My name's Alyssa and I'm a recently-recruited member of the Delta Phi Epsilon Gamma Nu chapter. I was initiated into this wonderful family in March of 2016 alongside six other absolutely fantastic women for Gamma Nu's Theta class. Being the odd woman out that I am, I never would've thought four years ago that I'd join a sorority. I never intended to join one in college, and I certainly didn't imagine I would during my fourth year. I'm not the type of girl that's ever had a large group of friends, and I've never been one to go out of my way to be social. After three years of college drifting from group to group, I found myself wanting to take a leap and finally try to meet people, despite all the things I've been told by the media that says sororities aren't worth joining.
As the person who refuses to be part of the normal status quo, I'm going to tell you why you should give it a chance and join Delta Phi Epsilon.
1. We have women from all different walks of life.
Movies and shows will tell you that there's only one type of sorority girl: the one that goes to parties, gets trashed, sleeps around with the frat boys, and doesn't attend college for much else than the express purpose of partying and having a good time.
We're not like that. We have girls of varying religion, race, political stance, skill sets, and more. We are individuals and most importantly, Delta Phi Epsilon encourages women to be their most authentic selves. Every single girl in this chapter has something different to offer and to teach you.
2. There are opportunities for leadership skill development.
As with any group, there always needs to be some kind of guidance. Delta Phi Epsilon of course offers these opportunities and encourages sisters to step up to the plate and be their best selves in order to better represent, improve, and grow our sisterhood.
3. There are so many barriers to social interaction that get broken down by joining us.
While I personally have extroverted tendencies, I have always found myself struggling to take the first steps to initiate contact with people I would like to be friends with. Taking the leap to join Delta Phi Epsilon was probably one of the scariest actions I've done yet, pushing myself completely out of my comfort zone and beyond everything I'd done before. The rewards for taking this leap of faith are vast: I found myself suddenly inundated with by over forty new friends that I've managed to meet, speak with, and befriend all because I joined DPhiE.
4. Did I mention that our mascot is a unicorn?
5. We encourage academic achievement.
Delta Phi Epsilon places great importance upon academia; originally founded by five women attending university before women could even vote, education is at the top of the list for things we want our members to focus on. Sisters are expected to keep up with their academic engagements first, because we all are, after all, attending college to get an education and to learn.
6. You'll find yourself blessed with more support than you could've ever hoped for.
Our sorority is filled to the brim with women who have so many different ideas, skills, backgrounds, and more. Thanks to this, sisters have the ability to help you in some way, shape, or form no matter what your issue may be. Find yourself struggling with a class? Ask a sister who's in it with you or taken it before for help! Need someone to watch your dog while you're out of town? There's probably a sister that would love to help with that (since most of us absolutely adore dogs). Don't know anything about Portsmouth and need a sister to help you find a store or building somewhere? There's a sister who's from Portsmouth and knows all its ins and outs that can assist you. The list goes on; we have so many women with so much knowledge that it's next to impossible to not find the kind of help you need if you're in a pinch.
7. We build each other up and try to bring out the best in one another.
Every sister has struggles, and every person has flaws, but we don't care and we're not here to judge or criticize you or one another. Like every family, we do our best to love one another no matter what differences we may have and above all we strive to be there in times of need. We expect the best out of each other and congratulate sisters when they achieve something.
8. Our sorority encourages personal development of all kinds.
Our goal is to help you be your best self, whatever it may be. Joining this sorority has helped me to work towards improving my social skills, my time management skills, and my leadership skills. I've only been a part of this fantastic organization for a semester and yet I can't even begin to list the experiences that have helped me find so much confidence and newfound courage thanks to the guidance of my sisters and organization.
9. We know how to have fun and we do as much as we can to give back to the community.
There are numerous events that Greek life offers to those who join in at Shawnee State University. Events range from specific organization events to Greek Games, Formal, Greek Ball, fundraisers, and more. We host several fundraisers for our philanthropies throughout the school year, and our sisters put in tens of hours of volunteer work throughout the semester apiece. No matter what you do, there is an opportunity to get to know your sisters and to help out the community practically every week of the school year.
10. Finally, it's not just a sorority. It's not just an organization. It's not just a business. It's a family, a support system, and more importantly it becomes a part of you without you ever suspecting it.
Being raised as an only child, I didn't have the opportunity to know what it was like to have siblings and I didn't have a very large family. I hate to come off cliche, but joining Delta Phi Epsilon has given me more sisters than I ever would've imagined having. It's become my family and I look forward to seeing each and every girl's face, accomplishments, good times, and I look forward to being there for them when they're having bad times. These girls will be here for you for your vacations, for your wedding (if you choose to have one), for your struggles, and for more. Family sticks together and so does our sorority. Joining Delta Phi was the best decision I've made throughout college and I hope that you give it a chance. I promise you won't regret it.
