Ah, the greek system: one of the most misunderstood and infamous aspects of American collegiate culture. Every spring and fall, thousands of young men and women go through recruitment, or rush, in the attempt to get a bid from a chapter of their choice. I was one of those people.
This January, I went through formal panhellenic recruitment. It consisted of four days of exhaustion, emotions, and self-contemplation. It made me consider my values, my self-worth, and my people skills.
While this may seem like a crazy and audition-like contest for friends, I came to see the benefit and importance behind it. I grew as a person, and developed a stronger sense of who I am, and what I believe. By the end of it, I had a new group of friends, a new self-confidence, and a bid!
This was my experience…
The first round was the most exhausting, but also the most exciting. We went to every sorority, and got to meet dozens of women. The downside? It was almost eight hours long. I never knew that smalltalk could be so exhausting, and that 25 minutes could fly by so quickly. I also never knew that I could be asked what my major was so many times.
The second day was one of my favorites, because we had narrowed down our options, and had a much longer time period at each chapter. I was honestly shocked by how genuine and real the conversations I had were. Even though I had just met these women, we quickly moved past meaningless chats about hairstyles and restaurants and really got to know one another.
As the days went on, the emotional aspect began to kick in. Just as we dropped chapters, chapters dropped us, and it didn’t always work out in our favor. The further along in the process we got, the more my resilience was tested.
I questioned why I didn’t get asked back to places I loved, and was forced to re-evaluate my values and beliefs. I had to really think about what I was looking for in a sisterhood, and what those sisterhoods could gain from me.
This type of rejection is one that is so personal, because it is a judgement of your character. This day made me question whether or not the process was worth it, because it made me feel inferior.
However, this all changed when the fourth day, preference night, rolled around.
Pref night is by far the most intimate and special rounds in all of recruitment. Instead of attempting to impress sororities, the night consisted of the sororities trying to impress you. I felt loved and appreciated at the chapters, and ended up shedding a few (okay, a lot) of tears.
By the end of it, I felt like I had found a place where I truly belonged. I found women who would love and support me; who would challenge and inspire me. I also met dozens of women in other chapters, and met lots of other Freshman girls throughout the rush process. Through this crazy weekend, I had found my home, and I couldn’t be happier.