We all are asked the question, why did you join? What made you pick your sorority over other ones. What made you want to go Greek in the first place? We ask these questions while going through recruitment, or answering from people who are not Greek. These are very important questions to ask, but we should also be asking ourselves, why did you stay. This question is so simple, yet so hard to answer. Everyone has their different answers, but around this time last year I didn’t know how to answer.
I had always wanted to be in a sorority ever since I could remember, and once I joined it wasn’t all that I hoped it would live up to be. I looked at attending events as more of a drag than a blessing, and I wasn’t getting all that I wanted out of it. To be honest, I got lazy -- my sorority gave so much to me, and I never gave anything back. I had the perfect big, my sisters were so nice, and I loved what we stood for, so why was I feeling this way?
During my first summer after my first active semester, I asked myself the question above. I didn’t know how to answer because I wasn’t 100 percent sure if I wanted to return to in the fall. So I reminded myself why I joined in the first place. I had something inside telling me not to give up. Recruitment comes around and I decided to get the most out of it. I forced myself out of my comfort zone by talking to girls I hadn’t before or being on more than one committee. I started loving my sorority and started to appreciate what we stood for and all that we do. I started running for bigger positions and taking on other roles that I never thought I would have done. I started talking to other girls that I hadn’t before and found my best friends in the process. Who knew all this would have happened just by going outside my comfort zone, and not giving up on myself or my chapter.
If you are reading this, and thinking about quitting your sorority, I strongly advise you to think twice. You may not be fitting in or getting as much out of it, but you joined for a reason. You chose these group of girls for a reason and they also came into your life for a reason. Sisterhood is like a relationship -- you don’t leave it once there are bad times, and you also have to give in as much as you want to get out of it. It truly is what you make of it.
It is important to remember your chapter chose you for a reason, just like you chose them. Other sisters saw potential in you as someone they wanted to call their friend, or someone they saw could lead and change the chapter for the better. In my sorority, no one is perfect, or the same, and I am so glad we aren’t. Each person brings their uniqueness and skills into the chapter. That is how we grow and impact the world.
No chapter is perfect, an mine is far from it, but I am blessed that we aren’t. I think the main part of a sorority is having a group of strong, individual girls wanting to make a difference while still remembering to have fun in the process. We all joined for different reasons and all stay for different reasons, but it is important to remember these reasons. Remember everyone is different and brings something new to the table. Remember to be that sister that you want to have. Remember to attend every event and be all there. Lastly, remember sometimes you need to step outside of your comfort zone, take a position, ask a new member to lunch, and never give up on your chapter. As I am coming into my senior year, I have grown so much and made so many memories since my first bid day. I am truly blessed that I never gave up on my chapter and continue to grow as a person in it.
