Winter term started off with a BANG. I feel like I am finally just catching my breath. That’s because I’m a Delta Gamma here at Lawrence and it was RECRUITMENT SEASON! For many this may not really seem like their thing, but this is what makes Lawrence University so unique – our Greek life is very different from other schools. Here each chapter is usually around 50 women, meaning you are able to get to know everyone and have a close knit group of women to support you. Our sororities focus on fundraising for our philanthropies, and helping out within the community, while also helping each other reach our full potential.
My sisters have a lot to teach me and that rings very true during recruitment season. It’s an exhausting process but that is fully outweighed by the excitement and beauty of it all. It started during second week on a Sunday, when we had round 1. Any woman on campus comes to each of the three sororities to meet the members of each and learn about us. It allowed me to meet so many new women on campus and learn a little bit about them, showing me how diverse our community here is at Lawrence. It also reminds me of just how friendly, unique, involved, and smart my peers are. Every woman had something interesting to say, and many come from faraway places and participate in different organizations on campus. They each have a unique and interesting background that we can all learn something from.
Our second round took place on Monday and featured our Philanthropies. Each sorority has an organization that they fundraise for or try to help out in different ways. Delta Gamma’s philanthropy is Service for Sight, which was created by a Delta Gamma who was visually impaired and wanted to help people like her that also had visual impairment. We support the training of service dogs, as well as send letters and fundraise for veterans. One of my personal favorites among our foundations is the Golden Anchor, which is a program in which we go to the nearby nursing home, Brewster’s Village, and spend the day with the residents. We craft with them, play games and even paint their nails. Last year I participated in a big meal with them in which they bussed the men and women from Brewster’s over to our campus center where we had the room all set up for them and we partnered with some fraternities to eat with the residents, as well as get to know them better. What I quickly learned is that being a part of Greek life helps to involve you in the community.
We then had room viewing on Tuesday. Each sorority has a room in the Panhellenic wing of Colman Hall. It’s where we go for many meetings and events, or to just do homework and hangout with our sisters. On Wednesday we had our third and final round of recruitment. It is a beautiful round and allows us to really connect with the women who are going through recruitment. Then Friday was BID NIGHT. Everyone who accepted a bid comes to celebrate with us and we start to get to know each other. I now have new sisters, which means even more strong women who I have so much to learn from.
Recruitment was a great way for me to find my place on campus when I really felt like I didn’t have one. Before I joined during my sophomore year I definitely felt a little lost, but it helps tremendously to join some sort of group or club on campus to feel like you are truly a part of the community. Lawrence has so many different clubs and organizations that you can be a part of, and all of them provide you with the opportunity to reach out and meet new people, learn new things, and gain new experiences that you may not have otherwise. Recruitment is a lot of fun and I encourage anyone to go through it, because even if you don’t join you still get to meet many amazing women. I love Lawrence for all the different organizations they have, and you don’t have to limit yourself to just one! Many of my sisters are a part of multiple organizations that all help to better the community at Lawrence. Here we have such a diverse, unique student body that we all can learn something from, and joining a campus organization allows you to connect with these individuals here at Lawrence and help you feel at home.