Looking back, were you right?

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

My first impressions were, I think, pretty much right on. I guess we're all just pretty "real" around here. On the other hand, there was so much that the first impression missed at every chapter. Of the first two chapters I dropped, one was considered to be "awkward" during recruitment and "odd" otherwise. It's true. On the other hand I've come to see the strongest sisterhood on campus in this chapter, as well as some of the most dedicated members. It turns out that people think "odd" is girls who get piercings, or wear what they WANT to, or are creative. And I'm one of those people that appreciates nothing more than women who will choose quality over quantity consistently...I have sometimes wished we had the resolve they do in that respect. The other is the princess chapter...I remember them walking into the caf with these tiny black tank tops that said "____ The sorority" like the W the President stickers in pink writing. They had their hair and make up done perfectly at all times and wore sundresses to class consistently. And yes, they are freaking ridiculously girlie and truly pay attention to physical appearance. But what I missed was their determination to be the best in more than looks...they're always the first in grades and our competitors in intramurals. They also have the highest retention rate, and I think that fact says a lot about their members and their dedication. The next one I dropped I thought of as the wannabes to the aforementioned princesses. They were in the dorms on move in day giggling incessantly and wearing pink jerseys. They had a good share of partiers and their skit was about picking the right pair of shoes. Granted, they've changed a lot in the last three years, but even then they have this pride in themselves that I never saw...and really admire. For the most part, I hear them complain the LEAST about their own chapter of anyone. And that pride makes them truly pleasant to be around. They're one of my favorites now. My other pref choice I thought of as the ideal...decent grades, well known on campus, the majority were absolutely amazing looking girls, but many had their OWN style, and they were the brunettes to the princess-y blondes...but they seemed too perfect. I still think of them this way. But I also feel like they were the correct second choice. Their members remind me of my own sisters, and something I REALLY admire is their commitment to being different. If another chapter on campus is wearing red all through recruitment, they sure as hell won't be. They do their own thing, always, and make it their own, and it's worked every year. They're also appropriately discreet and loyal.

Of my own I thought they were the fun girls...not in the drunk frat whore way, but the "everyone knows them" way. And I was right at the time. We had people in tons of organizations on campus, didn't discourage our girls from hanging out with certain other sororities or fraternities, and encouraged them to be friendly to EVERYONE. We also were extremely competitive...grades, intramurals, greek week...(I was so relieved when we eliminated the overall Greek Week winner...I still tell people they can't understand what it was to be an Alpha Gam during Greek Week). We were the all-arounds.

It's funny, the girl who preffed me at my second choice ended up helping me choose Alpha Gam. She told me I would just "feel" it...I wasn't feeling it there. I had and still have tremendous respect for them (and was pleased to see that if my PNM's didn't guess that I was an Alpha Gam, they guessed this other group) but it was just that, not sisterhood. I "felt" it in Alpha Gam. I've never regretted going the way I did, though I've seen how amazing every chapter on our campus is this past year...if you ever want to REALLY break the stereotypes you might hold, be a recruitment counselor. I went from being snobby to being able to truly appreciate something in every chapter on our campus...and I'm proud to be associated with them ALL as a Greek woman on our campus.