As a rising freshman I always thought I wanted to be in a sorority. You get the chance to meet great, like-minded women who will stand by your side for a lifetime. I never thought going into senior year of college I wouldn’t be in a sorority. But here I am, going through formal recruitment only eight months from graduation.

Some people think participating in sorority recruitment as an upperclassman is a bad idea. Doesn’t she have friends? Is she only doing this for the contacts after she graduates?

Of course I’ve thought of these things. I’ve thought about a lot of things. I’ve thought about sorority life for over three years now.

But I’m not rushing for a sorority because I want more friends or because I want connections once I graduate. I’m rushing because even three years later I see how amazing it is to be part of something bigger than yourself.

For three years, I have watched freshman and sophomore women etch out a weekend in their social calendar to talk about themselves and why they want to be part of a long line of confident, smart and passionate women to complete strangers.

And for three years I sat back, watched and thought about what it would be like to be in a sorority. It wasn’t until now that I finally feel like I have my life together did I realize something was still missing from my life at Quinnipiac.

Do I think being a senior and going through recruitment will hinder my chances of receiving a bid? I would certainly hope not. I would hate to think a group of women would deny someone solely based on expected graduation date.

I believe more junior and seniors should go through recruitment. Recruitment is geared toward underclassmen. There are plenty of reasons that may hinder one’s eligibility to go through formal recruitment.

When I was a freshman and sophomore, I didn’t think I needed to be in a sorority. I only thought this because I actually couldn’t participate in recruitment for various reasons.

To be quite honest, I managed to convince myself the sororities at QU would never compare to the sororities at Southern universities.

But for three years, as I matured, my mind shifted from the social aspect of being in a sorority to the philanthropic. I saw how hard every sorority worked every semester to raise money for the charity they support. They showed how selfless they can be.

Now only a few days from formal recruitment, I think about what I can bring to the table. What can I do to impact the lives of others? Why should they make an investment in me, someone who will leave in a year?

I may not have the answers to all of these questions and the sororities may not have the answers either.
I’m walking into every room and meeting these women with an open mind and open heart. They should do the same.