Everyone has something to say about sororities. Either they hate them, love them, or just don't really care. Well, before I came to college I was one of the "I don't really care" people. None of the older women in my family had been in one before me besides my older cousin. Because I didn't know much about them or what they stood for, I just wasn't that interested. However, my mom and dad still thought I should research it and look a little more into it because of the whole networking situation (not to mention all the friends you would make just after getting to college and how it could help the transition).
I was really stressing out about whether or not I wanted to join, and didn’t know who to talk to about it. I decided to ask my cousin, because she was really the only person I was close with who had gone through the process of being in a sorority. Of course she suggested that I join one, but she was also very understanding and tried to see where I was coming from and what my concerns were. All I really “knew” about them was the stereotypes you see in movies and hear about from other people (not the best things). She assured me that it was not like that at all, and suggested I go through formal recruitment in the fall. She explained that going through recruitment you get to visit all the houses and meet girls in each sorority to help you find your perfect fit. She even explained to me that after going through recruitment, if I still felt unsure and didn’t really want to do it I didn’t have to join.
UNREALISTIC:
REALISTIC:
The recruitment process was long and stressful, but also so fun. PNMs (potential new members) were all over campus those two weeks, all dressed in the same assigned attire for that day. I remember being so nervous waiting to go into each house, wondering what they were going to ask me and even more importantly how I was going to answer! At the end of the first day, it was crazy to think that one of the houses I had been to earlier would soon be my sorority, and the girls that I met could possibly be my sisters. The process of narrowing down houses and figuring out which ones I liked and didn’t like seemed crazy to me at first. You had to compare and look at the pros and cons and try to remember the girls you talked to and how you thought the conversations went. You also have to take into consideration if you liked their philanthropy and felt strongly about it and if you could, one day, see yourself living in the house. Now for me, as someone who knew basically nothing about sororities, I was very confused as to how the actual process of who picked you and who you picked worked. It is basically a ranking type of thing. You rank the houses you went to from your favorite to your least favorite, and each sorority has to decide if they want to ask you back again for the next round or not. Everyone that I had talked to about this process assured me that it all worked out the way it was supposed to. Honestly, I did not really know what they meant by that and didn’t really have that much faith in the system. But one of the girls said something that made sense to me. She said, “if you had a good conversation and got along with the girls, they will most likely ask you back and you will most likely rank them higher”. If you think about it that way I think it makes total sense. Why would you want to be asked back to a house where you did not get a long with the girls? Anyway, when it comes time to turn in your top three picks everything gets a little more stressful. This was such a hard decision for me (I even called my mom). I was torn between two that I really loved. I chose the order based on what I thought would benefit me more in the long run.
Bid day comes next. This is a day that every sorority girl looks forward to. There is so much excitement in the air, and everyone can’t wait to unite with their sisters. For bid day this year all the sororities and PNMs gathered at McCracken field waiting to see where they would end up and waiting to welcome their new babies into the sorority. The moment we were finally able to rip open our bids was insane. When you saw who your bid was from you ran to meet up with all the other girls who had received a bid from that same sorority. Then, one-by-one each group got to run to be united with their new sisters! It really was just a giant celebration.
Below is a photo of my two friends and I after receiving our bids on bid day
The next few months you go through a new member period before getting initiated. You learn all about your sorority and you spend time getting to know all the girls. Joining a sorority has already made me so much more involved on campus then I would have been had I not joined. We are always doing things to raise money or help promote for our philanthropy, as well as supporting the other sororities and fraternities with their events. Another thing that I think being in a sorority has helped me with is keeping up my grades and staying focused on my studies. You have to keep a certain GPA and have a certain amount of credit hours to remain an active member. Last but not least, I have met so many new people that I probably wouldn’t have, had I not gone Greek. I am incredibly thankful for the sisterhood and friendships that my sorority has provided me, and can not wait to see what the future holds.
Bottom line, I am SO glad that I went through with it and made the decision to accept my bid and join a sorority.
Peace, Love, and Chi Omega :)
P.S. click HERE for more information about sororities at Ohio University
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