STORY BY JESSICA SPANGLER
During the majority of my life, my knowledge of sororities was based off of what I saw on television or read in books. Unfortunately, this meant my view on Greek life was inaccurate. Coming into my first year of college, I knew almost nothing about sororities or what they did. I only had a few misconceptions from books and movies.
In a moment of spontaneity, I signed up for sorority recruitment. I had heard it was a great way to meet more people I was curious about what being part of a sorority actually meant. Plus, free T-shirt and free food, so why not sign up?
I was hesitant about pledging since I didn’t see myself as a “typical sorority girl.”
But now that I have gone through recruitment, I can honestly say there is no such thing as a typical sorority girl.
You meet a variety of people during recruitment, women with different passions and unique personalities but with all the same love for their chapter.
While I’m glad I decided to go through recruitment, it’s not easy.
The first night, girls have to trek from house to house, with only a few minutes between each one to rest. Most girls are nervous and excited, and after a few hours, we’re all exhausted. A million thoughts race through your head as you stand outside the first house during those two minutes of silence — will they like me? Will I embarrass myself? Is there anything in my teeth?
After the first house, the nerves slowly start to fade as you start to figure out what to expect and what questions the women are going to ask.
As exhaustion starts to kick in, remembering the first house you stepped foot in feels like it happened days ago and you start slurring your words.
At the end of the night, you make a fairly easy decision, pick four houses that you loved and one that you liked.
The second night is when you can get invited anywhere from one to four houses.
While Sisterhood Night is also long, it’s much easier to get to know the girls in the chapters you get invited back to. Plus you get a cool personal tour of the house.
You start to get to know the girls in your recruitment group better, which seems to make the night go by just a tad quicker. Decisions get much harder, and you’re pretty sure your mouth has never felt dryer. (Seriously, you can’t drink enough water during recruitment.)
A couple of important things to keep in mind while going through the process: Don’t take a hit to your self-esteem because you weren’t invited back to the house(s) you liked. Remember that everything works out for the best. You have to keep some faith in the process. A house you may have liked might not have been the best fit for you, and that’s okay.
My personal favorite is the third day, also known as Preference Day. Having survived through two long nights already, I was more than ready for this. You get invited back to one or two chapters, and this is when you have to make the most difficult decision of the process. There’s something special about Preference Day — you get to see a more personal side of the houses you go back to, and see where you feel the most at home.
There’s too many words to describe the last day, Bid Day — it can be overwhelming but in the best way. You meet so many new people — and then forget their names right after talking to them. But there’s a sense of belonging somewhere.
I felt like my college career is really getting started. As someone who didn’t expect to enjoy the recruitment process as much as I did, I would encourage anyone to go through it. Again, free T-shirt and food!
Meeting new people was one of my favorite aspects of going through recruitment, and it definitely helped me get out of my comfort zone.
