A common phrase seen on recruitment week shirts and captioned in a ton of insta-worthy sorority pictures every year. The truth is, this is no exaggeration. But in the end, it’s all worthwhile and we love every second of sorority rush. From the ripped up feet after wearing heels for 18 hours straight to surviving off of espresso because 2 hours of sleep was considered sleeping in, it’s all worth it in the end.
Here are 7 reasons every sorority girl enjoys recruitment:
Girl Flirting
It sounds boring to imagine having to ask strangers questions for hours straight, but it’s honestly so much fun. Recruitment is like being on endless dates and asking multiple open-ended questions, trying to intrigue the hundreds of women walking through the doors of every chapter on campus. Being able to learn about so many different cities, majors and even deep, personal stories is so important and meaningful to sorority girls. Plus, you get the chance to talk about yourself, too, which is always fun whether we like to own up to it or not.
(Photo Courtesy of Giphy)
Sisterly Bonding
Sure, you get to really know each and every member active in the sorority, but recruitment molds the bonds to lasting friendships. It sounds cheesy, but it’s accurate. Spending an entire week in a house with other friends makes everyone become closer than they were the year prior, and it allows you to open up to people you may never have had the opportunity to get to know personally.
Insta-worthy Photos
Photos, so many photos. It’s silly and probably annoying to every follower not interested in seeing other girls posting the same pictures over and over again, but oh well. From pre-recruitment photoshoots to posting a picture before each and every day, it’s so much to have friends who want to get the perfect lighting and angle to make your gram-game strong. Why wouldn’t you love it?
All-nighters
You never remember the nights you got a lot of sleep, right? Right. Recruitment weekends consist of decorating, practicing moving quickly and smoothly throughout a crowded house and learning how to survive off of Redbull and coffee. It’s an exhausting process, but it brings back memories to the middle school days of staying up with your best friends eating pizza at 3 am and knowing you’re going to remember it until you’re a grandma. All-nighters build character and make you realize how much you appreciate your bed when everything is over.
Chanting and Getting Hype
It’s not quite as extreme as that viral tweet, ‘Gates of Hell’ sorority door chanting, but it’s still extremely loud chanting and clapping at the doorway of each house. As strange as it seems, it’s so much fun to clap and sing your heart out to all potential new members as they’re walking inside.
(Photo Courtesy of Giphy)
Food – Lots of Food
After a long and tiring day of running around meeting new women, everyone is hungry, and boy do sorority girls know how to eat. Regardless of popular belief, we value food more than most girls and have no shame. I personally am guilty of ordering a pizza, wings and mozzarella sticks all for myself after an 18 hour day at the house this previous weekend. It’s 110% accepted to smash on food and treat yourself while sitting in an oversized hoodie and sweatpants.
It’s a Judgement Free Zone
Goodbye to all the stereotypes. Recruitment is a struggle, a fun struggle, but regardless, it still puts a toll on your body. During recruitment, you become so close with everyone because you are all working together to find perfect new members. Girls never realize how weird other girls can be, in a good way of course, but rush makes you really get to know one another. From spraying each other with perfume and sharing deodorant to checking each other for surprising boogers before rounds start (trust me, it happens) you realize how real the friendships have become and everyone has to be open for it to work. It’s a comfortable environment because everyone is suffering together and feeling like a sh*tshow. The best part of having sisters is to look out for each other.
Finding the Best New Members
All sorority girls do it to find the perfect and most special new sisters! At the end of the day, each recruitment is spent looking for women that inspire you or that you want to have a strong friendship and connection with by having them feel welcomed by you and all your friends. Recruitment is just as exciting for any girl going through the process as it is for the women in established chapters. We, as sorority girls, look to find someone we see yourselfconnecting with and building a friendship with.
Bid Day
Glitter. Glitter everywhere. Surprising all the new babies. It’s amazing and so much fun. Bid day makes the entire process worth it for both parties and definitely is a highlight for recruitment. Watching every girl finally running to their new home and finding potential best friends, bigs and families make the entire process seem painless.
(Photo Courtesy of Giphy)
So, the next time someone thinks sorority rush is insane or fake, it’s important to remind them that it’s so much deeper than the typical stereotypes. Beyond the sleepless nights and the constant Instagram posts, recruitment is about finding a better version of yourself and connecting with the women who help you grow as an individual while giving back to organizations and having fun every step of the way.