We have all seen it – seniors in the Greek system entering that final year of college and becoming overwhelmed with the new stressors of growing up. They might stop coming to events, some don’t attend exchanges and they find it hard to motivate themselves to make time for the house and the events that come with it.

This is not on purpose. It is a product of the countless job interviews, applications, standardized tests and job fairs seniors need to attend in order to succeed after graduation. We have all seen it, but I do not believe it has to be this way.

When I went through informal recruitment, the current seniors in my house served as role models and are the reason I joined Sigma Kappa. I am so happy to call so many of them my friends and I do not believe I would still be in the sorority if it were not for some of them. Being a senior is an extremely influential position in any Greek house.  

Next year, I will be a senior and I am going to make it my goal to combat this habit. There is so much that can be learned from seniors and the experiences they have been through in the house and I am excited to pass my legacy on to the younger members.

Incoming seniors should also take into consideration how much their lives will change once they graduate. It will no longer be acceptable to dance on the tables, or poles, at Joe's or double fist blue guys at Kams on a Tuesday. This is only acceptable for four years. Why not live it up while we can?

We have one more year to get all the free drinks we can from frat guys. One more year to go out on a Wednesday night and still be able to function the next morning. One more year of barn dances, formals and semi-formals and one more year of late night drunk food runs to Fat Sandwich. I plan on taking full advantage.

It is completely understandable that seniors are extremely busy, but I simply cannot imagine cutting back on my involvement with my house. Seniors are some of the most fun people in a fraternity or sorority and younger members shouldn’t shy away from making connections with them.

I also believe that seniors should work to keep up their involvement and set a positive example for younger members. The passion and love for the house I have noticed from our current seniors is something that keeps me going and keeps me positive about the house. Why shouldn’t every senior strive to make younger members feel this way?

As I sit here and prepare myself for my final year at U of I, I cannot help but think about the kind of legacy I want to leave my chapter. I do not want to become that senior who drops off the face of the earth, leaving their friends behind. Instead, I believe all seniors should strive to stay extremely involved in their houses and set great examples for the younger members. The free drinks don’t hurt, either. So, live it up. You only get four years.