Well, Collegiettes, Spring semester is in full swing, and Greek recruitment is either wrapping up or still taking place. We all know what that means… It’s time to start thinking about Big/Little pairs!
For those of you involved in Greek life, you understand how exciting this time can be. Joining a sorority is a new, and thrilling process. It’s amazing to think the in one day you can go from having a small number of siblings, or none at all, to suddenly having 60+ new sisters.
Making connections with your new sisters is one of the most important parts of this new member process; after all, these people are your new family. But more than that, you’ll start to realize that some connections reach deeper levels than others. You’ll likely meet that one person, or more than one person, that you can relate to in an entirely different way – that person who makes you feel at home no matter where you’re at or who you’re with.
This is where the idea of choosing a Big starts to become more important.
A Big is someone you can depend on, someone who is going to be there for you no matter what. Now, there will likely be other sisters you also feel this way about, but your Big has slightly larger shoes to fill.
A Big is not only a best friend, but a trusted mentor and confidant. A Big is someone who will help you find your place in your organization and truly make you feel as if you belong. A Big is someone who will help you become the best chapter member, and above all else, the best sister you can possibly be.
While the thought of finding this special person is enough to make any new member ecstatic, the time between being assigned a Big and finding out who your Big actually is can be nerve-wracking.
Now, I’m not too familiar with how other sororities go about the Big/Little pairing process, but speaking from personal experience, the most important part of announcing Big/Little pairs is to make sure it’s a surprise.
After pair are finalized, Bigs are notified who their Littles are several days before Littles are allowed to know.
During this time, initiated sisters, new Bigs especially, will go to great lengths to keep their identities a secret.
With this in mind, here is a few thoughts that every new member waiting to meet their big should be able to relate to.