We’ve all seen the TikToks from Bama Rush, girls in super nice dresses going to rush parties with hundreds of other girls and then getting into a sorority with a massive house on Old Row. Well believe it or not, not every college recruitment is like that.
I spent the majority of my life thinking that Greek Life was what I had seen in movies and only thought of big schools when I heard it. So naturally, I didn’t think that joining a sorority would be right for me but as I was navigating my freshman year I was continuously seeing how much fun the girls in sororities were having and how close they were able to get with each other. I was also finding myself becoming friends with more and more girls involved in Greek Life and I realized that they were nothing like the “sorority girls” I had envisioned in my mind. Their kindness and acceptance showed me that I could go Greek and find my home no matter who I am.
Going into recruitment I did know it would be a little bit different since I go to a small school but I was still prepared for the type of stress that would ensue. Luckily, everyone around me was so welcoming and made sure that me and the other girls going through the process didn’t feel overwhelmed. Additionally, I was able to get close to so many other girls which also helped the process go easier.
I was also worried that going into these parties for the sororities I would be too nervous and not be able to show my true personality but that was definitely not the case. No matter what sorority I went to the girls I talked to welcomed me and I didn’t feel scared to actually let my personality shine through. Feeling like I could do that definitely made the process 10 times easier.
Alongside all of this, I did have a fear lingering that I would have to hide my sexuality or feel shame for it after going Greek. Fortunately I was shown in every sorority on my campus that they accept everyone, no matter who they are. I would talk to initiated members who were a part of the LGBTQ+ community and they would tell me how they never once felt like an outsider and that no one had ever made them feel ashamed for who they are as a person. The more and more I talked to these members I knew that I would for sure find a home.
Overall, I was able to fit into a sorority and find my forever home in Zeta Tau Alpha. Even though I did go into it extremely worried and stressed about fitting in or maybe not even finding a sorority that fit me as a person I was able to push through that. A key part of this is keeping an open mind to Greek life and realizing that not every “Bama Rush” TikTok is what it is like to go through recruitment or be involved in Greek life. Once I figured that out and allowed myself to show my true personality recruitment was so incredibly fun and enriching and I am excited to be on the other end of it next year.
