Natasha Raman

My Experience with Virtual Rush and Greek Life

This term, many Dartmouth students, including myself, went through the rush process. For those who don't know, rush is an opportunity for students to learn more about the Greek organizations on campus. It is also an opportunity for these organizations to meet potential members and ultimately decide who will be a part of their new pledge class. Although this process sounded utterly nerve-wracking at first, I soon realized that it wasn't so bad!

Before coming to Dartmouth, my perception of Greek life was colored by stereotypical depictions of sorority sisters and fraternity "bros" in movies and TV shows. However, once I actually stepped on campus, I soon realized that Greek life at Dartmouth is very different from what I originally expected. Dartmouth has a unique rule that freshmen aren't allowed to rush. In fact, they aren't even allowed to enter frats for the first six weeks of their freshman fall term. This rule is in place to ensure that first-years broaden their horizons and get to meet new people from all walks of life rather than solely form friend groups based on their house affiliation. True to the intent of this rule, many of the friends I made during my freshman year are in different sororities now, but we are still as close as ever. Because I had the space to make new friends without feeling overwhelmed by Greek life, I was confident that I genuinely wanted to rush this year rather than felt pressured to do so.

I have to admit that the rush process was both an exhausting and rewarding experience. Although Zoom fatigue hit me really hard at times, I was able to meet so many cool women from different sororities who I had never met on campus before. Now that I am in a sorority, I have gotten to know even more amazing people. This week, I even took part in a murder mystery night with the other new members, which was so fun! Being in a sorority, especially while being remote this term, has made me feel closer to the Dartmouth community. 

Greek life is only one avenue for people to become active in the Dartmouth community and carve a social space for themselves. There are a plethora of ways to be involved with campus life outside of being affiliated. In addition, both sororities and fraternities at Dartmouth aim to be welcoming to all students. You do not have to be affiliated to take part in many Greek-related activities with your friends. At its core, Greek organizations are just one of many close-knit communities on campus.