focused and you're running around. Anyway, it was a perfect welcome to Berkeley. I'll bet. I'll bet. Well, let me just ask you, because I can't emphasize enough that not having social media, not owning a cell phone, like there was, it was a whole different thing.

Like we were lined up and maybe that is sort of similar. Went from house to house. I can't even remember, like, I guess, how I got the instructions in terms of, you know, what to do, where to go, where to show up when. I just remember standing with groups of strange girls and in being shuffled from house to house. And is that how you did it? I mean, totally.

I mean, it's like the whole thing was really confusing, right? Right. But it actually was more organized. Like, at first I was like, like, are we just, are they just going to leave you? Like, is it just randomly a party? Now, I'm an outgoing person. Like, I'll go up to anybody and, like, you know, introduce myself and say hi, but not everyone does but you kind of worry like are you going to these parties and are you going to sit there

awkwardly and is no one going to talk to you but actually it was really organized from what I remember you got a schedule told you what time you're going to what house right oh right yeah you're right yeah I do remember that and then you went as a group and and and then like you'd go to the house and they'd open the door and usually they'd like I don't know there was like a performance and maybe the girls would sing a song and like welcome you into their house and and and then it's Interesting because from the Rushie's perspective, it just seems like you go in the house and a bunch of people come and talk to you. There was never a moment that you're without somebody, right? Like they made sure that there were always like probably a few people talking to you. And it's so interesting because on the other side, from the member perspective, it was incredibly well organized and orchestrated. Like we had teams and the teams rotated. Like a Rushie would be invited to sit at a certain seat in the living room or wherever. And then. And the members had teams and the teams would rotate to specific seats so that we would all, each team would meet the same girl. And we'd all like have something to say about the girl.

I remember when I was like I remember that my sorority, we would put the girls that we really wanted because we would do skits as well or songs. So we'd put the girls that we really wanted in like the front two rows, let's say, before the skits. So that we could, I mean, I know. Oh, that's so funny. We didn't think to make eye contact with them. And I remember actually, because I already had had friends in FI, so I remember being in one of those front two rows, not even realizing that, you know, whatever, that meant something.

But there were all those kind of little like behind the scene tricks that everybody got to kind of look at, you know. And also, I don't know if you felt this way, but I went to so many houses that I knew, not only did I not want to be in those sororities, I knew that I had not a chance of of being in them. And part of that for me was that in 1988 at University of Texas, Jewish girls weren't really getting in to the other sororities. So, and I knew that for me it was going to come down to these three Jewish sororities. And that is, actually, it's, it's really how it was. Like, I have friends who went to school in Dallas and then went to UT and watched

their very dear friends go into sororities that they knew they couldn't get into. And this is now really were going back in time but still that actually existed and you know it was so I was I just knew automatically there were three but I remember going into all of the other houses and also just feeling I was insecure when I was that age anyway what was like 21 and just watching all these beautiful girls and just feeling less than and insecure I mean I don't know did you have any of that was it like that at Berkeley oh wow that's so interesting interesting to hear because like I heard about that more from my mom's generation. I mean, Berkeley, right, because it's California. It's not. Berkeley and, you know, California and Texas are

so different in the 80s and 90s, right? Right. Yes. Because, I mean, I don't remember there being a Jewish sorority, but there definitely were Jewish fraternities, not because Jewish guys couldn't join the others, but more because there were groups that just liked how. And, and I think there were non-Jewish members of those Jewish fraternities. So, like, Berkeley, it sounds like was quite different. But, oh, my gosh, it's kind of heartbreaking also hearing your story of, like, going to these houses and seeing these beautiful girls and feeling less than. I had the information ahead of time.

I knew that there were going to be three houses that were probably going to be interested in me. Right. And so it wasn't a big surprise, but it was just like just rushing the other ones. It was just, you know, like, oh, my God. But I still remember walking in and just feeling so intimidated. in houses, you know, the physical houses at Texas are overwhelmingly huge and beautiful. Yeah.

Like, you know, it's exactly what you would picture in terms of Greek life in the South. And it was, I just, I just remember, you know, seeing everybody seemed, all of the girls seemed so perfect and they just looked so perfect and they had it down and I did not. Well, and that was, that was created to be that way. Right. Because every house, like, you know, everyone was smiling. Everyone was like they were trying to put their best selves forward. Right. Because they wanted to be the house everybody wanted. Right. And so some of that was like contrived. It really was contrived. And some houses maybe did it better. Like I do remember like some houses just seem more joyful and beautiful and perfect and all of that. It's interesting though because what I do remember is the members could not speak. to rushes, even if you knew them. And so there was like that whole rule. But secret, like to your point, like which house might you end up in?

