It's currently 1 a.m. on a Monday night and I'm sitting in my room practicing chanting with my roommate. This may sound alarming - but don't worry, it's just recruitment season. Today marks the start of the first day of Spirit Week, a week of reconnecting with sisters we haven't seen all summer. This Spirit Week and recruitment is extra special to me because it is my last one since I graduate in May (no one panic). As I sit here practicing chants, I can't help but think about how much my sorority has changed me over the past couple of years - and all in good ways.
If you would have told me four years ago that when I was a senior I'd be enthusiastically involved in a sorority, I would have probably laughed in your face. Sure, all of my high school friends were doing it but I had only seen what they showed in movies, which by the way is almost always a crude and inaccurate description of sorority life. The only "chapter" I had heard of was the ones you find in a book. I wholeheartedly entered college sure that I would not join a sorority.
Fast forward to sophomore year. I had spent my entire freshman year focused on my academics and rarely went out. I hated my university and actually sent out a transfer application in Spring so that I wouldn't have to come back the following year. Thank God I didn't, because I never would have found my second family. Let me just start by saying that I don't necessarily scream sorority girl. I have three tattoos, the alt rock station is permanently programmed to the first channel on my car and I didn't actually like wine. Like at all.
I decided to go through formal recruitment anyways, because why not? It was worth a shot and nothing could be worse than my freshman year. Little did I know that I was about to have my life completely changed and that two years later I'd be a mostly well-rounded senior, and I'd have my sorority to thank for all that.
So here we are, my last Spirit Week. Today all of the seniors had to stand up in front of the sorority and I could feel the tears form in my eyes. This is my last year with this amazing group of women and I will forever be thankful that I took the plunge and decided to go through recruitment. My sorority has shown me that my sisters will accept me for who I am. I am so different now than that girl that hesitantly went through recruitment sophomore year- and not in the stereotypical stuck up sorority way. I have developed leadership and time management skills that I will use for the rest of my life. I'm not scared to push toward my goals because I know I have the support of my sisters. I have formed bonds with women that I will genuinely have for the rest of my life.
So, for all of you hesitant women who think there isn't a sorority for you, take my advice and give recruitment a shot. I did, and I found my place and my people and leaving them in a year will be the hardest thing I think I've had to do thus far in my college career. They've also taught me that wine doesn't totally suck and for that I'm also thankful. So ladies, when in doubt, Go Greek!
