If you'd asked me two years ago whether I would join a sorority in college, I probably would have given you the standard, skeptical, "Me? In a sorority? Never." The words "Greek system" conjured up images of "Animal House" and "Revenge of the Nerds": Barbie doll sorority girls sponsoring kissing booths while Zeus-like males paraded around as so-called drunken frat boys.
After completing my DOC trip, I arrived on the Hanover plain only slightly more informed about Greek life. Orientation week and Fall term were all about discovery: sneaking into fraternity basements, learning all the frat names and stereotypes and warily regarding the elder sorority girls who were so intimidating. Spring term when the sororities hosted freshman barbecues and my male friends began to talk of rushing, I first debated if I would rush. Although I had spent a fair amount of time at fraternity parties, I still didn't really understand what being IN a Greek house meant. The announcement of the Student Life Initiative had sparked such controversy among Greeks during my first-year winter that I knew there was something very special about being a member, so I decided to rush.
Upon joining Sigma Delta sorority in the fall of my sophomore year, one by one, the stereotypes I held about sororities and Greek life were righted. Being a member of a Greek house, I began to realize, is not all about having fun (although that's a large part of it). Attending "meetings" for the first time, I witnessed a group of diverse individuals coming together to run Sigma Delt and keep it functioning as a well-oiled machine. Unlike other aspects of life at Dartmouth, Greek houses are fully operated by the students. As a result, my sorority has given me the opportunity to hold leadership positions that I might not have had otherwise.
As president of the all-sorority council, the Panhellenic Council, this summer, I am learning leadership and organization skills while working with members of my class and administrators alike. Moreover, all Greek houses give back to the Upper Valley community with their philanthropic events. As a busy student, it can be difficult to motivate oneself to make a big commitment to community service, but when it becomes an activity for your house, most students find it fun and manageable.
The social rewards that being in a Greek house provide make the experience even more worthwhile. There is a feeling of family and community found within Greek houses that I had not felt elsewhere on campus. Different people find their "families" in different organizations, and mine is within my sorority. When I look through old scrapbooks in my house library, I have a sense of being part of something bigger; something rooted in tradition. On bid acceptance night I looked around the room and saw a group of unfamiliar faces. By the end of the fall I looked around the room and saw friends, people I truly knew and trusted. Nothing breaks the ice better than being driven around together blindfolded, singing songs at the top of your lungs. Of all my nights at Dartmouth, the scavenger hunts, raids and retreats with my sisters are among my most memorable. In addition to being some of my closest friends at school, the upperclassmen in my sorority provide a wealth of information and support that comes through a natural rather than forced relationship.
Looking back on the somewhat skeptical perspective from which I first approached Greek life, I wish I had known that it is not the wild, hedonistic lifestyle portrayed by popular culture. Here at Dartmouth, the members of fraternities and sororities are not the stereotypical rich snobby beautiful people; rather they are a diverse group looking to meet new people and find their home on campus.
You 'shmen should not be wary of Greeks, nor should you expect a 24-hour orgy. The unsaid motto of Dartmouth, "work hard, play hard" is best portrayed by the responsible and fun-loving individuals who comprise the Greek system. You should all come with open minds, and ready to have some fun!
