Shocking Secrets from Inside the Sorority House Revealed

Summary

Two Ts In A Pod: "Shocking Secrets from Inside the Sorority House Revealed"

Date: November 29, 2025
Hosts: Teddi Mellencamp & Tamra Judge*
(*Note: For this episode, the central hosts were Jen Fessler and Gia Giudice, with a rotating cast of contributors.)

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Overview

This episode dives deep into the realities—comic, chaotic, and sometimes shocking—of living in a sorority house. Using a mix of first-person stories from past and present sorority members, producers, and guests, the hosts explore everything from the architecture of "pledge porches" to surprising house rules, bonding rituals, hygiene horrors, wild traditions, and the unexpected lifelong impact of the experience. The episode moves between lighthearted nostalgia and candid conversation about the occasionally outrageous (and gross) side of Greek life.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sorority House Layouts & Living Arrangements

• Dramatic differences in house setups: Ranged from cozy two-girl rooms to "pledge porches," where up to 20 beds could be packed into a single dark room, reminiscent of a sleepaway camp or "The Handmaid’s Tale."

  • Amy: "A lot of people are turned off by that pledge porch, don't you think, Nikki?" (05:00)
  • Gia Giudice: "It literally looked like Handmaid’s Tale. That’s the visual right there." (05:41)

• House Tours as Recruitment Tools: At some schools, new members picked sororities based on room types to avoid massive shared sleeping quarters.

  • Amy: "We showed off our two girl rooms because it was a real way to get people into our sorority." (06:36)

• Bathroom Realities:

  • Communal bathrooms with multiple stalls and housekeepers (07:30–07:44).
  • Personal hygiene triggers—especially hair in the showers—were a recurring complaint.
  • Typically, no one had to do bathroom cleaning, but laundry was DIY and often required quarters.

2. House Rules, Culture, and Quirks

• Strict rules on candles, smoking, and boys:

  • "No candles and no incense and a bunch of young women all crammed into a space. How are we making it smell nice in there?" – Mary (12:15)
  • "No, but we could have boys in the bedrooms till 10 o'clock." – Amy (12:28)

• Roommate Dynamics:

  • Extensive conversation about messy vs. tidy roommates, managing clothes everywhere, and the embarrassment/fighting that ensued.
  • Jen Fessler: "We picked each other and I was a dirty slob… We fought and I was really embarrassed by it." (13:28–13:50)

• Laundry dramas: Quarters required, limited machines, and everyone did their own.

• Storage solutions: ELFA units from The Container Store still popular for small-space living (14:48–14:55).

3. Nostalgia, Bonding, and Friendship

• Lasting Bonds:

  • Many express nostalgia, comparing sorority life to assisted living or dreams of “modern sororities” for women in later life.
  • Gia Giudice: “Now that I’m…almost 54 and spend so much time with my friends…we all talk about living together again one day and having like a modern version of a sorority.” (15:14)
  • Amy: "I would move back in today if…all those people that I lived there with…it was the best." (20:00)

• Communal Rituals:

  • TV nights, group meals, and pranks (hair in beds, boots full of hair, short sheeting).
  • "We would all watch [Beverly Hills] 90210…It was such a fun thing." – Gia (16:58)
  • Food highlights: Burrito bar and all the classic dorm snacks—gummy bears, popcorn, and cinnamon buns (17:12–17:44).

4. Household Chaos, Pranks, and Gross Moments

• Funny and Disgusting Memories:

  • Pranks included hidden hair in boots or beds, beds "short-sheeted," and more.
    • Gia Giudice: "They went to every hairbrush in the sorority and...the hair was all over my beautiful white sheet." (18:00)
  • Coping with puke, "yakking," and related shower/clean-up nightmares, especially after parties.
  • Amy: "There's two things I do not remember… I don't remember…getting sick…Even though I was basically living in a petri dish filled with people." (10:48)

• Diet Culture:

  • Frequent references to diets, Jazzercise, odd lunch combos, and disordered eating—pointing to the social pressures of the time.
    • Gia Giudice: "I always had the same lunch...broccoli, kidney beans, Dijon mustard, and balsamic vinegar…like a psycho." (19:07)

5. Modern Sorority House Life – Guest Panel

• Current Students’ Anarchy:

  • Modern houses are still chaotic, if more renovated. House managers describe jobs as a “mixed bag” between fun and enforcing order.
    • Emma: "It's a big house…the girls are all my good friends…but we are also college students, so there's a lot of alcohol and boys sneaking in and people maybe not following the rules." (29:21)
  • Renovations and upgrades are a huge deal; Emma got a $65,000 budget to redo the downstairs (30:16).

• Massive Rooms and Sex Rooms:

  • Current houses may have everything from singles to 10-girl rooms.
  • Stories about using extra rooms as “sex rooms” when the house is at half capacity.
    • Candice: “People were using those rooms as like sex rooms…people were using the downstairs bathroom for ‘different purposes.’” (34:12)
  • Presidents reportedly even sold drugs out of their room.
    • Caitlin: “Our president…has used their rooms to sell drugs out of.” (36:05)

• Unexpected House Visitors:

  • Incident with a homeless man smoking meth on the porch, leaving behind a surreal letter.
    • Emma: "He's sitting there with like tin foil, actively doing meth…then he left a letter addressed to our sorority." (36:56–39:13)

• Sisterhood Endures:

  • Despite chaos, guests emphasize the deep bonds, impromptu conversations in the TV room, and porch jam sessions.
  • Candice: "We definitely have great sisterhood within the house, despite all of the craziness. But I feel like the craziness is part of having a great house culture..." (40:42)

6. Sorority Life in Special Circumstances – The COVID Era

• During the Pandemic:
  • 50% of the house caught COVID; those infected were sent to an annex house, "banished" for two weeks and unable to retrieve their belongings.
    • Mary: "It was just like a sick house where everyone was just living on top of each other for two weeks...you couldn't go back into the main house to get any of your items." (51:01)
  • Lockdown fostered unexpected closeness, lasting friendships, and creative coping—movie nights, games, ordering food, sneaking alcohol, and a culminating trip to Cabo.
    • Mary: "That is how I became close with 25 girls...it was for sure worth it." (52:05, 55:01)
  • Grossest moment: A bat lived in the house for two weeks, leading to tetanus shots for two residents. (56:02)

7. Reflections and Takeaways

• Would they do it again?
  • Most admit they wouldn’t want to live that way again, but cherish the memories and friendships.
  • Differences in experience: Some found it magical, others overwhelming—even “traumatic”—but almost all found value in the challenge.
  • "It was the best challenge I put myself through." – Mary (55:39)
  • Jen Fessler: “It was such an…it was like this little, tiny nugget in my life living in the AE Phi house at the University of Texas. I have really fond memories of it, and I have memories that are not so fond, but...I would certainly not change it.” (56:30)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Pledge Porches:
  "It literally looked like Handmaid’s Tale. That’s the visual right there." – Gia Giudice (05:41)

• On Hygiene Horrors:
  "My biggest OCD triggering thing is the hair." – Gia Giudice (06:48)

