When I began my freshman year, I knew immediately that I wanted to join a sorority. With over 25 percent of my school's population in a Greek organization, Greek life was everywhere and I loved it. When I was finally able to rush my second semester freshmen year I was so excited. Now a member of a local sorority, I have not regretted a day since.
Below is a compilation of reasons why joining a local sorority is the best decision.
1. Every person that has ever worn my sorority's letters has attended my school.
No matter where I go If I run into someone with my sororities letters on I know that we have an immediate connection. Not only did we decide to join the same organization but we also went to the same University, had the same professors, and ate the same drunk food.
2. Alumni.
Last year my sorority celebrated our 50th anniversary. At the reunion I met members from every decade, including some of our founders. No matter what age, we were all connected in our love for our sorority and the memories we shared at the house. It was incredible to see that for 50 years my sorority has been able to attract the same type of women with the same values and fun-loving spirit.
3. Tradition.
As a local sorority, we have our own unique traditions and values that we were able to develop and establish as our own. When our founders created our sorority, they were able to create an organization that was based on the environment and school it was established in. Our songs, our sayings, are all connected to the history of Greek Life at my university and the experiences present and past members have had there.
4. The size.
Local sororities are typically smaller than national sororities due to not having a quota on how many girls they need to take each semester. The smaller size means I know every member of my sorority on a personal level. I am able to feel comfortable around anyone wearing our letters and know I could depend on any one of them for anything. This is a luxury that national sororities often do not have with average pledge classes almost double the size of locals.
5. Cheaper dues.
Not having to pay national Panhellenic dues is a blessing. For a broke college student, the low dues for local sororities are definitely a perk.
6. Pass Downs.
My sorority house is a treasure trove of old sorority relics. We have old scrapbooks going back to the early 70s, pledge paddles from the 80s, and sorority letters and blazers passed down from our founders. Looking through old scrapbooks and seeing past sorority sisters from the 1970s posing at the bar I went to the week before is a reminder of how amazing it is to go to be in a sorority in which all the members share more than just letters.
7. Informal meetings.
WE DONT HAVE TO DRESS UP FOR MEETING! Pajama pants and make-up from the night before are encouraged.
8. Family Lines.
Almost everyone in my sorority is able to trace their family lines all the way to our founding member. I remember the awesome feeling of receiving a basket filled with candies and stuffed animals on my bid day from a member of my family line who had graduated almost five years before I joined. It was an amazing feeling knowing the pride and happiness felt by past members towards their family lines and the closeness felt even after graduation.
9. Opportunity for leadership.
In a smaller organization, you have more opportunities as a new member to have positions in the organization. After my first semester in my sorority, I was able to hold three different positions and have my opinion heard and respected even though I had just joined.
10. LOCAL PRIDE.
Every local sorority can relate in the amount of pride they feel for their organization and other local sororities. The bond between local sororities in knowing that we were all created by women who loved our university so much they just needed to create an organization in which every year new girls would come to our school and find a home away from home.