And if you knew each other, secret messages, I remember these secret messages being sent between members and reshies by parents, actually, because the houses, because it's interesting. I mean, you talk about being a reshi and being nervous and the house is looking perfect, but on the other side, it, the houses didn't want to waste invitations on people that didn't want their house. I mean, it's it, right? Like, as much as they appeared like, oh, you want us more than we want you. Right, right.

It was really interesting. And the reason these secret messages were passed is because the houses wanted to know what all the Reshys that they liked were thinking. And that went through the parents. I mean, my mother had zero. I don't even know if she knows that I was in a sorority to this day. So I can't imagine. She was definitely not passing notes with other moms.

But, yeah, I can't, I have not heard that. And, yeah, and I remember, like, among our group of friends, because, like, we knew a lot of that people in the houses that we wanted to join, and our parents knew each other. And so, yeah, these secret messages would come, and, you know, someone would take a survey, okay, rank your preferences, which house do you want? And then they'd send it back. Right. But there were also...

I'm sorry, did you go in, like, with the Dream House? Like, were you, did you know before the process started that you wanted to be? I had a sense of which houses I might want to join, and I will say the house I ended up joining from the first day was like, I was like, that is the house I want to join. Like, it just was so clear to me from day one. And it stood out to me so much from the others. Right. In what way?

So I got lucky. You know, I just, I found, I mean, first of all, it was like, oh, use the word, it was so joyful. Like you walked in, it was joyful. I mean, the physical house itself, in my opinion, was also the most beautiful of all the houses. And many of these houses were really beautiful. Like there's a famous architect named Julian Morgan. She had designed a lot of these houses. These are like former mansions, you know, that are converted. And so a lot of them are really beautiful. But physically, this house was beautiful. It was so joyful. The girls in the house, I just really connected with them. I just felt.

like they were my people. You know, they were fun, smart, interesting, you know, and it just seemed like there was such a special camaraderie among the members. And that just really spoke to me. Right. It felt comfortable for me. It felt comfortable. You know, every time I was there, I was like, I don't know, there's just your gut. Sometimes it's a gut check. Yeah. I knew that I wanted to be a phi because I was rooming with three fies so I knew that that was the way it was going to go but it was interesting because when I walked into STT I felt really comfortable there in a different way and the reputation at the time so ridiculous but there was you know the fies were pretty girls and STT that was the net those were the nice girls and I felt so

comfortable there but there was almost this feeling of I'm going to be a phi and so I wonder how many girls go through it and they have this idea of where they're supposed to be right so this is my what do they call it

now the top tier sorority and this is where I hope that they allow themselves to go into these other ones and connect and feel like potentially it's a fit I mean I think I felt like maybe even it was more of a fit at STT, but I was already sort of like destined to be in A-Fi. I'm glad that I was.

I made fabulous friends. I had a ball, but, you know, I can't say that I had such an open mind. Did you? Yeah. No, it's a really good point. I just wrote a recommendation for a friend's daughter for she's going to Wisconsin. And what I said to her, and apparently what her mother told me was that that's the house she wants. That's her top choice. Right. And what I told her what the daughter was keep an open mind. I said, first of all, and she's also really nervous. She told me I'm like super nervous. And I like kind of explained the process. I was like, don't be nervous. But what I told her to is you're interviewing them as much. I mean, interviewing them. I'll use that word. But like, you know, don't forget that you're interviewing them as much as they're interviewing you. And don't forget, you know, to keep an open mind. I said, I've had friends whose daughter's. thought they wanted a certain house and they ended up joining a different one. Right.

Because that was the house they loved. So I think you're exactly right. I mean, I told her like, don't forget. You might change your mind. Keep an open mind. And it'll make you less nervous too to think it's not like you're the only one being evaluated here because you're,

you know, ask them a lot of questions. Try and get a sense of the houses. It's so funny because my daughter would use the phrase top tier, I just wanted to puke. I was like, Rachel, I don't even know. But guess what? I mean, that was, we had that back then, too.

We just didn't have, you know, the words to attach to it. And so it's, you know, because everybody knew, you know, what, where, which sororities were the top and there were some that were known for one thing and some that were known for another. And I also look now at, on TikTok specifically, but these skits. They're not even skits. Like back in the day, because I was skits chair or whatever it was after I pledged. And it was like it was songs that we would write on loose sleeve paper to musicals or to like Broadway. Now it's like, it's no joke. These are full-fledged performances.

