As August/September rolls around again, all the sorority women around the nation begin to move back to their respective college campuses and begin the week long process of sorority recruitment preparation known as Work Week. Work Week for some can be seen as "Hell Week" and for others it's a week where you actually get to know some of your sisters better. It's difficult to live with 100 other girls and say you are best friends or know every single one of them well and this is the time where you are spending all day, every day together for the week's entirety, plus some.
As a sorority woman who just tackled on Work Week, I can confidently say not only am I sitting on the edge of my seat, excited for recruitment, but I also feel significantly closer to my sisters.
My journey continues as an honorary active member of my chapter as I step foot toward our doorway first thing in the morning and flip my hair from side to side. I will be ecstatic to walk up and then welcome Potential New Members (PNMs) into our beautiful chapter home. I know for certain recruitment week will be long, tiresome, and stressful, but the end result will be worth the struggle it took to get there.
I remember being nervous last year, standing in my numbered line up in the same exact shoes all the PNMs are. I was scared, nervous, excited and a whole lot of other jumbled whirlwinds of emotion as I prepared to talk to these confident, beautiful, put together sorority women. I often questioned myself if I'd ever fit in with them.
And despite my doubts and fears, I did. You will too. There are so many different chapters full of vibrant unique individuals that many PNMs, despite how discouraging formal recruitment can be, will share a bond or deeper connection with.
Keep your chins held as high or higher than the heels you plan to wear for philanthropy or preference. It will all be okay in the end, I ensure you. Recruitment works like magic, and us active members are just bursting to meet you.
Take a deep breath.
PC16, we are already excited to see you running down the street toward your new home for the next few years even though we haven't met you. You will be getting a Big sister who will hold you when you cry and are upset about a boy, a little to mentor and cherish, and grand little who will never fail to make you laugh. I haven't jumped through all those hoops myself quite yet, but choosing a sisterhood was one of the best decisions I have made.
I hope that you find on Bid Day, the decision to become a sorority woman will be a great one. We can celebrate the same values and the welcoming community as a whole.
