The end of July means that our summers are coming to a close soon and it's nearly time to pack our moving boxes again and get settled into our dorm rooms once more. Fall means new classes, new textbooks, and a new slate. You know what else fall means? Recruitment.
While I will be the first to shout from the rooftops that I always knew Greek life was for me, I'm here to talk to those of you who may be on the fence- or even those of you who have no idea what being Greek even means. If you give me just a moment of your time, I think I may be able to persuade you, if not give you a new take on Greek life.
When you think Greek, what do you think? Are you thinking girls in baggy tee's with nike shorts, letters stickered to cars, and copious amounts of time spent sipping Starbucks? While this does happen, and I've even partaken in all of these things, this is just a small fraction of what Greek life really is. Being Greek is really more than letters. Being Greek is life-changing. Not just your life, but the lives of others.
Being Greek is volunteering in your community, lending a helping hand, or even just sending some words of encouragement. Being Greek is never being alone. It's having a friend to go to for advice, being somebody else's cheerleader, and being apart of a community. Being Greek is redefining yourself. I went into my chapter as a shy freshman, unable to really strike conversations with anyone who I hadn't known for my entire life. A year later I'm bold enough to introduce myself to and start conversations with other Greeks, people I sit by in class, and *gasp* even professors (and they can be the scariest of them all). Being a Greek is being a leader. Never in my life did I think I would want to be a spearhead of anything, but here I am as a college sophomore having just completed the duties of my chapter position and diving head first into acting as Rho Gamma for my university's Panhellenic recruitment.
If you've ever wanted to belong to a strong community, help others, or lead, being Greek might be the thing for you. Do you want my advice? Talk to a Rho Gamma, go to your college's info night for recruitment, ask questions. Whatever route you take, don't just dismiss Greek life. If you don't think it's for you, do you really know for certain that it's not? What is the worst thing that could come from talking to someone about joining Greek life? The way I see it, you'll either re-affirm what you think, or you'll have a completely different view on it and actually take the plunge to sign up for recruitment.
Now, here's my challenge to you: think about Greek life. Think about it while you're stuck in traffic, while you're getting your nails done, while you're singing in the shower. Just think about it. Toss the idea around a few times in your head. Picture it. See if you can imagine yourself a leader, a sister, a voice for change. When you have that image, when you catch a glimpse of it, watch this video:
Give the thought of Greek life 3 minutes. Who knows, in 180 seconds you could be ready to change your life.
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LMJ
