“One woman is a tiny divine spark in a timeless sisterhood tapestry collective.” – Jan Porter
As most of you who attend UBC (or follow my social media) are aware, this past week, UBC Sororities held its yearly recruitment. This essentially means that yesterday I gained 35 new sorority sisters!
If you can’t tell from my numerous social media posts, I’ve been struck with a serious case of FOMO (fear-of-missing-out). Unluckily for them, my close friends and two littles have been dealing with the worst of it – my questions, my requests for snapchats and daily updates, etc. I knew when I left that I would miss everyone but the severity to which I did only really hit me this weekend.
So, I decided to take the time to examine what it was that I miss so much about being home among my sisters – what it is that makes being an Alpha Gam so significant to me.
You might be surprised to hear that my 50,000+ people campus feels small. This stands as a stark contrast to my experience on exchange where my life revolves around a growing but small network of people. At home I always have someone to hang out with, something to get involved with, someone to be inspired by. It’s amazing how a short discussion with a sister between classes – even just a smile and a wave – can make my day that much brighter. Being in a sorority means having a network and a support system to fall back on. Suddenly being separated from that network has shown me how important it has become.
Even so, Alpha Gam makes the world a smaller place. The fact that I can form fast friendships with Alpha Gams from different chapters – and that there are so many consistencies in character – is impressive in and of itself. Being an Alpha Gam abroad means that there are sisters to visit all over the world and sisters to get travel tips from. There’s always someone forging the path ahead of you and that has been a comfort as I adjust to my life here.
For me, sisterhood has meant so many insignificant things adding up to something significant. This is what I miss most in my daily life. Having someone to sit next to in most of my classes. Study guides swapped before back-breaking exams. Someone to rant to. Textbooks sold extra-cheap. Shameless social media stalking of cute guys. Online shopping when we should be studying. Editing each other’s tinder profiles. Outfits examined and analyzed for everything from dates to formals to hiking trips to adventures. Obnoxious comments on social media. Coffee when you need it the most. Conversations about whether it’s too late at night to order pizza. Serious debates about the Bachelor. Movie nights crying over romcoms wondering why the men around us can’t be more like Channing Tatum (She’s the Man version, obviously).
“A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life.” – Isadora James
It’s true that I’ve made some of my best friends through Alpha Gam but I’ll be the first to admit that not everyone in my chapter is my best friend – even my close friend. What’s incredible is that despite this fact, I can get along with anyone in my chapter and never feel uncomfortable no matter who I’m with, or what situation I’m in. I know that if I needed support, any woman in my sorority would drop everything to be at my aid – I’ve experienced it first hand.
Unsurprisingly, Copenhagen isn’t all that diverse; I didn’t realize how important the diversity of my peers was until I missed it. It is one of the characteristics I love most about my chapter. There’s women from every walk of life and every background. Women studying to be businesswomen, teachers, scientists, artists. There’s never a shortage of perspective or differences of opinion. Since joining my sorority, I constantly examine myself to see if I’m living up to the standard set by the women around me – they are #goals and inspire me to be the best version of myself. Because of these women, I’ve become involved in things I didn’t think I would.
My sisters fill so many roles in my life. They are friends, mentors, tutors. They are competitors, jesters, co-conspirators. They are mentees, fellow geeks, confidants, therapists, organizers, defendants, motivators, my cheer squad, and so much more.
Three years ago, I came to UBC as an eighteen year old girl – key world being girl. Everyone grows up when they go to university but I’ve been lucky enough to become a woman under the watchful and nurturing eyes of my sorority. It’s hard to believe that in about 8 months, I’ll be leaving behind the security of the friendships I’ve made. I know that who I am today has been shaped by the people I’ve been surrounded by these last few years – I’ll always have them when I need them. As I get closer and closer to graduation, I’ve never been prouder to be a sorority woman – an Alpha Gamma Delta woman.
To my best friends, my littles, my sisters reading this – I miss you all so so much and I love you even more. There’s nothing I look forward to more than finishing off my senior year surrounded by all of you.