Blind date: ‘I studied Mandarin Chinese in college. He smiled and immediately responded in Chinese.'
26 / data scientist
What makes her a catch:
She thinks about others a lot and values relationships.
Her interests:
Reading, running
7 P.M. KRASI, BOSTON
Lots of Laughs
Aldis
I arrived early. I reviewed the wine list awkwardly and tried not to look expectant.
Gretchen
He was sitting in the restaurant as I walked in. He was very handsome and well dressed in a baby-blue pinstripe button-down and khakis.
Aldis
I remember thinking she was beautiful even before it was clear that she was actually my date. She was wearing a blue dress and had a beautiful smile. I botched the greeting and did this weird handshake-hug-handshake movement that she gracefully turned into a hug.
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Gretchen
I mistakenly reached out for a handshake then converted it to a hug, which made us both laugh. Aldis asked if I had been to Krasi before. We laughed when we realized that both of us had requested it — he had been there before, and my friends had recommended it — for our dinner.
Greek to Mandarin
Aldis
From the first moment, there was not a single lull in conversation.
Gretchen
We talked about his residency program, which launched us into conversations about our ties to the medical world. At some point, we moved on to running. I found it particularly interesting that we both run as a way to release energy and are not very interested in racing, unique in the distance running world.
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Aldis
We were there for two hours and talked nonstop. We shared a lot of interests. We both run, are early birds, and carry a book wherever we go.
Gretchen
I mentioned that I studied Mandarin Chinese in college. He smiled and immediately responded in Chinese. I tried to keep up, but he definitely has a better command of the language than I do. I was shocked we had this in common.
Aldis
She was a great listener and there was a lot of laughter. I realized I had a crush on her pretty early on.
Gretchen
What was surprisingly most attractive was how he lit up when he talked about his family and friends. He seemed to really care about other people, something I really value.
Aldis
We had the Robola white wine. Appetizers included charred eggplant, asparagus, and chickpea fritters. We had a delicious fish dish, as well as souvla — probably my favorite.
Gretchen
I had never before tasted anything like any of the dishes [we had] and was so impressed. We wrapped up with the rice pudding.
In Agreement
Aldis
The waiter floated the idea of going to a speakeasy nearby, but we are both early birds and had work the next day.
Gretchen
The time passed so quickly, I couldn't believe that it had been over two hours.
Aldis
We exchanged numbers. I did ask if she would want to meet up for another date and she said yes.
Gretchen
We hugged and parted ways.
Second Date?
Aldis
That's the plan!
Gretchen
I would love to continue our conversations and see what else we may have in common.
Grading the Date
Aldis / A
Gretchen / B+
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If accepted, they'll pay an average $8,400 a semester to live in the sorority house, or $4,100 if they live elsewhere, according to the Alabama Panhellenic Association. The pressure can be so intense that an industry of consultants now helps girls navigate the often mysterious criteria for landing a desired sorority. Some charge up to $10,000 for months of services that can begin in high school. Throughout rush, many events are invite-only. At any point, girls can get a dreaded call informing them they've been dropped — that a sorority is no longer interested in letting them join. Matches are finally made on bid day as prospects rank top choices and sororities make offers. Morgan Cadenhead, now 20, gained such an audience on RushTok despite being dropped that she covered most of her tuition with income from social media. Then came the social cost as she was slammed online for criticizing Greek life. Now the marketing major — featured on Lifetime's 'Sorority Mom's Guide to Rush!' — said she's looking for offline work. A zealous TikTok following A fixation with rush was renewed when sororities resumed in-person recruiting after the pandemic. Social media became flooded with 'outfit of the day' and 'get ready with me' videos showing sorority members and recruits in well-lit rooms, sometimes flaunting exorbitantly priced designer wear or pieces purchased on Amazon, always precisely curated. Alabama's Greek life got attention before, when its traditionally white sororities racially integrated, accepting their first Black members in 2013. Targeted by protests following allegations of racial discrimination, the university agreed with the Justice Department in 2016 to encourage diversity. Today, Black students outside of traditionally Black sororities and fraternities represent 2% of the total Greek membership, the university website says. 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Rush can be fun and help girls build confidence, but it's also an 'emotional rollercoaster,' especially for girls who feel they need to reveal themselves to a massive audience, Stefaneli said. She answers phone calls at all hours of the night during rush week. 'I'm literally a therapist, I'm talking these girls down from a ledge,' she said. Numerous incoming freshmen told The Associated Press this week that they were expressly prohibited from speaking with the media or even posting about rush at Alabama. Darnell said the most selective 'Old Row' houses will automatically drop prospects who do. 'Now a lot of girls just come to the university to be influencers,' she said. 'It kind of gets in the way of sisterhood.' Some incoming freshmen — including Darnell's 19-year-old sister Izzy, with a vast social media following of her own — have chosen to post anyway, satisfying a demand that can reach millions of views within days. Izzy Darnell — who wouldn't share her choices for sorority ahead of Saturday's bid day — said her older sister's acumen has equipped her to navigate criticism and potentially predatory business deals. But she worries about how other girls might handle the fame and money. 'I just fear what some girls will do because they think they have to,' Izzy Darnell said.
