Editor’s Note: This post was written by Joanna Guth, the President of Delta Gamma and a junior in Kirkland House. This is the second post in a four-part series about sorority recruitment at Harvard.
My name is Joanna Guth and last night I used an entire bottle of glitter. That glitter is never going to leave my room. Future occupant of my room, I apologize for when you realize the dust bunny in the corner is especially iridescent–but don’t you think it looks better this way?
Now that that’s off my chest I can talk about why, exactly, I introduced the invasive glitter species to my room: sorority recruitment! Going through sorority recruitment at Harvard is the best decision I’ve made since coming here and is absolutely, 100%, never-look-back worth it.
Recruitment can be kind of overwhelming (note: that picture was taken when I went through recruitment, and I don’t remember it, but look how happy we are!) because you’re meeting so many wonderful, accomplished women, but that’s exactly what makes it so great.
My sisters in Delta Gamma amaze me each day. They are involved in every aspect of campus life, excel at anything they set their mind to, and are always, always striving to do more. I am constantly inspired and empowered by their successes and driven to seek my own. Of course, when I do, they are with me every step of the way. These are the women I go to with my highest highs and lowest lows, and they support me through it all.
The support of my sisters in Delta Gamma has given me the confidence to step out of my shell on campus and seek new opportunities, and not just because a current or former sister has tried it too and can guide me! Being involved in running my sorority has given me so many real world skills, and now I am humbled by the opportunity to be the President of this chapter and lead the amazing women I get to call my sisters.
There’s always something going on with Delta Gamma, and that’s pretty much always where you can find me. I love hanging out with my sisters, whether it’s in our space, “the Cove” (DG rule #1: everything is nautical. Everything.), or on excursions into Boston for shopping and brunch (DG rule #2: appreciate good food), or at formal date events each semester (DG rule #3: your sister is the best date). Campus events are also better with sisters, like our annual Harvard-Yale alumnae tailgate or sitting together for Eleganza or other events where our sisters are involved!
We also put on events each semester to “Do Good.” Delta Gammas across the world leave positive impacts in their communities through service, wherever they may be. Our national philanthropy is Service for Sight, which was founded in 1936 after Ruth Billows, a sister who was blinded in a childhood accident, made a plea at the Delta Gamma Convention to help improve the lives of the blind and visually impaired. The service hours we complete for our philanthropy are so rewarding because, along with helping out a cause that is important to many people in the world, we also have fun, sisterhood bonding time. And because members of our chapter have been personally affected by the issues of blindness and visual impairment, Service for Sight is personal to us, making our philanthropy experience particularly meaningful.
Being in a sorority is about so much more than glitter and t-shirts and formals (although I do enjoy all three of those); it’s about being part of something larger than yourself. It’s about giving back to the community. It’s about the hundred women on campus who will always have your back and encourage you to try amazing new things. And it’s about always having a home (wherever you are in the world) with the other women who share your values and wear the golden anchor.