Rushing a sorority.
As I entered college, I was unbelievably excited to rush a sorority. My mom was in a sorority and absolutely loved it. My god-mothers are two of her sorority sisters, so needless to say, her sorority experience was extremely impactful. Because she had such an incredible experience within the Greek system, I sought to create my own. While I wanted to rush, I had no idea what sororities even existed on Cal Poly’s campus. I didn’t realize how rush is different at a school such as Cal Poly where Greek life makes up about 18% of the student population, vs. a southern school, for example, where Greek life is much more prominent. I was unaware of basically everything regarding sororities except for the fact that I knew wanted to rush one. As I’ve joined a sorority and become more involved in Greek life, I have become more aware of the stigmas and stereotypes regarding Greek life and sororities specifically. Sororities and “sorority girls” in general are stereotyped a lot, and specific, larger national sororities are targeted individually. We all receive a lot of pretty unfair assumptions about our morals, authenticity, and priorities. Whether you decide to rush or not, it is important to remember that within a sorority are individual girls, with individual stories, and individual hearts. There will always be not so nice people everywhere you go, in every club you join, in any school you go to. Groups are simply easy to target. If one knows a "not so nice girl" in a sorority, they are more likely to label that sorority accordingly, especially if they are not involved in Greek life. However, this article isn’t about these stereotypes or how to combat them. Combating them will come by disregarding them, being your own true self, and continuing to spread positive change within the community. This article is about if rushing is worth it. Should you rush a sorority? The short answer is yes. The slightly longer answer is absolutely yes. The longer answer is this… You should only rush a sorority if you are going to go into it without prior judgements and with an open mind. Every sorority is going to have its own reputation because most girls that are invited to join are going to have similar values. However, if you choose a sorority based off of the reputation you think a sorority has based off of what other people have told you, you are preventing yourself from making your own decision based off of who you have the most genuine conversations with. Once you move past any initial assumptions, the facade that you’ve created in your head will begin to fade, and that is when real connections are made. Very specifically laid out, you should join a sorority because…
While these 10 reasons are extremely compelling, (hehe) and there are so many more not listed, I also think it is important to address a big reason why people tell others not to rush: “because by rushing you are merely buying your friends.” I can contest that yes, a reason I joined my sorority is because I wanted an opportunity to meet more girls whose values aligned with mine. However, I did not pay for my friends. I paid to be a part of an organization that makes positive change through philanthropy, sisterhood events, and so much more. I am helping provide funds for these events and opportunities to create this change. Just because you are in a sorority does not guarantee lifelong friends. If you act meanly towards your sisters, chances are they will not want to surround themselves with you, as would any girl not in a sorority. Just because you join a group of girls in a sorority does not mean that you lose your identity. It is up to you to make those friends for yourself by being kind and open. Being in a sorority brings you together with a ton of girls who are both different and just like you! It provides opportunity for friendship. Sororities are “worth it” if you take these opportunities and run with them. I am proud to be a sorority girl. I value deep connections, laughter, honesty, and sisterhood. Rushing can be intimidating for sure. However, when you know you are in the right place, the shoes you’re wearing and how you look truly won’t matter to you anymore. You will be too lost in amazing conversations with your future sisters to care:)
1 Comment
12/25/2019 05:40:09 am
Rushing into a decision is never great, that is my opinion. I think that people need to understand that rushing a decision is not a good idea. When you just make a decision without thinking of other elements, it is just dumb. I love that we are talking about this topic, because not a lot of people want to. I think that those who just go with the flow are losers, and I just do not find them smart, man.
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AuthorMy name is Gabriella. Join me on my health and wellness journey as I discover foods that not only please my taste buds but my stomach as well! Archives
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