Op-Ed
Attn: Freshman Girls and Boys
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Don't Miss Out
November 30, 2006 - 1:00amAs the end of the semester draws near, sorority and fraternity members are gearing up to recruit the next generation of Greeks. And, if the current freshman experience resembles my own three years ago, freshman boys and girls are undoubtedly feeling a multitude of emotions regarding the upcoming recruitment process.
This year, while most students are savoring their last days of winter vacation, several hundred girls will return to campus for a closer look at our university’s twelve sororities. By the end of this gala affair, each participant will determine which house (if any) will help shape the next three years of her college experience.
For Cornell’s male undergrads, same-sex flirting has already begun. Fraternity brothers have been luring potential new members with Monday Night Football gatherings and Thanksgiving feasts for several weeks now, hoping to draft the largest and finest pledge classes to their respective fraternity chapters.
I remember what my freshman year was like at this time, when everyone on North seemed to be anxiously awaiting the upcoming days of “rush.” The dining halls and laundry rooms were swarming with the following buzz: What should I wear for first round? Which house is cool? Should I join with my friends or branch out? Will my favorite house cut me because I hooked up with one of the sister’s ex-boyfriends?
It seemed like all the familiar patrons of Appel and RPCC — who used to speak my same language — were suddenly speaking Greek. And frankly, I didn’t like it.
I was one of those freshmen who loved being a freshman. I’d made great friends both inside and outside of my dorm. I enjoyed the lack of social labels on North and the anonymity that went along with no one knowing who was “cool” and who was “nerdy” back in high school. I liked walking to class with the random friend I’d made who lived in Low Rise 7, and I especially enjoyed making pseudo-sleds out of dining hall trays and bungee cords, and then accompanying the boys on my floor as they pulled people up and down our hallway. (Shout out to Mews 1 East Side.)
But then December rolled around, and the general atmosphere on North Campus began to change. All this talk about Greek life seemed to fragment the freshman community, and create the same superficial groups that I was excited to abandon when I graduated high school. It turned me off to such an extent that I even considered not rushing at all.
When I expressed these feelings of resistance to my older (biological) sister, she gave me some words of wisdom which I will now impart to this year’s freshman class. Her advice helped me tremendously, and I can only pass on the guidance that assisted me through this particular crossroads in my college experience.
What she told me was this: It’s a good idea to rush, even if you have no intention of joining a house. As much as you might like to preserve the cohesive North Campus community, this is not a good reason to refrain from rushing. Whether or not you choose to “go Greek,” the freshman community on North Campus will inevitably dissolve once you become a sophomore. Some people will continue to live in program houses on North while others will move to West Campus dorms, Collegetown apartments or sorority and fraternity houses. So, in light of this inevitable fragmentation, it’s a good idea to develop a replacement community with which you can identify. I’m not suggesting that your replacement community must be Greek. It could be a sports team, a club, or a group of hall mates as well. However, if you haven’t found your niche at Cornell quite yet, you have nothing to lose by checking out the Greek organizations available here.
You might be surprised by what you’ll find. Before I rushed, I, like, totally expected some bimbos to look me up and down at every sorority house. But I was wrong. Surprisingly, I found that most sororities are made up of genuinely nice, hard-working girls who just want to have a good time and make connections to people with whom they share common interests.
So, although I went into rush doubting I would join any chapter at all, I came out having a hard time choosing only one.
Not everyone will come out as optimistic as I did. Perhaps you’ll leave rush thinking that sororities and fraternities are even more “superficial” than you’d originally thought. But at least, by going through recruitment, you will have made an educated decision not to join. If you let your preconceived notions about the Greek system dissuade you from checking it out, then you’re the one who is guilty of being superficial, not them.
Your best bet is to rush with an open mind. If you hate it, all you’ll have lost is four days of vacation and some body warmth. You may even meet some cool new people along the way.
Whereas some are doubtful about whether to rush at all, there are also those who are overly excited to rush, have mapped out the sorority houses and have secured contacts with sisters in nearly every chapter. To these girls I would have to suggest alternative words of wisdom: be yourself and keep a level head.
It will become incredibly easy to lose perspective as you get wrapped up in the commotion of recruitment. Members of all different houses will try to convince you that their chapter is best for you. Fellow freshmen recruits may try to pull you in several different directions. Just keep in mind that, although Greek organizations might help shape your social life at Cornell, they don’t need to be the defining factor of your college experience.
When I rushed, I faced a common dilemma: the close girlfriends I’d made all wanted to join different sororities, and we worried that separating would sever our friendships. But here I am, a senior, and close as ever with my freshman crew that spans across three different sororities. In accordance with my sister’s wise advice, I did what felt right to me at the time; the rest just worked itself out.
Despite my initial skepticism about rush, it turned out to be a great experience. Though others may not agree, I have yet to meet anyone who regrets at least going through recruitment and seeing what it’s all about. So if you’re on the fence, try it. You might just be surprised.
Missy Kurzweil is a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She can be contacted at mek37@cornell.edu. Don’t Miss Out appears Thursdays.