Going through sorority recruitment is truly a magical time. We come in, learn new things, meet new faces and have the time of our lives. The hopeful bliss of recruitment merges into naïve wonders as we find our home and our family on bid day. We then receive that perfect big, those cute t-shirts, and even attend a social or two. Next thing we know we are being initiated- entering our new member phase with wide eyes and eager hearts, ready to dive into a new beginning and a bright future. From the moment we join a sorority we are spoiled with gifts and friendships. Then it happens. We begin to be overloaded with more love and support then we know what to do with and although that love never stops, we eventually become so wrapped up in school, work, and finding our place that we forget to evaluate ourselves. Somewhere between getting our badges and the end of our first collegian semester comes a time of questioning. We question our sisters, our organization, the relationships built and the memories made. We become so distracted by our hectic lives that we forget how much our organization means to us. We skip out on events, show up late and don’t put in the amount of effort we once did. We begin to view our obligations to the sorority as chores rather than the sacred privileges they are. In order to get back to the open-minded, enthusiastic members we once were, we must sometimes remind ourselves why we joined the particular organization and why we choose to stay.
We join for the friends and stay for the Sisterhood.
Coming into college, we are desperate for friendship. Being the sorority women we are though, we aren’t just looking for just any friendships. We look for friends who become our family and will hold our hearts forever. In our sorority we find relationships that are real and honest with people that love us unconditionally. We find loyalty to be one of lives precious gifts and lean on the constant support of those around us. With new friendships come new responsibility and we learn how to hold our sisters accountable and know that they will do the same for us in return.
We join to become a part of something and stay because it becomes a part of us.
Becoming a part of a national organization gives us a reason to become more than we ever thought possible. We get involved in our sorority’s philanthropic causes and charity events. Networking also becomes an easy task with the amount of connections we make and confidence we find in ourselves. We learn so much about our community as well as our selves. We take on positions, test our limits and learn our true potential. We finally realize that we can achieve way more than we ever thought possible.
We join for the ritual and stay because of what it means to us.
At first, we don’t know much about what sets different organizations apart from one another except that each one has their own secrets. We learn that those ‘secrets’ are precious values that we hold and are expected to keep and cherish. We learn the base of those values and how much they affect our lives.
We join for the fun and stay for the memories.
Movies introduce us to the parties, socials and tailgates. They give us something to expect from sorority life. What we don’t expect is how much we will cherish those 2 a.m. runs to McDonald' s, dancing around the sorority house, road trips, sleepovers and endless goofy photo-shoots.
All in all, we chose a particular organization and home because we saw something in that organization that was bigger than ourselves. We were attracted to some aspect of a group that motivated us to reach out and take the initiative to change our lives for the better. We face many hardships during our time as collegians, whether it is with school, commitment pressure, or misunderstood and disconnected relationships. Whatever issues we come across, we never give up on our sorority because our sorority never gave up on us. It gave us a reason to keep going when we wanted to take the easy way out. Remembering everything our founders did to give us everything we have today, constantly reminds us how blessed we are. We stay because, despite everything, there is no other place in the world where we could find the loyalty, support and achievement we have found in our sorority, our home.
