As a freshman and new sister of Phi Mu Fraternity, I lived and died by the rose and white. I ordered every t-shirt that was made, plastered my walls in quatrefoils and began my obsession with lions. I even became Pledge Class President and Public Relations Chair, trying to take as much ownership as possible in the sorority I couldn't get enough of.
As a sophomore, however, I began to find new interests and get involved in different kinds of clubs around campus. Mainly, I became a University Ambassador, opening me up to an entire organization of like-minded and driven peers, and gained new responsibilities at our student newspaper, which slowly but surely sucked away all of my free time. Rather than attending chapter meetings and philanthropy events, I was leading tours around campus or watching the hours tick by in the newsroom. Not very pink or fun.
Now that I'm in my junior year, though, I'm realizing how much Phi Mu means to me, and why I can't let myself be torn away from it too often. When I take a step back and look at my college years thus far, I realize that Phi Mu has given me so many things. Not only has it transformed me as a woman, teaching me how to be confident and kind, but it has surrounded me with a group of sisters that truly have my back. Whether we're holding each others' hands in initiation or stuffing ourselves with salt and vinegar chips while watching trashy MTV dating shows, we are a sisterhood. We can treasure that kind of bond and cherish it our whole lives.
Phi Mu is more than a catchy recruitment song, girly colors or secret rituals. It is the smile on my little's face when I treat her to a Cookout milkshake. It is the hand that reaches out to open the chapter house door for me when my arms are full. It is the warmth in my roommate's hug when we are finally reunited after a holiday break. It is the hours my big spent crafting for me when I was still unsure about joining such a large sisterhood. It is the late night laughs between me and my sisters when we're cheering each other up after long days. It is the passion I found for serving others in my community, especially the kids we serve through Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. It is my home away from home.
So why Phi Mu? Why do I continue to commit my time to a sorority, when there are fifty other organizations or clubs I could be joining? Why do I pledge my money to a philanthropy, when I could be spending it on myself? Why do I proudly wear Greek letters and quatrefoils?
Because Phi Mu has made me the person I am today, and for that I will be forever thankful. So here's to you, Faithful Sisters. La de da.
