Here at Hopkins, we have five sororities, which are all filled with intelligent, beautiful women. Each sorority brings its own unique vaules to a fantastic sisterhood. At Her Campus JHU, we have the privilege of having representatives of the different sororities on staff, or submitting articles every semester, and we wanted to put together a piece that represented why we love our sororities. Her Campus JHU wishes everyone in the recruitment process the best of luck this week!
Why Pi Beta Phi
Sarah White
Pi Phi places the highest value on respect, faithfulness, and friendship. We put our hearts into everything we do, whether that is supporting our sisters in their personal endeavors, pursuing our individual interests or supporting a cause together, such as our philanthropic effort Read > Lead > Achieve®. Each sister is unique, and we thoroughly embrace and appreciate those exceptional qualities so that we might grow together as a chapter. Pi Beta Phi is a sincere, generous group of leaders in the Hopkins community, committed to the pursuit of intellectual growth, and a strong bond between sisters. While there is not one type of Pi Phi, we all have several things in common, such as our values, our admiration for each other, and our genuine excitement to encourage one another. What’s more is that Pi Phis seem to uphold these incredible friendships with grace, and a good sense of humor—a challenging task at Hopkins, especially during long nights of cramming for exams. Even though everyone has their individual stressors, Pi Phi sisters work to their absolute highest ability to make the Hopkins experience an extremely positive and memorable one for their peers, both Pi Phis and otherwise. There is not a time when I am ever completely alone with my sisters backing me up, ready to lend a hand (or a cup of coffee) whenever it is needed. Truly, a sister will drop what she is doing to help another sister in need. Without the addition of the women that I have met through my sorority, my time in college would not have been nearly as full with memories and love as it is now. The support that Pi Phi has provided me in more ways than one has been invaluable, and I absolutely made the right decision in my choice to join these women.
Why Phi Mu
Michelle Brown
I found Phi Mu. Let me explain by starting off with a short story. 2 years ago, I stood in your shoes, overwhelmed by the singing and clapping. However, I was running a 102 degree fever by the final round of recruitment. I walked into the room trying to balance in my heels with my head feeling light. My friends had to unzip the back of my dress while waiting in line outside the party room due to my excessive sweating. My hair was thrown up in some side pony tail, and I was convinced I was going to faint. This is not how I wanted to present myself. Before the recruitment process began, I looked to friends from high school for advice. Many of them went to state schools and therefore rushed in the fall, and briefed me of the importance of these parties. Having this in mind, I walked into the room (after zipping my dress back up) incredibly nervous. I had to be perfect, and on my game. It was then that a girl, who would soon become one of my best friends, gave me the most important advice I would receive throughout the entire recruitment process. As cliché as it sounded, she told me to be myself and discover a group of girls that encouraged me to stay true to that. It was just what I needed to hear at that moment. I did not need to worry about keeping my makeup pristine, or having the right dress. I did not need to worry about leading the typical college lifestyle, or trying to be a certain type of person. When I walked into the room full of Phi Mu girls, I felt a sense of comfort and support. I did not sense this due to their kindness or constant smiles, or from the pictures of big and littles. I felt welcomed, with genuine love and compassion. The girls not only cared about me, but I could tell they took a true interest in each other’s lives. Little did I know, this was only the start. I found a group of girls where I could form lifelong friendships and connections. Some of my current best friends include women’s soccer players, a student admissions representative, and a pre-law student. I fear that I would have never gotten the chance to meet these diverse girls if it weren’t for Phi Mu. Any girl on this campus can bring you soup when you are sick, or help you with homework in the library. By becoming a member of this fraternity, you are automatically a family member, and will be treated as such. The power of this family is understated, as I know that I could approach any member and immediately feel a sense of home. In Phi Mu, no one will love you more. No one will stand by you longer. No one will hug you tighter. My experience has never had a negative aspect. And truth be told, we all attend Johns Hopkins, and we should not take on this school alone. Everything I could ask for, I found it in Phi Mu.
Why Alpha Phi
Megan DiTrolio
Dear PNM,
I was you two years ago, though I was probably far more awkward and far less prepared for sorority recruitment. I was that girl who decided to sign up for recruitment five minutes before the deadline, and I was quite hesitant about sororities in general. My nails were not painted, my girl flirt game was not on point and I smelled like Icy Hot and sweat (the aroma that I elude post track practice, which was where I was rushing from to make it to recruitment). I was late, disheveled and exhausted, and in no mood to try to impress anyone. I was also scared. Freshman year so far had been great, but I was yearning to find another niche of friends to make my Hopkins experience even more memorable. I had missed the first round of recruitment (Ice Water) for a meet, so I was attending theme round that night, and had no idea what to expect.
As I went from sorority to sorority, I enjoyed the company of all of the girls I talked to. Each sorority had members that were smart, engaging and beautiful women and who truly loved their sorority. It is the honest truth that all of the sororities at Hopkins have something special about them, and though you will hear this time and time again throughout this week, recruitment really is about finding the one that feels the most home to you.
