Something Was Missing

I go to a school with a very big greek-life (sorority) system and I knew nothing about it when I first got here. My first semester here started out great: I had all the freedom in the world and met so many new friends, but by the end of the semester I was bored. Once the snow hit, nobody wanted to go out anymore and the weekends were dull. As well -- and maybe this will be surprising -- I found that it was a lot harder to get down to the work that needed to be done for classes. In previous years, I'd always done Division 1 Track, but now I'd decided that it just wasn't what made me happy. I knew that without track I would have tons of time on my hands.

I needed a way of not wasting my days away sleeping and eating, and a way to meet more people on campus without having to take the bus or tramp long distances through the snow and slush.

Over Christmas break I did some research on transferring schools - I found a few and I had the applications ready to go. I returned for the spring semester, still strongly considering transferring when all the girls in my classes were obsessing over Rush, the sorority recruitment process. I knew nothing about sororities and the thought of joining one never crossed my mind.

So one day, a girl in my Bio class was telling me all about Rush, and convinced me to just do Rush; even if I didn’t join a sorority it would be a great experience alone. So I registered and went through Rush and I ended up getting a bid to my first choice house. I stuck with it and pledged for the six weeks. The whole idea of pledging made me very hesitant to join a sorority, but during Rush, I was sure to ask each house about the process, and if it was anything like what you would see in the movies. They all assured me that it is nothing like that, and I soon learned that they were right. Contrary to popular belief, I didn’t have alcohol shoved down my throat, or frat guys circling me, ready to pounce.

The first day of Rush was completely overwhelming. Going to every house on campus and having to talk to so many girls was the hardest thing I had ever done. But in a way there was something exciting about it, seeing how there was something different about each house and thinking that I could soon possibly be a part of one of these sisterhoods. Every day of Rush was bitter sweet but I always looked forward to the next day and finding out if I was getting closer to where I wanted to be.

Bid day was definitely one of the best days of my college experience. I knew that my life was about to completely change. It was a very fun, and at times draining, process. Pledging was like taking one or two extra classes but it was a very good teacher for time management.

I'm so happy I decided to quit track and to Rush because it really opened my eyes to college. The weekends are no longer dull, I couldn’t ask for better friends, and I know that I have many many shoulders waiting for me to cry on if I’ve had a bad day. I participate in way more community service. I have close bonds with over a hundred girls in my sorority. I'm constantly meeting new people. And I have a place that I can call home while away from home.

I encourage every one to at least try Rush; you learn a lot during the process, and you can see for yourself if it is for you or not for you. Each house is different, so there is a variety of options for you to fit into, and if it’s not something that’s for you, you will know.