• On Modern Sorority Chaos:
  "You do have to remind people of certain rules…We've had people throw up in the sinks. We've had people throw up on carpets and couches…I don't know if you noticed, but there's yak in the drains." – Emma (31:29)

• On House Drama:
  "People were using those rooms as like sex rooms…our president has used their rooms to sell drugs out of." – Caitlin (34:12, 36:05)

• Unexpected Guests:
  "A homeless dude was sitting on our porch with like tin foil, actively doing meth…and left us a letter asking for $10 million to get to Puerto Rico." – Emma (36:56–39:13)

• On Bonds and Sisterhood:
  "We all talk about living together again one day and having like a modern version of a sorority." – Gia Giudice (15:14)
  "The craziness is part of having a great house culture…you gotta give to get a little." – Candice (40:42)

• COVID Year Reflection:
  "It was the best challenge I put myself through." – Mary (55:39)
  "A bat came into our house...it was living…for two weeks because girls saw it, and then no one could catch it." – Mary (56:02)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Sorority House Setups & Pledge Porches: 04:18–06:08
• Roommates, Bathrooms, and Hygiene: 07:00–11:00
• Bonding Rituals, Food, and Pranks: 16:46–19:30
• Modern Sorority Guest Panel Begins: 28:36
• Sex Rooms & Drug Stories: 34:12–36:08
• Homeless Meth Incident & The Letter: 36:56–39:13
• Sisterhood/Communal Fun: 39:50–41:06
• Sorority Life During COVID: 50:03–56:45

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Conclusion

The episode paints a vivid, multifaceted portrait of sorority house life across generations. From wild parties and comical horror stories to deep bonds and lifelong friendships, Jen and her guests embrace both the magic and the madness. While the living logistics and some scandals may vary by era, the power of sisterhood—and the rites of passage that come with communal chaos—are universal.

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Podcast fans curious about sorority living, both as it was and as it is, will find this episode equal parts entertaining, jaw-dropping, and genuinely touching.

Transcript

[Jennifer Kessler]

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[Jen Fessler]

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[Gia Giudice]

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[Jennifer Kessler]

Welcome to Dirty Rush, the truth about.

[Gia Giudice]

Sorority life with your hosts, me, Gia.

[Jen Fessler]

Giudice, Daisy Kent, and Jennifer Kessler. Hi, guys. It is Jen Fessler here with another episode of Dirty Rush. And today we are going to answer the question that we are constantly asked. What is it like to live in a sorority house? And to help us with that, we are bringing in two of our producers, Heather and Amy and our friend Nikki. Hi, guys. Hi.

[Amy]

Hi. Hi, Jen, I agree with you. That is the number one question people ask the most. What is it like living in a sorority?

[Jen Fessler]

That is our number one question. It's absolutely true. So let's answer the question as best as we can. You guys. Amy, I mean, tell me some, some of your thoughts here.

[Amy]

So I think we had, and Nikki and I were in the sorority together, so I think we probably had 100 people living in. How many people lived in your house? You know, not that many one time, not as many.

[Jen Fessler]

So it was, you know, like, I'm sure, like you guys, it was divided up, so I lived in my house my junior year. But I, I, that was when, so I had pledged lakes. I transferred to University of Texas. So I was living with girls that were younger than me. And I would say there was probably 50 of us living in the house.

[Amy]

So. And Nikki can attest to this. One of the, like, things that people really noticed about our sorority was that it was mostly two girl rooms, because a lot, except for the pledge porch, right? But a lot of people are turned off by that pledge porch, don't you think, Nikki?

[Gia Giudice]

Oh, it was, it was awful.

[Jen Fessler]

I don't even know what is a pledge porch. Wait, you guys, what's a pledge porch? I don't remember.

[Gia Giudice]

It's like eight beds or pie fives was worse. Pie fives was like one big room. We had what, six.

[Amy]

Six or six people. And you get, you get sort of like your own little alcove, and then you get a closet. But the things people don't like about other sororities is that you keep your stuff in one room and then like, 30 girls sleep in. What is like a. I don't even know. We didn't have them, so I don't know what it's called.

[Jen Fessler]

It's like a bunk at camp.

[Amy]

Yes. And it's all beds. I think. It's always dark.

[Gia Giudice]

Remember Handmaid's Tale? Did you guys watch Handmaid's Tale?

[Jen Fessler]

It was.

[Gia Giudice]

It was literally looked like Handmaid's Tale. That's just. That's the visual right there.

[Amy]

You know, a lot of stories have it where you sleep in this room, and it's all bed. Bunk beds, and you're sleeping in bunk beds, and it's dark. I think they keep it kind of cold in there. So it's only for sleeping.

[Gia Giudice]

No desks.

[Jen Fessler]

You guys have never heard of this? Did other houses have that on your campus?

[Gia Giudice]

Yeah, PI phi had like, 20 of them. 20 beds in one room.

[Jen Fessler]

Wow.

[Amy]

And I think people also sort of sometimes like, look, this is a, you know, a lucky thing to be able to say, but there were people that would go down to two top houses and they would pick the one that they didn't have to sleep in. That.

[Jen Fessler]

Are you sure?

[Gia Giudice]

I don't remember even touring the place. What?

[Jen Fessler]

What?

[Gia Giudice]

We were not in the same sorority because I don't remember that at all.

[Amy]

No, we didn't have it. People didn't do PI Fi because of that.

[Gia Giudice]

Yeah, we didn't tour rooms, Amy, during.

[Amy]

Yes, you do. Yes, you do. We showed off our two girl rooms because it was a real way to get people into our sorority.

[Jen Fessler]

Right.

[Gia Giudice]

Let me tell you. Was a real way not to have gotten me in that sorority.

[Jen Fessler]

Okay.

[Gia Giudice]

I've never recovered. The communal showers with everybody's hair is like. I've never recovered from. It's my biggest OCD triggering thing is the hair.

[Mary]

Sorry, non sorority girl jumping in here for a question about bathrooms.

[Jen Fessler]

I gotta know.

[Mary]

First of all, we're talking about all the girls sleeping in one bedroom. I have other questions about that bathroom. Who's on shower duty? How many toilets are in this house?

[Amy]

There's multiple bathrooms, but you'd have, like, six or seven toilets just lined up. Like a public bathroom toilet.

[Gia Giudice]

No, but you had doors.

[Amy]

Yeah, doors. Yeah.

[Jen Fessler]

Yeah. We also. We had a housekeeper.

[Amy]

So do we. Yeah, we had many. So you don't. Nobody's cleaning the showers. Nobody's cleaning the Toilets. That's like living in the house. But our showers had individual stalls. Like, sometimes I think people picture it like a locker room or something where you're just, like, naked next to somebody.

[Gia Giudice]

And the shower curtain.

[Mary]

Can I just say that I wasn't.

[Amy]

Picturing it like a locker room.

[Mary]

I was picturing it like a house with, like, one toilet per bathroom.

