You ever wonder how it would feel to join Greek Life, but you don't go to a big college? Do you go to a commuter school? Just because you don't live on campus doesn't mean you can't get the full-on involvement of being in a sorority or fraternity. You can still have a great Greek Life experience you always wanted, just like me.
When I was a senior in high school, I always knew I wanted to be in a sorority. I never thought I would pledge in NYC, because I would have the experience of being in an out-of-state college, rushing in a sorority. I was already planning to go out of state because I wanted to know how it feel to live with people who weren’t my family members and build friendships, but it never happened, and I ended up going to Medgar Evers College.
At Medgar, Greek Life is not a major aspect at the school, so you don’t really know who is Greek and who isn’t Greek (I really hope they change that in the future for those who want to join Greek Life), and the only time you see anyone who is Greek is at the fall semester’s Club Fair. Now, what I actually did was research, which all GLOs (Greek Letter Organizations) will tell you to do, because you make the commitment to join the organization. I actually came across my sorority because of a friend of mine.
My sorority, Sigma Rho Phi Multi-Cultural Sorority, Inc., was founded at City College. Since I didn’t go to City College, there wasn’t going to be a problem rushing. Within the CUNY system, you can gain access to the colleges that are of the CUNY system, so I was happy when I was able to rush my sorority. There are some colleges in the CUNY system who recognize Greek Life on campus, and there are some, like Medgar for example, that only recognize Greek Life at club fairs, and there are some CUNY college that don't recognize Greek Life at all, but there are people who are Greeks who pledged at another school.
My take on rushing a GLO in a metropolitan area like New York City is that you are getting the same experience. The only difference is that you don’t live on campus (unless your college has dorms) and you can rush at different colleges under the CUNY umbrella of schools. You will get the same experience or even better, depending on where you go. College is a four-year experience; you don’t want to miss out on the opportunity of going Greek because you go by what you see on television and in movies. Trust me, it's exaggerated and not true. I can honestly say my experience being in my sorority has been a great opportunity in my life. I don’t think I would want to change that experience. What you make of your experience in Greek Life is all on you, no matter where you go. Greek Life will always be around, either in your area, or out of state.
If you do consider Greek Life, whether it’s a local or national GLOs, always remember to do your research on Greek Life in general, and on the organization you are planning on rushing. You don’t want to join just to join because the GLO you join might be for you and drop your letters later. Always research and see if Greek Life is for you. Enjoy the experience!
GO GREEK!
