Being Indian can affect your every day life--so can being in a sorority, to a lesser extent. You might be the only Indian girl in your chapter, or you might be one of many. Either way, it's safe to say that your experiences might be a little different than your average sorority woman's.
1. You ask the house chef to make Indian food.
If your sorority has a house on campus, you probably eat a lot of meals there. Chicken nuggets can get old really quick, though, and you know you're nowhere near skilled enough to cook tandoori at the level your mom can. I can't tell you how many times I've put "tandoori chicken and naan" in the meal suggestion box in the house kitchen. I'm still waiting, but I haven't given up hope.
2. You find yourself looking for girls who look like you during recruitment.
This is probably a habit you've picked up if you've lived in predominantly white neighborhoods or gone to predominantly white schools. When I went through recruitment as potential new member, I found myself constantly searching for other Indian women in every house I went to. This behavior will undoubtedly continue when I have to welcome potential new members into my sorority house this fall.
3. Your themed function outfits are hit or miss.
Showed up to Throw Down For Your Hometown in a full sari? Hilarious and clever. Came to Holi-Date covered in colored powder? Nobody got it. (It's Holi, duh!)
4. You debate on wearing Indian clothes to semi and/or formal.
On the one hand, you know you'd save time and money on a formal dress. On the other hand, you don't want to show everyone up because you know you'd look better than everyone else. If you're like me, you probably end up chickening out and buying a formal dress from Tobi. You also disappoint your mom because she got really hyped up trying to help you pick a sari out of her vast collection.
5. You want to share your culture with your sisters.
If something is important to you, it's probably important to your sisters. When you mention that your Indian Student Organization is doing something for Diwali, your sisters are right there with you playing with sparklers and dancing to Bollywood music. If you make Indian food, your sisters are the first to try it (even if they're scared of it being spicy).