[Jen Fessler]

No, but it was our. Mine was. It was like a house. I mean, we didn't have any. There was nobody. There was 15 girls congregating in one room in bunk beds. We each got a room, and they were doubles. And it was actually very nice. I mean, I compare it to, like, my freshman year when I was in a dorm, and this was way nicer, more homey. It was a really pretty house. The food was really good. Yeah, yeah. I mean. And I remember. And there was just a lot of, you know, communal areas and the study room. It was nice. I didn't. I enjoyed it.

[Amy]

What was your bathroom situation?

[Jen Fessler]

Same thing. Same thing. Like, stall, stall, stall. But nothing that was like.

[Amy]

Now, what's interesting is we sort of had, like, glass between the showers so you could. Fuzzy glass, so you could see. Sort of like, if Nikki was next to me, I would know. I'd be like, hey, Nick, like, what's going on? They have since changed it, Nikki. And they made it, like, marble. And you can't see into the next shower.

[Gia Giudice]

I saw it. Remember we went to a game two years ago, and we went into the house, and I rem. A lot of it was still the same, though, Amy. I mean, it was a lipstick on a pig. I mean, that was not a full page one remodel.

[Amy]

So Nikki and I are both 50, so this is 30 years ago. And the dressers where you put your clothes are the same. They have not changed the dressers. They've not changed the backs of the bed, but they changed the floors. Oh, the closet's exactly the same. So we had two girls. Majority two girls. Some four girls. And then the pledge porch, which I lived on the pledge porch, and I found it. Fine.

[Mary]

I have more questions about the pledge porch. Okay, so first of all, we're talking. Talking about 10 plus girls all being in there. Is it lights off at the exact same time every night? What if you have somebody on the pledge porch who talks in their sleep? What if they want to read in their bed? I mean, fine. What if they want to do other things?

[Caitlin]

Good point.

[Gia Giudice]

Because there were no iPhones or there was no Kindles or anything. It was books with, like, a little Nightlight.

[Jen Fessler]

Yeah.

[Mary]

On your book, that would seem annoying.

[Amy]

But I had a TV. I always had a TV in my. And a DVD or PCR, whatever it was. It's back in the, you know, 90s. So I would watch TV and I didn't have headphones.

[Jen Fessler]

We didn't have any. We didn't have a pledge porch. I mean, you guys reminded me of sleepaway camp. We didn't have any of that. But I can tell you that my daughter in her house, she thank God because she almost didn't want to pledge her sorority because she was going to have to live in the house. And she'd heard such nightmare stories. We tried to get her out of it because she has type 1 diabetes. We tried to pull that card. We couldn't. But she ended up getting a single. But some of the rooms, like the triples, they were so tight. There was absolutely nowhere to put anything. And I remember, like, being amazed that these girls could even survive. I can't imagine a pledge porch.

[Amy]

What if you're sick in that pledge porch?

[Gia Giudice]

Your shower caddy. Your little shower caddy.

[Amy]

You know what's so funny? Because, Heather, I think we were. I don't remember who I was talking to about this yesterday, but I was preparing for this show, trying to remember. There's two things I do not remember, and I'm going to tell you. I don't remember ever getting sick. Even though I was basically living in a petri dish filled with people. I don't remember ever, like, throwing up, getting a cold, nothing. And I truly. This is gross. Sorry, you guys. This is gross. I don't remember going anything other than number one. Obviously I did, because I lived there for three years, but I have no memory of being like, I had to poop next to somebody.

[Mary]

Maybe you did it outside the house.

[Amy]

Well, so that's an interesting point. Nikki. There are two guest bathrooms in our sorority that were individual. And I do think on gaily, Nikki, people went down and, like, went in that.

[Gia Giudice]

So the one by the little den. That one. And then where was the. Where was the other one?

[Amy]

Downstairs, third floor. There's one on the third floor down at the very, very end of the gaily hallway. Like, if you were at the president's and one of them might have had a weird bathtub. I can't quite remember.

[Mary]

I'm trying to think of all things I've experienced with roommates. Were you allowed to smoke?

[Jen Fessler]

Were you allowed to burn incense?

[Amy]

No. You probably. No, I don't.

[Gia Giudice]

No.

[Jen Fessler]

No candles.

[Gia Giudice]

We weren't allowed to do anything with my boys.

[Jen Fessler]

There's definitely no boys.

[Mary]

No candles and no incense and a bunch of young women all crammed into a space. How are we making it smell nice in there?

[Amy]

It wasn't stinky.

[Jen Fessler]

Not in the bedrooms. We can have boys in the bedrooms.

[Amy]

Yeah, we could have boys in the bedrooms till 10 o' clock even in the.

[Jen Fessler]

Whatever room in the.

[Amy]

In your bedroom.

[Jen Fessler]

Yeah. No, but I mean the one with the 18 beds. Yeah.

[Amy]

The washroom. Yeah. Nobody was doing funny business. I never experienced that. And the other thing, Nikki, is, I don't remember people being naked. Like, people are always like. And you just stand around naked. And I'm like, no, no.

[Gia Giudice]

I remember getting in the shower really quickly and putting my towel on and like jumping in and. And all of. On all of that stuff. You know what I do remember that was interesting is like, I just think I was actually thinking that, like, how did we all decide who we were going to be roommates with? I think the girls were nicer back then. I think it was just. There was not mean girls. At least I don't remember when we.

[Amy]

Were living house manager. And it was very easy. People totally knew who their roommates were going to be. And then where your room was was based on point. So obviously the third floor was better than the second floor and gaily was better than the main two hallways. And so seniors had more points so they started to get the better rooms.

[Jen Fessler]

I remember not my roommate not being happy with me. We. We were friends. We picked each other and I was a dirty slob and just, Just horrible.

[Mary]

Okay, this. This goes to my other question. You said nobody was cleaning up the bathrooms. Who, like, what if you go in and your roommate has her clothes everywhere or what happens?

[Jen Fessler]

Then you fight? I mean, for me, we fought and I was really embarrassed by it. And I. I was just at the point in my life where I just couldn't get it together. I just was a slob.

[Mary]

Does the house person do your laundry too?

[Amy]

No, no, no. You have to do your laundry.

[Emma]

I mean, you're the one saying that.

[Mary]

You didn't have to clean the bathrooms.

[Amy]

I'm. One time Nikki wasn't there, but one time, the. There was like a weekend and only a few of us were there. Everybody went home for some reason and the furnace exploded and we all thought we were. It was so gnarly. Like, I remember being like. I think like something really like, we're all going to die, but it was just a furnace. I never had a messy roommate. I don't Think I was messy. Nikki, did you. Did you have someone messy?

[Gia Giudice]

Well, I think there was only one or two washer dryers. And I actually remember having to sit down there with quarters. Right.

[Amy]

I think we had quarters.

[Gia Giudice]

They didn't let us use it for free. We did quarters.

[Amy]

Yeah. And also we had ELFA units. Do you guys know what that is? That was very big. Yeah, Elfa.

[Gia Giudice]

They still have Elfas at Container Store.