I happened to find that home in Alpha Phi. When I entered the Alpha Phi party, I was immediately engaged in real conversations. I didn’t feel like I had to try too hard to say the right thing, because the sisters really were interested in getting to know who I really was. Alpha Phi is a diverse, intelligent, genuine and hilarious group of women who, while having different interests, come together to form a loving sisterhood. They are genuine and thoughtful girls, not to mention driven, animated and down to earth. I felt comfortable, happy and authentically myself talking to her and to the other sisters of Alpha Phi.
That day, I was profusely sweating (#nerves) and the sister I was talking to graciously lead me to talk next to an air-conditioning unit where I would be more comfortable, joking the whole time about how bad she was dying in the cramped room, too.
I didn’t feel awkward about eating the pretty food they were offering. I ate every single macaroon on my plate. And I ate the macaroons of the sister who was talking to me. This girl would later become my big, and I would continue to eat her food.
At theme the next night, my strap to my dress broke. The girls at Alpha Phi laughed with me about the situation, then helped me pin it back into place with a rubber band and hair clip.
It’s the little things that we sisters do for each other, like leading us to the AC unit or giving each other our macaroons or pinning a dress strap, that make the sisters of Alpha Phi so unique and genuine. We care about each other, we laugh with each other, and most importantly, we are ourselves with each other. Whether it’s coming to one anothers games or shows on campus, or working together to advocate women’s heart health, we are involved with each other and with our sisterhood. I could not ask for a better sisterhood or better people to help me create memories at Hopkins—I hope you feel that same way when you find your home at JHU.
Why Kappa Alpha Theta
Kate Dwyer
Theta is home away from home. I was initially hesitant to join a sorority because I had never considered myself a stereotypical “sorority girl,” but realized soon after meeting my sisters that they couldn’t be more diverse. Almost every major at Hopkins is represented in Theta, and each woman is passionate about her field of study. I am constantly inspired by my sisters’ ambitious endeavors (working for Google, interning at Seventeen, doing cancer research at Sloan-Kettering, playing first cello at Peabody) and motivated by their work ethics. Because Theta is so diverse, I have connected with women whom I would not have met otherwise. Before I joined, I barely knew anyone in the science departments (I’m Writing Sems), and now some of my closest friends are BME. The same is true of student groups—Thetas are involved with almost every activity on campus—varsity sports, publications, interest groups, etc. Most of us hold leadership positions in these groups as well, because leadership is a defining aspect of our fraternity. Kappa Alpha Theta’s motto is “Leading Women” and allows us to develop our leadership skills on committees, in officer positions, and representing Johns Hopkins at national Theta events.
Philanthropy is a huge part of the Theta experience. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), our main philanthropy, is an organization which trains and supports civilian volunteers who advocate for foster children in court. It is instrumental in the lives of thousands of children across the country—often times, CASA volunteers are the only constant factors in foster kids’ lives. We hold several fundraisers per year to benefit CASA and last year raised thousands of dollars. In the fall, we hosted a weeklong event called CASA Nest, and last spring, we hosted Fiesta for Mi CASA. Theta’s philanthropy also encompasses the Theta Foundation, which provides grants and scholarships to exceptional sisters across the country and the Friendship Fund, which offers aid to Thetas experiencing job loss, natural disaster, financial hardship, and terminal illness.
Theta is one of the largest Greek organizations in the country, and is an invaluable network to become a part of. Alumni of the JHU chapter have been hired by other Thetas, and seniors are currently in the process of reaching out to Thetas in the professional world. It is an automatic connection with thousands of women across the world, and our sisters have encountered Thetas in foreign countries, at internships, and in their hometowns. At JHU, we use our network on campus to support each other. If Erin has a dance showcase, if Rachel has an a capella concert, if Danielle has a fundraiser, we all make sure to attend and support them, and we love doing this because it makes our sisterhood stronger. Theta at JHU is a family, and we can’t wait to see it grow.
Why Kappa Kappa Gamma
Florence Noorinejad
I knew I wanted to be a Kappa even before I walked into the rush room. Throughout my freshman fall, sorority recruitment couldn’t have been further from my mind. Instead, I focused on joining the clubs and dance groups that I thought would shape my college experience, and it was through these extracurriculars that I began making connections with some of the smartest, kindest, most incredible women I had ever met. When I began to consider going through formal recruitment, they were among the first girls I turned to for advice – and to my surprise, I discovered that they all had one thing in common. They were all Kappas.
Going through the rush process only confirmed what I already knew. I was never more comfortable than when I was surrounded by Kappas, and many of the girls I met in those first few days became among my best friends at Hopkins. I was able to have fantastic, interesting conversations with every girl I met, and as an English major, I loved that the Kappa philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental, would allow me to get involved with an initiative that I myself strongly believed in. By the end of the week, I couldn’t have been more confident that this was the sisterhood that I wanted to be a part of and that I would never stop being proud to represent. Though I am an active and involved member of many groups on campus, and they have all shaped my last four years in one way or another, it is Kappa that has really come to define my time at Hopkins and will continue to be a part of me – through the incredible friends I made, the experiences we shared, and the far-reaching network that a strong sisterhood like Kappa creates – for the rest of my life.