Why Rush?

By Elizabeth Hilfrank on April 25, 2017

Greek life informal recruitment is in full swing at Gettysburg College, and this fact means a few things:

One: Girl flirting is at an all-time high.

Two: Suddenly everyone is way busier than ever before.

Three: First-year students are once again as nervous as they were for the first day of school.

For some of these students, they’ve known since they first applied to college that they wanted to be a part of Greek life; for others, they came in not knowing much about Greek life; and others came in thinking it was an automatic no. I fall into the first category, but I write to those in the second and maybe even third category because there’s a lot more to Greek life than meets the eye.

My family is Greek both biologically and socially. My dad is a Sigma Chi, my mom is a Phi Mu and my sister is a Kappa Delta. Being the youngest in the family, I grew up with Greek influence. We would go skiing and to football games with my dad’s brothers, and my mom, now 30 years past her initiation, would go on a “girls’ weekend” with her sisters every other year. So, from an early age, I could tell that friendships made in Greek life were strong ones. Not only were these friends always up for good times, but they were also always around for the hard times.

When my sister went through recruitment, she described it like summer camp. Both she and I went to sleep away camp, and for anyone else who has, you know that it is the weirdest, and the best, experience. Within a matter of two weeks, people from all over the world and of all different backgrounds become the best of friends, and the same can be said for Greek life.

When I ran home to Alpha Delta Pi on bid night, I only sort-of-kind-of knew two girls in my new Alpha class, and I only really knew three of the older girls. Needless to say, I was lost. Now, however, some of my best friends are in this sorority, and they are all people I would never have met had I not joined. These people study science and political science, while I, as an individual major focused on media, have rarely dealt with these academic areas.

Want to know why they’re some of my best friends?

These friends are the ones that wake up early on Saturday to watch you run through fields, and they are the same friends who then support your decision to buy the waffle cone of ice cream only hours later.

These friends are the ones who let you study in their lab rooms and who share their remaining dining dollars with you at the end of the semester.

These friends are the ones that keep you updated on all of the campus happenings while you’re abroad, and, when on campus, they’re the ones you can always count on for the Sunday brunch gossip.

But there’s more to Greek life than just social fun. Joining a sorority or fraternity will give you passion for something you may have never known about before.

The national philanthropy of ADPi is the Ronald McDonald House, an organization that offers homes-away-from-home for families who have children battling long-term illnesses. These families can stay close to the hospitals their children are at for little to no cost. I had not heard of RMH before recruitment, but now I know that this charity is one I want to continue to support post-graduation.

Our fall sisterhood retreat involves a trip to the nearby RMH center, and it is so rewarding to see the smiles on the workers’ faces when we come with new tutus for the little girls and superhero capes for the little boys. Never before have I been so excited to collect soda can tabs to give to an organization to recycle for money.

Not only will you find yourself more passionate about your own philanthropy, but you also have the opportunity to help other groups, and that’s pretty cool too. Last week, for example, the Theta chapter of Sigma Chi had its annual Derby Days competition to raise money for the Huntsman Cancer Institute. With six sororities in the battle, $25,000 was raised in total. Not only was it a good time, but it was a beneficial time.

Being in a sorority has taught me new ways to lead and how to be a team player. There are so many opportunities to work with the sorority and to make an impact. At the same time, because there are so many positions, you gain a better understanding of how to listen to people’s varying opinions and how to compromise. Greek life offers the chance to further develop the skills you need in everyday life.

Greek life is not just for four years either. Serving as the alumnae relations chair, I have had a glimpse of the other side, where alumnae help current members find jobs, where they attend each other’s weddings and where they babysit each other’s children.

Negative connotations of Greek life are quite common in the news, but there is more good than bad. If you’re someone who is on the fence about Greek life, at least give informal recruitment a chance. It’s worth it to see what it is all about.

The Delta Rho chapter of Alpha Delta Pi. Gettysburg College

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