All throughout middle and high school I dreamed of making it to college; living away from my parents, meeting my future bridesmaids, and having the oh-so-cliche best years of my life.
I’ve always known I wanted to join a sorority, but when I told people I was coming to App they acted like I was crazy for being interested in Greek life. I can’t count the number of times I heard “Greek life is soo not the thing to do at Appalachian – there’s so much more to do.” So, needless to say, I was really nervous when it came time to register for recruitment.
But time flew by and life got so busy that I didn’t have time to be nervous. When the first Friday of recruitment rolled around, my roommate and I buzzed around all morning discussing outfits, makeup, shoes and good conversation starters. And then, finally, after two tests and a grueling lab, the time I had waited for for so long had finally come… It was time for philanthropy round.
The first day was very overwhelming, but it flew by. All of the potential new members’ nervous energy fueled each other, and even the initiated sisters were visibly nervous. Between all of the shouting, chanting, squeals, videos, pictures and information, I went back to my dorm exhausted and confused. What sorority did I like? What was that one girl’s name that I had talked to? Did I say the right things? My excitement was gone, and I went to bed thinking that maybe all of those people who told me Greek life wasn’t the thing to do were right.
Me and my roommate, Lindsey, before sisterhood round.
The next few days went much smoother. Everyone’s nerves calmed down, and I finally got to see what Greek life at App was really about. By Sunday, Philanthropy round, I had my heart set on three organizations and I was sure I was meant to be a part of one them. When the day finally ended, I put my top five in the system and went back to the dorm feeling very confident.
Well… after waiting a long week for the next round, I arrived to the Student Union only to get my hopes crushed. The top three organizations that I had placed all of my bets on had not invited me back, and organizations that I was unsure if I wanted to be a part of had asked me back. I was only able to hold my emotions back for a few minutes before breaking down into tears and asking my rho gamma for advice. And I am NOT a cryer, y’all.
Luckily, I had the best rho gammas EVER who convinced me to stick with it and to “trust the system.” That’s another thing I had heard several times throughout the process – “trust the system.” While I thought it was terrible advice then, I know now that everyone says that because it’s the best advice to give. Everyone will find their home, just like I found mine.
Once I dried my tears, I actually really enjoyed the night. Sisterhood round and preference round are both game changers. You get to see the sorority and sisters in a whole new light, and the conversations I had with the sisters in these rounds were the deciding factor for me. I really clicked with the girls and saw for the first time that Greek life at App really is the thing to do. Because Appalachian is a smaller university, the sororities and fraternities are more intimate, less intense and more fun.
While nearly two weeks of recruitment was long and grueling, it was all worth it on bid day… a.k.a. the best day of my life. It was almost like the first day of recruitment again, except without the nerves and with even more squeals and chanting and dancing (which I didn’t think was possible.) When I got my bid, I felt an immediate sense of relief because I knew I was where I was supposed to be. I am so proud to call myself a sister of Alpha Omicron Pi and I am thankful I had the recruitment experience that I did. It changed my perspective on Greek life and I learned that “trusting the system” really is the thing to do.
Bid Day 2014!