Everyone says that their sorority is special, but for real, I promise that my sorority is not like yours. At chapter every week, we worship and pray together. We have dedicated time just to share what’s going on in our lives and how we can help each other out. Instead of chapter motto or slogan, we have a chapter Bible verse.
I’m a proud member of Sigma Phi Lambda, or Sisters for the Lord, a Christian sorority here on the SMU campus. And I know that we might seem pretty weird to other people. But I have absolutely loved every day as “Lamb” and wouldn’t trade that experience for anything in the world.
Finding community as a Christian freshman on SMU’s campus can be challenging. Sure, there’s a lot of great Bible studies and ministries, but I was also looking for friends. I wanted people to hang out with on Friday night, to tell me about their lives and stories and people that I could walk with during tough times – and college has a lot of tough times. I found that community in my sorority. I found friends who would pray for me, and help me find a church in the area and who would make me feel loved and valued when I needed it most. And I hope I have been able to be that for them.
One aspect of Sigma Phi Lambda that is unique from other sororities is the amount of grace that’s built into our rules and traditions. We do not “rush,” we recruit and we never cut anyone. We’re an inclusive place that exists to make people feel loved, which I do believe is a reflection of the values of our faith. We also never tell girls what they have to wear to events or that they ever have to wear makeup or do their hair in a specific way. I love the way that my sorority values its members for who they are as people rather than the way they look. We also don’t have a house so we can make sure dues are affordable and we’re an accessible organization because we want to be open to any girl on campus.
We still do “typical” sorority stuff like big/little, formal and date parties, but those events are all the more special because of how close we are. We have our own “Phi Lamb shuffle” that we all know and do together at formal, and no one cares about looking silly. No one worries about who they bring to date parties or showing up alone, because they know the other girls in the chapter will make them feel valued no matter what. I know every single girl in our chapter and have a unique friendship with them. Being in Sigma Phi Lambda has defined my college experience because it has led to me being surrounded by love, support and faith.