A girl can expect sisterhood, philanthropy and getting involved on and off campus if they are in a sorority. USI’s three sororities, Alpha Sigma Alpha, Delta Zeta and Gamma Phi Beta, have just finished up fall recruitment and the girls are learning what it is like to be in a sorority.
Sophomore undecided major Alex Conklin was recruited into Alpha Sigma Alpha this year and said she could not be happier with her choice.
“Alpha Sigma Alpha was a perfect fit for me because I felt like I could be myself,” Conklin said. “Plus, I felt like academically and socially Alpha Sigma Alpha fit. I feel like I can get done with what I came here to do, which is to be successful in college and still be a part of something bigger than myself.”
Philanthropy and getting involved with campus are things Conklin is excited for, she said.
“I joined a sorority to get more involved with campus and meet new people,” Conklin said. “Also, it’s like a business during things like chapter so I feel like I can grow in Alpha Sigma Alpha and prepare myself for life after college.”
Conklin is looking forward to having sisterhood in Alpha Sigma Alpha.
“I feel like at 3 a.m. I can be in sweatpants and no make-up balling my eyes out, and my sisters will be there for me,” Conklin said. “I feel like everyone should look into going Greek and see if it’s for them. Going Greek gives you an opportunity to be a part of something bigger than yourself.”
The support of her sisters is something that Hayley Capshaw, a junior member of Gamma Phi Beta, knows very well.
“When our sister, Amber Lyn Gosch, was killed in March it really hit us hard…I couldn’t have gotten through it without the support of my sisters,” Capshaw said. “My Gamma Phi sisters really stepped up to be my family and I know they would drop everything at a moment’s notice for me.”
For Capshaw, Gamma Phi Beta has risen beyond her original expectations of sorority life.
“Gamma Phi Beta has forced me to grow up as a person,” Capshaw said. “I had issues in high school, but Gamma Phi has brought out the best in me. If I do something now I think “will this make my sisters look bad.” It’s forced me not to only think about myself.”
Capshaw said she hopes the the relationships she builds with her sisters will last forever.
“The relationships that you make with your sisters won’t only last throughout college and a couple years afterwards, they’ll be relationships that will last the rest of your life,” Capshaw said. “My mom was in a sorority and she still talks to her sisters.”
Emily Severeid, a senior political science major and president of Delta Zeta, has some different experiences than a typical sorority sister.
“Being president has allowed me to meet with other chapters and talk about the problems that we’re having,” Severeid said. “It’s interesting to see that chapters like Gamma Phi and Alpha Sigma sometimes go through the same things we are.”
Severeid who has taken several leadership positions in Delta Zeta has found her true calling through her sorority.
“Delta Zeta allowed me to find my true passions and what I love,” Severeid said. “What I love to do is to get students involved and what I want to do after college is coordinate all the freshmen orientations.”
For Severeid, being a part of Delta Zeta will be an experience she will never forget.
“The person that I was when I came to Delta Zeta is completely different to the person I am now.”