By: Alexandra Searson
Greek life is a big deal at the University of Georgia! Both the fraternities and sororities here have been around for over one hundred fifty years. The "self-governing, self-supporting bodies of the fraternities and sororities" are the Interfraternity Council, the National Panhellenic Council, the Multicultural Greek Council, and the Panhellenic Council. These councils "coordinate events, provide educational programs, establish community wide regulations, and implement policies for their member organizations" (Greek Life: Sororities).
Joining a sorority is the perfect way to meet people and make the college experience a little easier and a lot more fun. Even though rush week is well known for being extremely tough and agonizing, once it is over it's smooth sailing from there. Sororities may have a reputation for being stuck-up and superficial in their choosing process during rush, and just in general, but this isn't entirely true. Some sororities more than others may exhibit these undesirable aspects, but most go deeper than that. Being part of a sorority is more than just dressing cute and partying with the fraternities; it's about sisterhood. The relationships formed between sisters are bonds that will never be broken, and will last a lifetime. Friendship, character, involvement, academics, service, and good times are experienced upon joining a sorority, and joining may even be the best decision a girl can make in her college career (Jones).
Reasons to Join[]
Being a college freshman can be extremely overwhelming. Especially at a big school like UGA, meeting people at first can be scary and intimidating. A new student may feel like she is a small drop in a huge ocean of people. However, the perfect remedy to this problem is to join a sorority! Meeting people is completely unavoidable after becoming part of such a tight-knit family, and even if she does not pledge, it is just as easy to make friends during rush.
Most new students are at least somewhat aware of the many opportunities for getting involved on campus, but they may not know anything about the hundreds of clubs and organizations, especially which ones are right for them. But when they are part of a sorority, access to information about ways to get involved are right at their fingertips. Sororities are known for participating in community service projects and holding fundraisers, and most sororities require members to be extremely involved. This is a great way to make the massive campus seem a little smaller.
Thursday night themed socials, date nights, retreats, philanthropy events, semiformals/formals... the list of social events that sororities participate in goes on and on. If a student is worried about being shut up in her dorm with nothing to do all day, she needs simply to join a sorority and she will never be bored. In fact, she may find that she has too much on her plate, in which case it is beneficial to learn how to manage time appropriately (Jones).
With the current economy the way it is and jobs becoming harder and harder to find, making early connections with a company or business that a student may want to work for in the future is always very helpful. Being in a sorority allows her this upper hand by opening doors for shadowing and interning opportunities. Greek alumni will frequently return to their respective sorority houses and offer special job opportunities to the current members (Stuber). Making these business connections with possible future employers will ensure confidence and security in her job search.
Sororities require a certain GPA to remain a member, and it is typically pretty high. In 2009, the all-Greek GPA was a 3.30, while the all-undergraduate GPA was a 3.18 (Greek Life: Sororities). Academic success is highly valued and praised in the Greek community. Most sororities require members to complete a certain amount of study hours each week. Just because the member is in an exciting and fun environment with a multitude of new sorority activities to keep her busy, she is still a student first, and schoolwork cannot take a back seat to her social life. Studying hard is always tremendously encouraged.
Being in a sorority offers many leadership opportunities that give members experience and help build their resumes. Order of Omega, Greek Ambassadors Program, Sophomore Leaders Circle, and IFC Future Leaders Institute are some of UGA's most prestigious leadership programs that "afford participants training in personal and leadership development" while introducing them to campus and Greek life, and addressing important leadership topics as they relate to Greek leaders (Greek Life: Sororities).
Last but not least, and probably the most valuable thing the student will gain from being a sorority sister, is the sisterhood she will always be surrounded with. The bond that is shared by girls in a sorority is loyal, trustworthy, and never failing. These genuine friendships that she will develop will never leave her, for the rest of her life. If she is ever in trouble, lonely, or just needs a friend to talk to, she can be sure that a whole house full of sisters cares very deeply about her. "There is nothing that compares to that feeling" (Stuber).
How to Join[]
Prepare over the summer by getting written recommendations from Greek alumni. Recommendations are not technically required, but are very helpful in making her stand out in the choosing process.
Fall rush is during the first week of move-in. It involves waking up way too early and spending all day going from sorority house to sorority house, introducing herself to the different sororities and desperately trying to make a good impression on the ones she would like to get into. To most girls, this week is nothing but pure torture and discomfort, but some seem to enjoy themselves. In the end, if she is chosen by her pick, all the suffering is well worth it (Stuber).
