1) The document discusses the author's initial skepticism towards sororities in college but changing views after meeting a member of the Delta Zeta sorority and attending a recruitment event. 2) It describes the sorority recruitment process, which involves attending parties with different sororities over about a week before receiving and potentially accepting a bid. 3) The author reflects on her positive experiences in her sorority, including the community for studying, bonding with sisters, and access to an alumni network, and encourages open-minded students to participate in recruitment to experience Greek life firsthand.

2. fl)CAMPUS LIFE
_ .•••. _.J --,
-
ends). Mter each party, potential new
members rank their favorite sororities;
meanwhile, the sororities rank the possi-
ble recruits. By the end of the week, each
potential new member is left with a bid
in her hand. If she accepts the bid, she will
go through initiation classes in which
she'll learn about the history and values
of the sorority. Then she will go through
an initiation ceremony, becoming a full
sister. (I wish I could tell you all the de-
tails, but like all sisters, I'm sworn to se-
crecy.) We're expected to attend weekly
chapter meetings and philanthropic and
recruitment events. Membership comes at
a cost: I pay roughly $150 a month to be a
Delta Zeta, but I pay my dues by working
part time, and my sorority, like most, of-
fers scholarships.
Since joining my sorority, I've had only
positive experiences. So, like my sisters, I
was shocked to read about how DePauw
University's Delta Zeta chapter had al-
legedly kicked out 23 sisters because they
were "socially awkward" or overweight,
leaving the chapter with only 12 sisters
who were slender, popular and "conven-
tionally pretty." I still find it unbelievable-
FIRSTPERSON:Despite my initial misgivings,
Greek life is just right for me. BY K. ALEISHA FETTERS
HEN I ARRIVED AT
Northwestern, I kept a
simple mantra in
mind: don't drink the
Kool-Aid. Those five
syllables summed up my entire attitude
about sororities, which I'd always regarded
as a little too cultish. During high school
I'd seen too many movies about harsh initi-
ation rituals led by airheaded girls with
fake nails, fake noses and fake personali-
ties. Many of my dorm mates insisted that
Greek life at Northwestern was different.
Still, as I wandered the campus during my
first freshman quarter, I figured the Greek
system was a breeding ground for all the
students who'd slipped by the admissions
committee. I had as much chance of pledg-
ing a sorority as I did trying out for the
football team.
A lot of my classmates, though, clearly
thought differently. Nearly 40 percent of
Northwestern undergraduates belong to
68 HOW TO GET INTO COLLEGE
fraternities or sororities. While these stu-
dents are dedicated to philanthropies and
academics, they also keep weekends social.
At most colleges, fraternities and sororities
are an important part of campus life-and
even at Northwestern, where the majority
of students don't pledge, deciding whether
to do so is one of the biggest social deci-
sions an incoming freshman makes.
As I settled in to campus, something
happened that made me start to change
my views. I met a Delta Zeta. She was
quirky, thoughtful and a great study part-
ner. Spending time with her, I began to
wonder: are the other women in her soror-
ityjust as impressive? One evening she in-
vited me over to her house for an informal
recruitment event. It was low-key: we sat
around chatting, eating snacks and watch-
ing "Friends." I was hooked.
Joining a sorority requires commit-
ment. The process lasts about a week, with
parties each evening (and all day on week-
and as ajournalism major, I found the sto-
ry both slanted and sensationalized. But
the furor caused by that story did lead my
chapter to have intense discussions.
Northwestern Delta Zetas are an incredi-
bly diverse group and, as we recruit, we're
committed to keeping it that way.
In my sorority, I have a community in
which I can study for midterms, raid clos-
ets and bond over broken hearts. I also
have a nationwide network of alumni sis-
ters who may be helpful when it's time to
find a job. And ironically, while I once
found tlle rituals of sorority life to be a lit-
tle cultish, I now find our ceremonies, rit-
uals and creeds to be part of what makes
my chapter a cohesive group.
Today I regret that I didn't join my
sorority as soon as I got to campus. So if
you're skeptical whether Greek life is right
for you, I suggest you give the recruitment
process a try. Visiting different fraternities
or sororities is the only way to judge their
true temperaments. If you decide to join,
that chapter's house will be your home for
the rest of your college career.
FETTERS is a junior at Northwestern University.
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