As you may or may not know, I am not from the US. This means that sororities were a completely foreign concept that I only knew from movies like Legally Blonde. When I moved to the US to start my freshman year I laughed anyone who suggested I rush. I thought sororities were for blonde, blue eyed girls with plans of marrying rich and becoming house wives and since I was none of those things I dismissed it completely.
Fast forward to move out day at the end of freshman year… I had survived my first year at college but I was leaving behind my new home: Birnkrant. This floor had become my safety net and home base. Since I wasn’t going to have that wonderful group of people to go home to every night I began considering rushing. I was still hesitant because I didn’t fit into the stereotype I thought all sorority girls were. Eventually I decided I would rush, because why not? If I hated it or even if I wasn’t totally blown away by the people I met then at least I tried it and attempted to live out the full ~American College Experience~.
The first week of classes I went to all the rush events and was surprised with how different the girls and the houses were to what I imagined. Some houses did look straight out of a magazine and some girls did resemble Serena Van Der Woodsen from Gossip Girl but most the girls I met were cool, down to earth people. So, I stayed. I ended up joining the house I liked the most and a year later here I am.
I really didn’t think I would have ever joined a sorority but it has given me exactly what I was looking for: a home away from home. The Gamma Phi house is now where I go to study, eat or just hang out. I will be living in the house next year and participating in rush from the other side.
Keep up with my #srat adventures on Instagram (@vanepangbourne)
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