Why???

DST4A00 · #1 05-26-2005, 02:44 PM

did you decide to be greek? I don't know if this was ever asked here. I really only go to my sorority's forum but I wanted to get another perspective.

KSigkid · #2 05-26-2005, 03:30 PM

I joined for a couple of reasons. My mother had been in a local sorority in college, my uncle had joined Zeta Psi while in school, and they both spoke well in terms of their Greek experience. When I went to school, I already had it in my mind that going Greek would probably be something to explore.

When I came in freshman year I looked around at the Greek orgs and Kappa Sig was the best fit. I went to rush events, thought the guys were great, and ended up sticking with the K-Sigs.

Intense1920 · #3 05-26-2005, 04:26 PM

Could have sworn I started a post in here earlier

But anyway, welcome back DST4A00.

To answer your question, I had no intention of being part of a Greek org when I got to college. But I was influenced by a few close friends and shown that Greek life was nothing like my previous thoughts. I watched and like what I saw and the rest is history.

hoosier · #4 05-26-2005, 06:12 PM

I wanted to go to parties, and I got a little scholarship which covered the costs.

LoggerTheta · #5 05-26-2005, 10:10 PM

In high school, I had my group of friends. I was THE BIGGEST band geek at my school, and I hung out every day after school etc. Well, when I got to college I didn't have a group, or anything to dedicate my time to. With band I could master something; I could get really good at something, and in college, I didn't have that sort of thing, so I decided to do formal rush (at my school we do it in Spring). I ended up joining Theta, and I found the family that I wanted, and the outlet for self betterment. It's perfect.

greeneyedDPhiE · #6 05-26-2005, 11:48 PM

It was somewhat of a tradition in my family. Every woman in my family has been Greek. While there was no real pressure and I know it would have been okay if I had decided not to join a sorority, I've grown up not only with my mom and aunts being sorority women, but I also grew up around their friends who were their sorority sisters and so on.

Growing up in that environment, I grew up to admire those women and when I went to college I knew I wanted to find the kind of women that my kids would one day come to know and grow to admire as well. I went through Spring Recruitment and found my home at DPhiE, a sorority not represented amongst my family.

It's been one of the best decisions of my life and one of the greatest parts is being able to share my experience not only with my mom, but my aunts and all their friends as well. I realize this is kind of long so my apologies, but I guess thats the reason I went Greek.

AOIIalum · #7 05-27-2005, 07:47 AM

I attended my whole family's (father, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) alma mater under extreme protest. Luckily, there were sororities there so the first thing I did was go through rush. I always wanted to join a sorority, and coming from a small all-girl school I thought the sorority environment would be a good way to help me adjust to college life. It worked out well for me, and I've remained involved since my college days. It wasn't always easy, but definitely worth it.

FSUZeta · #8 05-27-2005, 08:19 AM

older relatives were members of sororities, and i loved listening to their stories. they seemed to have so much fun, and felt that it enhanced their college life. i also wanted to be able to make the large campus a little smaller.i went thru fall recruitment and joined zta. joining a sorority was(and still is) a good thing for me for many reasons, but one i had not anticipated was that my dorm roommate and i did not get along very well, and i was able to basically move in to the sorority house(unofficially) my freshman year to avoid the difficult situations with the dorm roommate.

UlChiOCutie26 · #9 05-27-2005, 08:55 AM

I had a ton of cousins in Chi O, my Mom was an Alpha Gam and encouraged me to atleast rush. I did, and joined Chi O. Going greek was the best decision I made in college. I have had a chance to meet so many influential people. I am so glad I decided to join when a bid was extended!

DeltAlum · #10 05-27-2005, 09:18 AM

Somebody invited me to. I had no intention whatsoever.

Patton224 · #11 05-27-2005, 02:11 PM

For me it was a simple choice. I had just left the military and moved to Tennesee where I knew no one. I was a 24 year old freshman and not living on campus so it was hard for me to fit in and feel comfortable.

The brotherhood I gave up in the military, I was sure I could find in greek life. I had friends and family that went greek in college and i wanted to share in the memories and stories they had.

Going greek was an easy choice for me, the hardest part was narrowing it down because all the fraternities I talked to had such great vibes and brought so much to campus, but went with my heart and head and chose TKE.

flirt5721 · #12 05-27-2005, 02:38 PM

I joined because my freshman year I really didn't know anyone and also because of my major which is mostly guys. I wanted to make friends that were girls. Alpha Xi Delta was the place for me.

