Are you interested in joining a Panhellenic sorority at Vanderbilt? Do you know what "Panhellenic" is? Do you even know what a sorority is? Why do you really want to join?
All of the Potential New Members (PNMs) at Vanderbilt probably can't answer these questions, yet they flock to all of the recruitment meetings, speak endlessly about XYZ sorority that they definitely know they're for sure going to join, and chase after sorority members. Then, on the other end of the spectrum, there are those who know without a shadow of a doubt that Greek Life is the devil because Sarah from down the hall knows a girl in a sorority who gave her a funny look or know there's definitely no way I'd ever fit into a sorority because I don't like to drink and rage all the time.
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But here's a secret: If you have never been in a sorority, you do not know what it is truly about. If you are not a member of that chapter, you do not know who they are. You can't make judgements unless you experience it on your own. Just because your [mom/sister/aunt/cousin] loves XYZ at [this university's] chapter, doesn't mean that XYZ at Vanderbilt is anywhere near the same. Just because [Sarah from down the hall] doesn't like XYZ, doesn't mean you won't. This isn't a beauty contest. Let's stop talking about chapters like we would talk about handbags or pretty clothes.
Joining a chapter isn't like stepping into a cute outfit. It isn't fleeting. You shouldn't be going for what looks the prettiest or sparkles the brightest. You should be looking for a place to call home and women to call family. I don't know that a lot of women realize that joining a sorority is joining for life. It isn't a fad or phase of your life, it's a lifelong commitment.
It is a commitment to being a professional woman, a loving friend, and a kind and complete individual. We do more than rage on Thursday nights (tangent: a lot of women actually don't drinkin sororities). We serve the community in the spirit of philanthropy and we help each other in the spirit of friendship. I know this sounds fake and kind of like a speech a Panhellenic officer (*cough* me) would give freshmen parents -- and in fact I am sure a lot of people signed up for sororities that don't internalize this -- but these are the principles that we were founded on.
Let's get back to our roots. Let's remember why we joined. If you're a freshman/upperclassman/transfer PNM, please give this at least one more second of thought before you register for recruitment. Recruitment is your own journey. Don't judge, don't compare, and definitely don't compete. It is not a race; it is not a beauty pageant. At the end of the day, you are signing up for a chapter for life, so you better make damn sure it is the place you want to be.
