This weekend, I was presented as a member of my sorority. I decided to rush this year because I really wanted to get involved with something outside of engineering that offered a wide variety of opportunities- from leadership to social to community service. I felt that the Greek community offered all of these things and so far I haven’t been disappointed.
I could probably talk for days about why I love being greek, but I’m going to narrow it down to my top 5 favorite reasons.
5. Brunch. Sorority brunch is unquestionably the greatest part of my week. The food is fantastic and we are allowed to invite anyone to come, so there are always a ton of people to catch up with. In general the food at the house is a favorite, but brunch is always the best.
4. Invites! Basically the same thing as a school dance but with the sorority, everyone asks a date and goes to a venue in Los Angeles. Our first invite was Disco Phi-Ver themed, and it was really fun to dress up and have a good time with great friends. I’m already super excited for our next one, which is more of a formal event.
My roommate and I at Disco Phi-Ver!
Some of the girls!
3. Having a big. Every new member gets a big sis who is someone older to talk to, help you get acclimated to the sorority, and be a mentor and a friend. My big and I were meant to be when we met during rush, and I love her already. It’s a big surprise who our bigs are, and for a week they surprise us every day with candy and snacks and gear and then there is a huge reveal where we find out who our big is. We all got matching socks as our big and they were standing behind a sheet and then they dropped it at the same time. Then we all went to sky high, a place with rooms and rooms of all trampolines and celebrated. Our bigs also initiated us into the sorority and presented us as members during parents weekend.
My entire lineage!
Sky High! So many trampolines!
My Big and I at Presents
2. Philanthropies. I’ve always been really involved in community service and giving back, and there are so many opportunities through Greek life. The big things are through philanthropy events, where all the sororities compete in a sport and the fraternities raise money for a cause by selling shirts and other items. Also, some greek organizations host events on campus for the community. A few weeks ago there was a carnival on campus and local schools came and played games, went on rides, and played sports. Finally, our sororities fall philanthropy, Red Dress Gala, happened this last weekend. Our philanthropy efforts go towards the American Heart Association, and we had a huge event at the Radisson hotel where we auctioned off baskets and raised thousands of dollars for this cause. It was a lot of fun and a great way to give to a very worthwhile cause.
Red Dress Gala 2012
1. Meeting new people. My favorite part of being Greek is all the new people I’ve had the opportunity to meet. There are so many opportunities to network and form really close bonds with people that I might not have gotten the opportunity to know otherwise. I can already tell that these are going to be some of my best friends, and I can’t wait to get to know everyone even better.
Going Greek is definitely not for everyone, but it’s something I have fallen in love with and wouldn’t trade for the world. I love being a part of something so steeped in tradition and something so outside what I’m used to.
