It's was almost a year ago now that I walked over to Greek row to do something I thought I would never do... join a sorority.
I had never pictured myself as the person who would fit into a sorority, and even when I met a girl who was in one and thought she was pretty cool, I still couldn't see it. I held that stigma from the movies, and I couldn't see myself like that. One day she asked my roommate and I if we wanted to go to her sorority's informal recruitment event. I said yes to be nice, but I didn't really have an intention of joining. When the day came to go, the two things that got me out of my dorm room were curiosity and the obligation I felt to not fall back on my word. I didn't even really understand what a sorority was at the time; no one in my family was in any form of Greek life or at a school that had it.
As nervous as I was that I was going to be judged about how I looked or how awkward I could be, when I walked in I was greeted with warm smiles. Everyone who I talked to seemed to really want to get to know me. Every woman was so nice and friendly, and I felt right at home.
When my roommate and I walked home afterward, we talked about how surprised we were with how nice and welcoming everyone was. We didn't really know what would come out of it, but it was a fun experience.
What I really didn't expect was getting a bid a few days later. I walked out of my chemistry lab with my roommate having texted and called me, asking what I was going to do. We didn't really go into informal recruitment thinking we were going to join. I still didn't know much about sororities, though I did like the people I talked to. We discussed it for a bit and eventually decided we should join, no harm right?
Well, it turns out we were right because now I'm in a chapter with over 100 other amazing women who I can go to about most anything and some incredible new friends. I didn't expect much of anything going into it, but I came out with something really great.
If anyone reading this is thinking of joining a sorority, informal recruitment is a great way to do it. It is a more relaxed environment than formal recruitment, and we just want to get to know you. We want to get to know what makes you, you. It sounds a little cheesy, I know, but it's the truth. Washington State's informal recruitment is taking place over the next few weeks, and even if you are remotely curious—go. You can always say no if you don't want to join, or you may join a sorority and realize it may have been a really good decision for you. You never know until you try, right?