Senusret I · #13 05-27-2005, 02:40 PM

Two reasons:

1) My mother and vast majority of my teachers were Greek. It wasn't so much the college aspect, but the fact that these people has "sisters" and "brothers" everywhere in the world. I also noticed that I was treated more favorably when teachers knew that my mom was their soror. (Not like better grades, but the mean teachers were nice to me all of a sudden, lol)

2) As I got older and more toward college age, I had a certain emptiness that I knew college could fill. I wanted to be around more people who thought like I did, people I could look up to but also be equals with. In my high school, sure I had friends, but we all had different destinies. I needed more people like ME to be around.

I always knew I would pursue membership in an NPHC fraternity, but it took years of research and observation to decide which one was truly the right fit. I had no men in my immediate family to push me in a certain direction, so I honestly gave them all a hard look. (As well as some non-NPHC orgs, too!)

Alpha Phi Omega came as a pleasant surprise. There came a point in my college career where APO was "calling" me. I was active in several activities, and it seemed like no matter where I turned, people were "coming out" as APO Brothers. And they were all SOOOOOO different, yet they all loved each other. I mean LOVED, like seriously, I saw crap loads of brotherhood among the APO's I met. And the more I met, the more impressed I was.

Now, I was somewhat conflicted...I knew I wanted to be in an NPHC fraternity, but here was APO -- right there on campus with some of the best and brightest and friendliest my school had to offer. Lots of service, lots of fellowship. I was "scurred" but I gave it a shot. Now, here I am with six years of Brotherhood under my belt.

And of course, I became an Alpha in Spring 2003, two years ago.

I am very proud of both of my choices and I will love them both until I die. I need them both in my life in very different ways...there's no way I could compare or choose between the two.

Anyway, that was probably a lot more info than anyone asked for, LOL.

AChiOAlumna · #14 05-27-2005, 04:04 PM

During my freshman and sophomore years I attended a smaller campus and met many people without the need of a Greek system.

In my junior year, I transferred to another school which had over 400% more students. I felt lost and overwhelmed. I joined the Greek system in hopes of meeting people and finding my "niche".

blueangel · #15 05-27-2005, 05:20 PM

Warning: Long post!

Being from the north, I knew nothing about sororities or fraternities. None of my family had ever been in one, and literally nobody I knew had any relatives who were Greek. I was totally unfamiliar with the concept.

In fact, when I was moving in to the dorms at the University of Florida, I remember seeing a pillow on my new roommate's bed before she arrived and asking someone-- what does that "upside down V" X and A stand for? Turns out she was a little sister at Lambda Chi Alpha!

I had a gang of friends in the dorms, and wasn't interested in rushing. I didn't even know what rush meant. I was too busy with my school work, my dorm buddies-- and training and competing in my sport.

A friend asked me to go through rush with her, so, reluctantly I said yes to keep her company. I have to admit, I was a little bit curious to see what all the fuss was about. Much to my surprise, I was VERY impressed with what I saw and heard.

So here I was, a Yankee in an SEC school with no clue. I had no recs, no nothing. I just chatted at the rush parties and enjoyed meeting everyone. Of course I did some stupid things-- like-- when there was a lull in the conversation at one house, I asked a sister what one of the symbols on the shield meant. OOOPS! Hey... I didn't know those things were secret.. and I was just being friendly!

When I walked in to the Zeta house, I knew I was home. I just loved it! I loved the girls and everything the Zetas stood for. Being a pledge was amazing. There was so much love and support in the house.

I enjoyed eating dinners at the house and making so many new friends. But, I also was very busy training, and missed a lot of Zeta activities. The sisters were WONDERFUL.. and were very understanding. They encouraged my training, and told me not to feel guilty because I had to go to practice and miss an event.

Then... at a competition I was in, I was offered a scholarship to a school which had the best team in my sport in the country.. Unfortunately, they didn't have Zeta. What a dilemma! I was just torn apart.. how could I leave a school I loved, and all these wonderful girls? But, I had to go after my sports dream. I never de-pledged, and..in fact, remained a pledge for 20 some-odd years. My biggest regret was that I never was initiated. It tore me apart for many, many years!

Fast forward to three years ago. Much to my delight, I found a Zeta alumnae chapter in my area. I contacted them wondering if I could help mentor a Zeta in college, assist with the philanthropy, and be involved in some way. Much to my shock and amazement, I received a call telling me that yes, I surely could help the chapter and I also could get initiated!

I never knew there was such a thing as alumnae initiation! Last month, after 20 years of being a pledge, I finally was initiated. I can't even begin to express how amazing it is to be given the opportunity to complete something that I always wanted to do! How many times do you get to do something you wished you had done the first time around??? I love Zeta and enjoy everything about it. I think it's even more special to me because I was welcomed home after all these years!

It is true what they say... Zeta really IS forever!