This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Denison chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
It’s that time of year again here on the hill. With the ending of fraternity and sorority recruitment still lingering on campus, the presence of the Greek community is now, more than any other time of the year, becoming increasingly prevalent. For those who choose to not become affiliated, the presence of Greek life can sometimes feel overbearing and completely exclusive. Consequently, a negative image of Greek life is often perpetuated among those who are unaffiliated. On the other hand, joining a sorority or fraternity when all of your friends choose different houses can be equally as stressful.
In addition to the seeming exclusivity, the time you used to be able to spend with your friends has all of a sudden become extremely limited. One minute, you are hanging out with all of your friends all the time, and suddenly, a lot of your good friends are now hanging out with their new found brothers or sisters. Whether it is participating in some event down at the house or dashing off to have “family” dinners in Granville, this new time commitment amongst your friends may be leaving you lonely, forced to eat in Curtis all by yourself.
Well there is no need to fret! Don’t let the fact that you’re unaffiliated or a member of a different house keep you from being the totally awesome social butterfly that you are. Here are some tips, from both an unaffiliated member and an affiliated member, to keep you from falling out of touch with some of your friends and to make the most of Denison’s Greek life.
Daily Meals
We found the best way for us to keep up with all of our friends was to always have a standing date for breakfast or lunch. We know that may mean getting out of bed a little earlier or staying on A-Quad later in the day instead of going to your room take a nap. But eventually you’ll land into a routine that works for both of you and have an even stronger friendship than before.
Be Conscious of What You Talk About
No one wants to hear you brag or nag about the house you are a part of, especially if they are not a part of it. If the person is unaffiliated, they won’t even understand. If the person is affiliated, it might make them uncomfortable. Try to avoid bringing up your sorority or fraternity in conversation every 3 minutes. It makes it seem as if that is the only think you care about and you don’t think what the other person is saying is important.
Support Their Philanthropy
All the fraternities and sororities have philanthropy events not just limited to those in Greek life. Grab a few friends and participate in all of their events! That way, you can see your friends and have fun. Plus, the sororities and fraternities will be extremely grateful you are helping them out.
Sunday Fundays
I doubt this needs much if any explanation. Sundays for college students are usually used as a recharge day after a jam packed weekend of fun. Use this day to sit down and just relax together. Call up a group of friends and go run some errands, maybe sit down a watch a movie or a whole season of Sex and The City (yep, we’re guilty of that one). Much like daily meals, Sunday Fundays can be used as catch up days for you and your friends to gossip chat and basically unwind as a group. Perfect for maintaining a strong friendship.
Get To Know Their “Family”
Take advantage of the fact that you know someone that is affiliated. Have them introduce you to all of their friends and broaden your social circle. You won’t feel awkward if you get to know everyone in a particular house. Plus, more friends = more fun. Also in the process you might decide to rush next year. So keep your options open, you never know what may happen.
Believe us when we say “we know things aren’t always easy”. But these are the best years of your life, so get out there and make the most of them!