Dear Sorority PNMs (potential new members),
With recruitment season revving up and news feeds blowing up with craftily themed cover photos and inspirational pictures showing the best parts of greek life, it can be really daunting to not rush. It's a magical world that makes you want to jump in feet first. At the end of the day, though, sometimes the wonder and magic of recruitment is not enough and you walk away from it unaffiliated. I'm here to tell you it's okay to not go greek. It is okay to remain unaffiliated, or if you want to go ahead and call yourself a GDI (gosh dang independent). As a second semester senior that is still unaffiliated, trust me when I say it is more than okay to go or not go greek.
I walked away from recruitment week my freshmen year. I even made it all the way to bid day. I went as far as collecting my flower and walking down steps to be greeted by a group of wonderful women. Yet I still walked away four days later and have been unaffiliated ever since. It just was not for me, it did not mesh with the person I was or wanted to become, and it was okay. The majority of my friends rushed and are more than overjoyed in their sorority to this day. But for me it was not the right choice. It took a while, but now I know that it's okay.
There were no side-eyes or glares from the women of the sorority I could have been a part of, I did not all of a sudden lose all my friends who had rushed. It was almost as if recruitment week had been a wonderful college movie dream. I still went out with my friends and made even more new ones, there were what if moments and wistful moments of contemplation, but never moments of regret for walking away from greek life.
So, as it gets time to go to recruitment and meet all these wonderful women in these awesome organizations, I cannot tell you enough how much I think people should go through the process of recruitment. At the same time just know that is more than okay to walk away from it at any stage, even if it is the finish line of recruitment. You can always just walk away. It will not be a nail in your college coffin or make you a social pariah. Walking away three years ago from greek life was the best decision for me and my college experience. It let me do other amazing things, but that was my choice, and I hope you know you have a choice, too.
Whether you go greek at the end of recruitment or walk away from it with your head held high and independent from a society, it's your choice, and you will make the right one. So go on with your bad self and mingle with a ton of ladies who are awesome and have one of the most hectic and crazy weeks of your college career! But know that it is completely up to you when it comes to the final decision.
Sincerely,
A Girl Who Walked Away
