Greek Life comes with its fair share of stereotypes and misconceptions, so freshmen may face a difficult decision when deciding to join. They may not know what to expect or if the experience will be worth it, but with their first two semesters at the University coming to an end, many are pleased with their decision.
Deciding whether or not to join a sorority can be a difficult decision, but for some students it was never a question. Mass communication freshman Mikha Romero joined Chi Omega to be involved in something small and more personal on a giant campus.
“I decided to join a sorority because I wanted to be a part of something larger than myself in college. LSU is a huge school, and I knew that I would need to have the support system that a sorority could offer me,” Romero said. “I also wanted to join a sorority because I love being around people, and it is the perfect opportunity to make new connections each day.”
Greek Life has also been a way to meet people for students who did not know anyone at the University initially. Sports administration freshman Courtney Sherman joined Pi Beta Phi in order to make friends on campus and was surprised that the new friends she made weren’t restricted to other freshmen.
“I joined my sorority because I didn’t know anyone at LSU when I came, so I wanted a way to make new friends with similar interests as me,” Sherman said. “I wasn’t expecting to make so many older friends in the sorority.”
The postive responses to Greek Life was overwhelming. Students were quick to point out the heavy philanthropic aspect of sororities and how much Greek stereotypes overshadow this important trend.
“I like how each sorority has adopted a specific philanthropy to support,” Romero said. “Chi Omega’s national philanthropy is the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which is a cause that is very near to my heart.”
Romero also said having a sorority house to go to, to get away from dorm life, was a great stress reliever and a welcome addition. Biological sciences freshman Kristi Lacour said the friendships she has made in Delta Gamma were much stronger and longer lasting than she anticipated.
“I thought everyone was exaggerating when they said a sorority is where you meet lifelong friends and have a home away from home. I wasn’t expecting them to be completely right, as they were,” Lacour said. “Joining Delta Gamma has truly enhanced my college experience. Greek Life is all it is hyped up to be and more.”
Not every student felt Greek Life was perfect.The struggle to balance different activities in college life is already difficult, and adding in the commitment of a sorority can be challenging for some.
“It is time consuming and inconvenient when it comes to getting study hours in order to go to certain events, which causes a lot of added stress for me,” Sherman said.
These students are only a semester and a half into their college lives, so they will have many more experiences in Greek and college life before they can truly look back on it altogether. However, their experiences have been positive and the feedback has been encouraging thus far.
“Joining a sorority has made my entire freshman experience better than I could have ever hoped it could be,” Romero said.