Page 12
Focus
Feb. 7, 200 2
Involvement in Greek life develops longlasting friendships
Crystal Allen
Focus Editor
During the second week of my
freshman year, I was talking with a
sophomore who was going to give
me a ride to a meeting. She didn’t
have a car, but told me she could
borrow one from one of her sisters.
The innocent girl that I was, I
asked, “How many sisters do you
have that go to school here?” I
thought she was from a big Catho
lic family. Later, she became my
big sister where I joined a big fam
ily of Greeks, not Catholics.
I never thought I would join a
sorority. I decided to go through
recruitment because I was a fresh
man and I thought it was the “cool”
thing to do.
I lived in North, and my
hallmates and I primped and
preened in front of the bathroom
mirrors before heading out the door
for formal recruitment.
Hours later, exhausted from
smiling and talking, we would re
convene in my room and talk about
the night.
It was new and exciting but
deep down I wondered what I was
doing. I was still unsure about the
whole thing but figured it was worth
a shot.
As recruitment continued, I
found myself getting more and
more excited about the idea of join
ing a sorority. When Bid Day came,
I marched down to my sorority
house with pride, excitement and
apprehension.
Letters were thrown over my
head and I wore them proudly.
Throughout the new member ori
entation program, the words “re
spect,” “trust” and “sisterhood”
were drilled into my head so often
that I began to mumble them in my
sleep.
I made new friends and re
mained close with my old ones. I
still keep in touch with my “North
Girls,” even though we have gone
our separate ways.
Three years have passed and I
am still active in my sorority. The
novelty of T-shirts and mixers has
worn off a bit, but a much more last
ing impression has been made on
my life.
Through joining a sorority, I
have learned what trust, respect and
sisterhood truly are.
I don’t think I have become a dif
ferent person because I joined a so
rority. If anything, I have become
more open, more accepting and
more tolerant.
I have also learned the arts of
diplomacy and compromise, and I
know now that some things are not
worth fighting for.
I’m not in a sorority for the
formals or the parties. I am in a so
rority because I have met some in
credible people and made lasting
friendships.
Each year I see the sorority grow
when an entire new group of girls
is added into the mix. I remember
how overwhelmed and confused I
felt on Bid Day and can see the
same expression on our new mem
bers’ faces.
My pledge class met after Bid
Day and reminisced. As I looked
at the smiling faces around the
room, I could remember a bright
shining memory of each of them.
Through all of our differences
and misunderstandings a bond has
formed that can not be broken.
We had to spend six weeks of our
lives together when we were pledg
ing, but we wanted to share the
rest.
I know so much about each of
those girls and it is an amazing feel-
for
Eton Community Church Parish House
Wednesday, Feb. 13th from 5:30-7 p.m.
Tickets on sale in Moseley on
February 11,12, and 13
s 0? trroe, st Joor,
^5 for dl faculty.
' i' ^
Photo courtesy of Pi Kappa Phi
Matt Ricer hits a brother with a pie during Pi Kappa Phi and
Alpha Omicron Pi’s annual “Pie in the Face.”
ing to have such a large group of
close friends.
I could not buy friendships such
as these with money; instead, they
were built over time. I had mostly
male friends in high school and
having a large group of girl friends
has been an eye-opening experi
ence.
Sisterhood is not something that
can be explained in words. It is a
sense of closeness and being com
fortable.
Going Greek is a personal and
sometimes difficult decision. I urge
people to give it a chance. I did and
I haven’t regretted it for a minute.
Now if someone asks me how many
sisters I have, I smile and say,
“About 106.”
ISABELLA CANNON CENTRE FOR
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
Show your study abroad experiences
through pictures. You may enter up to
three photos in the folteing categories:
PEOPLE, PLACES, or ASPECTS
OF CULTURE.
. ' '■•'Vt'"
Entries must be 4x6 photos, either color or
black and white and must include a slide or
negative and an application - Available at the
Isabella Cannon Centre for International
Studies - Alamance 109
Pick up an application today! Entries
are due by 5 p.m^ on Friday,
February 15,2002. For more
information contact
Bettina Brown at 278-6700
(
Entries must be from Spring 2001, Fall 2001, or WT 2002.