I sat in meeting listening to the other girls share the stories about why they joined our house. I was praying to all that is holy I wasn’t going to get called on, because I hadn’t written anything down; and quite honestly I didn’t know what I could share.
Sorority life is not for everyone, but I was convinced it was for me. I’d seen the movies and TV shows – and not the stupid ones that drag sorority girls’ reputations through the mud. No I’d watched the ones that showed girls truly having each other’s back no matter the circumstance. I watched the episodes where the cliché “No one remembers the nights they got plenty of sleep” saying seemed so much more exciting. I was by all accounts ready to be a part of that, to be a sorority woman. So why did I feel like I had nothing to say to my sisters about why I joined?
Even though I had every potential to be an incredible sorority woman, I had held myself back and really alienated myself from my sisters to the point that I resented them when they’d done absolutely nothing wrong. And why did I experience all of this? Because I went through recruitment my junior year.
Now, I’m not saying that I didn’t like my sorority – I mean I stuck around. But during my first semester I felt like I didn’t belong. It was so hard for me to bond with my pledge class because they were 2 years younger than me. Everything that was new and exciting for them was old news for me. Yet the girls who were my age had already had years together and I didn’t feel confident enough to jump into their friendship. I was at a very awkward place not knowing where I would best fit in. And I spent my first semester doing all the required events (where I had a good time) but that was about it. I didn’t feel like my sorority was a very big part of my life.
Then the next semester came and I dropped the woe is me act. I don’t know what came over me. But I started trying so hard to be a part of my sorority. It really made all the difference. My big, who is a year younger than me, is my best friend. The girls in my pledge class don’t leave me out because I’m older than they are. The “older” girls know me and include me. It took me an entire year to realize that my age is the absolute last thing my sorority is about.
All of that recognition suddenly ran through my head as my house’s VP of membership called on me to share my story. As I stood up a huge and very unexpected wave of emotion rolled over me. Trying to hold back tears, I shared the reasons for choosing and staying in my sorority.
It’s much too long for me to share here, so reach out to me if you’re interested. The reason I wrote this is to tell girls of all ages that a sorority will be one of the best things in your life – if you let it be. A sorority is what you make it; whether it’s a home away from home or a resume builder. You can choose to resent your “sisters” for being so stereotypical, or you can drop your guard and join in and be surprised by how genuine this type of sisterhood can be.
Recruitment is starting up soon here at the University of Utah, if you are at all interested you should try it out. Click here for more information.