All of the flowers, rush videos of girls smiling and jumping around, the big signs, all of the overly filtered pictures on social media; these are all tactics sororities use to lure girls in to their “sisterhood”. I personally am 100% for greek life and everything it has taught me, but I don’t completely believe in what sororities do to recruit girls.
Rush week is the most stressful week of a college semester. On top of classes there are events happening every day where you are introduced to at least 50 new freshman trying to leave a good impression. Rush week is intended to give potential new members a taste of what a sorority is like. Little do they know: it’s all fake smiles, empty conversations, and signs of fake interest.
I have heard first hand that leaders of recruitment tell the rest of the sorority to pretend to be happy and have a good attitude towards these new girls. Sororities just try to meet a quota; they set a number and they try to reach that number without even considering girls’ personalities.
Sororities as a whole are just another business proposition and the eager girls are just investors. Each sorority presents what they have to offer(through events in rush week), the sorority than spoils and makes the individual feel important, and then it is up to the individual to decide where they would like to invest their money in.
Once they have made their investment the business welcomes them into their ranks, and teaches them all of their basics and secrets of their company. But once that initial welcome is over it is pretty much free game from there. The behind-the-scenes personalities and actions come out that they don’t mention before you make your investment.
I understand that putting on a front is a huge aspect of recruiting but I just see it as unfair. There is hundreds of girls every year that get attracted to what they see, but once it gets deeper than that they regret their decision. If there were representatives from each sorority who would give unbiased opinions about their experience it would be beneficial to not only the new members but also the sorority as they would be able to find member who are there for the right reason.
I never thought about sororities being like this before. As I read your piece about sororities being like a big company and these girls are like investors. Personally I always wanted to join a sorority but I do see that they do put up a front to people who want to join, not even taking in account of what their personality is like, just like a company they put on a certain look for new investors to invest. I really enjoyed reading this.
ReplyDeleteThis is very surprising. I have always thought of sororities as happy, cheerful, and a sisterhood. I wonder if it is the same at other colleges for sororities. I'm glad that I never joined a sorority at State. Whenever I meet a sorority, they make it seem like it is the best thing ever, I guess it isn't. Your blog was very interesting to read.
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ReplyDeleteIf all this is true, then why are you 100% for the Greek system?
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