These girls are dancers and they are gymnasts. I don't know what's happening. I mean, don't you see that on TikTok now? I'm like, wow. I just, and they're all, right? I mean, yeah, ours were like, not like that. Those were way simpler, maybe a little sweeter, more clothes, for sure. More clothes, that's for sure.

Yeah, I mean, we did have like a theme day where we do like, I think we did a Barry Manila song, you know, Copa Cabana. And we like decorated the whole house and we like did a whole performance. But yeah, it was not like the TikTok level performances you see now. It was like us like, you know, whatever. But it was fun, you know, and that was the fun of it. But it certainly wasn't as polished as they might do now. But, yeah, but actually, like, interesting. I mean, just one second, going back to what you were saying about, like, the expectations being open.

I do remember girls not getting the house they wanted and getting a different house and yet being happy with that house. Like, sometimes, you know, what you don't get, like, you get the right thing in the end. Well, it sounds like you really like you knew and you went in there. you felt it. And I'm guessing that you felt that way throughout the four years that you felt because I didn't really, I don't think I felt always like I fit in. I mean, I don't know if I would have fit in better to a different sorority, but I definitely didn't feel like the same as. And that could have to do with the fact that I was such an insecure, you know, young person. And I don't think I was really comfortable even, you know, being me at that point.

point. So, but I definitely had, you know, the girls were, they just all felt like they had their shit together and they all had either boyfriends or they were dating all the time. And I mean, this is just, I didn't, I would walk in there and feel a little bit like a fraud. You do not have any of that. That's so hard because it's not like, you know, you choose a college and you may not like it. You can transfer, like you can't transfer sororities. You join. once and if it doesn't work, you deactivate. So that is so hard. No, it wasn't, but it wasn't. I don't mean to imply that it was not, like I had friends and we had fun. It just, I didn't really, I didn't, I don't think it was a, a great fit. Maybe sorority life wasn't a great fit for me. I don't

know, but I also, you know, I had transferred from Boston University because I was homesick and I had all of these friends from sleepaway camp in Texas and they were doing mixers and matches and they were living the sorority life and I would, you know, with all of the fun that came along with that and the football games and I feel like I was in the middle of the city school and I really felt like I was missing out. And I really wanted that Greek life. And back, you know, in 1986 at Boston University, there was not much of a Greek life. So I felt like I was missing out on this whole entire college experience. And, you know, UT was a great place if for that and still is. if you want that sort of classic Greek life experience.

But I think I didn't know really like at that point I was trying to figure out who I wanted to be. And so it wasn't seamless for me, right? Like the transition to Greek life. Was it for you? But I guess, I mean, it did feel seamless a little, but I was a freshman. I can understand it probably was even harder as a transfer, right? because friendships are already formed. It's harder to break in sometimes.

Because like we had people join our house. Like they had already been at UC Berkeley, but they joined our house as juniors. And I always kind of remember, I think it was harder for them to form friendships because friendship groups, friendship groups are already formed a little bit. Not to say, you know,

people aren't inclusive, but I could see how that would be more difficult. I think I had friend. It wasn't, it was just more of am I really a truly a sorority girl I don't know listen again I wouldn't take it back it was it was fun and I have still dear friends yeah I mean I loved it I got kind of busy with other stuff and so you know to some degree I went all I was kind of more all in in the earlier years and then I kind of got more involved with other stuff and I feel like I made some of the greatest

friends I have there. And, you know, and I kind of cherish that. But yeah, I mean, I think there was a time that came that I kind of was like, you know, I don't, I don't know. I think there's other stuff I might do a little more. And then we had people who deactivated because they just felt it wasn't a fit for them. We definitely had that. And I don't think anyone took it personally. My name is Ed. Everyone say hello, Ed. I'm from a very rural background myself. My dad is a farmer, and my mom is a cousin.

So, like, it's not like... What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? I know it sounds like the start of a bad joke, but that really was my reality nine years ago. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. On stage stood a comedian with a story that no one expected to hear. Well, 22nd of July 2015, a 23-year-old man had killed his family.

And then he came to my house. So what do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? A new podcast called Wisecrack, where stand-up comedy and murder takes center stage. Available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys.

Then, at 6.33 p.m., everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal. Apparently the explosion actually impelled. metal, glad. The injured were being loaded into ambulances, just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, and it was here to stay. Terrorism. Law and Order Criminal Justice System is back.

In season two, we're turning our focus to a threat that hides in plain sight. That's harder to predict and even harder to stop. Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System. On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Oh, wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon.

