So ladies, you don’t have any fun hand symbols, an upperclassman sneaking into your dorm room leaving you gifts, or a new Facebook page to belong to. GDI or die; right? After all is said and done, recruitment is over, and the bids were given, many of us find ourselves no different than we had a few weeks ago…we’re the Independent ladies of DePauw’s campus!
You might be an Independent by choice, or you’re like me, and recruitment just didn’t go the way you had hoped, but hey, if it were meant to be it would have been! If you went through recruitment, and it didn’t end the way you had hoped, just look at the bright side, you met so many new people and probably made a lot of new friends while holding on to a complete stranger, trying to change from your boots and sweatpants into your heels. So, we might not have a Facebook page, and 90 brand new “sisters,” but what we do have, is a lot of opportunities to take hold of as Independents on this campus.
Good news, philanthropy events are open to the public. All sororities have philanthropic events that raise money for their cause of choice. These events only work if you participate. After all, support for a cause is found in the hearts of all students. If you were worried about not being able to support a certain cause, or maybe you wanted to be the organizer for a cause, don’t worry. You don’t need to been a sorority to do that! Take me for example; I’m the team captain of my dorm floor’s Relay For Life team this year. Good cause? Yep! In a sorority? Nope! Helping people? Absolutely. Whatever you want to do on campus, you can do it. Senior Ashley Isaac has been an Independent since freshman year. She has been involved in so many things on campus such as College Mentors For Kids, Restorative Justice, Building Tomorrow, Up Till Dawn, and other programs. All of which are open to all DePauw students. Isaac said, “Being an Independent has given me more time to create my own DePauw experience.” And by all the activities she’s involved in, anyone can tell, she loves it.
But, maybe you’re worried about the social scene? Don’t worry girls, there are plenty of events open to the public. First of all, your weekend life won’t be lacking just because you’re not affiliated with a Greek house. The fraternities that are open every weekend are, and will always be, open to all students. And, maybe you might not get to invite your crush to your house’s formal, but he can invite you to his!
There are other advantages to being an Independent on this campus. TIME! I have found, time and time again, that I have much more time of my own to manage than some of my friends who are in the sororities. Chapter events mean getting dressed up, family events mean making crafts for your ‘big’ or your ‘little’, and mandatory events mean you’re required to be with your sisters for a set amount of time. All these activities are fun, and honestly great, and I frequently wish I had someone to make crafts for, but I also know that when I am doing so many things on this campus, I need the time I have to study for that big exam I have next week.
Overall, whether you’re a GDI by choice, or by circumstance, the situation is exactly what you make it. Your interests on campus can be satisfied through the campus activities offered, and besides the hand symbols and the instant family, there aren’t many differences between sorority girls and GDIs. Get involved! Do what you want! And continue having fun! After all, you’ve been Independent since the day you stepped on this campus! And you did it wonderfully! Embrace the lifestyle, ladies. Take it from me, I’m having a great time.