In high school, I never really even knew what a sorority was. I saw movies and social media posts or news stories about them, but I did not even know exactly what it was.
The extent to what I "knew" about sororities and girls involved was that they were just a bunch of "dumb, drunk, and ignorant" people. Their reputation was never something good, and I never really understood why and to this day I still don't.
A lot of the girls who graduated from my high school went on to immediately rush at the college they attended. I heard so many "war" stories about rush and recruitment and how awful it was. I remember everyone talking about how it is basically just a beauty pageant — if you're not pretty AND smart, then don't even bother doing it.
You go through a bunch of rounds of going to different sorority chapters. Members ask you a bunch of questions. You yell so loud you lose your voice. Almost everyone gets sick. At the end of the day, you pick the chapters you like the most, and the chapters pick the girls they like the most.
It doesn't really matter if you like a chapter because if they did not like you, you weren't going back no matter how high you ranked them.
It tore so many girls down. I remember just seeing girls coming back to the dorms crying, discouraged by the outcome.
I am not going to lie, it scared me.
I never had much confidence in myself, so having other girls basically tell me I wasn't good enough to be one of them was not something I was keen on doing. So freshman year I promised myself that no matter what happened, I would never be one of those sorority girls.
Well ladies and gentlemen, how the tables turned. I am currently a part of the Beta Omicron chapter of Delta Delta Delta at Illinois State University. Let me tell you, I love it.
I convinced myself that I hated sororities that I completely swore them off until I transferred schools. One of my good friends from high school, Samantha Ziganto, basically told me just to do it and have fun with it. I never thought I would actually end up at a chapter and like it.
I told myself not to take rush too seriously and convinced myself that I did not want to be there, so if I was not chosen by a chapter I liked, it did not matter to me. Well, I lied to myself. I remember not getting my top chapter back one day and feeling really down about it, but I just kept reminding myself that this did not mean anything to me — I did not really care.
The stakes got higher as my spirits got lower. A lot of girls dropped out of rush because they did not like the chapters they were visiting or did not get their favorite chapters back. I promised myself that I would not drop, but if I ended up getting a bid and I did not want it, I would not accept it.
The last day of recruitment came around - everyone either went to one or two chapters. I got two really great chapters. "What the heck am I even doing here?" I remember thinking the whole time I was talking to girls. "I don't want to be this girl." But, I stuck it out. After all, I said I would try it. If I got a bid and hated it within the first month, I would drop.
Bid day came around, and I was really scared. I don't even remember why, but I think rush completely strips you down and makes you vulnerable, which is the best way to describe it.
I opened my bid envelope to an invitation to become a member of Delta Delta Delta. I was so excited because I loved the girls and honestly, I was just happy that a chapter wanted me and saw something in me that maybe I did not see in myself.
After about a month, I realized I made the right decision. Sororities turned out nothing as they are made out to be.
My sorority is filled with amazing, confident, and strong women, who only want the best for each other and our chapter. My sorority supports, in my opinion, one of the best philanthropies, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
I have found some of my absolute best friends in my sorority, who I would not be able to do anything without.
Sororities are not about looks and parties and being the "dumb blonde." Sororities are about sisterhood, philanthropy, and acceptance. I will never regret deciding to shut up and stick it out when I decided to go through rush after swearing I never would.
