Imagine being thrust into a room with a few hundred girls, all anxious yet excited for the upcoming week. Suddenly, you’re thrust into another group of equally, if not even more, excited girls that immediately feel like home. This was my rush experience, well the second one at least.
I rushed once before, before dropping out; I knew I wasn’t going to stay at the school I was attending at the time. Before, being in a sorority was something that I felt I either had to do or convinced myself I wanted to because it was what everyone was doing. Now, I feel like it’s something I’m doing for myself. I had grown up with my mother talking about her sorority and how she’s still friends with her sisters, and how much fun they had together. A sorority seemed like the best possible path for me, but when faced with sixteen houses and sitting in an auditorium with 3,000 girls just as anxious as I was, I realized that I wasn’t as excited as I should be.
Greek life is NOT for everyone. I know so many girls who have dropped their letters because they felt like they didn’t fit in, or they disagreed with the organization. If you’re rushing, make sure you know everything you can about the sorority, such as their reputation (i.e. stance on hazing) and dues, because many girls have dropped for financial reasons as well. But, most girls stay with their sorority and love it.
The group of girls I rushed with at Pace are amazing! We all supported each other and after each party analyzed all the amazing conversations we had and Snapchatted about how scared we were to not be invited back for the next round. When stepping into the final night, I wasn’t set on my first party, it was emotional and heartwarming to see so many girls so dedicated to each other, but it didn’t feel like my emotion to have. I was scared I was doing this for someone else again and not myself, but going to my second party changed everything. I’m not going to lie, I did tear up thinking about how much I wanted to be in the sorority – the girls I talked to were amazing and I desperately wanted the chance to be a part of the organization. I love everything about it…the philanthropy, sisterhood, and constant support, but I was so scared that I wouldn’t get a bid. Waiting that night and into the next morning was anxiety-inducing; personally, I barely got anything done. Every few minutes, my mind would wander to the email I was supposed to receive, and I would obsessively check my phone. Finally, I received my invitation to bid day, and come time to meet, I was thrust back into a room of even more excited girls that anxiously awaited their welcome home.
Flash forward to Kappa Delta headed to New Jersey for roller skating, and I was suddenly surrounded by such a supportive group of girls. I underestimated the bonding experience this would be, and would soon learn that any time I needed someone to talk to or eat with, at least twenty sisters would answer me. So, do I love my sorority, yes I do. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything, because even though it hasn’t been long, I’ll always have this support system in my life.