Change is inevitable especially in a new environment where one is subjected to different kind of people, culture, beliefs, and way of doing things. Growing up, I was never part of a group unless it was for sports. Little did I know that was about to change at the University of Arkansas. I did not believe that I would be so much into a kind of group in the university. I considered myself an outsider at the time and just knew from movies such as Animal House, and Legally Blonde to inform my views of sororities.
Insights Gained in the Changing Process
A sorority is a group I never thought I could join due to the stories I heard, movies I watched and the perception of my background. Sororities are always associated with pillow fights, vicious hair-pulling, jewelry pulling catfights between them fighting for the most popular fraternity to accompany them to the dance and more dwelling and praise on one’s physical beauty and looks.
There is true friendship in sororities where the girls encourage you to work hard, believe in your goals and will always advise you whenever you start getting lost. One is given a chance to show both the outsider perspective about sororities and the insider sight and also being able to interact and get to know the girls.
It changes the way someone thinks about themselves by beauty, all the things required of you, what you get to participate in, the people you are surrounded by, and the type of community you are a part of. It came to my realization that the way you look, and beauty is not the top priority to girls in sororities, in fact, it will change the way that you will think about beauty.
Older members would invite younger initiates to go up to their rooms with their friends and watch some movies, dancing, talking or even eating. This makes the fresh in college learn many things to expect in their lifetime in the school. Furthermore, after the initiation, the older girls were very excited for, the younger initiates as if they were reliving their induction.
The sisters in our sorority which goes by the name of Alpha Omicron Pi are not talking about the way we look, such as physical appearance. When they say to do our best to show people who we are and represent our chapter they mean our character. These girls have changed the way I see beauty. When I think of beauty, it is not by how good your makeup is, or how perfect your hair is but your character.
The support and encouragement are another part of the beauty that is within this sorority. Being in Alpha Omicron Pi has taught me that you don’t need to have the most flawless makeup or shiniest hair, being yourself is so much better than that. Being able to observe the way this sorority has changed how we think about ourselves, has helped us to appreciate communities we come from and the one we have now. Alpha Omicron Pi is a place where you can boldly forge a path toward your passion and embrace what you love. Alpha Omicron Pi knows love, understands love, is love. It has shaped the way I see myself by instilling confidence in myself and rooting a fire within me that burns for the ambition of my future.
The practices and standards that we are held to are a vital part of this. I never perceived myself as a vast dreamer with big goals; now I view myself in a whole different manner because of the faith and support that I get from Alpha Omicron Pi. It is through this love that our sisterhood elevates and celebrates our member's passions. Just as it helps each woman discover her path, I perceive myself in a whole different light because of this. Before I was very weary and unsure. Now I have blossomed into a confident individual who is sure of their dreams and goals.
Together as sisters we inspire, innovate, hope and love. I know I look at myself and see it in the other girls as members who believe in our morals and friendship with each other. We inspire ambition in our members, our community, our campus, our family, our friends, and our world. We will embark on this ambitious journey to live this our everyday.
I have witnessed, experienced, and encountered how Alpha Omicron Pi changes how one thinks of herself. Be it beauty, the sisterhood, morals or anything you get to participate in. In the form of beauty, I now think of myself as a more beautiful person on the inside. The morals that we hold ourselves to have made me think of myself more confidently.
Evidence to the Claims
ChapterSpot. “Commitment to Character.” Image, uark.alphaomicronpi.org/.
This website supplies an ample amount of information about the sorority. This website is clear evidence of how sororities have assisted many girls in coping with life outside their comfort zones and also assist them in achieving their dreams. You can find the morals, symbols, philanthropy, and much more on this website. You can go through the different tabs throughout the site, some giving testimonies of the girls in the sorority.
AOII Delta Delta, director. Alpha Omicorn. 2018.
This video is about Alpha Omicron Pi and what it means to some of the members in the sorority. It goes on to explain the types of relationships and experiences the girls have had with each other and how each of them has grown. It details the strength of sisterhood and authenticity. This source has informed the need for such organizations by portraying a more vulnerable side to the girls in the chapter.
Lambert, Leslie. “This Is What Being In A Sorority Really Means.” Thought Catalog, Thought Catalog, 24 Mar. 2014, thoughtcatalog.com/leslie-lambert/2014/03/this-is-what-being-in-a-sorority-really-means/.
This article talks about an experience a girl had while in a sorority. It shows her struggles and insecurities along the way: the author talks of specific examples throughout the recruitment and the coming weeks leading into transitioning into the house. It then shines a light on how she ends up growing and becoming a better leader as well as, taking more opportunities and pushing herself. This perception shows how sorority life shapes young individuals to promote themselves and grow individually.
“An Outsider's View On Rushing For A Sorority.” The Odyssey Online, Odyssey, 15 Nov. 2017, www.theodysseyonline.com/an-outsiders-view-on-rushing-for-sorority.
This article talks about being an outsider and observing the process of becoming part of a sorority. It explains the amounts of stress that girls put themselves under throughout rush week as well as, the time commitment from the very beginning. It emphasized the process of rush week and everything that goes into it.
https://thoughtcatalog.com/leslie-lambert/2014/03/this-is-what-being-in-a-sorority-really-means/
In this article, an experience a girl had while in a sorority was reviewed. It shows her struggles and insecurities along the way. Specific examples are given throughout the process of recruitment and transitioning into the house. It then shines a light on how she ends up growing and becoming a better leader as well as, taking more opportunities and pushing herself. This story informs how sorority life shapes young individuals to promote themselves and grow individually.
Hodge, Eliza. “What Alpha Omicron Pi Means To Me.” The Odyssey Online, Odyssey, 28 Aug. 2017, www.theodysseyonline.com/what-alpha-omicron-pi-means.
This article is an account of a girl who was changed by the sorority she was involved in. She explains how it broke her out of the shell and defied all the previous stereotypes she had about sororities. It also accounts how she was not going to join one, to begin with, but ended up changing her mind. As well as, she thought it was going to be impossible to choose recruitment.
Conclusion
A sorority is viewed as a form undisciplined sort of an organization where to expect shield from enemies, enhance your safety, boost your self-esteem, engage in parties or be acceptable in the society you are in. However, this is not always the case. A sisterhood is a place where you can discover your dreams, make lifetime friends, engage in active work and inventions, have a sense of belonging and a shoulder to cry on.
Works Cited
AOII. "Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity - Inspiring Ambition Since 1897." Alpha Omicron Pi. N.p., n.d. Web.
An Outsider's View On Rushing For A Sorority.” The Odyssey Online, Odyssey, 15 Nov. 2017, www.theodysseyonline.com/an-outsiders-view-on-rushing-for-sorority.
"Facebook." Katie Couric - You Can Watch #GenderRevolution Right Here,... N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2018.
“AOII Believes in a Fraternal Culture.” Alpha Omicron Pi, www.alphaomicronpi.org/about/.
Hodge , Eliza. “What Alpha Omicron Pi Means To Me.” The Odyssey Online, Odyssey, 28 Aug. 2017, www.theodysseyonline.com/what-alpha-omicron-pi-means
Dierks, Maggie. Personal Interview. 20th October 2018.
Gebhardt, Maddie. Personal Interview. 20th October 2018.