This person writes, my boyfriend has been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now, he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Now hold up, isn't that against school policy? That sounds totally inappropriate. Well, according to this person, this is her boyfriend's former professor and they're the same age. And it's even more likely that they're cheating. He insists there's nothing between them.

I mean, do you believe him? Well, he's certainly trying to get this person to believe him because he now wants them both to meet. So, do we find out if this person's boyfriend really cheated with his professor or not? To hear the explosive finale, listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Umanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you.

But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeart Radio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. So, Katie, were there secret rituals, things that you remember as a pledge that you could share with us?

Oh, my God. I think being a pledge was like my favorite time in the house. We felt so celebrate. I think the members really went all out to celebrate us, to make us feel welcome. We had an awesome, like, pledge leader. You know, one of the chapter members takes the job of being. being a pledge leader. We had an awesome one and we just felt so welcome. We had to learn all the like songs of our sorority and we kind of loved that and we had activities constantly and just

like we just felt welcome. But like one of the things I remember, which was like so specific to sororities and maybe sororities in the 90s, I don't know if they still do this. But coffee paint and paint pens on like we would get all these gifts. We had this thing called the Secret sis. And then that person became your big sis. And so like for like a week, you didn't know who this person was and they would do, they would leave you secret grifts. They would plan like secret little like, I don't know, I got an invitation along with three other pledges to show up on the roof. We had this really pretty roof and show up for dinner. And we had this like, and what are your favorite preferences? Sushi, Italian, whatever. And we showed up.

And, like, we have no idea who planned this thing. But we had this really awesome dinner. But all these gifts with puffy paint. Right. Decorated. Oh, my God. Do you remember that? Helloed photo albums.

Right. You know, little plastic, like, photos and, you know, frames. And, yeah. When they get assigned, I guess, little sisters, littles, bigs, whatever, the big, I just, I remember with Rachel, I've never seen anything like it. She would get boxes upon boxes of clothes. clothes and jewelry and her big was like in the boxes where yeah it's a whole oh my god it's it's like much we got little like ribbons i mean it was crazy yeah oh do you remember you know it's

funny because you talk about um i remember there was always like there was a mean pledge there was like what's it called um like a mean pledge uh pledge chair and a nice oh oh that's funny yeah they almost like did that i want to say on purpose purpose and they were like they were like pledged whatever anyway so at one point one of like the initiation rituals was that they kidnapped us right and they took us to some room somewhere and they had a scale in the room and they told us that they were going to weigh us and line us up in order of our weight and I was I thought I was going to pass out wow right I mean they didn't do that Oh, my God. They didn't in the end do it. It was a joke, but it was not a funny one. But there was some, like, that was like the mean, you know, there was a mean one and a nice one.

Yeah, I heard about. So here's the difference between the, you know, you and I are a few years apart of age. And, and that's the difference, right? The few years that were apart, a lot changed already because there had been some major hazing incidents. I mean, not to say we didn't have stuff like that. But, but, but, and now I think it's. probably like they take it very seriously because these things are addressed in a very serious way. But like I remember hearing stories that yeah, they would take pictures of the pledges in like a bikini or something. And then they'd circle the fat, you know, on the picture. Like I remember hearing stories. We didn't have that. I mean, we did have a bit of like, I would call it fun hazing. Like it was, you know, like wearing stupid shit on campus. Right. Yeah. Like that kind of stuff. It wasn't anything that felt traumatic for me.

Now, that said, like, I don't know. There might have been people who did feel whatever they were asked to do was traumatic. And, yeah, there was, like, a little bit of, like, tough love that maybe came from, like, some of the seniors or something like that. But, like, sometimes what I realized is it meant, like, you know, they'd make you take shots or, right? They, like, kind of call up to you. Now, it's interesting, the kidnapping, we actually reversed it. We had a tradition called Pledge Sneak Night where we would plan a. to kidnap the whole chapter and all the members,

and we planned, like, a whole fun party. And that was always, like, one of the traditions I loved about being a pledge. We had the best time. We really did a whole, like, extensive, like, we actually rented a bus and, like, went all over the Bay Area. We had, like, a whole succession planned. I love that. And then the joke is we always did it, like, Monday night was chapter meeting night.

And so that was always the easiest time to do it, because, like, you never knew when you could get everyone together. And, like, members would always kind of as a joke pretend to escape the room. Like, we'd try and lock them in and get everyone in there. And I think we hired a fireman stripper to get him in because it was a surprise. And then we had a bunch of fraternity guys come and guard the doors so that no one could get out and chase people down. But, yeah, that was something, that was something I was always a fun tradition. And it was fun for members, too, because you never knew every pledge class did something really different and really fun.

