During GEWW, amidst running to different activities, meeting new people and subsequently forgetting their names, I found myself seated in a Thad Cochran ballroom, surrounded by about four hundred girls. These girls were my fellow potential new members, more commonly referred to as PNM’s. We were assembled to learn more about CPC formal recruitment and, of course, to play some icebreakers. The women representing the College Panhellenic Council stood in front of us, beaming and surveying the crowd of hopeful girls. Eager to help us, they asked if we had any questions. At first, a few girls timidly spoke up, but this eventually unleashed a flood of collective inquiries concerning attire, scheduling, and procedure.
Over the summer, having planned to go through sorority recruitment, I interrogated pretty much any current sorority member or alumna I could find about the process in general, what to expect, what to wear, and numerous other tiny details. Despite this extensive investigative work, little was done to dispel my confusion about what exactly would happen come September 5th. Luckily, I had opinionated relatives, roommates, and new friends who served as my outfit judges. I, along with my fellow PNM’s, tried on no less than a zillion outfits until the perfect combination of clothes, jewelry, shoes, and accessories was achieved to make up the perfect attire. We speculated about the clothing question and many more like it, but the uncertainty still remained as we eagerly awaited the commencement of sorority recruitment.
Then, the first day of recruitment finally arrived. As I walked to the DuBard School to meet my Gamma Chi group, I double, triple, and quadruple checked my hair while nervously chatting with other PNM’s. When I finally arrived and then, fifteen minutes later, when I finally located my Gamma Chi group, our Gamma Chi’s began reviewing the rules and procedures of recruitment. These girls, unaffiliated Greek women, were there to help us through the entire process. After that painstakingly long hour in the sun, Day 1 of recruitment, called Meet the Greeks, finally began. Over the next two days, every girl visited each chapter, learning more about the sororities here at USM.
Between hushed pre-party lines and running down the row from house to house, my first introduction to sorority recruitment was certainly an overwhelming one. I sounded like a broken record, repeatedly spitting out answers about my hometown, major, dorm, and high school activities. Even worse than that, all of the girls’ names and the sororities began to run together, blending into one blurred memory of conversations and little snacks. At the end of the second day, we all had to choose one sorority to “like” and six sororities that we “loved,” essentially releasing our least favorite sorority. While this decision was difficult for some, it was only the beginning. From then on, we had to each release two sororities every day.
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Philanthropy day came next. A maximum schedule consisted of six parties, and we all eagerly awaited our lists, stomachs alive with butterflies. After we received our schedules, it was off to the races again, and we spent all Saturday learning more about each chapter. This was the day that any misconceived preconceptions about sororities were completely dispelled, as each sorority spoke passionately about the causes that are close to their hearts. Seeing the tears in the eyes of the sorority women around me, I fully understood that sororities are about so much more than date parties, swaps and other fun events. The impact that every chapter has made in its respective philanthropy was both inspiring and heartwarming. I wanted to join all of them! However, this was impossible, and I had to narrow my choices down yet again to a maximum of four parties.
After philanthropy day, came sisterhood (or skit) day. Our Gamma Chi’s promised exciting parties, chock full of personality and fun. We were not disappointed, and at each party, we PNM’s got to experience the chapter’s true characters firsthand. While some sororities presented lights and an action-packed skit, others showcased their amazing singing and dancing talents. Each chapter had a unique skit, and this show of personality helped each girl to narrow her choices. I was captivated by every performance. One chapter had begun to stand out in my mind, and this proved true for many of the PNM’s, who began to truly find their places on skit day.
The final and most crucial night was next – preference. Our Gamma Chi’s had done all they could to prepare us for this day, but most girls experienced serious nervousness at the thought of narrowing down their choices to only one sorority. However, the preference experience certainly varied with each girl. I already felt like I had found my home, but, as I discovered with a glance across the room, my roommate was entirely unsure and had been bawling her eyes out. As I drearily trudged back to my dorm after entering in my selection, I was filled with nervousness, excitement, conflicting emotions, and overwhelming exhaustion. Each girl that had made it through this process went to sleep dreaming of opening her bid the next day and the unforgettable activities that were guaranteed to follow.
And then, bid day finally arrived! But alas, we still had to sit through an entire day of classes. One long, tedious, academic, slow day was between my bid and me. We assembled at the Payne Center, found our Gamma Chi groups and received our envelopes; then, the ceremonies commenced. Our Gamma Chi’s revealed their sorority identity, surprising many of the girls and confirming others’ suspicions. But the biggest moment of all finally arrived. We opened our envelopes, revealing our bids! This pressed fast-forward button on what had been a sluggish day, and a whirlwind of pictures, cheers, and festivities began. We walked to the Village amid large groups of cheering frat boys and, as the gates inched open, ran to our new sorority sisters.
Once I arrived at my new home, Delta Gamma, I was introduced to my Anchor Sis and welcomed by all of the members of the chapter. We drove to the bid day party, enjoyed heaping helpings of barbeque sliders and cake and introduced ourselves to our new sisters. After all of this, I returned to my dorm room, worn out from the days of recruitment. However, a surprise awaited me. When I opened my Facebook, about thirty friend requests and five or six wall posts reminded me that I was, in fact, a new member now. So many Delta Gammas had gone out of their way to make me feel at home! This proved true for new members in all the sororities and went much further than Facebook notifications. The genuine welcome extended to all of us made all of our stress worth it. The hectic days, heel-induced blisters, Gamma Chi scolding and waiting totally were worth it. We’re sorority women now!
Photo Sources:
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