Greek Life in college. Sorority row, toga parties and a whole lot of stories of crazy nights you can barely remember- or at least that's how the media portrays it, right? So if it's not all fun and games like in the movies, then what is it really? To be honest it's kind of like that old Disney show Bug Juice from the 90s- except summer camp never ends.
In high school, the prospect of joining a sorority, seemed pointless to me. I already had an older sister and a few close friends I considered sisters- why did I need 50+ more? Plus, I didn't really come from a long line of greeks in my family. I also absolutely DESPISED the idea of having pink, Lily Pulitzer monogrammed everything (I hate the color pink with a fiery passion). To be honest, I just never got the hype. So while all my friends were planning for rush week, I was planning on chilling out and eating gummy bears in my dorm. It wasn't until I actually got to college that I realized it might be kind of fun to be a part of something more. So I decided to rush.
So far I'd say its been an amazing experience. When I met my sisters for the first time, I realized being greek wasn't all pink, or girly, or 98% of what I saw. They were real 24/7 and made it clear to me that I didn't have to fit some cookie cutter, plastic Malibu College Barbie mold. I've been a Sunnie for almost a year now, and I think that it's making me part of something bigger than myself. I guess that's what it's really all about. The early morning Starbucks runs before service events, the late night crying sessions and rants about home life, the birthdays, the breakups, good advice, bad advice that turned into fun stories... the good and the bad. All of it, I wouldn't change for the world. My line jacket is pretty sweet too. Through it all, las ellas estàn todos mis hermanas. That's Spanish for, 'they are all my sisters.' And it's true. Every single girl in this picture I have come to have so much love for. And I know they all feel the same for me.
Sure, my chapter may not roll 40-50 girls deep... but I've come to see it's not the amount of sisters - but girls with common goals coming together to bond and be part of the bigger picture. Sigma Omega Nu has helped me envision that bigger picture.
If I had advice for people considering going greek, I'd say to think of it as your own endless summer- full of possibilities if you let it be. My endless summer is one of endless SONshine.
What was your Greek experience like? Be sure to comment!