Let me be brutally honest, if you would’ve told me three months ago that I’d be sitting here writing this article, I wouldn’t have believed you. Nonetheless, I’m overjoyed at the fact that I have the opportunity to tell this story.
I didn’t do formal recruitment. Coming from Texas, I had friends who were doing formal recruitment for in-state universities and the process seemed daunting. Watching how busy they were in preparation scared me off. I also knew I wanted to get settled into the college lifestyle before I even considered joining a sorority. With that being said, I am now officially a sister!
It all started with my roommate — shoutout to her because she is absolutely amazing.
She stumbled upon a table at the involvement fair for a Panhellenic sorority since they were holding some events over the next couple of weeks. She signed her name on the interest sheet even though she wasn’t entirely sure what it is for.
The next day, as I was teaching her the in’s and out’s of the Whataburger menu, she mentioned the sorority events. They were holding one that night and had texted her asking if she would be coming. This prompted a conversation with us trying to figure out exactly what the event was for. Formal recruitment had just ended, so what exactly was this? Regardless, we decided we’d give it a shot. We wanted out of the dorm room and were curious as to what the night would entail. At that moment I looked at my roommate and said, “I have a funny feeling this is gonna be quite the story to tell.” Little did we know how incredibly accurate that statement was.
The first event was a game night. We Uber’d over to the sorority house where the event was being held and looked at each other wide-eyed as we walked up the steps. What had we gotten ourselves into?
We were welcomed into the home and ushered into the lounge where we played a game of Cards Against Humanity with thirty other girls. At some point in the game it was brought up that my friend and I were roommates, which prompted everyone in the room referenced the iconic vine, “And they were roommates!” Little did these girls know that we had googled the sorority while sitting at lunch that afternoon. The one thing we read was that these sorority girls know their meme and vine references, which I can happily report is entirely true.
The event sadly came to an end but resulted in us meeting tons of amazing people who were incredibly compassionate. One of the sisters kindly offered to give us a ride back to the dorm, which we accepted. As she pulled up to the dorm, we continued our conversation which was centered around these events.
The sister by the name of Claire explained that this process is referred to as “informal recruitment” or “continuous opening bidding.” It’s more laid back then the formal recruitment process and consists of events over the course of a few weeks. If the existing members of the chapter get along with the potential new member, as well as believe she will be a good addition to the team, then she gets a bid.
Before we knew it, two hours had passed and the conversation had covered nearly every topic under the sun. That night, I looked at my roommate as we both sat on our beds and asked, “Are we trying to join a sorority?” To which she responded with a chuckle, “I think so.” I’m incredibly happy to say that since that night, Claire has become a good friend of mine and continually given me numerous rides back to the dorm, so much so, that I think it’s time I start paying for gas.
As the weeks went on, we kept attending events which were incredibly fun. The next event, trivia night, resulted in a funny story about a name of one of the founders. Another event – called Craft Night, was filled with laughter and everyone one of us channeled inspiration from Pinterest in an attempt to create a dream catcher. The final event, roller skating, resulted in meeting an incredible woman who pulled me around the skating ring as I held on for dear life.
One night, I received a text message from one of the sisters asking to meet for coffee. I responded with yes because I genuinely enjoy being around these women. After some conversation, I was handed an envelope with my formal bid inside. I immediately signed the paper and ordered Alpha Gamma Delta stickers from RedBubble.
Prior to move-in day, I hadn’t put much thought into joining a sorority. In high school, I was involved in an organization that promoted leadership, unity and community service. It wasn’t until I got settled in Florida that I began to realize how much I missed those things in my life. It was by pure chance that I ended up walking into the sorority house that day. However, through this organization I know I will be able to continually fulfill those aspects in my life while being surrounded by marvelous people.
The past few weeks since I got my bid have been filled with so many laughs, inside jokes and unforgettable memories. There’s no doubt that I have found my home away from home. I am so grateful for the experiences I have already encountered and am thrilled for what’s to come.
All images courtesy of McKenzie Ozment