When I first came to Open Chapter Night on the first day of Spring Recruitment, I was a mess. My first semester was tough and I made some mistakes that I didn't think anyone could forget. I put my relationship with Christ at the bottom of my list of priorities and I fell into the temptations of college. I knew that something needed to change, which was one of the main reasons why I decided to join my university’s chapter of Sigma Phi Lambda.
I knew that I wanted to surround myself with some sisters who all love Christ more than anything else, and Phi Lamb gave me that! Sigma Phi Lambda, or Phi Lamb for short, is the Christian sorority at the University of Arkansas. Sigma Phi Lambda is an acronym for Sisters for the Lord, and everything we do as a sorority is centered around glorifying His name. There are currently 32 Phi Lamb chapters in the US and they are found at schools in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida, Missouri, Alabama, and Mississippi.
Phi Lamb is not Panhellenic and will never be. We still have Big/Little Reveal, Recruitment, Mom’s and Dad’s weekend, formals and philanthropy events just like the Panhellenic sororities, but our events are all centered around Christ and the Christian faith. Another thing that makes my sorority unique is that we do not give out bids and we accept any girl who wants to join. Our Recruitment week is all about getting to know one another, having fun and letting the PNMs decide if Phi Lamb is the right place for them.
Coming into Phi Lamb was like receiving a clean slate, just like how it is when you accept Christ. These girls didn't care much about my bad attitude I once had or the mistakes I made the previous semester. I was also very hesitant about joining since I had recently joined choir and I was already enough involved with band. I wanted to be a part of an awesome sisterhood that loved each other unconditionally and loved to have fun! I also wanted to make friends outside of band.
After exploring all my options at the end of the first semester, I finally came across Phi Lamb and it seemed like the best fit for me. I mainly liked the idea that the sorority was all centered around Christ. I also liked how Phi Lamb did not reject any PNMs, they take in any girl who wants to join.
Another thing I really liked was how Phi Lamb was not as much of a time commitment as other sororities on campus. But I soon after I was inducted, I realized that Phi Lamb, to me, was much more than "another thing that I'm involved with." These girls immediately welcomed me with open arms and lots of love. At the very beginning of New Member Process, I told the President about how I was rejected from another sorority beforehand and how I still was not over it, and she was able to help me through it and was willing to listen to me.
I did not have to fit a certain mold or image to fit in with the sisterhood. I did not have to prove anything to be accepted into the bond. I just had to come as my crazy old self and I was accepted into this amazing sisterhood. Phi Lamb is not just another sorority here on campus. We are small, but very tight knit and we are all one happy little Lamb Pham. I never thought in a million years that I would actually see myself as a “sorority girl”, but joining Phi Lamb was the best decision I made in college so far and I would not have that any other way.
