When I was younger, I wanted to be a cheerleader. I think it had a lot to do with the sense of belonging, the sense of sisterhood. They all shared a passion and although they may not have been bonded by blood, it sure seemed like it. As I got older, I didn't go to schools that had cheerleading available to me so I started to see if there were other things I could do to find a sense of community.
In high school, I did community service. Every weekend we would do a service project and then do something fun later — it was what I wanted. I could give back and enjoy myself at the same time. It's not that I didn't have friends in high school, I did but outside of school; our lives were different whether we were a "squad" or not.
My college is very club oriented, at least it seems that way to me. Everyone is either in a club or has made friends from a class or something of the sort. If not, your life is probably school, home, school and back home. I did that for the first few weeks of college and it killed me.
There was a sorority I had tried to rush for the semester prior but I then realized I couldn't because I wasn't enrolled in Hunter classes yet, as I was still a senior in high school. So when the fall semester came around, I rushed that sorority again. Now I'm a proud sister of said sorority and it's the happiest I've been in a while.
In movies and television, Greek life has a terrible image. I know a lot of my fear while rushing was from what I saw on screen. The thought of hazing and being forced to do things that you don't want to do to get in is a bit scary. Rest assured, not all Greek organizations are like that. That's not to say some aren't but not all are. A lot of us are rooting for you and want you to be a sister. It is usually a hard process but it's worth it in the end.
That being said, being a sister is amazing. You also never realize how much Greek life exists in the CUNY system until you're a part of it. There are constant events where you meet new people every time. It's always a good time within Greek life and I couldn't be happier to be a part of it. There are certain organizations that are closer to others, like possibly one that founded you or one that goes to your school.
It's not only constant partying, though. It's about the bonding. You never have to go through something alone if you don't want to. There is always someone there to talk to you, to talk you through stuff. Someone to cheer you up or to just be a shoulder to cry on. You don't become best friends with everyone. But the ones you do, share an unbreakable bond with you. The people you meet during Greek life will be your bridesmaids, your kids' god parents, your life long best friends.
Being in my sorority has helped me find happiness, confidence and myself. I feel unstoppable when I am with my sisters and I feel stronger because of them. They have helped me through some of the worst times these past few months and I couldn't appreciate them more.