But, yeah, no, I mean, these are good memories. And, I mean, but I also remember, like, as a member, we knocked down, drag out fights over girls during the rush process. Like, it was a serious. And I wonder how they do it now, you know, like, in light of, like, how they've changed even the recommendations to make things more inclusive. I wonder how they manage. Like, back when we were in sororities, like, the process was every day a reshi gets a bunch of invitations. Like, at the end of every day, the house has to decide who to invite to the next day.

And the numbers come, like, every day, Rushies visit fewer houses, and the numbers get cut. And so, like, as you get toward the end of Rush week, it's a really hard decision for the else is to decide who to invite because, like, girls get, you know, members really want certain people. So, like, at the end of every day, we would lock ourselves in the dining room and discuss every single girl. And it got really tense. It was like a projector. Right. Yeah. Got really, really tense. And the picture would come up. Oh, yeah. And, I mean, and sometimes we were still debating, like, long after midnight and, like, the wee hours of the morning because we couldn't come to consensus. Right. I remember we would literally just put our heads down. I mean,

this is how talk about like good old days and like raise our hands. I don't know how, like there was no, like that's how the decisions were made in the end. And we were supposed to obviously see each other's vote. But I don't know, everyone was peaking. But the discussions, they would go on and the arguments. And I mean, it really got, I remember one of the members stood up and said she would deactivate if if we didn't give a bid to one of the rushies that she loved like it got really um I mean this was a passionate thing like and so when rushies like think oh I got to impress them like it's a hard decision for the for the houses too right it's not like um you know sometimes they have to cut girls they don't want to cut or can't agree on right right yeah what about so

now let's say we're in the sorority and I'm wondering, well, first, you know, was there, did your sorority have a certain reputation on campus? Was it known for anything? I mean, I've been, like, staying away from saying, like, we were kind of the it sorority, you know what I mean, the one everyone wanted. I've stayed away from, like, trying to be elitist or whatever.

But I think to some degree our house was maybe thought of that way. Yeah. I mean, I can say from, like, my perspective, like some of the greatest girls were in that house, you know? Yeah, yeah. They were smart. They were pretty. They were awesome. They were fun. They were great people. They were good friends. Like, I remember, like, though, it was like, it was also important because you're trying to figure out how to get into the best house so you could meet the best guys. Right. Like, so. Interesting. Yeah. Because there was sort of alliances between certain houses and certain fraternities a little bit. Like the fraternities would invite certain houses to their parties and stuff like that. Exactly. Exactly. But. And I remember it's fun. funny that you see that because we used to have mixers this is not all about i don't mean to make this all about religion and being jewish but that's just my experience but i remember that um some of the

frat houses like jewish girls had this reputation that like it was okay for them to have sex before marriage oh interesting and the catholic and religious ones not so much oh yeah so you know a lot of like a lot of the houses would want to like have mixers with us um do you And just in terms of mixers, do you remember? So I, so first we would have a match. So we'd have matches and then mixers. And at the match, you got asked, hopefully, lots of times you didn't, but you got asked to, wait, no, you got asked to the mixer and then the match, the match. Yeah, you went to a mixer and then you got asked to the match.

And if you didn't, you hung out with the girls that didn't get asked. Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, my gosh. All this, oh, no, I'm really sorry. I think I'm putting, I'm painting this, like it was this traumatic, you know, experience for me. And I loved being a fie. And I, I love Greek life.

It just wasn't always, it wasn't, it wasn't maybe always right and didn't always feel natural for me. But I would do it again. I don't want to make it sound like it was so awful. It really, really wasn't. But, like, things, I just remember that you were so, it was so intense. Like, I don't know what your, this situation, the situation was with you in terms of, like the mixing and matching with frats but that was part of it all you know for us back then and you know you couldn't even at uti like you you did not go to football games if you didn't have a

date so obviously uts a huge football school so you didn't go if there if you didn't have a date and when you did have a date you got dressed up for these football games i mean i'm talking about you know how things have changed obviously yeah has that changed in the south yeah i've heard i've heard that it has, but, you know, I would think so. I mean, we're in, you know, 20, 25. I hope that that things would have evolved a bit. Yeah. Or the football games, too, like you don't need a day. I mean, we were always very aware that in California, it was really different than the South. Right. Like sorority life was just different. I bet you it still is. I'm guessing probably that, you know, I don't know. I would think so. Like, some of the traditions are just a lot

