in Pi Phi

Many moons ago, a young girl made a choice to attend a college slightly outside her comfort zone. She decided that although her school of choice might not be too far from home, she would commit to giving it everything she had. Being a determined (and at times stubborn) young lady, she threw herself into all different kinds of experiences her new home had to offer. She joined the rowing team, attempted calculus, asked the red-headed girl sitting next to her in class to get lunch, and made an effort to get to know each girl on her hall.

Although her first semester was an overall success, the young girl felt that it flew by unfulfilled. After talking with both her wiser, older brother and his girlfriend over the winter recess, the young girl decided to take a chance and leave her home (and her new little siblings) a week early to go back to school for sorority recruitment. Growing up somewhat of a tomboy, the young girl was hesitant and anxious about the expectations and stigma that surrounded the week known as Rush.

It seemed childish and silly that anyone would get so worked up about who got what bid where, but at the time Recruitment was built up to seem like a life-and-death type of situation. As the days dragged on, the young girl saw other girls elated by their invitations back to their favorite sororities’ parties and some devastated with rejection. She remembers distinctly her Rho Gamma having to comfort girls in her group, crying because they were not invited back to the sorority they were “meant to be in." The young girl thought the girls’ tears were silly at the time because she didn’t understand why these crying girls would want to be part of a group that didn’t really want to include them. Still, on the other hand, she hoped at the end of that week that her top choice wouldn’t reject her on Bid Day because she knew that those silly things called tears would be flooding her eyes if things didn’t go her way.

Looking back years later, it is not as surprising to the young girl anymore that others would cry if they missed out on the chance to be part of something as wonderful as her sorority. No longer a girl, but a young woman, she remembers her days in Greek life as her happiest times in college. With everything from chapter meetings to mixers to cocktails, grabadates, and formals to serving on the executive board to sweatpants and Disney movies to sisterhood events, the young woman’s sorority made her college experience. Her friends in the sorority truly became her sisters. They helped shape her into the woman she is today and continue to push her to become the woman she wants to be in the future.

Every once in awhile, when all the planets and the stars align just right, an opportunity comes along that can really make things happen in life. That opportunity for this young woman was Bid Day for the Angels of the Wine & Silver Blue at a dance studio in Old City Philadelphia.

Precious are the memories that were created with her sisters. Precious are the bonds that were formed in Pi Phi.