Looking back, Part 2: Delta Delta Delta. Can I help ya, help ya, help ya?

Do you remember that reality show "Sorority Life?" It was on MTV in 2002 and followed some women pledging a local sorority in my hometown, Davis. It was highly entertaining but didn't paint sororities in a very good light. Let me summarize the show for you: once you join a sorority you get drunk a lot, cry even more, and hook up with a bunch of guys....oh and you talk about sisterhood (whatever the hell that means.) Sounds like fun? Yuck, it makes me want to go get tested for those women.

By the time I was ready to transfer to UOP this and any other sorority satire was all I knew of. I'm sure I'm not the only person that held the opinion that sororities are just women "paying for their friends." And it didn't really matter to me because I preferred to hang out with the guys, I don't like all the girl drama and I had no intention to get involved with any such business. Armed with these opinions I headed to New Student Orientation the summer of 2003. My student advisor, Molly*, just so happened to be the President of a campus sorority, but was unable to disclose which one during NSO. As she gave a group of 20+ a campus tour I worked up the courage to ask a question as we got to the brothels sorority houses.

"Um, Molly. I have a question about your sorority. How much do you pay for your friends?" Oh, yea. I said that, with bitchy pride. Molly was very polite and not the least bit caught off guard as she answered my, very rude, question with the standard answer.

The next day I got a phone call from my Mom. "Some girl named Molly called and invited you over to the sorority house to decorate picture frames." SERIOUSLY?! No way! Do I look like I enjoy decorating picture frames in my spare time?! I am in college and there is no way I'm going to spend a night with a bunch of fake girls when I could be hanging out with my boyfriend. (Total bitch, huh?)

Days later Molly called my cell phone (thanks Mom) and invited me to play flag football with the sorority intramural team. Now we're talking! Seems innocent enough. Besides maybe I'll make a friend or two. Sign me up. Next thing I know they are inviting me over for lunch (free lunch!), giving me a tour of the house (huge and nice), taking me out to dinner (sweet), and finally offered me an invitation to join (HOLD IT, WHAT?!) I said I needed time to think and I immediately called my Mom so she could talk me out of it.  She did no such thing. In fact she told me that I should go for it, what did I have to loose? (Secretly I think she was also trying to get me away from the bf I had, she didn't like him too much.)

Two days later I found myself walking towards the house on Bid Day, taking pictures with strangers, dancing to loud music on the patio, and meeting my new sisters. Eventually I became President of my pledge class, I was soon elected New Member Educator, and I would have 100+ new friends. That's not to say I got along with all of the women or even liked them all, but its the same with family right? You can pick your friends but you can't pick your family. That's really what I was beginning to think of all those women as, my family. These women would accept me at my best, my worst, and my bitchiest.

Bid Day 2004

Because of my decision to join a sorority it took my short time at college and amplified it. Had I not joined I wouldn't have participated in Greek Week, Derby Days, Lip Synch, gotten dressed up for formals, passed out on a house boat, played Century Club, met my best friends, or married my husband. And if you were wondering, the answer is yes. Yes there were pillow fights, cat fights, and wrestling matches. We sang, snapped, and danced. We dressed up, smoked out, stayed up late talking, and snuck boys in the house. And there may have been a time when someone was laughing so hard they pee'd in their pants (but I'm not telling who.)

I learned so much about myself, about what sisterhood really is, and about leadership. To this day I am an active alumni member of my sorority, I advise 12 chapters in the western region, and I use the skills I learned in the sorority on a daily basis and in my career as a college advisor.

I still keep in touch with many of my sisters and even though we all don't talk on a regular basis we know that there is always someone there when you need a shoulder to cry on, someone to laugh with, a friend to bounce crazy ideas off of, or a sister to shoot the shit with. We've been through breakups, fall outs, marriages, babies, career changes, relocation's, birthdays, holidays, and vacations.

I will forever be grateful to my Mom for convincing me to try something new and to my sorority sisters for offering me the chance to be apart of something that will last a lifetime. This was truly a decision that would affect my life in the most positive way.

Scorpio Pub Crawl 2009

*H.H if you are reading this, I apologize for my horrible behavior that day. I'm happy that you saw through my crappy attitude and invited me to join the flag football team.