In last week’s issue, there was an article titled “Why I am glad I did not rush a Villanova sorority.” The writer took issue with the rush process here at Villanova and ultimately concluded that Greek Life is a shallow and unfair institution that lessens many girls’ college experience. Being involved in Greek Life myself at Villanova, I took great issue with the opinions expressed in this article.

When I rushed as a freshman, I also wrote an article about the flaws involved in the rush process, and I still very much stand by those flaws. I, however, strongly disagree with the notion that the rush process is “shallow” and that girls were rejected solely on the basis of appearance. I have seen both sides of recruitment now and while I can only speak for my own chapter, I know that there is not a single mention of a girl’s appearance in any way during the voting process. We actually are forbidden from even bringing up what a girl was wearing because that is not what we look for in a sisterhood at all.

The article also brought up the idea that the foundational principles in sororities are wrong. The writer believed that subscribing to someone else’s idea of what sisterhood is should be frowned upon, and I agree.  Nobody should change themselves to fit in with another group of girls under any circumstance, and that’s why Villanova’s sorority life is so great. The rush process may seem unfair, but chapters are striving to the best of their abilities to obtain a pledge class of girls who will fit in with the chapter so that nobody feels like they have to be someone they aren’t. The only way a girl would have to subscribe to “someone else’s idea of sisterhood”would be if she chose the wrong chapter for her for the wrong reasons. 

I am so glad that I rushed a Villanova sorority.  I haven’t regretted my decision to rush once since I received a bid a little over a year ago.  Being involved in Greek Life has endless benefits that simply aren’t available to girls who are on their own. To start, there is the obvious perk of being able to make new friends, both your own age and older. It would be ridiculous to claim that Greek Life is the only way to make new friends at Villanova, but it’s completely reasonable to claim that it makes it much easier.  Not only will you spend hours a week with girls in your chapter, but like I said earlier, the girls in your chapter will be in some way similar to you and probably people you would want to be friends with anyway. Some of my best friends at Villanova are girls I’ve met through my sorority and I am sure I wouldn’t have met them otherwise.  

Of course, there are more benefits I’ve discovered after rushing that I had never even considered. For example, being in a sorority is a major form of networking. When I apply for jobs and internships, I am going to have the added bonus of putting my chapter on my resume and having a chance to get ahead through another sister that has already succeeded. And networking goes far beyond job placement. I wasn’t involved in anything else on campus when I rushed and now I’m overwhelmingly busy with other clubs. Being surrounded by a diverse group of girls, all involved in different campus activities motivated me to get more involved myself. It also always helps to know people when applying to new activities, as they can give you advice and guidance for applications and interviews. 

Joining Greek Life gave me a way to get off campus. There are constantly sisterhood events in addition to just making older friends who are always willing to give you a ride. It gave me a support group of over 100 girls who I know are always willing to help me no matter how distant I’ve become from the chapter. My sorority is full of personal life advisees. They help me in my academics by providing tutors, study hours, and moral support. My GPA increased significantly the past two semesters, and I credit that entirely to my sorority and the support system it provides every member.  

The most important thing to me when I rushed had nothing to do with Greek life at all.  I was so worried that once I joined a “sisterhood” I would lose touch with all my friends who didn’t rush, but I was so wrong. Instead of losing my old friends, I gained more and my relationships with my old friends stayed just as strong as they had ever been.  Joining Greek Life was the best decision I’ve made at Villanova, and it would not be hard to find girls who agree. I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of my chapter and I’m so excited for the new wave of girls who get to reap the benefits of Greek life this semester and for the rest of their lives.