I've always been a pretty headstrong, independent woman. I like to march to the beat of my own drum as some would say. I don't like to conform to fit in or participate in activities that I don't believe in. When I first started college, I was scared that I would change into a different person because of my new surroundings. That's why when recruitment rolled around second semester of my freshman year, I was nervous to be involved in a community that has a stereotype of forbidding individuality and pressuring members to party.
I went through my "partying days," if you could even call them that, in high school. Those were rough times for me, and I decided that I wasn't interested in being involved in that scene. What I was interested in, however, was finding a group of friends with similar values and unique perspectives that could help shape my college experience. As cheesy as it sounds, that's what I found in Alpha Delta Pi.
Before signing up for recruitment, I was super nervous about choosing a sorority that might expect things of me or try and pressure me. Not that I would ever conform to pressure. I just didn't want to end up having to fight someone that's trying to shove tequila down my throat.
Despite my reservations, I ended up going through with recruitment. After bid day, I was on edge waiting for someone to strongly "encourage" me to drink or treat me like a social pariah for not going out with them. But it never happened. I actually ended up meeting a lot of like-minded sisters who preferred to hang out over going out.
Maybe it was just my experience in my sorority but the sorority horror stories you see in movies or tv shows never came true. I'm sure there are sororities out there that follow the stereotype, and I know for damn sure there are frats that go above and beyond the stereotypes, but a lot of sororities, in my experience, support and encourage being yourself.
Every sorority has a diverse group of women. There are going to be people that are always down to go out, but there are also people who'd rather chill and watch a movie. No matter which type of person you are, there shouldn't be pressure to fit in or act like anyone else. And if you do feel that pressure, you should reevaluate your standard for yourself and the standard of the organization you're involved in. Feeling like you have to party to be in a sorority is not what sisterhood is about.
To all the women who just went through recruitment or are about to go through recruitment, don't change yourself to belong. Don't believe the hype that you have to party to be in a sorority because that's not true in any way. And above all else, be a part of an organization that likes you for you.
