Prior to my first welcome week at MSU, I had gone my entire life without being exposed to the alternative lifestyles offered by Greek life. Post-high school graduation, the only Greek letters I knew were the ones I remembered from my 12th grade calculus class. I knew nothing of Vera Bradley and her floral prints, and the only time I used the word “rush” was to describe an upcoming deadline.
Within my first week as an incoming freshman, I got my first lesson in Greek life.
My roommates had spent all day in front of the mirror, gussying up for fall recruitment. Upon their return, they wordlessly collapsed into bed and breathed a collective sigh of contempt. They described their experience as stressful and intimidating — to them, the Greek world was full of rules and secret behavior. One wrong move, and you were “done for.”
This scared me out of ever wanting to be a part of the recruitment process — that is, until this year. To those who don’t understand it, it’s seen as a shallow, booze-filled hierarchy of college life. But to some of my closest friends, it has fulfilled their college experience in a way nothing else has.
I decided to participate in spring recruitment because of the experiences of two close friends. They couldn’t come from more opposite lifestyles, and both completely fell in love with their sororities before even receiving bids. They’ve made some of their strongest friendships with their sisters, and they always have fun stories to tell.
If a particular sorority is right for you, I’ve been told, you know within moments of speaking to girls in the house. I entered the house the week of spring rush wearing my Sunday best and a smile, looking for the “moment” I’d heard so much about.
After two days of waiting and worrying, the spark never came. I’d had great conversations with all the girls I’d met, and as a hater of small talk, I was impressed with how little of it I was met with. But when I went to sleep at night after the meetings, I did not feel excited to find out my fate; I felt anxious, and eventually indifferent.
What I took from the experience is this: sororities can be a positive change in a person’s life, but it’s not right for everyone.
I learned there is more to people in Greek life than people choose to see. They’re some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet, and as a self-proclaimed human critic, I’ve found many of them to be genuine, loving people. Many balance work, school and other clubs with Greek life, unlike the slackers people seem to deem them as. Lastly, personal lives aside, finding work can depend on interpersonal connections and networking — the Greek community can provide just that.
I walked away knowing I never would place Greek members into the same cookie cutter existence again. Amid the glitter-splattered T-shirts, semi-formals and dozens of smiles, there’s a home. If it’s the right fit, you’ll know it.
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