As someone not involved in a sorority, I have always been curious about what greek life at Northeastern University entails. With bid day and recruitment coming to a close, I was looking to get the inside scoop on what being a member of a sorority means, and the pros and cons of joining an organization here at Northeastern.
I spoke with Eshani Talwar, a second year student and member of the Chi Omega chapter to get her opinion on greek life on campus as someone involved in a sorority. She started off by explaining this year’s recruitment process. “Bid day and recruitment were both super exciting,” Talwar said. “Bid day was more gratifying than anything else because you have now spent 14+ hours talking to girls and making connections, so it was awesome to see the people you made connections with feeling that connection too and joining our sorority.”
Talwar also spoke about how this year’s recruitment felt very different from her recruitment last year, noting that “COVID definitely had a major impact” on the process, especially in terms of participation..
she said. “If anything, it increased the amount of girls who wanted to join a sorority,” Talwar said. ”People felt really isolated and people came into college not having a great chance to meet people right away. A lot of girls I talked to lacked a sense of community and support, and sorority recruitment is the easiest way to meet people fast, so coming out of that pandemic isolation, a lot of people wanted to rush to find that support system, friendships, and sense of normalcy.”
According to Talwar, the recruitment process being back in person “brought a new wave of energy into panhellenic life.” Talwar also debunked a couple of misconceptions about sorority life, such as the time commitment required. “Sororities are a strong time commitment when you first join because you’re trying to meet as many people as possible and make friends,” she said. “ So your first semester in a sorority is probably around 12-14 hours a week probably.”
Another popular topic of debate surrounding greek life is the financial commitment that all members, particularly pledges, make. “That’s definitely one of the negative aspects,” Talwar admitted. ”It could definitely benefit people who are more financially well off.”However, she also shared that many sororities offer scholarships to help cover fees and dues, “so you can definitely join despite socioeconomic status.”
To Talwar, joining a sorority has improved her sense of self and her confidence as a woman. That is to say that all the long hours of recruitment proved to be worth it.
“I think my favorite part about being in a sorority is having a support system to go to no matter what I need,” Talwar said.“One thing I was nervous about going to college far away from home was not having family or friends to fall back on if I was sick or needed help, but in my sorority, I have found a true support system where I feel like I could go to any of my sisters for support or if I just need to rant.
There are many rumors surrounding the idea of sorority life and what it entails, but speaking with Eshani showed me that sororities are much more than what people think they are. Sororities can provide girls with life-long friends and a network of women to inspire and motivate one another who all share similar values.
College can be a lonely time for many people, especially with the added element of COVID-19, so to have the opportunity to meet other girls who are passionate about their organization and all looking to mutually better their college experience is definitely worth considering for undergraduate students here at Northeastern.