Reflections on Sorority Recruitment

Many Miami girls will soon be finishing the process of Sorority Recruitment this weekend. As bid day nears, there are both positive and negative feelings amongst the girls who took part in Recruitment the week before classes started. For each sorority welcoming new women to their sisterhood, the coming weeks will be exciting and busy. Many sisters will feel an instant bond, much like Steph Dumais, a sister of Kappa Delta.

However, not all experiences with Recruitment are positive. Some girls will drop their sororities within the first few weeks of recruitment due to lack of interest, financial surprises or the feeling that they were not placed in the right sorority.  It is quite common for a few girls to deactivate from their sorority each year. However, the longer a girl stays in her sorority, the less likely she is to drop.  It is almost unheard of for a girl to drop her junior or senior year, but that didn’t stop senior and former sister of Chi Omega, Traci Kim, from doing what she felt was right for her.

With the Recruitment buzz still in the air, we would like to share a few personal stories from Miami girls about their experience with the Greek lifestyle.

When money becomes an issue…
During recruitment week of 2011, Traci made plans to go on vacation with her family. She knew that skipping recruitment would be frowned upon and that consequences would most likely follow. She never expected to be placed in a position that would ultimately cause her to deactivate from her sorority. “I was asked to pay a huge fine,” said Traci, a junior at the time of spring recruitment. “The fine, along with my dues for the semester, was something that I simply couldn’t afford.”  Although disheartened by deactivating, Traci still speaks highly of her experience in Greek life. “Yeah, my experience with Greek life ended sooner than I had expected, but I still got everything out of it that I wanted…. I met some of my best friends in Chi O so I can’t complain about my experience at all, really.”

While Traci decided to deactivate as a result of the financial burdens of Greek life, many girls continue despite the hefty fees that accompany it. “Dues and the costs of everything else is something that girls should really think about before going through recruitment,” said Junior and sister of Chi Omega, Jackie Smith. “We pay dues, plus [we pay for] shirts and apparel that dues don’t cover… also [pay] for dads’ and moms’ weekends.” Despite the fees, Jackie loves her sorority and all the experiences she’s had in Greek life.  
 

Greek ‘til I die….
Recent graduate Stephanie Dumais, class of 2011, is still an avid supporter of Greek life, despite the fact that her days as an active member of Kappa Delta sorority are long over. During a recent visit to Oxford, Steph admired the Greek apparel in the different uptown shops. “I bought myself some new things,” said Steph. She continued by explaining that her younger cousin, a freshman at Purdue University, recently went through formal recruitment and joined a sorority. “I thought it would be nice to pick up some things [lettered clothing and trinkets] for her because all the shops at her school are sold out. They have fall recruitment and we have spring recruitment so the shops here are still full of clothes and whatever.” Steph then went on to explain that while she was shopping for her cousin, she couldn’t help picking up some KD gear for herself. When asked about her experience in Greek life, Steph was quick to respond with a positive attitude. “I met my best friends in my sorority,” said Steph, “I had the time of my life at Miami and I really think that a lot of it had to do with my involvement in Greek life and the girls I met in my sorority.”

Although each experience with Greek life is never the same, there are many students who support it and also many students who do not. The best advice that a girl can hear before entering the recruitment process is to keep her perspective open. Take the time to show interest in each sorority on campus in order to find the best fit. Do not enter recruitment with your heart dead set on one sorority. You may come to find that you were meant to be in a completely different one. You also may see that Greek life isn’t for you. Regardless of where you end up, or how that journey goes, Greek life will always be an important part of the culture of Miami University. It is deeply rooted here and will continue to leave a legacy for years to come.