[Jen Fessler]

Yep.

[Amy]

So they were like in your closet you would hang some of your clothes and then you would have these like ELFA units which were like drawers, but they were like wire. And you'd literally get like lines in your underwear. But whatever, you didn't care. And then we had a dresser. I mean, it was tight, but I don't remember it being like a problem.

[Gia Giudice]

I loved living in the sorority and now that I'm, you know, obviously divorced and, you know, almost 54 and spend so much time with my friends who are also divorced or getting divorced, we all talk about living together again one day and having like a modern version of a sorority. And if you actually, it's all over TikTok these groups of friends that are buying homes or into communities and I have to tell you agree, I loved every second of it. And when I go on girls trips with my friends, we share rooms, whereas all the guys will go on a trip, they want their own room.

[Jen Fessler]

My friends, I talk about down the road, we're going to get houses all next to each other in a tiny little community and we're going to spend the whole day, we're going to meet, drinking and I don't know, play, mock, whatever. Just live our lives. Yeah, but not the same room.

[Amy]

No way that I could live in a big house, like a mansion. Because these sororities are basically mansions. Right. And it was going to have. I was going to have my room and all my meals would be served and I'd have all my friends there and this giant TV room and this giant living room and this giant kitchen and dining room. And I'd have a chef for all three meals. I'd have someone cleaning every day. All I have to do is basically like make my bed.

[Jen Fessler]

That's called assisted living. My in laws, if you go down the road, that is the way that they're. If that's what you want. There's a place down the road called the Bristol. I could definitely check it out.

[Amy]

Maybe it's a circle. Maybe we all live in sororities when we're 20 and then we all live them in again. When we're 80, I don't know.

[Jen Fessler]

That's what it is we're gonna do.

[Gia Giudice]

I talk about it all. I talk. And the other thing we used to do, because when I was in college, it was the height of Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place. And we would squish on whatever the.

[Jen Fessler]

Night is that was the best.

[Gia Giudice]

And we would all watch it. We'd have our yogurt park. And it was like, the guys knew not to call. And it was, like, such a fun thing to do.

[Jen Fessler]

General, like, during the day, you were.

[Gia Giudice]

Like, Days of our Lives.

[Jen Fessler]

Yeah.

[Amy]

The amount of gummy bears, gummy worms, Sour Patch Kids. When it was burrito bar, everybody lost their minds. They were so stoked. They were like, it's burrito bar. And it basically is just like, imagine Chipotle in your.

[Jen Fessler]

Right.

[Amy]

A fancy Chipotle Gourmet Chipotle, of course. And you're just like, what? I mean, I did not appreciate it nearly enough. And we had breakfast. A lot of sororities don't have breakfast anymore, but we had, like, breakfast. Why? And I couldn't. It ended at nine and I was so tired, I couldn't make it down in time. So I was always like.

[Jen Fessler]

But there was always stuff there. There was always, like, cinnamon buns. We had, like, a warmer where you could always grab, like, if you were. If it was too late. Like cinnamon buns. Or there was, like, underneath. There was always, like, granola or whatever. There was always stuff waiting.

[Gia Giudice]

All brand cereal.

[Jen Fessler]

I remember.

[Gia Giudice]

I remember we. At least I'm older than Amy. Amy was in the same year as my sister. But my group of friends, we would do so many pranks to each other. So, like, we would short sheet the beds or we would pour water. What they would like to do to me is they went around to every hairbrush in the sorority. And I got in bed one night and the hair was all over my beautiful white sheet. I literally. And then I used to. In college, I was really into these hunter green cowboy half boots. Like, I was known for it. I wore them. And I got dressed the next morning, not thinking. And I put my foot in it, and it was like a puff of hair. I mean, it was like constant jokes to each other.

[Amy]

Yeah, see, we were. I. We didn't do any of that. I remember just learning how to put popcorn kernels in a brown lunch sack and pop it in the microwave. And then you got popcorn. You just put some salt on that. You'd have a bag of popcorn for.

[Jen Fessler]

The Shows someone was always on some kind of a weird diet. I remember there was always weird stuff like that going on.

[Amy]

We need to do a whole episode about the weird diet because people were.

[Gia Giudice]

Throwing up in our bathrooms a lot. And I always had the same lunch, which was. And they would tease me. I come in, I put broccoli, kidney beans.

[Amy]

So gross.

[Gia Giudice]

Dijon mustard, and balsamic vinegar. Like a psycho.

[Jen Fessler]

So that's sad. No, there was a lot of that in our school. Then we'd all go to jazzercise together. Jazzercise was big then. I don't know if you guys had that by.

[Amy]

But we did not do Jazzercise. I don't remember anyone working out whatsoever at all.

[Jen Fessler]

Yeah, we did a lot of Jazzercise.

[Gia Giudice]

I think we did. People blasted, like, Sarah McLachlan and Metallica and Pearl Jam. And then we had a roof on the top where people would lay out and they would, like, ditch class, and we would all be, like, frying ourselves from the rooftop. It was. Can I say something? I loved every second of it. Absolutely. And we were friends with people of different. Everyone was friends. It didn't matter if you were a senior or a sophomore.

[Amy]

I would move back in today. If you've got all those people that I live there with, you, Angie, Natalie, like, Ty, all our friends, Natalie Grushuni, everybody, today. It was the best.

[Jen Fessler]

No, I. I have to say, you guys, I did not have. Clearly, I did not have as good of an experience as you, because I would not go back in today, tomorrow, next week, next year, no way. And it was great, and I loved it. But I don't know. I mean, I don't know that I'd be made for that.

[Amy]

Now I hear about people wanting to move out. They don't want to live their senior year. They're getting these apartments. I'm like, what are you doing? The sorority is the greatest invention of all time. It is the easiest life. Like, you literally did not have to.

[Gia Giudice]

Do anything if you're a girl's girl, right? Like, I think for some people, it would be very. Sensory overload. Super triggering to be around so many girls. And girls can be tough. So I think not everybody would subscribe to that kind of a living situation. It could be overwhelming.

[Jen Fessler]

It's so funny. Like, you guys. I don't remember, like, a lot of the girls fighting, though. I don't remember fighting with anyone. Except I don't either. I was such a pig. But I really don't.

[Gia Giudice]

Are you friends with her still, Jennifer?

[Jen Fessler]

No. I know I haven't talked to her in years. But we were. We were. Again, they were younger than I was. Right. But it was a requirement to live in the house because you transferred. Right. So I was living with girls that were younger. And she was a very nice girl. I remember, like, very, very smart, very studious, very together. And I was just a hot mess. And so. But we were. I mean, we loved each other. I remember that we laughed a lot, but it was not. I mean, we're not. We don't know each other now.

[Mary]

It's funny.

[Gia Giudice]

Like, Amy, I would say Amy probably more than anybody, has kept in touch with many, many people in that chapter.

[Amy]

I think that if you gave me one hour, I could probably reach 100 kappas, I think, in one hour. If you gave me one hour and I'd have to do anything else but just get a text trail going, I think I could get a hundred.

