I would like to start out by saying that I never, in a million years, would have thought that I would join a sorority. As someone who hates fake people, despises drama, who is definitely not a model and isn’t a party animal, I assumed that joining a sorority would be a horrible decision. I had so many false beliefs about sorority life and about the girls who were involved.
Now, looking back, I was being extremely judgmental, and I wasn’t giving Greek life a chance. My first semester at Pitt was great but making quality friends is very difficult. I always could find someone to eat with or to walk to class with, but I wanted more. I wanted to find a group of girls who were supportive of each other, kind and appreciative. After talking to some upperclassmen, I made the wild decision to sign myself up for sorority recruitment.
After signing up, I went on YouTube and got lost in a deep, dark, scary cave of horror stories about various rush experiences. Most of the girls in the videos seemed to be happy with their result, but during the process there were endless tears and feelings of inferiority which was not appealing to me at all. I told myself that I would start recruitment and if I hated it, I would just drop out. What did I have to lose?
The days leading up to 10 rounds, I was super nervous. I am pretty shy, and I was worried if the girls wouldn’t like me because I am not the “typical sorority girl”. However, as soon as I walked into the first party, I was bombarded with genuine kindness and excitement from all of the girls I spoke to. I had some really great conversations that were lighthearted and enjoyable. No part of it was forced or fake, which surprised me. Obviously, not all of the sororities were the same. Some I liked more than others, but overall, I was very happy with how everything was going. I never felt like I was being judged based on my appearance or anything too superficial. The conversations were short, but all felt very genuine.
Getting my schedule for the next set of parties was super nerve-wracking. I had this weird feeling that I was not going to get asked back by any of my favorite sororities. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I ended up returning to four sororities, three of which were my top choices. This next round went even better than the first. I still had no idea which one I would want to join, but I tried to trust the process and go with the flow. For the remainder of the rounds, I focused on being myself and enjoying my experience. I even wore my Converse on preference night, which is a very formal affair. I ended up getting many complements on my practical choice in footwear!
I think that the best way to go about recruitment is to keep an open mind. I know it seems cheesy, but you really need to trust the process. These girls go through a lot of preparations and training, so as a potential new member, it is important to remember that they know what they are doing. I recommend that you ask a lot of questions. I asked about everything from hometowns, to favorite sorority memories. I also asked some girls to clarify upcoming rounds of recruitment, and how they felt when they were in my shoes.
Prepare yourself for some awkward or unfulfilling conversations; you can’t expect to mesh well with everyone. In some sororities, I loved one girl and then had a long awkward silence with another. Just remember that if you get dropped, it is because you will be much happier somewhere else. I was in a position where I had no preference until the very end of recruitment, but if you start with one specific sorority in mind, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Many girls found rushing to be very stressful and emotional, which it can be, but I actually had a lot of fun. I met so many amazing women in my recruitment group as well as in the sororities I visited.
Even though rushing can be a fun process, finally opening your envelope on bid day is an awesome feeling. Everyone is nervous and excited to see which sorority they will be joining. For me, making the decision of which one I liked best was super challenging. Both of my choices were filled with spectacular women that I could really see myself forming lifelong friendships with. After some careful deliberation, I decided to rank Theta Phi Alpha as my number one choice. Opening my envelope to a card welcoming me to Theta Phi on bid day filled me with so much excitement and definitely some relief. Running out to meet all of the older sisters who were screaming and singing Spice Girls songs solidified my decision that joining a sorority was the right thing for me. After endless hugs and welcome home’s, I felt more comfortable at Pitt than I ever had.
I was very apprehensive about Greek life because I only knew what I heard in the media and from YouTube videos of crying girls at big southern schools where Greek life is everything. If you want to make friends and find a place where you belong, I highly recommend going through recruitment. Remember, you can stop anytime, but I urge you to tough it out and trust that you will end up where you’re supposed to be. Pitt Greek life is all about friendship, loyalty, fun, academic leadership, and women supporting women. I hope my positive experience will encourage you to take the plunge and go through recruitment at Pitt next fall or spring. Maybe I’ll see you when you visit Theta Phi!
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All pictures within the article are the author’s own.