We are in the sixth week of the semester and many freshmen are still exploring the many opportunities offered here at Bloomsburg University. Bloomsburg University is one of 14 public universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and it has also earned the reputation of a party school. Arriving at Bloomsburg, I was very curious about student life and whether or not I would enjoy it. The thing I was most interested in was the night life here at Bloomsburg.
Before I came here, I was excited but nervous about whether or not I was going to make friends and if I was going to have a good time. Luckily, I went out my first night and every night for the following two weeks. I have slowed down since then but I was very happy to meet new people and I had a blast partying with my newly formed friends. I enjoyed going out and meeting new people but there was something I was missing–the Greeks.
It didn’t take long before I went to my first frat party. On my second night here I went to check out the Greek night life. Let me just say it was awesome. There were the typical basement parties and then there were a few themed parties. From an army themed party at SIO to a paint party at ATO and a highlighter and Mardi Gras party at Delta Pi, I am very impressed with the variety of parties here at Bloomsburg. Now I know these parties don’t happen every night but there is always a place to go and a place to have a good time.
Unfortunately, I am a first semester freshman so I have not established a GPA or earned enough credits to rush the sororities. The rush process for sororitiesis very different than the rush process for fraternities. Rushing the fraternities, dates are chosen and guys meet at the Kehr Union patio or Carver Hall to get to know the brothers. The brothers do interviews and then hand out their bids. The sororities have a more formal process. There are sweeten-ups, opens, informals, and formals. Girls can also COB where they promise they will pledge with a certain sorority and skip a portion of the rushing process. Rushing began in the beginning of the month and they are just finalizing now. Although freshman guys were able to rush they are not allowed to accept bids until they have earned 12 credits and have at least a 2.5 GPA.
Joining Greek life is not like joining a club. Once you’re in, you’re in. I was once talking to a frat brother that said if he were to do it all over again he would not have joined Greek life. The conversation got better when someone asked him if he could just “unpledge.” The answer is obviously no. When you pledge Greek, you pledge for life. So why pledge Greek?
I know Greek life and partying go hand in hand but joining a sorority/ fraternity is much more than just partying. Yes it is a life-long commitment but there are so many benefits and it is very rewarding to most Greek members. Although there are people who regret pledging, there are more brothers and sisters that love everything about being Greek. Your sisters or your brothers that you pledge with become your family. Talking to more frat brothers, they told me about how close they are with their brothers. They told me how they would basically do anything for them such as bailing them out of jail. Some sister told me how close she is with her sisters and even closer with her pledge sisters. If you do decide to pledge, you will always have a special relationship with the people you pledge with. Becoming a part of Greek life is more than just making friends; joining the Greek life is about creating special friendships with one another.
Greek life is also about leadership, networking, and philanthropy. Sororities and fraternities participate in community service events and they each support their own charity. Several sororities and fraternities have completed 300 community service hours to earn a banner that is displayed in Kehr union. Being a part of Greek life help builds your resume. It helps you with networking as I mentioned before and also it also teaches you life skills needed in the work force. One sister told me how she used her experiences in an interview to become an Orientation Workshop Leader (OWL). She also explained that there are members of Greek life all over the nation. There is a possibility that your future employer is associated with a sorority or fraternity. Greek life helps you with life skills and at the same time you can have lots of fun.
All of this sounds great but I bet you are also wondering about hazing. Hazing happens everywhere and there have been some incidents associated with Greek life. I’m sure you had the chance to hear some of the stories on campus, if not about sororities and fraternities in general. Hazing in general is a more of a don’t ask, don’t tell policy. If you have ever been a part of a club or group there are different types of hazing. The horror stories that I’ve heard are from all over and are not specific to the Greek life on the Bloomsburg campus. Most of the stuff I’ve heard around campus is funny and I think people make a bigger deal out of it then it really is. If you’re still a little skeptical, no worries Greek life is trying to reform the pledge process to make it less frightening for us scared little freshman. For those who are unaware of the reforming process, it‘s called new member education. New member education is basically just educating and memorizing the history and facts about the sorority/ fraternity. In order to join a sorority or fraternity I think it is crucial to learn the facts and history of the family you are about to join.
So overall, I enjoyed meeting people from sororities and fraternities. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting brothers from TKE, DKE, Beta, Delta Pi, SIO, ATO, Kappa Sig, and Crow and sisters from Tri Sig, Phi Sig, ASA, AST, Pixies, Chi Sig, and DEB. I’ve had unforgettable night here at Bloomsburg and I’ve created life-long memories with my friends. I love to go out and meet people and having a good time. I think Greek life is so much more than any other club I’ve ever been a part of. It’s a lot of fun and offers a lot of opportunities. I’m still not sure about some rivalries but I’ve never met someone from Greek life that I didn’t like. I’ve met so many sisters that told me I should pledge their sorority, but I think I will take the advice of another sister and not COB and go through the rush process. I’m a freshman and I’m still learning and familiarizing myself with Greek life. I’ve had several family members associated with sororities and frats so I am looking forward to finding out for myself. So far I like what I see. Although it Greek life is very appealing, it is, however, not for everyone. It’s not a club, it’s a family. It becomes your home away from home. I hope that you will go out and meet new people and that you will check it out and explore it yourself.
To find out more check out BU’s Greek Life webpage:
http://departments.bloomu.edu/greeklife/index.html