[Jen Fessler]

That should be an episode. We should actually watch that. We should set the timer for one hour and see what happens.

[Amy]

I'm probably have 50 in my phone right now. I just really thrived in that environment. I just, you know, I think. I mean, look, it wasn't all unicorns and rainbows. There's little things that, like, some boy makes you cry or, you know, somebody gets mad that you kiss their ex boyfriend or whatever.

[Gia Giudice]

That can happen in every chapter. I think what I've taught my kids too, is like, for not every chapter is the best chapter.

[Jen Fessler]

Right.

[Gia Giudice]

And life is long. Like I would say for me, high school was my peaking moment. For sure, college was good, but I would say high school for me is kind of like your experience, Amy. I mean, I liked college.

[Jen Fessler]

Yeah, I feel like what you're describing, Amy, I got at, like, sleepaway camp. That was my home away from home, growing.

[Amy]

Yeah, everybody has their thing. Well, Jen, I know you have a lot of people to talk to, but I think we definitely need to, like, do part one, two, three, and four, because I feel like people are fascinated by the whole thing.

[Jen Fessler]

Yeah, I agree. And we're gonna take an hour and just see how many of your sisters.

[Amy]

Oh, I'd be. I. I want to throw a party. So this can be a challenge where I can invite 100 kappas to a party and see if I can do.

[Jen Fessler]

It in an hour.

[Amy]

And then we'll do it. We'll do a podcast live.

[Jen Fessler]

I love that idea.

[Gia Giudice]

You're so funny, guys.

[Jen Fessler]

Well, thank you for sharing. I appreciate you both and to be.

[Gia Giudice]

Jen, you want to live in our sorority with us in A few years. We're really fun.

[Jen Fessler]

Nope. I am. Unlike you guys, I am not interested in going back to a sorority house. I had a blast. I loved it. I just. No, I can't share a room. I can barely share a room with my effing husband. So. No, there'll be none of that.

[Gia Giudice]

By the way, one last note. Can you imagine a sorority house today with like, the Botox? The modern sorority house, with like, the Botox and the manicurist at the house and people with the. I mean, it would be a whole different thing.

[Jen Fessler]

I can. Because my daughter graduated two years ago, and so it was very different than what I had experienced. Having said that, it was definitely her best year of college.

[Gia Giudice]

Amy, I have one memory now, because when I talk to them, this is so. Now I'm remembering. Oh, my God, this is horrible. So I was living one year with. I was living with Susan. I was living with dawn and Tracy.

[Amy]

Okay, so that would be like a four girl. Gaily.

[Jen Fessler]

Got it. Or.

[Gia Giudice]

But like, one of the better rooms. Okay. And all of a sudden I was like, I think I had the first yeast infection I'd ever had. And I did not know what it was. And I literally thought I was dying. When I tell you the laughter with them, with me and them calling my mom and laughing. They had to take me to urgent care. And the jokes about my yeast infection. Oh, Nikki, are you making bread right now? Do you want some bread for dinner? That's my one thing I remember that, where they did that. That was crazy.

[Amy]

Yeah, I mean, everybody's there to help. Everybody's there to help. Love you guys.

[Jen Fessler]

Bye. Before all the algorithm fed blah and the endless sea of dupes, shopping used to feel more, well, fun. But here's a confession, Dirty Rush listeners. You can find that fun feeling again on ebay. It's not mindless scrolling. It's a fashion pursuit. I love using filters for condition and price saving searches and spotting verified listings. It makes shopping feel smart and exciting again. And when you score that rare Adidas Collab or that Dior saddlebag you've been manifesting, it's a rush. Ebay has millions of pre loved finds from hundreds of brands backed by ebay's authenticity guarantee. Ebay, things people love.

[Commercial Announcer]

Did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop? Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere. And Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Grammar laptops with Windows 11 PC Mag Reader's Choice used with permission. All rights reserved.

[Gia Giudice]

Ten athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000.

[Jen Fessler]

This is where mindset comes Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down.

[Sponsor Representative]

Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures [e-mail] disclosures it's the most.

[Jen Fessler]

Wonderful time of the year and Valpack is here to make it even better. This month as you sift through holiday mail, don't miss the blue Valpaka envelope. From dining to holiday shopping, there's a sleigh full of savings in your mailbox. Plus a chance to instantly win $100. That's right, you could find $100 Christmas cash inside. Want to save even more money on what you love? Go to valpak.com for local coupons and offers. It pays to open Valpak. No purchase necessary. For Instant Win voip, we're prohibited.

[Amy]

Prices are randomly inserted.

[Jen Fessler]

See specially marked Valpak envelopes for details. Okay you guys, so now joining us we have Emma, Candice and Caitlin and these ladies all live in the same house and one of them, Emma Is the house manager. So, you guys, our listeners are dying to hear about the experience that you're having. Maybe we could start with you, Emma. What is it like to be a house manager? Is it a ball? It feels to me like it would be a mixed bag sometimes, you know, really fun. These are your friends. Sometimes maybe harder because you are also there to enforce the rules. Tell us a little bit about that.

[Emma]

Yeah, it's definitely a hectic job. I feel like we've kind of got a lot going on. It's a big house. At the end of the day, the girls are all my good friends, and I'm lucky enough to live in a house where we actually like each other, so there's not too much drama. But we are also college students, so there's a lot of alcohol and boys sneaking in and people maybe not following the rules. So, like, yes, it's great in terms of, like, cattiness that doesn't quite exist in our. In our own house, but there is a lot of, hey, maybe don't puke on our carpets and that kind of stuff.

[Jen Fessler]

Well, why. Well, Emma, why did you decide that. That you wanted to be the house manager?

[Emma]

Honestly, our house was kind of ugly, and I knew that I could maybe work to renovate some of it. So actually, this past year, I got a budget of about $65,000 and we renovated our entire downstairs.

[Jen Fessler]

Get out.

[Emma]

Yes. So that. Primarily just because it was ugly and I wanted it to look better. But in the meantime, I've kind of come to enjoy the. The actual, like, management role.

[Jen Fessler]

Really? Okay. That's so cool. So, okay, what kind of house manager is Emma? Candice?

[Jennifer Kessler]

I would say that she is very good at her job. I would also say that she and I kind of co. Manage a lot of things. And we are definitely the most vocal voices in our group. Me, just because when we do have a renovated house and things are so nice, you do have to remind people of certain rules.

[Jen Fessler]

Rules.

[Jennifer Kessler]

And in our chapter, we have some issues. We've had people throw up in the sinks. We've had people throw up on carpets and couches. We've had people have their friends sleep in the fire escape. And there was this whole rumor going around that we had, like, some sort of squatter. So we have had a lot of things happen that were definitely against the rules. But I would say that Emma's really good at her job.

[Jen Fessler]

What is the most fun thing?

[Jennifer Kessler]

Having the keys.