To find out more about how to prepare for and join a sorority, click here.
Making the Choice[]
Attractive qualities they look for:[]
A few appealing qualities that sororities may look for in a new member are that she is easy to talk to, they get along well with her, her appearance is well-suited for that sorority, and that she was a well-rounded student in highschool, having good grades and participating in a few extracurriculars (Stuber).
Qualities she should look for:[]
The prospective member should have a checklist of qualities she wants in her sorority as well. She should feel comfortable and welcome, carry on enjoyable, flowing conversations, approve of the members' personalities and feel a compatibility with them, and of course like the appearance of the house (Stuber).
The choosing process:[]
After every day, the number of sororities that each girl visits narrows down. It is a mutual process of choosing; the prospective member makes a list of her top choices and each sorority makes a list of theirs. By the end of rush, she will have chosen her top two choices of the three houses she visited on the last day. If one of those top choices picked her as well, she is then capable of pledging that sorority (Stuber).
Getting In... or Not[]
If a student is not chosen by any of the sororities, it may not be because the sorority didn't like her, but because they felt that she would not have fit in with that certain sorority (Stuber). There is no need for the student to be in distress and fear that her college experience is doomed. In fact, her life will go on and she will still be able to find more than enough outlets for enjoyment and involvement on campus. There are innumerable non-Greek organizations offered at UGA, such as clubs and religious societies, that any student can easily become involved with.
Initiation[]
How it Works[]
Initiation happens later on in the year, and the time of initiation varies between sororities. However, that is all that can be revealed about the initiation itself because the details, though different for each sorority, are kept a secret (Stuber).
Chapters at UGA[]
Panhellenic[]
- Alpha Chi Omega
- Alpha Delta Pi
- Alpha Gamma Delta
- Alpha Omicron Pi
- Chi Omega
- Delta Delta Delta
- Delta Gamma
- Delta Zeta
- Gamma Phi Beta
- Kappa Alpha Theta
- Kappa Delta
- Kappa Kappa Gamma
- Phi Mu
- Pi Beta Phi
- Sigma Delta Tau
- Sigma Kappa
- Zeta Tau Alpha
National Panhellenic[]
- Alpha Kappa Alpha
- Delta Sigma Theta
- Sigma Gamma Rho
- Zeta Phi Beta
Multicultural Greek Council[]
- Delta Phi Lambda
- Sigma Sigma Rho
- Lambda Theta Alpha Latin
(Greek Life: Sororities)
Interview with Chi Omega Member, Claiborne Stuber[]
What are some of the aspects of this sorority?
- Each sorority has a philanthropy that they sponsor, and ours is called Dawgs for a Cause. This year we had a cookout on our front lawn with a band. The proceeds went to a woman from Athens who was injured in a car accident. It was a lot of fun and for a really good cause. We all participate in at least two different service organizations, like HEROs or Miracle. Being in a sorority, it’s very easy to get involved. For instance we do Bible studies and a lot of girls go to Crossroads, which is a campus ministry. All the older members are involved in many clubs and organizations, and they try to get all the new members involved, so we are exposed to many different ways to get involved that we wouldn’t otherwise know about. We also participate in intramural sports teams, such as kickball and volleyball, and compete against other sororities.
What kind of social events does your sorority participate in?
- Every Thursday there is a social with a fraternity, and there are different themes for each one. We dress up in crazy outfits and it’s always a lot of fun.
What are some of the values chi o upholds?
- We strive to have a high academic standing, have a genuine character, be sincere and kind, be conscientious, never be discouraged, and always be loyal to the sisterhood.
Do you have any family members that were previous members?
- Yes, my mom was a Chi O here at UGA.
What is your favorite part about being a Chi O?
- I just think it’s a great way to meet people and I know I’ll always have someone there for me when I need them. The relationships that I make with my sisters will last a lifetime, and even after college I know I’ll always still have Chi O.
Works Cited[]
"Greek Life: Sororities." University of Georgia. Greek Life. Web. 5 Nov. 2011. <http://greeklife.uga.edu/>.
Jones, Markley. "Interview with Markley Jones." Personal Interview. 2 Nov. 2011.
Stuber, Claiborne. "Interview with Claiborne Stuber." Personal interview. 26 Oct. 2011.
Image courtousy of <http://people.howstuffworks.com/sorority.htm>.