Joining a sorority or fraternity may generally be coined “basic,” but I can assure you there is nothing basic about Greek Life at Wittenberg.
Our Greek community is made up of both “N.A.R.P.’s” and athletes, introverts and social butterflies, and even Buckeye fans and Michigan fans that get along so well they’d call each other a brother or sister and mean it. Actually mean it. As an only child, it is pretty cool to say I have about 60 sisters on campus. However, I did not join a sorority to have just any sisters. I joined a certain sorority freshman year because that is where I felt most at home and surrounded by women who would never let me forget my potential as a human being. After nearly two years of involvement in the chapter, I still feel at home and still feel surrounded by those who make me a better person every day.
During the recruitment process, it is all about finding the place that best suits you. No sorority or fraternity is truly better than another. At the end of the day, we are all a part of the same team.
While there is not a sorority or fraternity for all, I highly encourage everyone to at least go through rush once. If you do not like the experience, there is no shame in leaving it behind. But there is no way to find out if Greek Life is the life for you unless you try it out. You may be surprised at how much you enjoy it.
As a junior who now lives in the sorority house with 20 of my best friends, I can say that Greek Life has impacted me in the most positive of ways. It has given me a vast support system that I would not change for the world.
Last year, I made the decision to step away from a sport that has consumed my life since I was four years old. The sport was undoubtedly the biggest part of my identity, and I loved it more than anything. Naturally, the process of quitting proved to be a very hard time for me. I did not expect any consoling, but the first people to come up to me and offer emotional support were my sisters.
They will never know how much it meant to me.
That is just one small example of what Greek Life is about: unity. We are not only united within our respective chapters, but also outside of them.
One of the biggest stereotypes about Greek Life is that it’s insular. While we immensely value the bonds we’ve made with our Greek brothers and sisters, some of our closest friends are not Greek, and have no intentions of ever becoming Greek. However, with over a third of Wittenberg’s population involved in Greek Life, it would be a shame for anyone to count it out without giving the lifestyle a proper chance.
It’s much, much more than the togas and beer you’ve seen in movies – take my word about that. It’s the philanthropies that establish a culture of service, the leadership opportunities, the high academic standards, the connections. It’s the support we give our athletes and “mathletes,” the late-night talks in sorority and fraternity houses, wearing our letters around campus with pride and welcoming back the alumni every homecoming who are still just as in love with their Greek organization now as they were when they were students. It’s becoming a part of a long-standing tradition, and finding how you as a unique individual fit into it.
