Greek Life at UE
By Cindy White
Cindy White with her big Anne-Marie Shulz
Bows,
designer clothes, meeting boys, and socializing. That’s all Greek life is
about, right?
Wrong.
I speak from my experience as a Greek
woman here at the University of Evansville when I say that Greek life is so
much more than that. In reality, Greek life goes far beyond the stereotype
portrayed in the media. Growing up, I thought sororities were just for wealthy
party girls- not me at all. Towards the end of my senior year, a few of my
teachers asked me if I planned on going through recruitment at UE. I
respectfully told them, “no, Greek life is not for me.” I even chose a private
college over a state school partly because I knew there was no pressure to go
Greek.
Flash forward to the week after
move-in. I was finished with my first three days of college and still adjusting
to life on campus. I was the only person in my graduating class to come to UE, so
I felt a bit lonely. I’m an outgoing person and have no trouble meeting people,
but I still felt like I had to constantly keep up with high school friends to
avoid feeling lonely at school. I didn’t have a deep connection with any
friends quite yet, and I wasn’t sure how to find my niche.
As I sat in my room hanging up pictures
from high school, I realized I needed to be a part of something bigger here at
UE. I called my mom in tears, missing home and my life in Louisville, and she
mentioned sorority recruitment. She reminded me that my aunt was in a sorority
in college and absolutely loved it. I told her I would try it out, but I was
only going to do it to meet other people. I had no intentions on joining a
Greek organization.
On the first night of recruitment, I
went in with no expectations. At each suite, I was my normal, bubbly self and
had great conversations with the sorority women. I ended up loving getting to
know girls in each sorority and I eventually chose the organization I am now
in. On preference night, I felt such a deep connection with the women I now
call my sisters. Their values and standards resonated with my own, and I really
liked their emphasis on service and sisterhood.
I chose to do recruitment for the
opportunities to meet new people, but now I see that it provides so much more.
Recruitment not only helped me find my place at UE, but it also opened my eyes
to what Greek life is actually about. Greek life at UE motivates me to serve my
community and improve my personal and professional images. I love the social
aspect of Greek life, but my organization provides much more than that. I truly
believe that being a part of Greek life will help me graduate as a well-rounded
young woman.
Sisterhood, community service,
professional connections- these are just a few benefits of Greek life at UE. I
didn’t think of myself as the sorority type, but now I’m proud to call myself a
sorority woman. I’m so thankful for the opportunities my sorority provides for me
and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next two years at UE. I am a sorority
woman, and I am proud of that!
