As a senior in high school, one of the most common questions I was asked was if I was going to join Greek Life once I was in college. I’d always answer back quickly explaining why Greek Life could never be for me and how I thought it would be a waste of time.
But to my surprise, only three days after moving onto campus, I was registered to go through sorority recruitment. During Blastoff, a fall semester event part of KSU Kickoff that allows new students to connect with student organizations, I talked to some members of different chapters and learned that Greek Life at Kent is far from how it is usually portrayed in the media.
Going through recruitment was nerve-racking at first with so much new information and jargon being thrown at you but with the help of sorority recruitment counselors (SRCs), the process is a lot less daunting.
Over the course of two weekends, all of the potential new members (PNMs) visit all eight chapters and slowly start narrowing down their choices through a mutual selection process. The days are long but the energy from the chapters and getting to make friends with the other PNMs help make the process tons of fun.
The recruitment process ends with what some refer to as “the best day of the year,” which is Bid Day!
During this day, PNMs get to open their bids and find out what chapter they are going to be in. Then every PNM, SRC, and Panhellenic Council member gets to run home to their chapter and celebrate with their sisters.
I was lucky enough to find my home at Sigma Delta Tau and will get to run home for the 3rd and final time this year!
The fun doesn’t stop after Bid Day though, as each chapter has a wide range of events throughout the year ranging from philanthropies and date parties, to mixers with other chapters and even just small sisterhood events where members get to bond.
Personally, one of my favorite parts of joining my chapter was getting my “big” and “little.”
As a new member, each person gets matched with a big who serves as their mentor during their new member process. My big and little have become two of my closest friends and truly are like a second family to me.
Sororities don’t just serve as a social group. They also allow you to get experience in leadership as well. During my freshman year, I applied to be on the Panhellenic Council and served as the Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
The Panhellenic Council is the governing body for the eight National Panhellenic Conference sororities on campus and has positions that provide resources to the chapters such as hosting risk management events, running recruitment, and in the case of my position, helping educate on DEI topics.
After my term as VP of DEI, I decided to run for Panhellenic President which was easily the best decision I have ever made.
In this position, I get to oversee nine Panhellenic Council members and the eight chapter presidents to help ensure that everything in our community is running smoothly.
Being Panhellenic President has enhanced my sorority experience because of the number of connections it has allowed me to make. The relationships I have made in my chapter, in the Panhellenic Community, and in the Fraternity and Sorority Life community as a whole are some of the deepest and most important that I have.
As cliche as it sounds, being in a sorority really will bring you some of the best people you’ll ever meet!
My favorite part about Greek Life at Kent State is the wide variety of people you will find in our community. There are people of every major, all different types of interest, and honestly just some of the coolest people you’ll ever know. And an extra plus is knowing that your community is around you no matter what. If I am just walking to class, going to an event on campus or in downtown Kent, there is always a member of Greek Life to say hello to!
High school senior-year-me would definitely not believe that I am in a sorority or how impactful of an experience it has been, and I have never been so grateful for an organization like I am for fraternity and sorority life. Joining Greek Life has easily been the highlight of my college experience and I recommend that everyone gives it a chance because, who knows? Maybe you’ll end up in my shoes!