This article is for the girls who are nervous about recruitment. It's for the girls who are still unsure if being in a sorority is for them. It's for the girls who are simply trying to find their place in college. Whether you're a legacy and have your heart set on a house or you're still contemplating going greek at all, I hope this article makes you see why being a part of a sisterhood may just be exactly what you need.
It was freshman year and hundreds of girls were buzzing around the interest meeting with excitement and hopefulness. They eagerly listened to the Rho Gammas and Panhel hype up everyone as I scanned the booklet they gave us, looking for something to maybe, possibly, hopefully connect with. Nothing. The energy in the room was high and and I didn't fit in. I teared up knowing that I'd built up these organizations and now I had no idea where to go from here in order to make college feel more like home.
Back at my dorm, I told my roommate that I don't think I'm going to go through recruitment. She asked me if I even know what a sorority is. I told her the vague idea of what I'd seen at the meeting, but clearly I didn't understand it. She went on to tell me what I had to look forward to. A sisterhood that holds the same values and ideals as me and a group of women that supports, encourages and pushes you to be the best possible person you can be. Without that talk, I wouldn't be typing this article now.
Recruitment began the next week and it was discouraging. I was dropped from all but two houses after the first round and it left me questioning what I did wrong. But every sorority is looking for something in a PNM and I needed to learn quickly that I wasn't it. Come bid day, I was welcomed into the Epsilon Nu chapter of Delta Gamma. Even after this night and an entire year of finding my place in this group of women, I began to see that this was exactly the place that I was meant to be.
Whether it's getting my weird and wonderful big and finding my family within 200 women, gaining two littles that I strive to be a good role model for or achieving a leadership position that helped me grow as a person, this sorority has taught me more than I could have ever imagined at that first interest meeting. I found where I was meant to be and I am completely and utterly happy with who this group has transformed me into.
Your story may not be the same as mine. You may have your mouse still hovering over that submit button on the application, you may want to drop out of recruitment in the middle once your favorite house drops you or you may want to leave once you become a part of a sorority you didn't see yourself in. But give it a chance.
It took me a while to find my place and to find girls that I truly connected with. After sophomore year even, I considered transferring, because even then, I struggled to see the good parts of Delta Gamma. However, I agreed to give it another year focus on making it the best possible year that I could make it - and it changed everything. I wish I'd done that during my recruitment process.
So to all the PNMs who are about to go greek and attempt to find their home away from home, make the most of it. Go to the meeting with an open mind. Attend the parties hopeful and feeling good about yourself. Pick yourself up if your favorite house drops you and be confident that things will work out exactly how they're supposed to. And know that whoever welcomes you into their sisterhood on Bid Day saw you to be an amazing new addition to their chapter and the new member that they strived to find.
Recruitment can be scary, but what you get out of it is much more than you even realize right now. Whether it's Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, Alpha Delta Pi or another group of women looking to find the future of their chapter, I completely believe that making this decision to become a sister of a sorority in these upcoming weeks can be the best decision you will ever make.