stronger in the South maybe and we were a lot more casual about things like I remember hearing about like friends at southern schools needing dates to go to the football game yeah and getting dressed up because that was not what we did at all and a lot of the parties I mean the way date the way parties worked for us was a little less structured that way so like fraternities might have a big party and then they might have date parties where each guy would ask a date. And then we had, I think all of our parties were date parties where you'd specifically ask a date. We might have had some bigger ones, but generally, I mean, it was different too, right? Because a fraternity at the time would have parties at their house, whereas we were not

allowed to have parties with alcohol at our house. And so we would have to like rent a bar or a restaurant or something like that. And so a lot of times it was date parties. You'd ask your own date. And so there wasn't really like a structure around who got invited who didn't get invited can you go do you not go um right and if a guy asked you to a date party you know you didn't feel left out if you didn't get asked or whatever um there were i mean but we did have some legendary parties i remember in fact we got in big trouble for one of our parties and we got put on probation like everything why do tell oh my god so we had a party called the set up your buddy party um where you did not choose your date, someone else chose your date for you.

And it was also a graffiti party, which meant that... You wear all white. Yep, we wore white T-shirts, and we had pens, and everyone would just graffiti all over each other. Which, like, I would equate to, like, you know how Halloween parties sometimes get a little more, like, wild? Because when you're dressed as something else, you lose your inhibitions a little bit. Yes. I guess I had equate it. to that. And so the way it worked was you would actually make a t-shirt for your date,

not knowing who your date was going to be. And it was usually some kind of funny. And so that way, and then the dates would, the girls would all go to the party location first. And then the dates were supposed to go to our house after we left and pick up the bag with their name on it that had the t-shirt and whatever like fun snacks and shock, you know, whatever those little bottles, alcohol, whatever, it was in a chalk glasses, and pens, of course, graffiti pens. And so, like, I remember, I think I was, where's Waldo and my date was Waldo? Or, like, you'd find some, like, combination on spaghetti meatballs, whatever. And so what happened the year I was a pledge is the party got really out of control.

and the party actually ended early because one of the guys so the party was at this like restaurant bar I don't know what it was that was like on the water and there were some docks and stuff under he fell off a railing like he was just I remember watching him like he was sitting there and there's his date and then all of a sudden he's gone and like his date standing there like his date standing there like with her arms up, like looking lost. And it took a while for people to figure out that he was sitting on the railing. He fell off the railing. Fortunately, he fell onto a dock rather than in the water where he probably would have done. People were so drunk. Nobody even realized what happened. And an ambulance came, party was over.

But the problem was, since the ambulance came and like all this stuff had to happen, what they saw was that girls were passed out. under the sinks in the bathroom, like no one noticed what was happening. Like, it was really a disaster. We got in huge trouble. We were put on probation from the national organization and our advisors. They brought in an alumni from our sorority who was a recovering alcoholic to talk to us about alcoholism and how, you know, just having a good time drinking in college is how, you know, she used to just think it was fun in college until she realized it wasn't. So, yeah, I mean, sometimes parties got out of control.

Yeah, but they, you know, the difference, though, between then and now, so I don't know how you guys did it, but like we would have, we didn't have cell phones, right? So nobody was taking pictures because if we did at the time, I'm sure I would have, it would have been, I would have gotten myself into a lot of trouble. But, like, we used to have like Mr. Phototech guy come, like a week later after the party. and you could like pay for the memories that you wanted to keep. I don't know if you had that. Like all these different pictures and they were all labeled.

And it would be like, A-Fi and ZBT, Texas OU weekend or whatever it was. And so it was harder to prove that, you know, I don't know, bad shit was going down because you couldn't, there was no real photo documentation of it. That's right. I loved those parties. I mean, I have a huge puffy album. We made these albums with like some kind of fabric and like all this like puffy stuff to make a puffy. I have a huge album of all those party picks. I love those party picks.

Yeah, we had Mr. Photographer Man. Mark. Mark was his name. Then we order our pictures. But you're right. Things weren't documented. My name is Ed. Everyone say hello, Ed.

From a very rural background myself My dad is a farmer And my mom is a cousin So like it's not What do you get when a true crime producer Walks into a comedy club I know it sounds like the start of a bad joke But that really was my reality nine years ago

I just normally do straight stand-up But this is a bit different On stage stood a comedian With a story that no one expected to hear Well 22nd of July 2015 A 23 year old man had killed his family. And then he came to my house.

So what do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? A new podcast called Wisecrack, where stand-up comedy and murder takes center stage. Available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport.

The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then, at 6.33 p.m., everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal. Apparently, the explosion actually impelled metal, glass. The injured were being loaded into ambulances, just, It's a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, and it was here to stay. Terrorism.

