It's that time of year again: the air is getting cooler, the backpack market is booming, and the incoming freshmen are arriving in spades. Classes are going well, you may have a new roommate, and laundry is starting to seem like less of a nightmare. Life is, at the moment, as it should be.
But, in a few weeks, you're going to hear it.
You may be in a car, you may be on your bike, you may be in the comfort of your own home. Nowhere is safe; wherever you are, the sound of chanting, clapping, giggling, and singing will reach your ears with a shrill crescendo that can only mean one thing: it's time for sorority recruitment.
I know that this may be the worst part of the fall for many students. The overwhelming smell of perfume and blinding flashes of glitter can be difficult to absorb if you're not ready for it. You may have seen the glamorous, incredibly intimidating recruitment videos from Southern schools on your news feed. You may feel the sisterhood floating through the air and shudder. You may have written off the idea of rushing simply to avoid becoming a binge drinking, stereotypical, sratty statistic.
And yet, writing it off may be the biggest mistake of your life. I know that the recruitment process can be arduous. I know that people have heard horror stories from other schools regarding rush and initiation. I know that the Greek system has not made a great name for itself at many colleges across the country.
We're not talking about the rest of the country. We're talking about CSU. I am proud to be a sorority woman in the CSU community. I believe that we have built a very unique Panhellenic experience at Colorado State, one that can't be found in a trashy college movie or in disgrace on the news. I believe that here, we really do have a home for everyone--one that doesn't involve all of the negativity you might have come to expect.
So, here is my plea. Forget everything you think you know about sororities, and sign up for recruitment.
Seriously.
When I started my freshman year here, I was not at all planning on signing up for rush. It just wasn't for me. I had always had more guy friends than girl friends. I didn't think I could handle all the pink, or the crafting. I didn't own any pearls. I was busy. I used every excuse in the book until, finally, I asked myself "Why not?"
It was a question I couldn't really answer. So, I went online, typed in my name, paid a deposit, and became a Potential New Member. I figured that, at the very least, I could go back to my dorm and make fun of the experience with my friends. However, once that fateful, song-filled, weekend began, I was shocked. These women were surprisingly normal. Nice, even.
Amidst the small talk, the dresses, and the free food (which is amazing and should be reason enough to sign up), I discovered that these were women I could see myself being friends with. They were the kind of women I had always looked up to.
They were so much more than a pretty face. They were leaders. They were respected, and driven, and passionate. They cared deeply for each other, and it showed in their pride for each individual organization.
Their enthusiasm wore off on me, and I made the decision to join my own sorority. In the past year, I have grown so much as a person that I hardly recognize the first year PNM I used to be.
I have no regrets about rushing. Not a single one. The women in my house are my sisters, they're my friends, they're my confidantes, and they always have my back.
I can't speak for the rest of the country, but here at CSU, I found my home. And I want you to, too.
If this article sparked some curiosity, I urge you to check out the CSU Fraternity and Sorority Life page here: http://csugreeks.colostate.edu/
As well as the CSU Panhellenic Recruitment page here: http://fsl.colostate.edu/pha-recruitment
