Yesterday, hundreds of new members joined our Greek organizations on campus. While most, hopefully, were happy with the bid they received on Sunday, some may still be wondering if joining a sorority is right for them. While I cannot speak to everyone's experience, I hope by sharing why I have remained in Greek life might help you.
More than #WhyIWentGreekTufts
Leading up to recruitment, you might have seen posts across social media with #WhyIWentGreekTufts. These hashtags were accompanied by short testimonials on why someone decided to go through sorority recruitment.
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While deciding to join a sorority is a big decision, the next important conversation to have is why someone remains Greek throughout their years at Tufts and beyond.
It's a process
And Bid Day is only the beginning. After I received my bid two years ago, I remember feeling excited yet also a bit scared. On Bid Day, there was a lot of screaming and shouting. Since I have a calm temperament, I was not ready for the loads of energy.
At least from the sorority, or Panhellenic side, as we call it, recruitment is a weird time. During the week of recruitment, you essentially repeat your first week of college all over again. You introduce yourself to countless people, learn a countless number of names and the introduction phase becomes a routine. After being in a sorority for two years, I can confidently say recruitment is only a glimpse into Greek life.
It's an investment
When you join a sorority, you go through New Member Period. This typically ranges from six to eight weeks when you get to know more about your chapter and new member class. At the end of this period, you'll have your initiation, when you become an official sister of the chapter...and then you'll be asked to pay dues.
I personally finance my involvement in my chapter. My mom wasn't (read: isn't) too keen on me being in Greek life. She also is part of the reason why each time I pay dues, it brings up the internal dialogue in my head on why I want to stay Greek.
The way I rationalize in my head why I spend hundreds of dollars each year is that I am making an investment. I am investing in my college career. I am investing in an alumnae network of thousands of other women in my organization, and millions of other women who have gone Greek. More importantly, I am investing in my personal development and growing my positive experiences at school.
You gain a new support system
I remember when I went through recruitment in the spring of my first year, one of my Rho Gammas—recruitment counselors—gave in my mind one of the best explanations of Greek life. You can think of Greek life as just another club on campus. Except that unlike a sports team or debate club where you all have in common that you play the same sport or are involved in the same activity, the one thing you have in common with all the members of your sorority is you all are there because you want to support each other. You want to be there as their friends, as their resources, as their pizza-eating buddy.
You don't realize you're building this system of support right away. At least for me, it wasn't until a semester and a half of being in my sorority that I realized I had this great support system with the members in my chapter.
The fall semester of my sophomore year was rough, to say the least. I was going through a lot, personally, and that sophomore slump was feeling very real to me. On top of that, I was living in a very hostile environment.
I knew I wanted to do something, anything, to make my spring semester and moving forward better. I thought the best way to make a positive change for myself would be to move out of my dorm on campus. The question then became—where do I go?
Fortunately, there happened to be a housing spot open in my sorority house for the spring semester. I leaped at the opportunity to live there.
After it was confirmed that I would be moving into my sorority house in the spring, I felt so much lighter. I knew I would be surrounding myself with a group of women who just wanted to support me. For the first time in college, I felt safe and comfortable. That's all I could ask for.
What you put into it, you'll get out of it
Just as in all other relationships in life, the more you put into something, the more you'll get out of it. This can mean taking advantage of the leadership opportunities in Greek life. This can also mean just taking the time to know the names and lived experiences of all the 100-some members of your chapter (or as many as possible).
I am pretty heavily involved in Greek life. In my chapter, I am on the executive board, and within the Panhellenic community, I serve on the Panhellenic Council as the Head Rho Gamma. I am also a leader in other organizations and clubs as well, outside of Greek life. The awesome thing is that so are the other members of the Greek community. By building relationships in one organization, I form better connections in others. Also, it's really nice when you walk around on campus and are able to say hi and have conversations with hundreds of people from you chapter and the greater Greek community.
Trust your instinct
While I love being Greek, I recognize that Greek life is not for everyone. I could write even more on why I've stayed Greek. You could even hear from many of the hundreds of women in the Greek community on their experiences. Ultimately, my decision to stay Greek was because I continually realize how much I gain from being in this community. It's been a way I've made Tufts feel more like home.
After some time, only you will know if staying Greek is right for you. If you're struggling with whether to stay Greek, my best recommendation to you is to keep an open mind. Give it a shot, and you might just hit the bulls-eye.
