So it is my sophomore year of college, and I have decided to rush a sorority. I decided this sometime during spring semester last year and it seemed like it would be a great idea- a new way to make friends, go to parties, and just expand my social circle. I knew a few girls that had pledged in first semester and a few of my co-workers were in the same sorority, so I decided to go for it! Little did I know how much effort it would take. Over the summer I told my aunt that I was going to rush, and to be honest, it was the most excited I had ever seen her. I knew she had been in a sorority at Cal Poly, so I thought she could help me out since the only sorority my mom had been in was an honors society at Berkeley.
Thus, I called on my aunt for help. One night before my cousin left for college, I went to their house and while my cousin was sitting in the corner packing, my aunt and I were on the computer looking at the “what to wear” page for recruitment. I started to get nervous. I had been subjected to sorority girl stereotypes all my life, so when I saw the information on what to wear to recruitment, I couldn’t help but be a little annoyed at myself that I was about to conform to this. Now I’m by no means an insanely judgemental person, but in past years I just haven’t heard the greatest things about sorority girls. I’ve been surrounded by stereotypes all my life since no one in my family besides my aunt was in a sorority, so everyone in my family would just talk shit about it if the subject was brought up.
My biggest concern is conformity. I’m used to doing my own thing and being my own person, and I’ve never had to follow too many rules when it comes to the way I present myself. But when it comes to being in a sorority, I have this idea in my head that I will have to behave and dress a certain way in order to conform to certain standards. When discussing what I had to wear to recruitment with my aunt, I was completely overwhelmed by strict guidelines of what I had to wear. I wasn’t expecting any of it. I went to a private catholic high school, so a business casual dress code was not new to me, but it’s been awhile since I’ve had to worry about such a strict dress code. However, I think I am prepared for it.
Apart from my initial hesitations about conformity and stereotypes, I think SSU greek life could be really good for me. It’ll help me get more involved and make new friends, and I think rushing, along with being involved in other activities on campus throughout the semester, will be exactly what I need in order to obtain the college experience that I’ve wanted and been looking forward to.