If you told me that I’d be rushing a fraternity my freshman year of college, I’d tell you to get out of my face. Now, I have basically told everyone (and their mom), that I rushed a fraternity on campus.
So what happened during the time in between?
I’ve always been passionate about environmentalism, but my skills landed firmly in the communication sector. Because of this, I decided to major in Public Relations and minor in Environmental Analysis and Policy here at Boston University. After my first semester, I realized that I hadn’t been as involved with environmentalism as I wanted to be. I was a part of BU’s Environmental Student Organization, but I wanted to be even more involved.
At the start of my second semester, I researched what clubs and organizations I wanted to reach out to and join. I found BU Epsilon Eta, a multi-gender professional environmental fraternity. I wasn’t really sure what they did — the only experience I had with them was when I talked to them for two seconds at Splash and then ran away because I thought it was only for men (and I was embarrassed to have even walked up to their booth).
I got my friend Hannah, who was in ESO with me, to come to an informational meeting for Epsilon Eta. After the meeting, we both just had to rush. The close-knit bond between the members and their shared passion for environmentalism had me convinced from the start that I belonged in Epsilon Eta.
That night, I filled out the entire application in one sitting and prepared for the following week: rush week. Each night (except for a break on Thursday) there was a rush event. From campfire games on Monday to speed dating on Sunday, I knew I had to mentally prepare myself. While they were a super sweet group of people, my anxiety grew thinking about meeting so many people at once — and having to put on the best version of myself too!
The first few events were difficult because I overthought every single one of my actions. Was I too talkative? Too reserved? Were my jokes funny enough? Or not funny at all? However, I started to relax, and at times, feel comfortable with the group. I felt in my element during the “Climate Conversation” and contributed with my own thoughts and takeaways, and the Saturday walk around the Emerald Necklace was surprisingly one of my favorite events (even though I couldn’t feel my feet during the whole hike)!
After rush week, it was time for the interviews. If I thought my anxiety was bad before, it was bad now. The five minutes before my interview were filled with fast pacing and heavy breathing. Yet, when the interview started, I never felt more comfortable. I enjoyed answering the questions since a lot of them were about my environmental passion — it was just very natural.
They told me I could expect an answer by next week, and that was the longest week of my life. My friends told me that I had it in the bag, but agreeing with them felt like jinxing myself (and I needed all the luck I could get). So, when I was in my Thursday morning lecture and received an email saying that they wanted to formally give me a bid, I practically jumped out of my seat. I silently screamed and my friends were worried about my mental state at that moment. I immediately responded and said that I’d love to formally accept the bid, and for the rest of the lecture, I was ecstatic.
So, evidently, it was quite a journey from never wanting to join a fraternity/sorority ever to being Epsilon Eta’s biggest fan. While this journey itself was just the beginning, I truly cannot wait to see what else this new experience will bring!
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