[Emma]

Yeah. So I have, like, a big, huge thing of keys. It has keys to every single door in the house, the basement, the attic. All the things I feel like it's most fun because whenever goes down, like, I'm the first to know just because me or like, our president, because people will usually text me, like, hey, I don't know if you noticed, but there's yak in the drains. Or I don't know if you knew, but there's someone smoking meth on our porch.

[Jen Fessler]

Okay. I don't know what's going on with ladies, with your sorority. I'm getting a little concerned. I don't know if I should talk to you, Emma, as a house manager. Is there a mother there? Is there somebody I can talk to?

[Emma]

We have a house mother.

[Emily]

You do?

[Jen Fessler]

Yes. So much with the meth ladies.

[Emma]

It wasn't us. It was a homeless person.

[Jen Fessler]

I'm very glad to hear that. Caitlin, what do you love about living in the house?

[Caitlin]

I love that there's never a dull moment, as you've already started to hear.

[Jen Fessler]

There's always math lots going on.

[Caitlin]

Exactly, exactly. You really never know what you're gonna find when you walk outside of our sorority house or walk inside. I also like that we have 65 closets at all times, and there's so many people you can go and talk to for different things. And it's been so much fun. But I'm also excited to get out and not have to deal with the chaos.

[Jen Fessler]

So how is it. How is your. How is your house formatted? Like, for me, when I lived in my house, it was. They were just two to a room, period. Do you guys have. What's your situation?

[Caitlin]

We.

[Jen Fessler]

Do you have singles? Do you have triples?

[Caitlin]

We have singles. We have a ten girl room. Actually. Candace and I have two. Two out of the three singles. The third one belongs to the president, but we have rooms that have 10 girls in them.

[Jen Fessler]

8. What is that called?

[Caitlin]

The porch.

[Jen Fessler]

Okay. So, yeah, I was just. I. We didn't have that in my house. Do the girls like living there?

[Caitlin]

So actually, a lot of times the girls end up living there because they have the least amount of house points and they're not really choosing to live there. And a lot of times they're not even really friends with the other people who are picked in that. Picked to be in that room with them. But our year, actually, the girls who got chosen to be in that room, the. So our sophomore freshman or our sophomore fall semester actually opted to be in there again their spring semester, even though there were so many empty rooms just because of how much they loved it and how much they Became such a tight knit friend group. So people really enjoy it.

[Jen Fessler]

I love that. That's very cool. So, all right, so tell me. I'm going to say Candace, okay, tell me for you, what is the best and worst thing about living in the house?

[Jennifer Kessler]

I would say best part. I agree with Caitlin, getting to be close to everyone. Everyone is borrowing clothes for game day or to go out. And it's very like a great sense of community. I would say the worst thing is a lot of people, obviously it's a very shared space and a lot of people don't have, I don't want to say, like the decency to be respectful to others, but there's a lot of people who that might not be the first thing at the top of their head. And so there's obviously messes throw up in the sink, like we mentioned earlier. But also in the spring when the house was at half capacity because a lot of girls go abroad, people would pick up secondary rooms. So during house picks, you could say you were in a double and like live with another girl, but you could also put your name on a room. And people were using those rooms as like sex rooms. And so each room had like a secondary room that if they wanted to, their roommate could go there. And Caitlin can tell more about this story. But we also had an issue with like a downstairs bathroom breaking just because people were using that for different purposes.

[Jen Fessler]

I mean, I, you guys, I am coming back as either Emma, Candace or Caitlin and living in that house because it sounds like way more fun than I had at the University of Texas in 1989. So meth sex. You had your own sex room. All right, so anyway, but Caitlin. Okay, so Candice said that you could tell us a little bit more about that.

[Caitlin]

Yeah. In addition to having sex rooms, people also are president. Not this current term, but past presidents have used their rooms to sell drugs out of.

[Jen Fessler]

What is happening? I don't really know.

[Caitlin]

It's really surprising because you would think we live in a fraternity like with these kinds of stories. But yeah, girls who do these things are actually like very. They're our friends. So it's not like it's some crazy like one off in our sorority. It's just people know they can get away with things. They get caught up in college in general. And they know that our house mom doesn't care that much and is not that great at her job. So they get away with a lot.

[Jen Fessler]

Is your sorority known as like sort of the party girls?

[Caitlin]

Kind of, but not particularly. More than any other house we're definitely not known as the drug house compared to other sororities. Although, as I've said, we do see drugs.

[Jen Fessler]

Yeah. Emma, this might be a little hard for you to manage.

[Emma]

No, I mean, I feel like. I mean, okay, the meth was a separate situation that was like a homeless dude who was like sitting on our porch. And he was sitting crisscross applesauce with this like fedora on. And he's sitting there with like tin foil, actively doing meth. And he's like, I'm gonna shower you guys. I want to wash you guys. Crazy. So, like there's stuff like that, but I don't know, I feel like drinking is the. Probably the main thing that I see just because people are off like in the house, yakking everywhere and stuff like that. But I don't know, I haven't. I haven't had to sit anyone down and talk about their drug problem yet. Yet.

[Jen Fessler]

Wait, Candace, tell us about something called the letter.

[Jennifer Kessler]

So I was just recalling when we had our unhoused visitor, he actually left us a letter. And some of like included people's names in the letter. So what Emma's saying about him saying, I want to shower you, or whatever he was saying, he actually left us a little bit of a gift that Emma actually kept to herself, did not share with anyone. And she let her roommate find it. And then the roommate sent it into the group.

[Emma]

Me.

[Jennifer Kessler]

But it was like this letter. Emma, do you want to share more?

[Jen Fessler]

Yeah.

[Emma]

So after this whole incident, I called the police. Meanwhile, I'm like fully blacked out. It's like three in the morning. I've come home from a night out and I. I have to call the cops and be like, hey. And of course the cop like leaves and takes the guy with him. And she's like, have fun. But not too much fun because clearly I'm drunk. Anyway, so the next day I come back and there's a letter at the front door. And anything that's addressed to our sorority, I open it up and so I opened it up and it's this written out letter. Girls names in our house is like, I need like $10 million to get to Puerto Rico. Like just gibberish, all this gibberish. But I knew we're in a house of dramatic 20 year old girls. Like, I was like, someone's going to freak out. I'm just going to keep this to myself. I put in a plastic baggie. I was like, if he ever comes back, it's evidence. Like whatever. My roommate found it and didn't consult me, Took a photo of it and sent it to a group chat. And all of a sudden, everyone knows that I'm like. And it had been, like, months since I. Like, I detect everyone and be like, hey, like, it's okay. It was months ago. Like, he's not coming back. Don't worry. But then, like, guys had their thing, so I don't know.

[Jen Fessler]

All right, okay, let's just for a moment, move off of the meth smoking, crazy, homeless lunatic. Tell me a little bit about, like, what's fun. I don't know, like, for us at night. And we had some women on just now that were talking about the olden days, like, the days I come from. But, like, sitting around at night and we have, like, common areas and just, you know, everybody was obsessed or, like, for me, we loved soap operas. I don't even know if you know what that is at this point, but, like, during the day, we'd all, like, be together watching or Beverly Hills Night 90210 or whatever it was. Do you guys have that. Do you have, like, where we're gonna just, like, congregate and Is it. Do you have that feel to it?

