Learn more about Greek Life from the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. Check out their blog here!
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When I came to Longwood I had an idea of going through recruitment, but decided to wait until my sophomore year to go through. I believed that it was the best decision for me. Throughout my freshmen year I learned a lot about being away from home. It was one of the biggest learning years I have had thus far. With having freshmen year to figure a lot out, I made a group of friends that I am still super close with. When I got into ADPi, I had an idea of how to balance college life. I love that I have my sisters by my side, but also my freshmen year friends I had made as well. Some things are worth the wait. ADPi is now a huge part of my life and forever will be.
~Ashlee Lambert, sister of Alpha Delta Pi Before I came to college, just like most girls will tell you, they never imagined they would be in a sorority. In my mind, I was nothing like a sorority girl, the only image I had of this community was portrayed through television shows and movies. But, not long within my freshman year, I started to meet some of Longwood’s finest Greek members, and I started to see what Greek Life at Longwood was really about.
At the beginning of my second semester, I found a home in Alpha Delta Pi. During recruitment, everyone seems to use the phrase “find your home,” but nobody actually ever defines what this means. While a house is a physical structure, a home is a feeling - that feeling you get when your parent hugs you after a long day, or a friend gives you a smile and wave in the moment when you need it most.To me, Greek life means having a home on campus. My sorority is my home, they’re my comfort, they’re my family. When I’m going through trials in my life, my sisters are there, they’re a home to come home to after a long day. I’m forever thankful for being a part of this sisterhood, and a member of the Greek community as whole. Thank you, Greek life for giving me a home. ~Casey Ridpath, Sister of Alpha Delta Pi You’re interested in joining our fraternity or sorority? We’d love to have you. You’re the type of person we look for: committed, enthusiastic, a leader. We think you’ll do great things here, and we hope that we’ll open some doors for you. You will make lifelong friendships, and hopefully, you’ll be the type of person whose positive impact will be felt here for many years.
This is the start of something really cool. We know you have your reasons for joining, and we also know that the reasons you'll stay will be entirely different. Trust us on that one. People tend to join for the image, the props and the social stuff. they stay around for the friendships and because they find a place where they can impact the lives of others. It's a family. We know this. You will, too. Soon, these letters will be yours. But, there’s one lesson that we need to impress upon you before you sign your name on the dotted line, pay that first fee, and get that first t-shirt. It’s the single most important thing we’re going to ask of you, so you need to listen and understand it, now, before you say “yes.” It’s the one most important thing that any fraternity or sorority can impress upon its new members. Truly, our survival as an organization on this campus, and nationwide, depends on you understanding this one simple lesson and taking it to heart. It’s more important than our history, our traditions, our structure, or our rules. If you don’t understand this most fundamental lesson, then none of the other stuff will matter. If you don’t get this one “golden rule of fraternity,” then your son or daughter won’t have this kind of organization to join someday, and all of this will just be a fuzzy memory. Here it is. Ready? From the moment you say yes to this organization, you are always wearing your letters. I’m going to repeat it. From the moment you say yes to this organization, you are always wearing your letters. We’re not talking about hoodies or hats made in our colors. We're not talking about a tattoo on your ankle, some party favor or a badge you wear on your dress shirt. What we mean is that when you say yes to lifetime membership in this group, everything you say, do and represent from that moment forward is a direct reflection on this group, your brothers or sisters, and the thousands of members who have come before you. Everything you put out to the world is a direct reflection on what we stand for. Every decision, every achievement, every mistake you make happens to all of us from this point forward. When you go to the grocery store, you represent us. If you fall asleep in class or earn a weak grade, you represent us. When you drive down the road and slow down so a pedestrian can cross the street, you represent us. When you turn 21 and go out to celebrate, you represent us. When you become a leader of another campus organization, you represent us. When you insult someone or talk badly about another group, you represent us. When you break up with someone and make decisions about how you behave during that difficult time, you represent us. When you go on Spring Break, you represent us. When you go home and sit at your mother’s dining room table, you represent us. When you get a job and go to work for a company or organization, you represent us. When you commit your life to that special person, someday, you represent us. You are always wearing your letters. From this day forward, always. Every day, in every situation. They never come off. It's as if you tattooed these letters on your forehead. It doesn't matter if you're wearing an intramural jersey with our name on it, or a business suit at an interview. You have to assume that every person you meet will form a permanent opinion about fraternities and sororities--good or bad--based on your behavior. Every good thing you do builds us up. Every dumb thing you do tears us down. We live in a time when the actions of one man or one woman can kill a group like ours. One person who acts in a way that is inconsistent with our shared values can end a hundred years of tradition and pride. One choice you make on a Friday night can take away everything that generations of men and women have worked to build. All the stuff you see that belongs to us can be boxed up or thrown out, because of the choices you make.If this seems a little intense, that’s good. Because it’s serious. If it sounds like too much responsibility, or if you don’t think you can behave in a way that reflects well on us at all times, then walk away now. Do us the favor. We won’t think less of you. In fact, we’ll thank you. This sort of commitment isn’t for everybody. But, don’t say yes unless you understand. We’re not asking you to give up anything. We aren’t asking you to become something you aren’t. We’re asking you to become something more. We’re inviting you to become part of a group whose members make a promise to take care of each other, every day. We’re asking you to become the very best version of you that you can be. We’re asking you to take a leap of maturity and to go to that place where you’re the same, honorable, dignified person on Saturday night as you are on Tuesday morning. It’s a big deal, and not everyone can do it. Forget everything you’ve heard up to this point. Forget how much you might want this, or how much we might want to bring you into the group. Just clear your mind and ask yourself one question. Are you ready to never take them off? Because when you say yes, you’re not just putting letters on a sweatshirt. You’re putting them in your heart. You’re forever stamping your identity with them. Everything you are, from this point on, becomes who we are. You will make mistakes, and brothers or sisters will remind you of your commitment. There will be times where you will see other members forgetting their promise, and you’ll need to remind them. That’s part of this whole “fraternity” and "sorority" thing. We work together to make ourselves better people who stand for something. We carry each other. We matter to one another. If we're truly living up to our shared values, then we'll make you a better person. If you're doing everything right, then you will make us a better organization. So, please think about it. Take it seriously. Becasue if you say ys, these letters belong to you just as surely as they belong to our founders. If you say yes, these letters become your responsibility forever. Is this what you want? *Taken for T.J. Sullivan's Student Leadership Blog* |