It's Like So Fun: The Real Sorority Deal

*The media rap.* Over the years, Greek life has been hyper-stereotyped and media sensationalized. Picture Elle Woods, president of the superficial Delta Nu as she is followed out the door by a parade of ditsy sorority "cheerleaders." How about Will Ferrell drunkenly streaking through the streets on a fraternity dare? If you're old enough, you might even remember the dorks from Revenge of the Nerds, who founded the ultra-cool Tri-Lams. This geek-fest fiercely battled against the jock fraternity for superiority over their campus. The entertainment industry paints a picture of sororities and fraternities as homogenous groups of people, often with less than normal intelligences and an inclination to constantly party. Picture the girls from "Sorority Life," who sold themselves to MTV to be in the spotlight and bask in their custom-built Jacuzzi and heated pool. Edited and timed to create the ideal audience reaction, this show was meant to dramatize the rush experience. Upon entering college your freshman year, it may be hard to divorce your idea of sorority life from the images you have come to recognize the prissy glitziness or the over-the-top, fake-seeming enthusiasm. Yet, the reality of the sorority experience is most likely much different from these caricatures. So how do you know if joining the Greek scene on your campus is right for you? *Consider what role Greek life plays at your college.* In many places, Greek life is non-existent; on other campuses, there may be groups such as "eating clubs" that act much like sororities and fraternities. The best thing to do is to scope out the Greek scene and ask upperclassmen siblings, friends, or peer leaders about their experiences. There are often rules that freshman girls cannot attend sorority events before the formal recruitment process. Similarly, at some schools, recruiting takes place soon after you arrive at school. In these cases, in order to find out about Greek life, it's a good idea to try out the rush process. *The non-committal clause.* The good thing about rush is that it gives you the chance to meet upperclassmen and girls your own age at the same time as it exposes you to the Greek environment. Also, at every school, rush is noncommittal. It is up to you whether you want to stay in the process for one day or the whole time. Even if you stick it out, you still have no pressure to join. *You've decided to rush. What should you expect?* The word rush may bring to mind keg stands and strippers at fraternity houses. Sorority rush is a much different scene and often there is a requirement that all proceedings must be dry. Unfortunately, there are no set rules. Each sorority on a campus has different ways of choosing their new class. The procedure may even vary between national sororities on different college campuses. This past spring at the University of Pennsylvania, for example, over 300 girls (out of about 1,250) received bids from a total of eight sororities. Over 25% of the university is involved in the Greek community, which exerts a strong presence on the campus. Sororities are known for their date parties and formals as well as their community service and philanthropy initiatives. At this university, the systematic rush process occurs the first week of second semester classes. Each freshman is assigned to a rho chi, or upper-class sorority member. The upperclassmen are not allowed to reveal their sorority but can only provide guidance in the recruitment process. During round one, each freshman travels around with their rho chi group to all eight houses. In each house, they talk to about four girls for seven minutes each. During the next round, sorority sisters perform skits so that the freshman can find out "what they're all about." In the philanthropy round, girls get to do a project that is donated to the sorority's charitable organization of choice. Finally, rushees may be invited to a preference round filled with upperclassmen speeches, sorority songs, and a special ceremony that includes the potentially new sisters of the house. *How much say does a freshman have in the rush process?* At Penn, after each round, the freshmen rank their choices and the sororities rank their own. You are invited back to houses that have rated you similarly. Each round gets more challenging because you have to be further up on a sorority's list to make the cut. It seems unfair to judge girls on seven minute conversations. Some great girls truly do not make good first impressions, get overly nervous, or simply get overlooked. On the other hand, if you focus on being yourself and really click with a group of girls, you will often be able to receive your top choices. *Choosing the right sorority for you.* Unfortunately, the differences between sororities are not as clear cut as the groups in a typical Saved by the Bell episode. There may be jocks, geeks, and cheerleader types in every sorority. Often, however, you get a feel for a group of girls. You get to know the personality, social habits, and extracurricular interests of many people in a house. This will help you to better ascertain the right choice for you. The rush process can be overwhelming and intimidating. On the other hand, it can be an exciting and fun way to try on different sororities for size and find out if one fits right for you. If not, move on Elle Woods, you're going non-Greek. delicious | digg | technorati
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