Besides bringing me the education I desire and helping me grow as a person, DePauw has also allowed me to meet some of the most extraordinary people in my life. While some might not share my opinion, I have never felt anything else but welcomed on DePauw’s campus and my experiences with fellow students have been almost entirely positive. This article is my personal take on two communities that shaped my experience the most.
- International Community
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One of the things that originally attracted me to the school was its fairly large international community. Not only does this mean that the staff is equipped to handle complications international students face, but it also allows for a more diverse environment. As a scared freshman, I was incredibly grateful for the extra week I spent on campus during international student orientation before domestic students arrived. Being able to swap stories with people that have had similar experiences as I did was invaluable! Moreover, the first student I met was actually from Slovenia as well— so we were also able to converse in our own language.
Having a community made up of students from different parts of the world is something I would not have been able to get back home. In Slovenia, classes at Universities are taught in Slovenian, which almost nobody outside of the county speaks. Being able to learn about different cultures from classmates has been an incredible experience.
- Greek Life
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Controversial as it is, Greek Life has been a huge part of my life on campus. When I started my time at DePauw, I barely knew what Greek Life was. I had heard about sororities and fraternities in movies, but that was pretty much the extent of my knowledge. I had no intention of going through recruitment when I began my first semester of college. However, as months passed, I met so many incredible women who were in Greek Houses and my opinion of these organizations began to change. I decided that recruitment would just be another valuable experience— I didn’t have to join if I changed my mind anyway! Recruitment turned out to be an incredible amount of fun for me, and I decided to join a house full of unique individuals that shared my values. When people later asked me why I decided to do recruitment, my answer was, “Because it was the most American thing I could possibly do in college.”
That statement is actually very true. Greek Life is unique to the U.S. and Canada, and students in Europe don’t even know what these organizations are. Most of my Slovenian friends believe that all fraternities and sororities do is party. While social events are a big part of Greek Life, I have personally found that other aspects are more important to me. Living in my sorority house, I especially enjoyed the feeling that I was surrounded by people who would support me and stand by me no matter what. I have truly met some of the most incredible people through my sorority.