Home.Â
Some people think of it as a structure with four walls, windows, doors, and a roof over their heads. A place that protects and shelters from the outside world.Â
To others, home isn’t a location, but rather a certain individual or a group of people. When you go Panhellenic at Ball State, you find a home within your chosen sisterhood.Â
Genuine connections are formed through a process called recruitment where affiliated chapter members get to chat one-on-one with potential new members (PNMs) over a five-day period.Â
- Days one and two: PNMs meet all ten chapters – Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Phi, Chi Omega, Delta Zeta, Kappa Delta, Phi Mu, Pi Beta Phi, and Sigma Kappa.
- Day three: PNMs can get invited back to a maximum of eight chapters. Conversations focus on campus involvement and personal interests.Â
- Day four: PNMs can get invited back to a maximum of four chapters. Conversations focus on each chapter’s philanthropic efforts and the value of community service.Â
- Day five: PNMs can get invited back to a maximum of two chapters. Each chapter has a special ceremony, and conversations are at their most vulnerable. In the evening, PNMs will come back to open their bid and run home to their chosen sisterhood; a big celebration follows.
Once a PNM becomes a new member of their chapter, they will have many things to look forward to before being initiated. This includes (but is not limited to) bonding with their pledge class, getting their big, joining a Greek family, attending formals and socials/mixers with other student organizations, and participating in philanthropy events. After initiation, an active member is eligible and encouraged to apply for leadership positions where they can give future classes of new members the same welcoming experiences they received.Â
“I went through recruitment because I really wanted to call a place home here on campus. My freshman year was tough, and I wanted to make more friends and join something that made me feel like I had a purpose. One thing I heard while going through my new member process was that you will never eat lunch alone, and that is so true. You always have a sister/sibling in your corner, and you are never alone,” said Madison, Alpha Omicron Pi sister.*
While active members have opportunities to thrive and grow connections within their own chapter, the Panhellenic community provides another set of experiences beyond what they’re already offered. The Panhellenic executive board is composed of various members from all ten chapters who oversee and promote each chapter’s successes. The board holds delegation meetings bi-weekly, where the entire community gathers to hear updates and chapter reports. Upperclassmen chapter members can also be selected as recruitment counselors (RCs) for the upcoming season. An RC is required to disaffiliate from their chapter in order to provide unconditional and unbiased support for a PNM during her journey. On bid day, these members reveal their sisterhood and run home again to reaffiliate alongside the new members. Through these efforts and more, a community-wide sisterhood is formed. Most members of one chapter become close friends with sisters of other chapters.Â
A majority of women who go through the recruitment process tend to be freshmen, but there is no age limit to do so. Many women are sophomores or even transfer students who want to give Greek Life a try. Some women sign up for the process unsure if it is something that’s right for them and are often pleasantly surprised at the end. But sometimes, women go through the process and realize Greek Life isn’t for them. Valuable friendships and connections are still made during this time, something that doesn’t need to be forfeited if a PNM decides to opt out of recruitment.Â
Alpha Chi Omega sister Alyssa said this about Alpha Gamma Delta sister Makayla: “Makayla and I first met when I transferred to her high school my sophomore year! She has been one of my best friends ever since! We did cheer all throughout high school together and I don’t know what I’d do without her. We were both questioning ourselves during recruitment and wondering if this was for us. I can gladly say that we both found our forever homes after that week of recruitment!”*
If you’re looking to find your home away from home in a group of girls who share similar values, passions, and aspirations, then consider going Panhellenic! For more information search @ballstatepha on Instagram.Â
(Author’s note: When I was a freshman, I had no idea what sorority life entailed, nor the impact it would have on my college experience. From chapter leadership positions to currently serving as an RC, I’ve made so many great connections throughout the community that I wouldn’t have otherwise if I hadn’t completed the process. To the PNM who is in similar shoes as I was: don’t let fear hold you back; you will never know how something will turn out unless you give it a try. It’s better to know the outcome wasn’t what you expected than to spend the rest of your life wondering about the result.)
*Indicates quotations pulled from Ball State PHA’s Instagram account.