[Emma]

Yeah, we actually have a TV room and people watch. I think it was the summer I turned pretty. There was a whole watch party every week. I think on Wednesday nights, everyone would go sit and watch. What was it? Dancing with the Stars. People. People sit there, and sometimes it's a random show playing, and people will just join. I've had so many conversations where I'm just like. I walk by after dinner, and I'm like, oh, I really love that movie. And I'll just sit and it's the most random people that I normally wouldn't.

[Jen Fessler]

Fun, though, right?

[Emma]

And, yeah, I wouldn't normally, like, sit and spend hours with them on end, usually the girls. But it's really nice to get to know people. And then after, I'm like, oh, now, like, when I see you in the halls, I know you like so much. And then, Candace, you were talking about something on porch.

[Jennifer Kessler]

Yes. We also have this outdoor porch area that leads into our backyard. And we have a lot of people in our house, like, to play guitar and are really good at singing.

[Jen Fessler]

So everyone love that.

[Jennifer Kessler]

Yes, everyone will go outside. And our house carries sound very well, so you can hear people outside singing and playing instruments. And it's so cool. It's so fun. And we definitely have great sisterhood within the house, despite all of the craziness. But I feel like the craziness is part of having a great house culture and having great sisterhood. So you gotta give to get a little.

[Jen Fessler]

Listen, I. I am so excited for you guys that you are having this great experience. Experience. I'm also a little worried for the three of you, but I'm going to leave that to your very capable mothers. But listen, I want you to enjoy every minute, but I want you to be careful. Please.

[Emma]

We will, we will.

[Jen Fessler]

No more, okay? No more meth smoking, homeless people on the porch. Before all the algorithm fed blah and the endless sea of dupes, shopping used to feel more, well, fun. But here's a confession Dirty Rush listeners. You can find that fun feeling again on ebay. It's not mindless scrolling. It's a fashion pursuit. I love using filters for condition and price saving searches and spotting verified listings. It makes shopping feel smart and exciting again. And when you score that rare Adidas Collab or that Dior saddlebag you've been manifesting, it's a rush. Ebay has millions of pre loved finds from hundreds of brands backed by ebay's authenticity guarantee. EBay Things people love did you know?

[Commercial Announcer]

Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop, voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.

[Gia Giudice]

Ten athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000.

[Jen Fessler]

This is where mindset comes in.

[Gia Giudice]

Someone will be eliminated.

[Jen Fessler]

Pressure is coming down.

[Sponsor Representative]

Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th watch the trailer on trainergames.com support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stock, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI, it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member finra SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosure Disclosures available at public.comDisclosures your.

[Commercial Announcer]

Ticket to big savings is that big blue envelope in your mailbox. Valpak. It's brimming with deals from big name brands and your favorite local spots. Dining services, stuff you're already buying all for less. And you could score 100 or other instant prizes just for opening it. Or save even faster with mobile coupons you can use right now at Valpak. Valpak. There's definitely something in it for you.

[Jen Fessler]

All right, guys, so next we have Emily joining us. Hi, Miss Emily. Hi, Jennifer.

[Jennifer Kessler]

How are you?

[Gia Giudice]

Hi.

[Jen Fessler]

I'm doing very well. This is a very, very fun episode for me. We are talking about living in your sorority house. I lived in one 10 million years ago, and we've had some ladies here telling us some wild stories. But tell me a little bit about your experience.

[Emily]

I went to a very big university, and Greek life was kind of like, relatively big. I mean, definitely can't compare anything to, like, the south or the Midwest. But we had a lot of houses on the row. It was like one straight shot of all sorority houses. And we basically, like, every house mom besides ours was like, I don't know, 65 years old. And our house mom was a ripe 25 years old. So she was basically like another member. Exactly. And she, like, not only acted like it, but, like, let us act our, like, to our full potential. And it was like so much so that there was. And this I heard from other girls. Like, there was like kind of like a. A thing to get her kicked off because she was too chill and too fun and, like, would let us do really, I mean, nothing like insane. But, like, other house moms wouldn't let girls, like, even, like, guys weren't even allowed through the front door, you know? And our house mom, like, didn't care who you who was in the house at any time.

[Jen Fessler]

Right.

[Emily]

But yeah, she was amazing. I still think about her all the. All the time.

[Jen Fessler]

Well, what year did you live in.

[Emily]

The house I lived in sophomore year, the year that, like, most people live in at my school.

[Jen Fessler]

Okay. And, like, how many girls were there?

[Emily]

I think there are probably, like, oh.

[Jen Fessler]

God, like, maybe, like, 50 or 60.

[Emily]

I think I could be like, that's.

[Jen Fessler]

Kind of like a.

[Emily]

A high number. But we had a huge house.

[Jen Fessler]

Was it a nice house? Like, was it. Was it comfortable? Was it.

[Gia Giudice]

Yeah.

[Jen Fessler]

What were the. Like, what was the setup? Were there singles, doubles, triples?

[Emily]

There was, like, literally everything. It kind of just felt like. Like, it was like a. It was like, kind of like an insane asylum. Like, you would walk in. No, it was amazing. It was beautiful. But it was just like. There were like, no rules, kind of. So, like, we. Like, you'd walk in, there's a beautiful courtyard. Like, the actual house is, like, in a gorgeous area, and a very beautiful house. And then the rooms were like. You could have anything from, like, a single to, like. I had a. Like, a quad. And my mom used to call it, like, the house in the air because my. I would, like, wake up and my head would, like, bang against the ceiling. Because that's, like, how crazy the bunk bed situation was.

[Jen Fessler]

Would you change that? Looking back, like, I know that that's probably. You probably dreaded it. But then some people come out of that, and they're like, that was the best situation I could have had.

[Gia Giudice]

Yeah.

[Emily]

I feel like in the moment, even in the moment, I knew it was one of those things where I was like, hey, like, this is the most uncomfortable I've ever been. But also, like, the happiest. Like.

[Jen Fessler]

Right. I really love that. Yeah.

[Emily]

I mean, like, I would, like, come home drunk and, like, nearly crack my head open trying to, like, climb up my bed, but.

[Jen Fessler]

Did you fight? Do you ever have fights with the girls in your room?

[Emily]

No. There was never, ever fighting. That's something that I feel like a lot of people that weren't in Greek life would always ask me, like, oh, have you fought with the girls? Are you catty? Like, what's. Kind of, like, the vibe? And I was always like, oh, my gosh. Like, never.

[Jen Fessler]

I feel like there's.

[Emily]

I mean, there's. You put 60 girls in a house. There's. It's, like, impossible to not have, like, zero, like, any drama.

[Jen Fessler]

But, no, I was telling these guests before that, with me, I had a double, and my roommate just hated me because I was such a slob. Not because of anything. And she couldn't. And I understand, looking back now, why she doesn't have that.

[Emily]

I mean, I think we were just all pigs.

[Emma]

I think it was just like, like.

