This is an article about sorority girls and friendship. But I offer no frills, fabrication, or high-pitched enthusiasm.
What I learned from going through rush at an SEC school is that relationships between college-aged girls are very complex. What matters most to many is not what the average student would perhaps like to say to a crowd of mature, rational adults. College is its own unique society and with that comes conflicting perspectives on what is right and wrong.
This sort of community has the potential to bring out the best or the absolute worst in a person. It can be difficult to maintain a perfect track record of good decision-making as a young adult after being thrown into a world virtually run by adolescents. At times, it can resemble a cruel psychological experiment measuring how naïve students will act when placed in situations that are not indicative of “real life.” Rush and sorority life are perfect examples of this.
Now that all female students involved in Greek Life here at Ole Miss have maneuvered their way through the tedious and sometimes emotionally draining process of rush, nobody should regret where they landed. Regardless of which sorority they had the privilege of joining, the potential is there to find the sort of friends worth searching for.
The stigmatizations and reputations associated with sororities are often incorrect. There are always exceptions to the stereotypes tied to every organization. All new members who have doubts about where they ran to on Bid Day should not allow petty rumors and gossip make them question their new home. They should focus on finding comfort and fulfillment in the people around them because they are now all surrounded by hundreds of women who bring different characteristics and personalities to the table. This new home of theirs is a blessing and will be their safe haven in the unpredictable years to come.
Labor Day weekend, I unfortunately found myself in the Emergency Room on Saturday morning. My friend Katie got up early, rushed me to the hospital, and sat with me even after I puked in front of every patient, visitor, and guest in the hospital. It turned out that I had the privilege of celebrating Labor Day weekend in the hospital with viral meningitis.
However, my nurse was surprised by the overwhelming support of my friends and even went so far as to say, “I didn’t know we were hosting a party tonight!” Despite spending the weekend in room 508 at Baptist Memorial Hospital, I was surrounded by my friends and we certainly made the best of it. They helped me laugh at my situation, which allowed me to forget the pain. It's days like these that make sorority girls thankful for their friends who care more for each other than ordinary friends.
Sorority life is about forming relationships that lift young women up, support them, and make growing up the best time of one’s life. Freshman sorority girls should not burden themselves with image, popularity, and pettiness that are often associated with Rush. They should instead focus on the true joy of deep and lasting friendships.
When it comes to finding that sort of friendship in sororities, this phrase in the Chi Omega Symphony nails it: “to be, in the best sense, democratic rather than ‘exclusive’ and lovable rather than ‘popular.’” The potential for exciting and sincere relationships is evident in every sorority house at Ole Miss, especially if girls approach all of their new sisters in earnest. No façade necessary.