Law and Order Criminal Justice System is back. In season two, we're turning our focus to a threat that hides in plain sight. That's harder to predict and even harder to stop. Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Well, wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon.

This person writes, my boyfriend has been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now, he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Now, hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That sounds totally inappropriate. Well, according to this person, this is her boyfriend's former professor, and they're the same age. It's even more likely that they're cheating.

He insists there's nothing between them. I mean, do you believe him? Well, he's certainly trying to get this person to believe him because he now wants them both to meet. So, do we find out if this person's boyfriend really cheated with his professor or not? To hear the explosive finale, listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Umanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom.

If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now.

I'm thinking a lot about just like the secrets and the traditions that we had that would not, I don't think wouldn't fly today. And I mean, there were certain things like, did you guys have, God, I feel so old when I say this, but we would have the, those ceremonies, those pin, the pin ceremonies, I'm saying it right, where we get pinned and then you'd sit down with a candle, it was called a candlelighting. And we'd sit in the living room and we'd pass the candle around and whatever, girl like was pinned the candle would stop at that girl and I think about the fact that that was it wasn't an engagement right it was some girl was being engaged to be engaged yeah did you do that I mean now first of all sweet I was I would kill my daughter now I heard she was pinned she would be like I'll tell you I'm going to pin you to your bed at home little girl I know I mean we we didn't it's it's interesting because we used to hear that that had been a thing right because yeah like

most girls were not, I mean, in the 90s at UC Berkeley, a lot of girls, I mean, some maybe thought they would be getting married soon. But a lot of girls, I don't think we're looking to get married any, like, right away. Like, I think a lot of the girls kind of wanted to a little bit experience life before that. And, but, but so we would hear about these things and we kind of thought it was a thing of the past. Right. But then, actually, we did have a pinning. And it was really sweet. There was this, I think when I was like a freshman or sophomore, she was a couple years older. And she and her boyfriend had been dating, like, all through college. And they were just the sweetest couple. And he pinned her. And it was really sweet. And I don't know if, like, they even knew, like, what the tradition or how it was done.

But it was really, really sweet. We all were there. And they are married still. And two of their kids go to UC Berkeley. I mean, I just saw them. They're happily married. their kids are like grown up and in college and it's just the sweetest thing you know we i just think this conversation is so interesting in terms of like you know texas versus california and the

difference is i'm i'm i don't know if any more it's they're so stark the differences are but i would think that they like a college like berkeley just i would think inherently would be less traditionally greek and you're exactly right and we always kind of I knew that. So like, I think California is going to be different than the South, but you're right. And then UC Berkeley maybe, but like I know, I think Stanford, so they didn't have a house. So they had to come to our house for their initiation and all that ceremony of everything. And so I would say like probably Stanford's like we were. I don't know about like UCLA and places like that. Southern California, like USC might have been a little more like a Southern situation. Like I had friends that were in. houses down there. That was probably a little closer to what the South was. But yeah, UC Berkeley, I think, was certainly less traditional. Although, like, you know, some of the rules really got enforced. So, I mean, like, with the Rush rules, like, that you couldn't talk to people. Like, I got in trouble. So I was actually president of the whole sorority system,

the Panellanic system. Yeah. Like, you're kind of like, you're supposed to lead. That's like, that's the, what is it? That's the lead information. We didn't, I know. I was. talking to a president. And the rule was during rush, we actually had to be sequestered. We had to stay at a hotel. Like myself, the rush chair, and the whole council that was involved in the whole sorority system, we had to extract ourselves from our houses because we had to be unbiased. Like, we were part of the whole rush process. We were supporting rushes and we couldn't have an agenda like around, you know, who we wanted for our house or anything like that. And so we had to stay at a hotel. We had to be like sequestered from our house. It was actually like really sad because I missed my

friends. I went, you know, I was like kind of sad. I enjoyed being with the other like people from the council. Yeah. No, I remember Daisy and Gia, my two co-host talking about that. Yeah. And I got in trouble because I, you couldn't talk to anybody. I actually went to visit some friends at a fraternity house and someone spotted me and reported it. And I got in serious trouble. for that. So like, you know, it was, it was relaxed at Berkeley, but like some things were serious. There are, yeah, I remember like, yeah, Daisy and Gia said there was always someone who had to be impartial. They were, it was somebody in Greek life. Yeah. But there was leading the groups, you know, rushes around. That's right. And so it was very important that you didn't know what sorority that

person was in. Yes. Yeah. And then the other thing is like, there were some other things that were like, very specifically UC Berkeley that was so different. Like, so. remember, you know, what I was talking about that, the rush sneak party, like when the rushes would sneak out and play on a party for all the members. Right. And there was one year where they did like a whole Mexican theme night. And so tequila shots, sombreros, like, it was just like a whole party theme. And, you know, in the 90s, there was a restaurant called Chevy's in California.

