[TweedleDee199]

I was one of the only women in my freshman dorm to go through recruitment, and I would say that the majority of my hallmates had a negative view of Greek life. I knew that most of them would make phenomenal members, so when COB came around I brought the subject up with them. Being members of the honors program, other service groups, sports teams, etc. they already had opportunities for campus involvement. What tipped the scale was going through a full term of school and realizing that so few things in college were stable. You'll change your major, breakup up with boyfriends, and lose track of your friends from home, but a sorority offers a solid foundation to go through all of those changes on. They heard this from listening to me and women talk about our relationships with our sisters and chapter traditions, and they saw it first hand when they started coming over to the house with me. 3 years later those women are among the most respected in our chapter-a philanthropy chair, a new member educator, and a financial vice president. They represent a large group of members in our chapter, women who were initially wary of recruitment. Ultimately, their refusal to associate themselves with those stereotypes and high standards of what the chapter should be has made them invaluable members. I would say more than anything else that talking about the safe space that Gamma Phi Beta has afforded me to make mistakes and grow into an adult is what has been most effective in winning over hesitant PNMs.