[Emily]

Honestly, to be completely honest, like. Like, I feel like I see things all the time of, like, oh, these, like, clean girl houses and they have their chefs and, like, we had that, but we were just like a bunch of, like, 20 year olds. Just like, I don't even know, like, who could be more destructive. Yes, exactly.

[Jen Fessler]

You would have fit right in.

[Emily]

Like, you would wake up on, like, I don't even know, like, a Saturday or a Sunday after a night out.

[Jen Fessler]

No sheets on the bed, sweating.

[Emily]

Someone puked in the hallway.

[Jen Fessler]

You know, like, it was one of.

[Emily]

Those things where it was like, oh, my God. Someone, like, definitely missed mixed Gatorade. Oh, my God. We had this like, like, fountain drink machine, and we called it the mixi machine. And it was always like, you knew if someone puked, like, what machine they.

[Jen Fessler]

Had used, which is really gross.

[Jennifer Kessler]

Yeah, there's like.

[Emily]

Yeah, you can still. You can still smell some of it.

[Jen Fessler]

Thank you, Miss Emily. All right, guys, so next we are going to talk to Mary. Mary has a very interesting viewpoint on living in the house because she lived in her house during COVID Hi, Mary.

[Mary]

Hi, Jen. Thanks for having me on.

[Jen Fessler]

Thank you for joining us. Tell us what it was like. And I honestly, I mean, my daughter couldn't even start school because she was an incoming freshman and they shut it down. So I'm. I'm trying to picture they even. Even allowing you to live in a house together during COVID Yeah, I think.

[Mary]

It was kind of the plan when the school year started. You know, we collected all the points, got assigned the room before, and then it hit. I went to a school in Colorado, and essentially we were all allowed to come back. And then as soon as we were back and moved in, then we got the rules in place where there was a city mandate lockdown, then there was a state mandate lockdown, and then there was a school lockdown, and then there was a sorority lockdown where 50% of the girls in my sorority got COVID 19. And we had an annex house.

[Jen Fessler]

That is where you were, like, banished to.

[Mary]

Yeah. And you couldn't leave. There was a balcony, and I wasn't a part of that group, but it was just like a sick house where everyone was just living on top of each other for two weeks. And you couldn't go back into the main house to get any of your items. People would have to bring them to the door.

[Jen Fessler]

That's horrible.

[Mary]

So then there was a period of time where my sorority gave everyone in the house the option was to either lock down in the house because then we had to shut down not only the annex, but the main house, or you had to leave for two weeks, but you weren't. If you lived out of state, you weren't allowed to fly home, and so you had to find another option. So a couple of me and my girlfriends drove to Arizona and stayed at her house in Arizona for two weeks because her parents weren't there.

[Jen Fessler]

Do you have anything good to say about your experience in your house?

[Mary]

That is how I became close with 25 girls. Definitely some people kind of got lost in the mix, but I could not be closer to the girls I'm with. And it's because we lived on top of each other. Yeah.

[Jen Fessler]

Wow, that is. So are you still. You still are like that?

[Mary]

Yeah. Our group chat is still up and at em. It was. It was definitely a hard period of time because it was 65 girls living on top of each other.

[Jen Fessler]

Right.

[Mary]

Like, and it was. No other year was like that in the past. Like, everyone would go to class or you would maybe have. Have lunch together, maybe have dinner together, but we had every single meal together in that house.

[Jen Fessler]

And were you guys. You have online classes, so no one.

[Mary]

Wanted to take their classes in their rooms because you spent too much time in your room. So we had long dining tables, which you could never get a seat at. And then we had a basement, which you could also barely get a seat at because it was 65 girls.

[Jen Fessler]

And what was. Tell me, like, one thing about it that you remember that was actually really fun.

[Mary]

We did movie nights.

[Jen Fessler]

Movie nights.

[Mary]

We had game nights. We played this game called One Night Ultimate Werewolf. Light candles, ordering food. There was a ton of memories. We would sneak alcohol in pregame. Really hard pregame.

[Jen Fessler]

Where was the game? Game?

[Mary]

Oh, there was periods of time where we were allowed to leave the house. It was rare, you know, in between all of the lockdowns. But when we were allowed to leave the house, then we would go party at the frat houses and then get in trouble and then, you know, get locked down. I would definitely say that everyone lost their marbles. And then it was nice because we sealed that year in a really pretty pink bow with a trip to Cabo when everything was kind of lifted.

[Jen Fessler]

So it was.

[Mary]

It was a tough year mentally for everyone, but it ended up creating really long, lasting friendships.

[Jen Fessler]

Would you change it, like, if you could. If you could go back and live in the house? Not during COVID like, would you switch your experience, you think?

[Mary]

No, I wouldn't Switch my experience, But I would not live in the house again.

[Emily]

It was.

[Mary]

It was really tough, I think, just because we were all living on top of each other and just it being that period of time that it was.

[Jen Fessler]

Yeah, it was just.

[Mary]

It was just challenging to live with so many girls all at once, so.

[Jen Fessler]

Mary, it was challenging to live in my house with a husband and two kids, so I can only imagine what it was like to live with that many girls. It's just. It had to be rough. Yeah. But it sounds like it was sort of worth it. I mean, you have these relationships now that. That have endured.

[Mary]

Yeah, it was. It was for sure worth it. I think it was just a. It's also just, like, a hard period of time to become a woman, because everyone wants to grow their education, grow their status, become independent, and so everyone's kind of like. It's like a battle between everyone, and then it turns out okay.

[Jen Fessler]

Do you think that happens not just during COVID but in houses in general?

[Mary]

I would assume so. I remember talking with my little before she moved into the house, and I told her blatantly that it was just. It was difficult for me, but it was the best challenge I put myself through.

[Jen Fessler]

Interesting. Yeah. That's so great. Well, I mean, so happy that you look back on it and look back on it in a positive way. I'm sure there are. I would think there would be some of your sisters that maybe don't look back on it with such fond memories. But I'm glad that you have all of these people now, these lifelong friends that you waged. You know, what you. You thought you went through the battle with.

[Mary]

Yeah, of course. We have some of our. We have some great stories that happened. Like, one of them being that a bat came into our house, and it was living in our house for two weeks because girls saw it, and then no one could catch it. And then it was rediscovered hanging in someone's room. And so then the two girls had to get tetanus shots.

[Jen Fessler]

Gross.

[Mary]

Absolutely disgusting.

[Jen Fessler]

Yeah. That's scary. Yeah. All right, my friends. So I love talking to those young ladies and older ladies about their experiences. I mean, I. It was such an. It was like this little, tiny nugget in my life Living in the AE Phi house at the University of Texas. And I have really fond memories of it, and I have memories that are not so fond, But I hope all the girls feel like this. I would certainly not change it. As I mentioned, my daughter tried everything to get out of the. Of living in her sorority house at the University of Delaware. She couldn't get out of it. It was her best year. So to be continued. Thanks you guys so much for listening and we have a really exciting episode coming next, so stay tuned.

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[Jen Fessler]

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