It was like Tex-Mex. Yeah, I know. Because they had it in Austin. They still do. Absolutely. And if it was your birthday, like you'd get a sombrero, they'd sing, you know, it was all part of the celebration. And so it just felt like a way to celebrate.

And we had a house next to us that wasn't a sorority. It was actually, UC Berkeley had these theme houses. And that was, I think it was called Casa Wakina. It was like a house that was with Hispanic people. Right. That lived there. And so here's this party. everybody's like going out to the bus, wearing sombreros, tequila, the whole thing.

And they're all standing outside, the house next door, or standing outside looking really upset. And a couple of us stopped and said, is everything okay? And they said, no, it's not. It's actually very insensitive what you're doing. Those hats represent, you know, people who are picking beans in the field. And this is really culturally offensive to us. that to you it's a party, but to us, it's heritage. And I, you know, I think now these things are more understood how to be insensitive to different cultures. But back then, it wasn't something people

understood or talked about. Right. No. I mean, I didn't ever heard of the cultural appropriation was not something that we thought about back. Right. And now, like, you know, you go to a school before Halloween and they have things posted saying, you know, certain Halloween costumes are offensive to people and you can't do them anymore, right? Cultural things. And we didn't know when it got reported to the university. We got in trouble with university. We had to go through the whole, like, judicial process and a hearing and everything. And it was, it was this really difficult thing because, like, we were almost like, we didn't know, but we were almost embarrassed to say we didn't know, but that was UC Berkeley. It was a little bit ahead on stuff like that. It's so interesting because

just in terms of, I'm interested in, you know, when you look back at all of your experience, rushing and being in a sorority, the impact that it has had on you, I think that the part where you kind of learn, you're actually learning, learning about what's okay, what's not okay socially and, you know, in terms of just the world around you. I mean, I think that a lot of that good stuff does happen in a sorority, you know? Yeah. You're in this little microcosm where you're surrounded by, you know, other women of the same age and, and you, and you have an opportunity to really, you know, not just have mixers and matches and parties, but, but kind of grow and expand your horizons a little bit. Right, right. And be a better person,

I think. Do you feel like that after? Yeah. I mean, I do. You've had, it had that kind of an impact on you. Yeah. I mean, I would say even like if somebody's, they would check our grades. Like, if your grades weren't above a certain level, you'd have to go in and see the standards group, which was like the, yeah, I mean, I would say like, yeah, I mean, the girls in our house studied got good grades, like, you know, were serious about school. And I think there was like, you know, a common sense of values. But those were, but that was like the culture you chose, right? And the people you chose. Right. At the time. Right. Right. Some comes from national. But yeah. Yeah. Well, listen, I absolutely loved having you with me. I think that there's so much, you know, I've now sort of you've ignited this little spark in me. I think it's so interesting. to compare colleges on the East Coast, the West Coast, you know, the sorority life and how it differs because it sounds like it really is definitely different, you know, at some place like Berkeley versus University of Texas. Yeah.

Yeah, I'd love to talk more about that. Yeah. But I absolutely, I loved having you on. Thank you so much for joining me. Is there anything else you want to tell us about or? No, this was fun. I mean, it was fun and interesting for me to learn. too and hear about your experience.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I thank you. And it's also nice for me to have somebody, you are younger than I am, my friend, but who's not, you know, 25 to talk about all of this. I haven't thought about it or talked about it in a long time. It is fun. Okay, so thank you, thank you, Katie.

Yeah, take care. You appreciate you. You too. Bye-bye. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? Answer, a new podcast called Wisecrack, where a comedian finds himself at the center of a chilling true crime story.

Does anyone know what show they've come to see? It's a story. It's about the scariest night of my life. This is Wisecrack, available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys.

Then everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal. Just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, terrorism. Listen to the new season of Law and Order, criminal justice system on the iHeart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts my boyfriend's professor is way too friendly and now i'm seriously suspicious wait a minute sam maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit well dakota luckily it's back to school

week on the okay story time podcast so we'll find out soon this person writes my boyfriend's been hanging out with his young professor a lot he doesn't think it's a problem but i don't trust her now he's insisting we get to know each other but i just want her gone oh hold up Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast and the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzoor.

And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh, my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you.

Open your free IHeart Radio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. This is an IHeart podcast.