With bid day now behind us and the long days of sorority recruitment finally coming to a close, over 600 girls at ECU will be finding themselves in their new member period at their new found home.
Of course I can’t speak for all sororities about how the new member process goes, but I think there are a few staple guidelines and things to remember that are pretty general.
1) You
don’t have to give up your other friends for your new sisters.
It is okay to have friends who aren’t apart
of Greek life and it’s okay to have friends that are in other sororities. I
know personally I had a lot of friends from my dorm freshman year and I had a
really hard time choosing who to hang out with and go out with on weekends.
Find a balance between both. You can never have too many friends.
2)
Get
involved!
As a new member it’s important to try and get
involved. If there is an intramural game, go to it. If there is a Greek
speaker, go to that too. It doesn’t matter if your best friend or the only
girl you know in the sorority isn’t going, you should go. You’ll meet more
people that way. Get involved in as many things as you can.
Everyone went through the same member process you did but it’s important to know your place. Respect the girls in the pledge classes above you. Don’t be afraid of them. We are just as excited to get to know you, as you are to get to know us but it’s important to remember your place. Sit back and learn how everything works. Ask questions and be interested, but try not to overstep boundaries.
4. Always keep in mind how you are presenting yourself.
You are now apart of something bigger than yourself and now share a bond with over 100 girls. Be careful what you put on social media. The pictures you post and the things you tweet not only speak volumes about you as a person but also now about every one of your sisters. If you would be embarrassed to see one of your sisters post something, don’t post it yourself.
5. Stick
together.
The people in your pledge class will become
your closet friends. It’s just as important, if not more important, to get to
know all of them. Try to avoid cliques and always include everyone.
As a new member I was extremely shy. Everyone always said to invite yourself to everything, and I understand that that sometimes can be awkward. Just remember that everyone in your sorority is there for a reason and you all share a common bond. Your sisters are there for you and they want you to feel comfortable and come around.