It is Sunday, December 8th, 2013, and as of now there are exactly 166 days left of my senior year. It is crazy to think that this first semester is already over, and that in less than six months I will be graduating. It seems as if it was yesterday that I started in CIPLC as a freshman. Actually, it seems as if it was yesterday when I first got my blue shirt. They always told me to enjoy every single bit of my high school years, because they would go by fast. But I never believed them. Now, I am soon-to-be college freshman, and I have to face real life decision by myself. It seems impossible, since I can barely cook pasta without overcooking it.
As my senior progressed and as I started applying to my 12 dream universities, I had to start thinking about the activities I would like to be part of once my college journey starts: what clubs to join, who to hang out with, and even what to major in. Though my goal as of now is to get accepted into one of my dream universities and graduate successfully (and also to graduate high school first, of course), I do have something I want to accomplish during my college years, and that is to join a sorority.
When you hear the word ‘sorority’, what do you think of? Big white houses, pillow fights, beautiful girls? How about customized sweaters? Well, no. A sorority is not that Hollywood-ish. A sorority, for those who don’t know, is an association composed of women who have common interests or share a common trait. There are volunteering, athletic, religious, and several other types of sororities. The primary goal is to create a bond among the women through their common membership.
But now, how do you join a sorority? Do you simply sign up? Well, early in the semester, during “rush week”, prospective members attend several events and visit different groups to get a feel of the members and styles. If a student wants to join, she submits an application and the existing members vote at the end of rush week. Sometimes, there are even academic requirements, such as a minimum GPA.
Once accepted into the group, new members go through an initiation to become full members. Now, this is nothing like you see in the movies. You don’t have to run naked across campus, or shave someone’s head while they sleep. Colleges and states have enacted rules designed to protect student safety during initiations. Dangerous hazing activity has been banned, and students may choose whether to pledge or not if they feel like it will conflict with their safety. Nevertheless, initiations can still sometimes be dangerous or traumatizing. Hopefully mine won’t be.
Even though the initiation process sounds scary, there are several advantages of being part of a sorority, which is why I hope I to join one! First of all, it is the perfect opportunity to build bonds and relationships once I first get to college. By getting there and joining a sorority, I’’ll make friends right away, which will make my experience a little more enjoyable. Secondly, academics. Being part of a sorority encourages and develops high scholastic achievement, and I’ll have opportunities such as peer tutoring, upperclassman counseling and I will also be able to seek help from others who may be taking the same class or already have.
Here’s a fun fact: according to the U.S. Department of Education, 70% of students in sororities go on to graduate, while only 50% of those not in sororities do. Additionally, by being part of the Greek life, I’ll be able to fully develop my leadership skills and continue with my community service which I have started at CIPLC. If I join a sorority, I might be in charge of a certain event or duty, and will be able to help my community through the events and activities sororities and fraternities are usually responsible for.
Though sororities are often stereotyped by people who have not participated in one, I believe it is a great opportunity I should take advantage of on this new journey I will take. One always regrets the chances they didn’t take, which is why I chose sorority life to be the first experience I have in college (out of many!). In a year from now, only God knows what three Greek letters I’ll be carrying!
May 2014 bring as much joy as 2013 did.
By: Carolina Franco
As my senior progressed and as I started applying to my 12 dream universities, I had to start thinking about the activities I would like to be part of once my college journey starts: what clubs to join, who to hang out with, and even what to major in. Though my goal as of now is to get accepted into one of my dream universities and graduate successfully (and also to graduate high school first, of course), I do have something I want to accomplish during my college years, and that is to join a sorority.
When you hear the word ‘sorority’, what do you think of? Big white houses, pillow fights, beautiful girls? How about customized sweaters? Well, no. A sorority is not that Hollywood-ish. A sorority, for those who don’t know, is an association composed of women who have common interests or share a common trait. There are volunteering, athletic, religious, and several other types of sororities. The primary goal is to create a bond among the women through their common membership.
But now, how do you join a sorority? Do you simply sign up? Well, early in the semester, during “rush week”, prospective members attend several events and visit different groups to get a feel of the members and styles. If a student wants to join, she submits an application and the existing members vote at the end of rush week. Sometimes, there are even academic requirements, such as a minimum GPA.
Once accepted into the group, new members go through an initiation to become full members. Now, this is nothing like you see in the movies. You don’t have to run naked across campus, or shave someone’s head while they sleep. Colleges and states have enacted rules designed to protect student safety during initiations. Dangerous hazing activity has been banned, and students may choose whether to pledge or not if they feel like it will conflict with their safety. Nevertheless, initiations can still sometimes be dangerous or traumatizing. Hopefully mine won’t be.
Even though the initiation process sounds scary, there are several advantages of being part of a sorority, which is why I hope I to join one! First of all, it is the perfect opportunity to build bonds and relationships once I first get to college. By getting there and joining a sorority, I’’ll make friends right away, which will make my experience a little more enjoyable. Secondly, academics. Being part of a sorority encourages and develops high scholastic achievement, and I’ll have opportunities such as peer tutoring, upperclassman counseling and I will also be able to seek help from others who may be taking the same class or already have.
Here’s a fun fact: according to the U.S. Department of Education, 70% of students in sororities go on to graduate, while only 50% of those not in sororities do. Additionally, by being part of the Greek life, I’ll be able to fully develop my leadership skills and continue with my community service which I have started at CIPLC. If I join a sorority, I might be in charge of a certain event or duty, and will be able to help my community through the events and activities sororities and fraternities are usually responsible for.
Though sororities are often stereotyped by people who have not participated in one, I believe it is a great opportunity I should take advantage of on this new journey I will take. One always regrets the chances they didn’t take, which is why I chose sorority life to be the first experience I have in college (out of many!). In a year from now, only God knows what three Greek letters I’ll be carrying!
May 2014 bring as much joy as 2013 did.
By: Carolina Franco