Whether your school has twelve sororities or six, fall or spring rush, formal or informal events, recruitment week is a big week for you and your potential new sisters. It was an exhausting week, it was an exciting week, but most of all, it was an unforgettable week. From the first Sunday information session to the Sunday of bid day, I met so many amazing women, dressed up on a school night, and found my new home on campus. People want to join a sorority for all sorts of different reasons, and I wasn’t sure Greek life was even for me, but after jumping into rush week head first, I think I finally found my place on campus.
College is weird. On move in day you’re basically thrown into a room almost the size of a shoe box and expected to live comfortably with someone that you’ve never even met before. You’re starting from scratch, making new friends, and trying to figure out who you really are. My first semester in college was not easy, schoolwork was a huge adjustment from high school, I missed by family and friends from home, and I didn’t quite know where I fit in just yet, so I decided to go through recruitment.
Before the week really began, we were introduced to our RC’s or Recruitment Counselors, and they were some of the most genuine and supportive people I have met in college. They were there to listen and really help you figure out what’s best for you. After we were put into groups, I got to know the girls in my recruitment group really well also. I even became friends with some girls that live on my floor who I have never talked to before this week. The first two nights were Meet the Chapters nights where we spent a half hour in each of the six rooms decorated for each sorority and talked to older sorority women about the basics: where were from, our major, why we wanted to rush, clubs we were involved in, and so much more. We ended each of these nights with a sore throat and a diminishing voice.
The next night was Philanthropy Night, where we learned more about the philanthropies our top four mutually selected picks supported, and the different volunteer events they did. Visiting four different rooms in one night was very exhausting, and the dress code was business casual so you know my feet were killing me, but instead of just talking, we watched videos and did crafts alongside our conversations.
The most intimate night all week was Saturday night, Preference Night. On this night, we revisited the final two sororities that we picked, and that picked us back, dressed in more formal attire. This time, we were in each of the two rooms for an hour, and we got to re engage in conversation with a potential sister that we talked to early in the week. We participated in some celebrations specific for each sorority, and heard from current members what each chapter truly means to them. There were many tears and many tough decisions to be made at the end of the night, but when it came down to it I knew exactly where I belonged.
Finally, Sunday morning rolled around and I was so incredibly nervous, but just as excited. I walked over to our meet spot early in the morning with some of my close friends, and received my bid. I could hardly keep the smile off of my face, but I had to go upstairs and receive my bid day shirt that I was going to reveal to the chapters. We were instructed to wear zip ups that day to conceal our new identity hiding under our coats. Then it was time, we loaded the buses, got in lines and headed upstairs into a room full of excited chapters yelling their chants at the top of their lungs and shaking the floor with their stomps. One by one our groups ran up on stage, unzipped our jackets, and ran to our new home.
This experience was unlike any other that I have witnessed up to this point in my life. Whether you support Greek life or not is totally up to you, but this process and opportunity was so unique and made me feel so special at the end of the day. Wherever you find your home on campus, and I promise it will happen eventually, can completely change your perspective on college and allow you to figure out who you are and where you belong.