As autumn rolls around at the University of Denver, or really any college, there is an air of excitement. Move-in day springs up, new student and freshman orientations, clubs begin their steady movement toward a goal, internships and research grinds away, classes and homework rain down. But there is more to college than just classes, clubs, and work. During almost every tour at colleges, at least one person will ask about Greek life, fraternities, and sororities.
Greek life tends to be an extremely popular opportunity in college, and something that students vie for spaces in. There are hoards of students that as autumn comes, they fill out applications, go to social events, look their best, network, and try to find their space in the slightly secretive community of tight knit males, females, non-binary, or a mix. This is a beautiful experience, and so many people get joy from it. Girls jumping up and down and smiling when they get a bid on bid night and have become one of the sisters. There is an excitement in being accepted and being part of something.
From the outside of all this joy I have seen so many males and females become sullen, because not everyone gets a bid. So there is someone who has tried hard the entire week to get into one of these communities and has been rejected. It is a blow to self-esteem, and a stab in the gut. It feels as though the person is not wanted or is being told that they just don’t fit in.There are also many that feel uninvolved, because at this point in time, University of Denver does not have any LGBTQ+ Greek life programs. This has left many friends, acquaintances, and I’m sure people I don’t even know upset that they don’t even have the offer to be in a sort of tight knit community that provides this love and support.
Regardless of the ups and downs of that quick overview of Sorority and Fraternity life, I have no outside campaign to make Greek life better or worse. It’s just a simple fact that I would never be a part of a Sorority, or female Fraternity. This may seem harsh, I’m sure. Many would at least pretend to show some interest. I, however, cannot claim that I want to go through that. I don’t ever want to have to prove myself to someone. Getting ready and looking my best every night for people who decide if I’m good enough for them seems absolutely degrading and not worth my time. It seems wrong that someone sits and decides if I am one of the girls good enough to get in. Then if I did manage to do that I would have to spend an extensive amount of money to ensure that I was a part of the new sisterhood I joined.
It really gets to me that not only do I need to be chosen, but then I also have to pay a lot of money, when I’m already paying for school, housing, meal plans, necessities, groceries, and more. I don’t have money, or a lot of time to spend at a Sorority. Along with the distaste, I wouldn’t want to try to join a Sorority when I have little time to do much; that seems disrespectful to them, and like a stressful circumstance for myself.
Even without all these qualms, one of my least favorite things to do is socialize in large groups. I am innately introverted and enjoy plenty of time to myself. I like to be able to decide which events I attend and which I don’t. With getting two degrees I have a very small amount of time in my schedule to myself, so I am already spread thin. Overall, a Sorority is just not a good fit for me.
Despite all of the issues that I have with Greek life I know that it can be good for many people, and I highly respect that. I hope that all people rushing will have a safe, fun, inclusive time.