College provides multiple opportunities not available in high school, one of which is Greek life. Greek life, life within a fraternity or sorority, is a common way for freshmen to make new friends at college.
The most common way for a student to enter Greek life is rushing.
“If you do a formal rush you initially start rushing all the houses,” Class of 2012 alumna and Georgia Tech student Holly Parrish said. “Each day you drop a house, or a house drops you until you find the sorority or fraternity for you. Each day has a theme like, skit day, philanthropy day, and bid day.”
Not everyone rushes to join a sorority though, such as chemistry teacher Emily Wischow during her college years.
“I actually didn’t even go through recruitment,” Wischow said. “They had a large senior class the year before so they had extra bids, and they gave me one.”
Students join for different reasons.
“I joined [Theta Chi] because they were the first people that talked to me, and I didn’t know anyone in Texas when I came,” Class of 2012 alumnus Dylan Clark, who currently attends the University of North Texas, said.
Others such as Wischow joined because she knew the people already in the sorority.
“I knew a lot of girls in [Kappa Delta] because I sang with some of them and did community service with others,” Wischow said.
Parrish planned to join a sorority where she had legacy, or prior family members who were members of the same sorority, but eventually changed her mind.
“I was legacy at a different sorority [Phi Mu] on campus,” Parrish said. “I couldn’t really see myself as part of their chapter.”
Parrish later opted to join Alpha Omega Epsilon sorority because it is both professional, meaning that the members of the chapter have the same professional and social interest.
Fraternities and sororities participate in both community service activities and social events, such as mixers and socials.
“[We did] lots of social events around campus and a large fundraiser every year called campus golf,” Wischow said. “It was lots of fun and raised thousands of dollars every year for a local women’s shelter. The whole campus gets involved and it’s still going on.”
Junior sub school principal Dana Walker joined Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated, also known as Omega men, while attending Illinois State University.
“It is a life-time commitment and lifelong reward to call myself a man of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated,” Walker said.
Omega Psi Phi has hosted programs at South Lakes, such as scholarships, talent hunts, health initiative, mentoring, voter registration, and also help with the leadership conference sponsored by JROTC.
Being part of a sorority or fraternity does not end once college does. Walker is the Immediate Past Vaisileus President of Omega Psi Phi, making him the advisor to the current president.
“We support the mission of our frat, which is a strong force throughout our community, Northern Virginia, and international,” Walker said.
As Walker has developed a lifelong commitment to his fraternity, current college students recommend incoming freshmen “go Greek.”
“I recommend anyone to go Greek,” Parrish said. “Whatever the letter, Greeks do it better.”
However, current seniors are not certain they want to join Greek life immediately when they arrive on campus.
“I think it’s one of those things that you’ll decide when you get there,” senior and future Virginia Tech Hokie Becky Oswalt said.
Walker and Wischow continue to keep in touch with their fraternity and sorority.
“I make sure to keep that I talk to at least two of my Omega brothers every day as often as possible,” Walker said. “It’s a bond stronger than family sometimes.”
Wischow advises high school seniors pursuing fraternities or sororities to not join one that participates in hazing as initiation or puts them in uncomfortable situations.
“You are worth more than that,” Wischow said. “Nobody has the right to treat you badly, and it’s not okay. I was never hazed nor would I ever haze anyone.”
She also recommends waiting until spring semester of freshman year or even sophomore year to join.
“I didn’t join until my sophomore year, and I think as a result I had more friends outside of my sorority,” Wischow said. “If you wait to join you’ll meet some of the people from the sorority or frat informally so you’ll get to see what they’re really like.”
Walker recommends doing research on the fraternity or sorority and making sure that they share similar ideals and same mindset.
Lastly, Walker recommends not just joining a fraternity or sorority.
“Be an active participant for the rest of your life.”