Brianna Erkman is a senior communication studies major who loves going to the beach. She hopes that her story will help students better understand Greek life and maybe even inspire someone to join a sorority or fraternity.
Many people think sororities are extremely overrated and some students don’t see the point of joining one. I used to be one of these people.
My first semester at NSU, rushing a sorority was the furthest thing from my mind. My small group of friends was enough. What more could I ask for? I didn’t see the point of being in a sorority. Films like “Sydney White,”
“National Lampoon’s Animal House” and “Sorority Row” made Greek life look like a joke. Plus, I’d heard a ton of horrific hazing stories about people being mistreated. That life just didn’t seem to fit me, so I went on with my first semester without joining one.
When my second semester rolled around, my best friend asked me to tag along with her to meet the sisters of Phi Sigma Sigma who were having winter recruitment. I had no interest but after a couple of days of her constant begging, I finally gave in. Though my mind was already made up about never joining a sorority, I soon realized that my assumptions about Greek life were wrong,
From the moment I met my future sorority sisters, I felt an instant connection with them; they immediately made me feel comfortable. Finally, after all these years, I found a place where I knew I fit in. That was something that had never happened to me before; even as a kid, I always felt like an outsider. But that changed the day I was introduced to Greek life.
After moving 1,500 miles away from the familiarity of my hometown in New Jersey, it felt comforting to find a family at school that I could always count on. From the moment I found out I got into Phi Sigma Sigma, my life completely changed. I went from not being involved on campus to meeting many new, interesting people every day.
Joining a sorority was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, though I had no idea how much my sisters would change my life during my sophomore year of college.
One afternoon in April 2012, the week before finals, I received the worst news a 19-year-old could get while away at school — my dad had suddenly passed away.
My entire world came crashing down. I was far from home with no family around; what was I supposed to do?
I immediately called one of my Phi Sigma Sigma sisters, who rushed to my side and spent the rest of the afternoon with me. Later that night, I went to pack up my room on campus and I was surprised see each one of my sisters there, in my room, to be with me — just as my immediate family would have been if I were at home.
They were, and continue to be, the people I can always count on, no matter the turns and twists my life takes. My sisters were there to hold me up that day, and I will be eternally grateful and never forget what they did for me.
I originally came to school just to get my degree and nothing else. Instead, I found a group of young women who changed my life for the better. Being a part of a sorority is much more than letters on a shirt, events, socials or singing songs; it is a way of life. We may have our moments, once in awhile, like all families do, but in the end we have each other’s backs through thick and thin. My sorority isn’t just a part of my four years of college; it will forever be a part of me.
There are some things that you take away from your college experience that are not in textbooks. I am a senior at NSU and I can proudly say that I have learned so much from my sorority. My sorority sisters have helped me grow and have taught me to be a strong, caring, fearless and independent woman. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
