I was mistaken when I overlooked the strength and value of sororities. I have always been intrigued by the thought of them; having a group of women that become your family, the letters and apparel, social events. But that’s where my mistake was: I assumed sororities were all about social life. I never knew sororities or fraternities existed in Canada, so when a friend encouraged me to join her sorority my first year at Concordia, I was eager to find out more. As she described Delta Phi Epsilon in more detail, I knew immediately it was a group I needed to join and when I attended my first recruitment event, I knew I found my home away from home. Being 600 miles away from my childhood friends was difficult for me during my first semester. I had only really made two close friends in Montreal, and a billion acquaintances whom I wasn’t particularly close to. However, when I walked into the Hall building that snowy January evening for info night, something shifted. As I talked with all the different girls, I felt so comfortable and welcomed, and as a quiet and introverted person, this feeling was new.
I later got my official bid and quickly got to know all the girls in the sorority. Additionally, I got to know what Delta Phi Epsilon is about, the five S’s: Service, Social, Scholarship, Sisterhood, and Self.
Service: I’ve always tried hard to be involved with my community throughout high school, and I wanted to continue that same trend at the university i attended. DPhiE has given me that opportunity through our philanthropies, Cystic Fibrosis Canada, Delta Phi Epsilon’s Education Foundation, and the National Association for Anorexia and Associated Disorders (ANAD). With DPhiE, I have a chance to give back to my community through philanthropies that matter to me personally and watching the hard work that goes into our fundraising events reminds me that the sorority is about more than just partying.
Social: Part of being in a sorority means you socialize with other Greek organizations outside of your own. We go to other organizations’ fundraising events, allowing yet another way for sorority sisters give back to our community, and participate in mixers and social events. This forces me out of my comfort zone and helps me to meet other Greek members that I would’ve never met otherwise. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to travel to New York for a DPhiE conference, and I met sisters from other schools and learned how to be a better leader and sister. It’s a reminder that I’m part of something so much bigger than our chapter at Concordia.
Scholarship: When I first told my parents I was joining a sorority, they worried my grades would suffer because I’d be constantly socializing and I’d have no time for school. I quickly proved to them this was quite the opposite. We are constantly reminded by our Academic Affairs team that we are in university to get a degree above anything else, and that school comes first. My sisters always reserve study spaces, giving us all a quiet place to do work, and I know I can always ask my sisters if I need academic help in any of my classes.
Sisterhood: Although all of the S’s are equally important, Sisterhood has been one of the most beneficial for me. DPhiE has given me a family away from my real family, and an entire group of strong, caring women I know will always be there for me. I didn’t know anybody when I moved, and since I have a close bond with my childhood friends in Michigan, I was afraid I would lose that in Montreal. Instead, I found it again.
Self: Since joining the sorority, I can already tell I’ve become more confident and happy with myself. Since meeting all my sisters, Montreal truly feels like my home more than Michigan does. I’ve been doing better in school and I’ve been more focused on my studies, and I have been breaking out of my shell and speaking up more. My sorority and my sisters have been immensely beneficial to me.
Sororities often get a bad reputation, and people often think they’re just like the American movies where we party nonstop. I wanted to show that that’s not the casand that sororities are also about giving back, sisterhood, and self-improvement. Joining an organization, Greek or not, in university can be so beneficial to growing and learning and becoming a better person. Although I have not been in my sorority for a long time, I know that this is something that has already changed my life and will continue to shape me throughout my university years.