Sorority Life 3, Episodes 1 & 2: Getting to Know You, Getting to Hate Everything About You

In MTV’s next desperate attempt to keep a show going that peaked in the first season, we now embark on our third season of Sorority Life. After spending season two in Buffalo with the Whitest Sorority Ever, we return to California. Specifically, the University of Southern California and the sisters and pledges of Zeta Sigma Phi, a “multicultural sorority.”

We open with pledge Janelle, who says she’s pledging a sorority to have more of a connection of campus.

Next we meet Meena, who is a pre-med major and on three college dance teams (and a host of other activities, we’ll soon learn). She’s a senior and wants to pledge a sorority to have something to hang onto after graduation.

Jennifer (not me) is the sorority president and as she explains the pledge process, we see clips of how it all went down. so I guess this season won’t drag out the bid process like previous seasons. The sorority’s giving out 16 bids and the pledge educator is Valenci, also known as Val, and also a Coral from The Real World look-alike, so don’t e-mail us if I accidentally call her Coral. The resemblance is uncanny.

Six of the sixteen pledges will live in the pledge house, thus the basis for all the season’s fun. They are: Janelle, Meena, Michelle, Carmen, Sharifa, and Salina. The instructions are to meet at the pledge house at “7 sharp” to get room assignments.

Michelle’s a little worried about the housing situation, since she doesn’t have a roommate and now, suddenly, she’s going to have five. Hey babe, you signed up for this.

The gang gathers at the pledge house, but Sharifa is late. The camera goes back to her house, where she’s still packing.

Meena’s excited about the house. She says she’s lived in big houses before, but never with this much furniture.

The sisters have already decided who will share rooms. Michelle, Meena, and Sharifa will share one room and Janelle, Carmen, and Salina will share the other room.

Sharifa’s still packing. Apparently tossing some stuff in a bag and coming back to get the rest later is a concept that’s beyond her.

She finally shows up 30 minutes late and Val/Coral says if she’s going to be late like that again she needs to call and let Val/Coral know.

At the first pledge meeting, they make the mistake of discussing what personality types they have. Yeah, I know. It was Carmen’s idea. We’ll have more on her later.

Sharifa says she’s a possessive recovering only child. OK, that was funny.

At a meeting at the “sister house,” the sisters lay down the law. The pledges can’t write their sorority letters, because that’s something they have to earn.

Meena says the sorority is important to her but she wouldn’t sacrifice anything and everything for it. The sisters question Meena’s time commitment and President Jennifer says the sorority needs to be a the top of her list.

Val/Coral goes over the point system. The pledges have to earn 2003 points to “cross over.” They have to get all the sisters to sign their pledge books; each signature is a point and if they get all of the signatures within a week it’s 50 points. But you have to ask nicely. It takes a unanimous vote of the sisters for a pledge to cross over.

At the pledge house, Carmen decides to get points by making breakfast for sister Audrey. Meena asks if she can get points just for sharing the lunch, but she’s denied. She hangs out anyway and Audrey asks her why she’s rushing a sorority if she’s a senior. Meena says she’s used to black sororities rushing seniors because a sorority is a lifetime thing.

Carmen, meanwhile, is dubbed “Superpledge” because of her over exuberance at all the activities. Think of her as this year’s Maggie.

Meena, meanwhile, is a little lost at the next pledge meeting because she doesn’t understand the pledge book and all the points, since she missed half the last meeting.

Superpledge Carmen didn’t last very long. She’s ready for a meltdown because she hasn’t had time to study and she has two papers due. Then she makes the mistake of asking the sisters to be quiet when they come over to the house and she’s trying to sleep. The death knell comes when she nods off during a sister meeting. The horror! A sister advises her to go off on her own if she needs time to study and not to worry about being superpledge.